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Sap is slowing down and I am going to pull the plug later today. I thought yesterday would be better but it never really took off. I have to wait for some numbers to come in and then I will post it. This has been one of my best years for sure. The new electric releaser was like a gift from God. It worked flawless. It's now time to focus on apple trees.
Spud
Yesterday turned out to be pretty good here, followed by another very light freeze in the lower sections this morning.
flow has picked up a little in the last few hours but the strong south wind is definitely keeping things down. I'll go till the buyer says no more.
I have wondered this about the reds, we had that dirty sock smell couple years ago after an early tapping season but this year didn't seem to show up, only our last 15 gallons was sourish. I think it's Russ from New Hampshire taps mostly reds and he claims that they don't ever have an issue as they do flower before they Bud unlike sugar maples. Last year, to try to something, i even went out and pulled all my reds well keeping the sugars online and that didn't seem to change anything of course the tanks for pretty nasty.Quote:
Originally Posted by tcross
I certainly was not trying to clog up the forum and frankly
Maybe instead of focusing on the things that I said read back three pages and understand how this conversation even came about. Instead of chiming in at the very end. Because all I remember saying was "you guys will be sugaring till May with the CVS"...... Then somebody wants to question my math and what I make for syrup when the sugar bushes are un-comparable and aside for my father boiling with me for 3 to 4 hours a day so I can run out if I have to to collect, I run 3500 taps on four different releasers without a stitch your help if I'm lucky I might have somebody to turn the RO on or off for me.....so I don't expect to make .6 gallons per tap although it would be nice .45 for me is ecstatic because it tells me my less than par trees are lower than that and my larger trees are over likely way over a half a gallon Pertap but I will never know because they all go in the same line and tank. I know a 3 to 4 inch red maple does not putting out half a gallon per tap it'd be nice if they did!!
I have wondered this about the reds, we had that dirty sock smell couple years ago after an early tapping season but this year didn't seem to show up, only our last 15 gallons was sourish. I think it's Russ from New Hampshire taps mostly reds and he claims that they don't ever have an issue as they do flower before they Bud unlike sugar maples. Last year, to try to something, i even went out and pulled all my reds well keeping the sugars online and that didn't seem to change anything of course the tanks for pretty nasty.Quote:
Originally Posted by tcross
I certainly was not trying to clog up the forum and frankly
Maybe instead of focusing on the things that I said read back three pages and understand how this conversation even came about. Instead of chiming in at the very end. Because all I remember saying was "you guys will be sugaring till May with the CVS"...... Then somebody wants to question my math and what I make for syrup when the sugar bushes are un-comparable and aside for my father boiling with me for 3 to 4 hours a day so I can run out if I have to to collect, I run 3500 taps on four different releasers without a stitch your help if I'm lucky I might have somebody to turn the RO on or off for me.....so I don't expect to make .6 gallons per tap although it would be nice .45 for me is ecstatic because it tells me my less than par trees are lower than that and my larger trees are over likely way over a half a gallon Pertap but I will never know because they all go in the same line and tank. I know a 3 to 4 inch red maple does not putting out half a gallon per tap it'd be nice if they did!!
Hhmm mmm mmm--- spud just for the hell of it ream couple holes or drill a new one in just one tree and watch what happens, can then see a fully open tap hole in April!!
Spud no hard feelings I get going like a runaway train and I do like to share some of the things I see
i guess i'm sort of assuming it is the red maples that are causing the stink when boiling... however i honestly don't really know what it was. the buds on my treeline are very much swollen however the sugar maple buds aren't even visible yet. i have about a 50/50 split. in years past i've taken the reds off and continued. for whatever reason i didn't this year. i've never experienced the smell... only heard about it. my syrup tasted typical of a dark robust even with the smell coming off the steam. guess the only thing i do know is the smell is what made my wife and i decide to call the season. i'm ready to take the fishing rod and golf clubs out either way!
Quick check in. Season is over. Last boil today and boiled out the pans. Season provisional total is 3,340 gal syrup or 0.65 gal/tap. Five boils.
Made 15 gallons of very dark. Froze good last night but did not run great. Not sure if it was strong south wind or if the trees are done. Still running. See what tomorrow brings. Still no off flavor or smells.
That is freakin awesome! I wanted to comment on the videos you had posted, couple of which I had seen previously. Amazing to be able to concentrate that high and boil that infrequently.Quote:
Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins
Big question is why wouldn’t anyone want to feed dozens of cords of wood day after day into a dragons mouth though...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
NO ... you are closer to the last!Quote:
Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins
But that's OK cause you do know more then anybody about maple, and thanks for all your help, research and innovation that works.
Because then you can call your syrup "reverse-osmosis free" or "traditional"...:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Mead Maple
On the subject of red-maples causing buddy syrup, that's an interesting one with lots of opinions on the matter. I tap about 15% red maple and have made good syrup when the red maple buds had visually swollen. I have also made buddy syrup when they were visually swollen so my experience has been mixed. I have heard some sugarmakers say they just shut down and stop giving sap before the flavor will be affected but I'm still getting sap from red maples on vacuum and they are in full on flower stage. I have also heard sugarmakers say you should pull taps on red maples early. How and when trees bud and impacts to syrup flavor seems to generate lots of debate amongst sugarmakers.
My personal approach is to boil until the syrup is no longer table grade as it's just about impossible to visually determine when a tree's level of "budding" will negatively impact the syrup flavor IMO. But I tend to be someone that relies more on scientific evidence than my personal intuition.
I turned the vacuum back on yesterday to pull taps and as is usually the case, the flow picked right back up to about 1 gpt/24hours level. Most tapholes are still very productive, though many south side taps have shut down. I wouldn't want to try to make syrup with the sap though...
I also was able to get most of the last syrup we made through the filter press. It's a little ropey it seems, probably due to concentrate spoiling in the head tank towards the end of the last boil. But it filtered so I'll trade it for next seasons taps with my C grade buyer.
I love this time of year. The wildflowers are coming up, the birds are singing and it's refreshing to work outside.
It's now my understanding that on reds the buddy syrup doesn't start until the leaf buds pop, that comes after the flowers. I also think it was Dr Tim who said they will dry up before the leaf buds open.