sugaring in iowa

Maybe everyone has already answered this but I was just wondering what kind of trees everyone taps? This year I'm tapping probably 95 percent silver maples and one box elder. I have tapped a sugar maple in years past in my daughters yard, and they do run different than the silvers. It seemed to keep running longer than the silvers and seemed to produce more sap. They say black maples act more like sugar maples and there are some of those in Iowa. It would be nice to have some of those to tap, but you go with what you're given. It takes me about 55 to 60 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. How is everyone else doing on that. I don't get real exact on finishing since all I have to please is myself. I usually try to finish around 119 temperature. It will be interesting to see if they are still running today. upmep

I tap mostly silvers but do tap a few sugars. Collected another 35 gallons today, blows my mind, what with no freeze and 70 degree temps. Ted

Up
I moved away from soft maples. I'm 100% hard maple now. I think they gave more sap but my hards give more sugar. Probably a wash if you don't count the extra boil time. My sugar % varies s
From year to year. Last year was about 35 to 1. Never came close to that on softs.

We tap only sugar maples, although a friend told us last weekend that we had tapped an Ash on accident. We have tapped boxelders before and mixed sap with no effect on flavor, but now we just tap maples. I calculated last year we boiled about 50:1 sap/syrup but I think we missed some early sweet. Just today we drew off 2.5 gallons syrup, no sap flow, hoping this weekend cold spell comes early.

Well boys, what do you say? Did this last warm week kill the tap holes (buckets)? We'll know for sure in a few days but the suspense is killing me! Ted

Pulled 50 gal. Today. Their running but slow. 150 gal so far. I usually am tapping next week. Hope it takes off!

Collected 50 here too IowaSap. Trees weren't running this evening. Looks like Thursday and Friday should be good. Curious to see if the predicted rain (possible storm) tonight and tomorrow will start the sap flowing again. Ted

Plenty of sap but the buds are out now on the sugar and blacks. Short but sweet season,ended up with 24 gallons.If we didn't have the warm week I think it would have been a great season.

Got a good run today. Pulled 170 gal on 100 taps. Hopefully just getting rolling here!

Good runs here too, got 100 gallons on Monday and another 50 gallons on Tuesday. It's getting cold here tonight and tomorrow night, down to 20 maybe so hopefully we have a few more days of sap flow. I really hope the buds on the trees don't break soon, 150ish said the buds are broken in Mt. Pleasant, well we are miles and miles and miles north of Mt Pleasant!!!! gosh, I hope.

Good luck up there PKerns.It's a shame to watch it run here and not be able to boil it.My last boil was Monday night and it started off ok with the sweet in the pan and then all of a sudden the nasty smell of dirty socks filled the sugarhouse.

Collected a little (15 gallons) this morning and did a test boil. We're done here. Pulling buckets tomorrow. Ended up with just under 10.5 gallons, 3 of which graded GOLDEN. Pretty, but I still l ike the AMBER best. How's everyone else doing? Ted

Pulled 245 over the weekend. Everything is still crystal clear here!

That's what surprised us, the sap was clear and looked/tasted/smelled good. Test boil revealed a "woody" smell to the steam and the syrup had an unpleasant taste/aftertaste. We dumped the sap we had collected and pulled taps. Good luck! Ted

Hey guys

Sorry so late getting an update on here - We tapped 2-9-2017 we put out 220 taps. We ended up pulling the silvers the week of 2-20 as they had budded out. We are still collecting on 77 hard maples. We are right at 24 gallon made for the year. Yesterday was our best day we collected 170 gallon. We are hopeful that we get some cold weather again to extend the season. Good to see what everyone is doing.
Bill

I pulled my taps last weekend and wanted to put an update on. I ended up with about 3 gallons of syrup and I think I had around 55 taps maybe. It did well then it would get warm. It looks like it will barely be above freezing for the next few days. I wonder if it will start flowing after this again? The buds have swelled on the silver maples though. It would be interesting to tap some trees I haven't tapped yet to see what happens. The trouble is getting time to do everything. It has been a different year though hasn't it. Looking forward to seeing how everyone else has finished up. I'm not ready to give up yet but the trees decide in the end. upmep

13.5 gal bottled. Got another 4 ish to finish up. Still have bags hanging. May get a big run after this snow. Well see!

We're ready to go, we have a new 2x5 flat (batch) pan and corsair arch from Smoky Lake, a new sugar shack, wood split and stacked, buckets , spiles and storgae tanks on standby, just waiting on the weather. Ted

We will add a Tapping Iowa 2018 thread! Great to see maple sugaring in corn country!

Thanks so much! It's a shorter season here but every bit as much fun!