Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

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Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins

We got another 6,000+ gallons of 1.5-1.7 Brix sap overnight before it froze up. Concentrating today and sending it to the refrigerated bulk tank until the crew can boil. Hoping we get another decent run today and tonite, then that's likely the end. Will post final numbers when we get there, but definitely not a banner year for sure.

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Turned out the sap we collected over the weekend was ropey and unable to be completely processed. One of the drawbacks of measuring every drop of sap (for research) is that we are unable to fully drain some collection tanks. Once ropey gets in there, that section is done for the season. Final tally is just over 2,000 gal, or 0.37 gpt, which is the lowest by far since 2004 when we retubed. That is 62% of an average crop for us. Combination of very low sap sugar content and poor weather.

Sap still running fairly well due to good vacuum and good sanitation, but definitely way slowing down. With the dry soils we can't collect enough to prevent sap from going sour in the lines....so we are DONE!

Gotta go...it may have been a poor season, but still lots of data to go through.

All wrapped-up.

11.26 gallons of sap per tap... first time under 12. .23 finished GPT.

Can't all be record-breakers ;)

See ya next year!!

Shipped a load today around noon. Got a text from buyer at 5pm to shut it down, turned off pump and couldn't believe we had gotten another 3000 gal in 5 hrs, it was hammering...but...too late. Looks like we are right around 4lbs/tap. Enough to pay the mortgage and taxes but not much more, but thats ok. Let's hope we get some rain this summer, these trees need it.

Turned off the pumps today. Still running hard but the quality was gone. 65000 gallons of sap and 900 gallons of syrup. Hardest year yet. I'm completely exhausted. 😴

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Originally Posted by GiddingsHill

Shipped a load today around noon. Got a text from buyer at 5pm to shut it down, turned off pump and couldn't believe we had gotten another 3000 gal in 5 hrs, it was hammering...but...too late. Looks like we are right around 4lbs/tap. Enough to pay the mortgage and taxes but not much more, but thats ok. Let's hope we get some rain this summer, these trees need it.

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Amen on the rain brother!!!

Well if everyone wasn't done beginning of the week the 75 degree and sun had to of sone them in! Crazy weather hopefully this isn't a new trend!

Wasnt going to but we decided to boil out pans wensday and made another 12gals or so, that put is at 2007 gallons or .39 per tap. 118,000 gallons of sap. Here in valley sugar was highest I've seen on average in 3-4 years. I think we had just enough freezing and thaw to bump It Up, sounds like the higher elevation trees never had a chance to make much sugar because they went from Frozen and locked up to Summer like weather in 2 weeks! Nice to be on the other end of spectrum for once! It was a bad year and the numbers showed it, but on the flip side we know our potential is way higher so that offers some positive outlook!

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Originally Posted by Ultimatetreehugger

Turned off the pumps today. Still running hard but the quality was gone. 65000 gallons of sap and 900 gallons of syrup. Hardest year yet. I'm completely exhausted. 

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Hey Ultimate,
I'm confused. I thought you sold sap from your recent post that you collected 18,000 gallons and overwhelmed your buyer. How do you get 900 gallons of syrup if you sell your sap?
Ken

Sounds like an extended April fools day joke noone ever caught on to!

He said he got a 5gpt run in 48 hrs, but only made 900 gallons on 3300 taps. Maybe boiling on a 3*12 with no ro and selling extra sap? Yea something doesn't add up......

I’m trying birch for the first time, but unsure on when to tap. I’ve read all the recommendations but unlike maple they’re kinda vague. It's mid April and despite highs of 70 +/- in northwest VT, still not “consistently over 50” as is recommended by some. Seems like if I wait for that it’ll be late April and highs will be well into the 70s. Did a couple test holes in golden birch and barely a drip. Am I missing something, or do I just have bad trees/dry soil/bad year?

My sugar content never got above 1.7 (corrected because I mis spoke) this season averaging 1.2 percent. I don't boil at all. Yes that run was a substantial part of my crop. I calculate approximately what would have been made based on sugar content. I'll recheck my chart to make sure I didn't miss something.