Getting Started

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Kevin, Our sugar content on the feed has been running 1.9 to 2.2. One time we had a problem with bacteria and saw it go to about 1.6 over night. We boiled and boiled before getting pulloff and syrup was Grade B. We cleaned up and re-sanitized everything and are getting much lighter syrup - some of the best we have made since start up last year.

We have been tapped just over 5 weeks and we still seem to be getting good runs. I have no idea when it will end. No sign of budding yet. We have had a lot of cold weather which, I hope will keep us going. Per weather forecast it looks a little cold for getting runs. Hope for about 5 degrees warmer than forecast over the next week.

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Our season last year went from the middle of February through March 21. We could have a couple of more weeks since there is a forecast of cold for most of the next week. It will be interesting to see if we continue to get runs beyond 6 weeks. I whould say we are at least 3/4 way through the season.

We dumped some sap that was cloudy and kept about 75 that had run over the last few days. Shoud be getting runs each day now through Wednesday so we should have a lot to boil off. The forecast is for a few days of warm after that. Hope we don't get budding.

Wow!! :o I wish i had that cloudy sap you dumped. That's the stuff grade B comes from, My favorite. Thanks for the numbers on the 2x6. :D
Gerry

Larry,

How much have you made so far??

We have canned about 41 gallons. The first 25 were Medium Amber. Then we got into the cloudy sap and made about 11 Grade B. The last five was pretty light but probably still Medium. We are getting some run today by not sure how much because I have't been able to reach Richard.

We boiled off about 350 gal on Tuesday and canned 4.4 gal with some held back for next canning. Sap should be running very good today. This could be it for the season with warm temperatures forecasted through next Wednesday, then only marginally getting down to freezing.

We finished boiling off 700+ gallons over two days Thursday & Friday. Not too productive as the sap was running around 1.6 most of the time. We boiled out what was left in the evaporator and got a total of about 11.5 gallons of syrup. The last was dark but tasted very good. We tried to boil as quickly as possible because it was trunning cloudy.

The forecast is very warm for the next three days and then still not very cold. It is probably the end of the season.