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We had a sugar house party on Friday and called it a season. Trees slowed way down, the sap is cloudy and smells fermented, and under 1%. The syrup is very dark, but still tasty, it’s time to quit before I make something I don’t like. I made 86+ gallons on 260 taps using 3/16 lines. 0.32 gpt. My best season yet and I retired from my day job end of February :)
Gerold
Northfield, VT
Sap trickled in slowly over the weekend -- maybe 2-2.5 barrels worth. Looks like we had a moderate freeze last night in Underhill. Sap flow just starting to pick up a good bit this morning and sugar popped up a tad, so hoping we'll get another decent run out of it. We're at a full crop now but will take more if the trees and weather give it. Seems like the peepers really jumped the gun this year. Doubtful we'll last much longer though with temps in the 60s on Wednesday and Thursday.
Got a decent freeze Sunday night and flow started up again before noon yesterday (Monday). Another 1 gpt of sap from noon yesterday to this morning, adding another 3 barrels to the total (once boiled). Sap sugar at 1.7 Brix.
Dr. Tim, I follow this thread closely, although we are 700 km from you, our season always ends within a day or so of yours (checking back on your comments/records from a few years back now).
We are calling it this afternoon, some of our forests went buddy yesterday, the colder ones will will let flow today and then call it off.
Starting last Wednesday our flows trailed off quite significantly, I am surprised by your 1GPT collected in the last day or so. I suspect that the taphole sanitation is the culprit (we do not use CV spouts and our drops are 3 years old). Just curious, if you could take a guess (or tell me exactly), what % of your crop have you made since last Wednesday, so that I can compare to our numbers to further test this theory?
Another 2600 gallons of 1-1.1% this morning. Not sure if the sap will run into tomorrow or not. The quality of syrup is still table grade and sap quality is still looking acceptable.
As another reference point, 0.8 gpt from yesterdays run in West Charleston. Ended the season today, except for birch...
Buyers called it a season today. 70,000 gallons of sap with an average sugar content of 1.59% for a grand total of 1290 gallons of syrup. All in all a good season. Happy de-tapping!
Very likely. We use CV spouts in most of our production bush unless there is some reason not to (research related). I won't have final numbers for several days and am actually away on vacation (left this afternoon) for a little over a week.Quote:
Originally Posted by PCFarms
I won't have final numbers for several days and am actually away on vacation (left this afternoon) for a little over a week.
This statement spoken like a true sugar maker. On vacation and still posting on mapletrader!
Thank you for sharing Dr. Tim.
We are done. Final numbers in about a week when I get back.
I am happy to say I haven’t lost my Play-dough skills according to my 20 mo old grandson. :D