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One last hooray on Sat. I should have around 200 to 250 gallons of sap to boil. It is amazing as it is supposed to start snowing tonight and snow all the way thru Sunday and it has been too cold nearly all week this week for sap to run. Probably won't get a lot of accumulation but if the weather would have been normal this year and not gotten a lot of warm weather, I could have made syrup almost all the way to the first of April which is crazy for here. Quite amazing, shame we got all that warm weather in the peak of the season and throughout the entire season, but that's the way it goes. Just thankful for the opportunity and the good amount of syrup we made with conditions that were not favorable for syrup. Should be somewhere around 75 gallons once it is all said and done! :D
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...I can't believe this year either. It's almost daylight savings time for Pete's sake! Never made syrup this late.
Curious to see what grade you get with that sap and if you have any buddy flavor. Have you tried to boil some in a pan and smell the steam?
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[quote]brandon I started tapping on feb. 2nd. at my camp in Grant County WV. Its been a good season so far, and its not over yet due to those Beaver River inserts. I expect to make syrup to the end of March. Everything I make from this point foward will be marketed as commercial, My friend H. Breenaman of Salisbury, Pa. has always treated me fairly, He quotes me a price per pound, I back my truck up to his warehouse unload syrup and load up tubing and jugs and other goodies.
I have him two barrels now and possibly a third by next week. Last years price was 1.10 a pound. May be higher this year. 880 pound at 1.10 will get me 900 plus dollars, or 900 dollars worth of supplies. Henry does not sell Beaver River Inserts. 19/64 to 7/16 They are running just like new holes, Clear water because of the cold weather and the vacuum pump. Probably a category 3 storm surge. I have started refering to my runs in storm surge categorys so the people who don't make syrup have a better understanding of how much water am getting. /quote]
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220,
Give Henry my regards. How is he doing from his accident, is he able to make syrup and get around without crutches?? :?
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Yes, and his poor wife who has trouble getting around as well, but now has to walk for the both of them.
Very nice people.
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Boiled off around the last of the sap I yesterday from the past 7 days which was close to 300 gallon. All low sugar content even the 14 new taps I put in on new field and roadside trees that hadn't been tapped for a couple of year or most that had never been tapped was only 1.6. Did check 5 gallons off of two large woods trees and it was just over 2 percent. Guess I will have to get the sap hydrometer out and check the sap more often next year to see what different areas are producing. Kevin sent me one a couple of years ago and it has gotten very little use, but might see a lot more in the future for the fun of it. :wink:
Guess I will end of somwhere around 75 gallons once I boil out the evaporator later this week. I need to finish off what is in evaporator and around another 25 gallons and clean the evaporator and I am finished completely for the year. After that it will be time to start getting wood in for next year. I am going to build a wall across then end of my woodshed and leave the two small sides open to be able to back into and for air circulation. Considering the temps and the lack of freezing all winter and during syrup season, I would consider it a very good year. Also, collecting all of the sap and doing most of the boiling by myself since my dad wasn't able to help made it more difficult.
Time to start planning for next year. I plan on adding around 75 more taps on tubing to get me to 500 which will be my max. I was going to last summer, but due to having to move everything and build a new sugarhouse, it didn't happen. 500 taps is too many for me, but on years like this one and 2004, it is not and it helps to bring up the bad years. I would much rather dump sap than not have enough and I have dumped it more than once. :)
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DUMP PERFECTLY GOOD SAP??!!! Bite your tongue! :P
You got plenty of room in your place for a larger evaporator or plenty of headroom for a steamaway. :wink:
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10' celing and room for a 12' evaporator! :D I built the sugarhouse section plenty big so I would have enough room if I ever did go to a bigger evaporator. Actually, I could probably get a 16' evporator in their if I wanted. It is 24' wide and 18' long as far as the sugaring section of the building. I am very happy with my current setup and no reason to go bigger. The guy that helped me boil some this year in up in 60's and my dad isn't a spring chicken either. I guess when it gets to where the help is gone, then it will be time to get a bigger evaporator. Now, I have someone I can trust to go over and boil from 8 to 6 and knock of 500 gallons of sap while I am working! :D
As far as dumping sap, well it is not likely for me, but I have a few times. Better to have too much sap than not enough! :)
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I ended up boiling off 4100 gallons this year and only fired the evaporator 8 times. Not a lot of boiling in a 6 week period and a couple of those boils, I only boiled off around 300 gallon. Always room for improvement and something to look forward to for next year! :D
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Good for You Brandon, you did well for the first year in the new setup!! I knew you would get more boiling in...,I was hoping for more sap tonight but will have to wait for the freeze tonight.. should be around 77 gallons... was hoping for 80 by tonight but oh well.... yes many plans for next year ...do we ever stop??
