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Very surprising. I don't believe it got below freezing last night at either of my two tap sites. Anyway ... generated my season high of 11 inches of mercury on my 5/16" natural vac run. Taped four Reds today with drops to buckets and they actually ran fairly well. That was a surprise too.
Fought ice today so I could boil for the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.
I hate fighting ice.
The next three days should be a sugar makers dream. I collected 35 gallons today after a late run. Let's hope the forecast comes to fruition!
I can’t wait! Should be good.
I had 40 gallons today and plenty more over the next few.
March 10th is my Bday and I hope to spend it boiling!
Lots of sap today.
My 5/16 run with 7 taps on it hit 16.5 inches of mercury today. Wonder if that will be the peak for the season.
Finally! Collected 120 gallons yesterday. My 3/16 tubing, with 30 taps, tank was empty to begin with. Checked for leaks first. Nada. Then started to replace t's. Third one was blocked. Replaced it and the tiny bubbles zoomed by. Ready for another good run today.
Sap was flowing nicely today here in Warren. Good steady stream out the end of the 3/4 mainline into the tank. Have about 166 taps now. Was at 129 before two more laterals and 37 more taps earlier this week and today.
Not sure if its the season or just me but production seems a bit low given the number of taps. 150ish gallons Wed Feb 24th to Mon March 1st (5 days). 160ish from Mon March 1st to Wed March 10th (9 days, first several were the several day freeze). Currently 75ish in the tank since Wednesday night. Hoping the warmer weather with low 30s at night and the added taps will improve the flow, but still seems below what it should be for the number of taps.
frozen up again today! "no sap for you!"
I am hoping for this week having a decent run then pulling the taps on sunday. Of course that is what the forecast looks like now. I am just leery of going too late, and am expecting the trees to start budding out soon.
Same boat here...
I'm seeing a few more good days ahead in the short term, but next week looks like the end.
I'm hoping to get another 200 gallons for one final boil.
I'm still way short of last years total.
Oh well.
I need to get everything bottled as well, so I still have work to do!
Being that I tapped on Feb 24 I am not yet 3 weeks old on my taps. So if I get one more good run which I suspect I will, it will put within 80% of my expected take of sap for the season. Although I still have hopes for near 100% of my expected take.
I have developed another good frost line in my woods the past several days so hopes remain high.
It's dying here, 80 gal. pickup today where last week was 180. A few trees had empty buckets [except for dead moths]
Had a decent run of sap back half of yesterday followed up by a night run. Still running today in the rain a bit. All sap is still fairly clear.
Another boil tomorrow.
I collected another bit yesterday through the night and into today.
I’m expecting decent runs through Monday and that should be it from what I’m seeing.
Soon it will be time to boil, bottle and then tear down all the gear.
I’ve been sitting on a pan full of sweet and sap that’s a few days old. Fortunately my tanks were frozen up until yesterday so the sap should still be good. That said, I’m sure it’s cloudier than I’d like... oh well. It’s that time of the year.
I'll collect what I can Saturday night and boil all day Sunday. I get what I get. With luck another 5 gallons or so Sunday which will bring my total up to 30 gallons. All things considered not too bad.
On the positive side a dairy refrigeration guy finally came to the house to look at my milk tank. Thought it was an easy retrofit to a smaller compressor unit and no big deal.
I collected 95 gallons yesterday. That puts me at 930 gallons for the year. Expecting 200 to 250 this weekend. That will put me at where I wanted to be for the year, around 1100 to 1200 gallons of sap on 110 taps.
Just went out and collected my last 55gal drum off the tubing for the season, which was overflowing since yesterday evening.... Lines are all frozen today anyways. Sap is cloudy and starting to not taste so good. Puts me about 1200 gallons of sap on 75ish taps. Not terrible though it was a very spotty season. Seemed like all or nothing on any given day.
I’ll boil off the last bit tomorrow and start bottling the take Sunday. I suppose I’ll have some sweet to finish off over the propane as well. Considering I tapped Super Bowl Sunday and it’s still ‘running’ I’d say that ain’t too bad though usually I call it quits much earlier than this because I’ve reached my quota of fun and syrup this year seemed to drag on.
Starting to clean up and sanitize the collection gear this afternoon, take the taps out sometime in the coming days. Regroup next week and refill the wood pile for next year. Hope you all had a decent year!
Sap ran good today! Practically nothing the few days prior. I will be boiling tomorrow, and maybe Sunday if I don't finish it all. I had maybe 60 gal in my ss tank that has been frozen for the past few days, plus todays' and tomorrow sap.
I would like to say that I will be able to get through it all tomorrow, but chances are not, unless I go really late. I can't start til early afternoon. My rig is simply not giving me the heat and boil it did last year. I have/had a pile of wood that was not the best that I needed to use up, so I am blaming it on that, but it is mostly gone, so hopefully tomorrow's boil will be better.
All done. Finished 5 gallons yesterday and another 5 gallons today for a total on the year of 35 gallons. Not too bad all things considered.
Left 4" of thick sap/thin syrup in the pans and will come back to it in two or three months.
Will pull down lines this week and finish washing totes and tanks.
Sad to see the season end.
That's a wrap!
Finished my last boil yesterday, with a pan of sweet to ferment.
I'm unsure of my total syrup yield, but I m expecting to be near 15 gallons. Sap yield was well below that of last year. Oh well... It was fun.
Time to clean totes, pull taps, sanitize lines, and stow the gear until next year.
Thanks for the support, good humor, and help along the way.
I hope you all have a great off-season.
Be well.
Bryan
My plan was to collect my last batch on Saturday, boil on Sunday and take everything down today. I actually had my best sap run of the season between Saturday night and this morning. Most buckets were overflowing, and the sap is crystal clear to boot!
Still running nice and clear in Willington. Hoping to get a few more days
I am just down the road in Tolland but its lookin like tomorrow will be it for me. I had one tree Going to take Wednesday off to boil what I can, and clean everything I think. All in all I should have over a gallon and considering last year I only had 30 oz.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich R
pulled my taps today. I dumped 40 gallons of clear sap which was still just a hair under 2%. I boiled Friday and Saturday to finish the season. 13 gallons. It was a fast and fun season!
Done for the season - pulled the taps on the buckets yesterday. It was so nice not to come home and first thing have to collect! Boiled sat and sunday, drained as much as I could from the pan and then flooded it with the last remaining sap. Still have to finish and bottle. I had a little over 5 gal from the previous weeks, and I will probably have over 5 gal from this weekend, so I might actually make my goal!
Wish I was closer to Cheshire! I would gladly make use of that!Quote:
Originally Posted by lafite
Great Season
Taps in Feb 24 ... Taps out March 23.
My favorite season so far. Mostly due to the home built RO. The stuff is mind blowing. Thanks to all the MapleTraders for the help on that one. Made about half my syrup using good dry Ash bark and Black Locust bark. Lots of refueling but man what biomass that stuff is when its dry. Had flames shooting two feet out the top of my stack. Looked like the aft burner on a F16! Kept lots of throwable sap nearby.
Had my first cook over out of the steam pans. Lost a quart or two of syrup. Not used to getting to syrup so quickly. Made that mistake one time, hopefully not again.
Finished with 10+ gallons on my 50 taps. Over 80% of my expectations.
More sap then other years. Less sugar content then other years. Never saw more then 2% on the Grand Daddy Maples. Small sugars 1% large sugars 1.5% was the general trend. Saw 1/2% on Red Maples and Silver Maples. Thank Jesus himself for the RO membrane or I would be boiling into July.
My two new Silver Maple taps ran profusely. Even still running today. Did not think they had it in them.
Still have a bit of good sap flowing today but the writing is on the wall.
Peaked at 17 inches of mercury on a 7 tap 5/16 tubing run. Not sure about my other runs. Will check them next year. All my tube runs are still putting out a bit potable sap. Especially the 17 incher. Vacuum gauges are cool. Natural vacuum is even cooler. Now wondering how high people have gotten on 5/16 natural.
Wondering if anybody has ever considered doing union connections between different natural vacuum runs in order to increase sap column size at times of low flow???
Glad I did not tap any earlier then Feb 24! Started to have my doubts in early March, but I suffer anxiety attacks like everybody else.
But anxiety is a killer of good things to come so steer clear of it.
I'm done too, took my last buckets down this AM. Would up boiling just over 1900 gal/sap - Now for the cleanup..............
Definitely was a short season. Had a higher yield last year for sure.
Question, my syrup has an after “bite” this year. Can’t figure it out. It’s not bitter and not sour. Anyone have any suggestions as to why?
All my equipment was cleaned with white vinegar and hot water. Didn’t use spoiled sap. I boil on an evaporator.
Any suggestions?
aQuote:
Originally Posted by aviboy97
I noticed a similar taste in our last batch of the season..astringent/ dry in the back of the tongue not bad but noticeable. Some honey I've produced had similar qualities.