It's dying here, 80 gal. pickup today where last week was 180. A few trees had empty buckets [except for dead moths]
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It's dying here, 80 gal. pickup today where last week was 180. A few trees had empty buckets [except for dead moths]
Had a decent run of sap back half of yesterday followed up by a night run. Still running today in the rain a bit. All sap is still fairly clear.
Another boil tomorrow.
I collected another bit yesterday through the night and into today.
I’m expecting decent runs through Monday and that should be it from what I’m seeing.
Soon it will be time to boil, bottle and then tear down all the gear.
I’ve been sitting on a pan full of sweet and sap that’s a few days old. Fortunately my tanks were frozen up until yesterday so the sap should still be good. That said, I’m sure it’s cloudier than I’d like... oh well. It’s that time of the year.
I'll collect what I can Saturday night and boil all day Sunday. I get what I get. With luck another 5 gallons or so Sunday which will bring my total up to 30 gallons. All things considered not too bad.
On the positive side a dairy refrigeration guy finally came to the house to look at my milk tank. Thought it was an easy retrofit to a smaller compressor unit and no big deal.
I collected 95 gallons yesterday. That puts me at 930 gallons for the year. Expecting 200 to 250 this weekend. That will put me at where I wanted to be for the year, around 1100 to 1200 gallons of sap on 110 taps.
Just went out and collected my last 55gal drum off the tubing for the season, which was overflowing since yesterday evening.... Lines are all frozen today anyways. Sap is cloudy and starting to not taste so good. Puts me about 1200 gallons of sap on 75ish taps. Not terrible though it was a very spotty season. Seemed like all or nothing on any given day.
I’ll boil off the last bit tomorrow and start bottling the take Sunday. I suppose I’ll have some sweet to finish off over the propane as well. Considering I tapped Super Bowl Sunday and it’s still ‘running’ I’d say that ain’t too bad though usually I call it quits much earlier than this because I’ve reached my quota of fun and syrup this year seemed to drag on.
Starting to clean up and sanitize the collection gear this afternoon, take the taps out sometime in the coming days. Regroup next week and refill the wood pile for next year. Hope you all had a decent year!
Sap ran good today! Practically nothing the few days prior. I will be boiling tomorrow, and maybe Sunday if I don't finish it all. I had maybe 60 gal in my ss tank that has been frozen for the past few days, plus todays' and tomorrow sap.
I would like to say that I will be able to get through it all tomorrow, but chances are not, unless I go really late. I can't start til early afternoon. My rig is simply not giving me the heat and boil it did last year. I have/had a pile of wood that was not the best that I needed to use up, so I am blaming it on that, but it is mostly gone, so hopefully tomorrow's boil will be better.
All done. Finished 5 gallons yesterday and another 5 gallons today for a total on the year of 35 gallons. Not too bad all things considered.
Left 4" of thick sap/thin syrup in the pans and will come back to it in two or three months.
Will pull down lines this week and finish washing totes and tanks.
Sad to see the season end.
That's a wrap!
Finished my last boil yesterday, with a pan of sweet to ferment.
I'm unsure of my total syrup yield, but I m expecting to be near 15 gallons. Sap yield was well below that of last year. Oh well... It was fun.
Time to clean totes, pull taps, sanitize lines, and stow the gear until next year.
Thanks for the support, good humor, and help along the way.
I hope you all have a great off-season.
Be well.
Bryan
My plan was to collect my last batch on Saturday, boil on Sunday and take everything down today. I actually had my best sap run of the season between Saturday night and this morning. Most buckets were overflowing, and the sap is crystal clear to boot!