Quote:
Originally Posted by CrossBroMaple
I won't even know what I have here until this weekend...is that high for you guys, or normal?Quote:
Originally Posted by christopherh
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CrossBroMaple
I won't even know what I have here until this weekend...is that high for you guys, or normal?Quote:
Originally Posted by christopherh
Pretty typical here JohnQuote:
Originally Posted by johnallin
Four days collected on 105 buckets has produced 520 gallons. Started at 3%, then 2.75%, then 2.8% yesterday. I have not been home to get a sugar content on today's sap that my son collected. This is higher than normal sugar content for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by christopherh
Chris - I hope to see 1.5 - 2% on my mix of mostly reds with maybe 25% hard maple.Quote:
Originally Posted by heus
Jason - those are good trees and a lot of sap for buckets - geez. Can only guess what Kevin has been swimming through with 5,000 on hi-vac!
By the sound of it - this has been a good week for collections...67°F here today probably shut em down though.
I should finish tapping our North and front woods tomorrow or Saturday and hope to boil Sunday thru mid next week if the cold holds, but 67°F here today sure feels like March.
Definitely warm today. Sap flow has slowed a bit and let us catch up al little. Made the color a little darker as well, but great flavor. Looking forward to the cold snap coming. Might need some more drums.
Another pretty good run today, sugar is about the same as yesterday. We’ll see what we get tomorrow.
I'm betting with 5k taps, you need tankers...not drums! <big grin>Quote:
Originally Posted by Kh7722
slowed down a little today, but still made 20 gallons of light amber (69 hanna again). Sap was still at 2% Things still running when I got done cleaning up at 10:30. probably will need to boil again tomorrow then get a couple days break with the weekend cold temps.
Didn't think it would run much overnight but my test bucket at my house was half full. Good thing though, because empty buckets would have been blown all over the woods last night.
decent run yesterday, sugar dropped to 1.5%, sap ran till 11 last night. Made 11.5 gal amber, 69 hanna again for 3rd straight boil.
Almost got done tapping today and they’re still running!
Will finish in the morning then turn vac on and fill tanks.
You guys must be buried, I’ve yet to strike a match.
Could be a good year after all.
had an unexpectedly good run today, wasn't thinking I'd have to boil till Monday, but I may need to boil tomorrow.
Yep things have been running real good on buckets. My goal is 30 gallons on 105ish buckets. Almost halfway there in less than a week. Sugar has been good for my woods.
Hope that doesn't mean it's half over!Quote:
Originally Posted by heus
boiled again today, 11.5 gal amber, it darkened a bit (hanna 59, from 69), probably because I didn't boil yesterday and left my pans sweatened in a heated sugar house (I keep it about 40-45).
sap really slowed today, syrup also moved into the dark range.
Sap also slowed here in Granger the last two days. Sugar has been good but today dropped to 1.8%. Much better than last years sugar content. We probably need the rain, but I have been enjoying the warm temps and little mud to deal with. I am well over half my normal season total of syrup this last week and a half.
I have made 18.5 gallons so far. My goal is 30 from 105 buckets. Didn't collect yesterday because I didn't want my buckets blowing into the next county. Sugar content on Tuesday was 2.5.
Finally got my first boil in yesterday.
After dumping Monday's sap (had junk from lines in it) I pulled in about 480 gallons Tues-Wed and squashed that down to 135 with the little CDL Hobby RO. Filled the 2x6 and let 'er rip. About 3 gal of nice light syrup, no "fire drills" and everything went as it should - which is rare for a first boil.
As for the benefits of using a local dealer? I needed some parts to repair the CDL sap lifter...quick call to Fred, trip to the store, pick up parts and all was good before lunch time. You don't get that with E'bay..
As for the benefits of using a local dealer? I needed some parts to repair the CDL sap lifter...quick call to Fred, trip to the store, pick up parts and all was good before lunch time. You don't get that with E'bay..[/QUOTE]
Do people still use EBAY??
You guys next door to the west are doing good!
Several sugar makers here making syrup every day and are over half a crop at this point.
Keep boiling!
Regards,
Chris
Do people still use EBAY??[/QUOTE]Quote:
Originally Posted by Kh7722
Probably not...just showing my age...
You getting any sleep lately, gotta be getting tired.
And to think I tapped about as early as I've ever ...but still late for the party. This is looking like 2012Quote:
Originally Posted by Sugarmaker
A couple of firsts for me. One, I blew a filter press hose in half. The one between my CDL diaphragm pump and my filter press. It sounded like a gunshot and made quite the mess. Like most people with filter presses, I have blown a paper before but never even heard of a hose blowing in half. These are the silicone brewery hoses that Smoky Lake sells. I will be switching back to a clear milk hose which is much stronger material. The pressue built up because I allowed the press to cool off between batches. Secondly, I boiled the cloudy sap from our warm run last mid-week. Expecting low sugar because of the bacteria, I was surprised to see 3%. I had to double check because I couldn't believe it. Going out to collect here shortly. My test tree outside my house window ran all night.
Jason, Leader uses stainless braided hose between the pump and the Clear Press...you won't blow that up.
My 330 gal tank is overflowing this morning...must have run all night, it was empty at 7pm yesterday.
Use the bypass valve to slowly introduce hot syrup into a filter press that has cooled off. This will allow it to warm up more gently and (hopefully) avoid spraying syrup all over the place...although it's almost a requirement that this happens at least every now and then. When it does occur, I always end up with the Def Leppard song "Pour Some Sugar on Me" running through my head. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UIB9Y4OFPsQuote:
Originally Posted by heus
Thanks Dr. Tim. Like a genius I did not have the bypass hose hooked up.Quote:
Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins
Anyone else in NE Ohio seeing lower sap flow over the last week? It seems the sap is just not running as much as I would expect for the weather.
We need rain, or snow. Very dry in woods. Mud makes sapQuote:
Originally Posted by MapleCreekFarm
Still coming in over here. Pulled about 450 gal 1.5% since last night and the CDL Hobby can’t keep up.
Normally recirculate in my sap tank to 4-5% but not today.
Coming in almost as fast as I’m squashing it!
Don’t understand it as we are pretty dry here also.
Attachment 22898
Oh it's coming in down here too. Probably got close to 500 gal since 9am this morning. But it's only running about 2/3 what it was a couple weeks ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by johnallin
I’m only only at 325 taps.
That’s a good run for us but I wasn’t tapped last week, so can’t compare.
Sounds like those who were in had huge runs that’s for sure.
Definitely a strange year - hit 70 here on Wednesday
I believe it is dry in the woods and could use some moisture to help sap flow. Did have some good sap come on overnight and today, still holding around 1.8% which is good not great for me. Nearing 60% of a normal crop
60% is awesome for as early as it is.
And I’m just now bottling Wednesday boil while waiting for the RO to squash down today’s sap a bit more.
Will give me a chance to fire up the Clear Press for the first time this year 😎
I absolutely refuse to boil anything less than 4% anymore.
4%?Quote:
Originally Posted by johnallin
I have a hard time boiling less than 10%.
Kevin
With 5000 taps I don’t blame you.
Not enough hours is a day for anything less in your world.
Me, I shoot for 4 min but prefer 5-6 if I have the time to RO.
Barely got any today or yesterday, maybe 800 gallons of sap from 800 taps. Ones on top flowed a bit, everything below barely at all. Disappointed for the weather.
So if I water the trees about how much per tree do you think?
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnallin
I am glad you have standards now. {big grin}
Yup. It’s part of maintaining “Out of County” status. Much higher standards are required. 😎
This year better shape up soon …Fred’s stirring the pot.