Schenectady-Albany-Saratoga Counties

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Originally Posted by MRFNY

How'd it go?

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Seems like I got back just in time. About 40 gallons total, but only 3 buckets from my highest producers were overflowing, but a few others were close. slightly cloudy, but not spoiled yet.

Overall it worked out well and I'm excited for hopefully another good week.

PS, I went over to Hop City Maple today since they are having an event this weekend and next weekend. They used to be active on this forum, but appear to have dropped off. They have a pretty cool bigger operation (900 taps) that's worth taking a look at it you have time.

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Originally Posted by Aslowrie

Seems like I got back just in time. About 40 gallons total, but only 3 buckets from my highest producers were overflowing, but a few others were close. slightly cloudy, but not spoiled yet.

Overall it worked out well and I'm excited for hopefully another good week.

PS, I went over to Hop City Maple today since they are having an event this weekend and next weekend. They used to be active on this forum, but appear to have dropped off. They have a pretty cool bigger operation (900 taps) that's worth taking a look at it you have time.

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Great news!

I thought today would have been better. I scrubbed all 115 buckets this morning and some were dripping fast already, but I think once the clouds rolled in and the front as well they slowed right down. Low 20's tonight and 40 tomorrow so we'll see. Some good days in the upcoming week too but my fear is the trees are tapped out.

Yes I follow Hop City online but have yet to make it over to see their operation. I'm not far from them at all

Same here, I got a fairly modest amount. Last night's deep freeze will probably make it a weak day today since it doesn't get too warm, but I'm hoping it sets us up for a big day tomorrow or later in the week.

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Originally Posted by Aslowrie

Same here, I got a fairly modest amount. Last night's deep freeze will probably make it a weak day today since it doesn't get too warm, but I'm hoping it sets us up for a big day tomorrow or later in the week.

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I'd estimate 50 gallons or so sitting in my buckets this morning, frozen solid. I'm hoping a full sunny day might get them dripping today but that may be wishful thinking

I bottled another 4.5 gallons yesterday so I am all caught up with finished syrup. I think I'll be done after this week no matter what. Time to move onto spring work!

Quick introduction. My husband and I have 32 acres and started this crazy maple addiction 4 years ago after we bought the land and before our house was even built. This year we have 70(?) taps on lines and a homemade pump system. Last year we boiled 100+ gallons of buddy sap at the end of the season, so the past few days after the warm spell I have been doing small tests inside before he spends all day outside. Today’s sap tasted of burnt tootsie rolls. Has anyone else’s sap gone buddy? We aren’t complaining because we feel it’s been a good year but you all sound like maybe you are still going? Don’t want to call it too early, but we won’t deny we are wearing out.

That is buddy sap and the season is over. Trees are using the sugar to produce flowers and then leaves. We are really close in CNY. Red maple buds are ready to burst open.

Reds are definitely budding out and drying up. My sugar maples aren't showing any signs of budding yet and I just tasted some sap and it tasted great. Still very clear too. I'll be doing a lot of sampling from the evaporator as well just to make sure there is no off flavor in the syrup

Sadly, the season is done for us I believe. It was a short one but intense; we made just a little less than last year (still finishing off and filtering my batches of syrup).

It was confirmed for me last night when I finished off my last batch over the propane and it started to smell like a combination of burning tires and cotton candy. I drained the head tank of our concentrate and dumped all the remaining sap we'd collected.

I got hopeful last week when my neighbor said we were having a good run after those real warm days but I think it was a false positive as the lines did not run like they should have with the last 72 hours of temps and my buckets were crawling with bugs yesterday. Even though the tap holes stayed clean, the sap itself is bad/buddy.

Oh well, we had a good time, and I still have a lot of bottling to do!

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Originally Posted by ADK_XJ

Sadly, the season is done for us I believe. It was a short one but intense; we made just a little less than last year (still finishing off and filtering my batches of syrup).

It was confirmed for me last night when I finished off my last batch over the propane and it started to smell like a combination of burning tires and cotton candy. I drained the head tank of our concentrate and dumped all the remaining sap we'd collected.

I got hopeful last week when my neighbor said we were having a good run after those real warm days but I think it was a false positive as the lines did not run like they should have with the last 72 hours of temps and my buckets were crawling with bugs yesterday. Even though the tap holes stayed clean, the sap itself is bad/buddy.

Oh well, we had a good time, and I still have a lot of bottling to do!

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That stinks and now has me worried about the sap I will be collecting today, even though it's sap from this weekend when it was colder. I scrubbed my buckets Saturday morning to get any nasty crap out of them from the warm days last week.

A lot of my big producing sugar maples are in a colder area of my property and not even close to showing signs of buds so I'm hopeful I'll get a few more gallons of finished syrup before shutting down.

I really hate the thought of the clean up process, lol

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Originally Posted by MRFNY

That stinks and now has me worried about the sap I will be collecting today, even though it's sap from this weekend when it was colder. I scrubbed my buckets Saturday morning to get any nasty crap out of them from the warm days last week.

A lot of my big producing sugar maples are in a colder area of my property and not even close to showing signs of buds so I'm hopeful I'll get a few more gallons of finished syrup before shutting down.

I really hate the thought of the clean up process, lol

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Yeah, not to add to your anxiety, but that's what I was thinking, too — the sap wasn't THAT cloudy and it definitely didn't smell. Only after I got it finished to 219F did it start to smell. This happened to me two seasons ago with a large batch and I made maple sugar with it, that actually tasted very good. It had none of the off taste but it was only for my own consumption and my neighbor who helps me out.