Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

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Originally Posted by to100

Any thing I could have differently?

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A couple of thoughts. First, this has been a very unusual year. Some producers who tapped very early (with vacuum) had record yields. Others who tapped later, even with vacuum, are short. A lot depends upon location (elevation, aspect) in addition to when you tapped.

Second....how old is your tubing system? That can have some influence depending upon other things as well. Slope won't have much of an effect with 5/16" tubing. On gravity, sap will not run after a few days without a refreeze (which we've not had for a few days) regardless of the spout you're using. With a gravity system, annual variation in sap yields tend to be far higher than with vacuum.

Third.....last year was a record production year for most areas in the northeast. Unlikely you're going to match that again right away.

In the last 6 days I have gotten about 5gal/tap. If this is the end that's how I like to go out! Sap still looks good, starting to get a little slim in my releaser. The guy I sell to is still making good syrup. Possible little freeze up tonight, and a better one Saturday night, then hit it hard to the finish! If I could pick up another 3gal/tap before we call it quits I'll be on par total wise with last year BUT with WAY better sugar this year. Should be good

Dr. Tim you mentioned earlier about the ones that tapped early are looking decent. I think your spot on. I picked up 1/3 crop just in the last 8-9 days of February.

our 3,000 taps in our home bush were all in by January 9th and we got a nice early run in that second week of January. We've been pulling 27.5 or higher the whole season on 2nd year setup, short laterals, few taps per lateral. Doing the best we can but still aren't where we would like to be for yields. We never really opened up here. Hopefully we can make it for another 5 or so days and get us up to the .5 gal per tap mark. Guess it's just nature.

We should be able to go till Easter Sunday for sure. The weather keeps changing every time I look at it. There is now only partial sun on Sunday and Monday and then back to cooler nights and cloudy days. The nighttime temps predicted for my town have been about 4-5 degrees warmer then what I have been getting in my woods. If they are saying 36 for a low I am getting 31 at my house. Their weather station is at 550 elevation and my woods ranges from 1000-1250.

Spud

I Hope you are Right Spud I have no signs of budding at all not even on the soft Maples. Hopefully I can squeeze one more week out toof. Latest I've boiled in the past has been April 15th.

My bucket RO in action for the 1st time! Home with a sick little one today, so I couldn't run for the plumbing from the tank that I had in-mind, but I'm making due. Concentrating about 1.5% to just under 4%, and I am absolutely thrilled!

Tank on the left is raw sap, tank in the cart is concentrate, & the barrel is catching the water.
Attachment 16357

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Originally Posted by MJPJ Sugars

My bucket RO in action for the 1st time! Home with a sick little one today, so I couldn't run for the plumbing from the tank that I had in-mind, but I'm making due. Concentrating about 1.5% to just under 4%, and I am absolutely thrilled!

Tank on the left is raw sap, tank in the cart is concentrate, & the barrel is catching the water.
Attachment 16357

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Thats pretty cool. Lets keep this season going two more weeks.

Spud

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Originally Posted by spud

Thats pretty cool. Lets keep this season going two more weeks.

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I'm in! :cool:

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Originally Posted by MJPJ Sugars

My bucket RO in action for the 1st time! Home with a sick little one today, so I couldn't run for the plumbing from the tank that I had in-mind, but I'm making due. Concentrating about 1.5% to just under 4%, and I am absolutely thrilled!

Tank on the left is raw sap, tank in the cart is concentrate, & the barrel is catching the water.
Attachment 16357

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Sweet! I'm glad this worked for you! If I had power at my sugar shack, I'd probably get one of these myself. That and a squirrel cage blower for AUF. Ah well, I make do.

Cheers!

Gabe

Woke up this morning to 5 inches of snow and it's still coming down. The temp last night hit 27 degree. Looks like sugaring is alive and well for a while. Sap may run a bit today with it only going to 38 degrees. Tomorrow it's full sun and 54 and the sap should run very good. Hoping to make it through the 4 day warm up thats coming up and then sail to the 20th.

Spud