Northeast Ohio?

I think you guys are doing a great job across the border. Jason, like Gary said your numbers are very good.
Regards,
Chris

Thanks Chris it has turned out to be a good season, especially after all of the dire predictions about a month ago. We are at approximately 224 gallons now with three to four sap days in a row it looks like. I'm still not convinced it will be over after next week. No buds, and no peepers yet. Also no B tasting syrup (my favorite) yet.

just finished up boiling last night, our total is up to 125 gallons mostly medium. got to agree i thought we wouldnt make this much syrup with this weather but we are and i see a couple more runs left before it buds out. drain and scrub pans today prepare for some more sap.

Jason, the evaporator runs great.I'm thinking of getting a spare front pan so I can take more time to clean. I'm really thinking hard on an RO also. I may get one from Ray or build it. I like those kinds of projects.

boiling like a fiend right now.. lovin the wifi in the sugarhouse....
any predictions to the season end? lots of +32 lows comin up ....

Cryst clear sap today. No peepers yet. No swelled buds. Supposed to be cold by the weekend. Broke last years record tonight. 264 gal made so far.

Crystal clear is right!...collected 190 gallons late yesterday and boiled 105 off last night. Not at last year's numbers by any stretch though, more of a normal year over here.

Just real thankful for favorable weather. Four weeks ago it looked like a disaster of a season.

broke last years number last night with having packed up 152 gallons so far and still have sap left. sap is mostly clear still but clouds quickly in the holding tanks. waiting to see if it holds on or is just going to stop

Matt I'm hoping for a nice run this weekend. Supposed to be in the high 20s for a low. Heard the first peepers of the year this morning. We are at .38 gallons per tap right now.

How do you know when to pull your taps? I don't want to ruin the syrup seasoned in my evaporator. I started to get a little cloudy sap on Tuesday when it hit 70 degrees. The syrup has just changed into A Dark syrup and still tastes good.

telltale signs are:

cloudy sap
budding trees
tastes metallic, or buddy
you can hear spring peeper frogs by ponds
ropey or snotty sap coming out of tubing into collection tank (bacteria developing quickly)
just do it until theres 5-7 days of above freezing lows ... which is.. about now :)


i personally dont stop until i have several gallons of B or C since i use that to brew beer (jacks up gravity and makes a good porter or stout). you know when your making that because the taste is bitter. . . great for cooking too, and smoking ribs!

i will try to get 1 or 2 more boils, then im done.

Jason,
Please don't let the peepers cross the state line for at least a week!:) Looking forward to blowing the doors off last years numbers this coming week.
There is not a bud in site on the hard maples. We just had a big rain and cold front come through. Setting things up for a strong ending to a slow start. Maybe those new spouts and drop lines will pay for themselves yet?
Got out and washed all the sap containers yesterday. Cleaning the front pan now. Picked up a new grading kit (the one with the three new grades) So all our dark syrup will now be medium:)
To date we have hauled in 10700 gallons of sap and made around 220 gallons more or less. Half of that was made in the last week!
Regards,
Chris

Chris way to go! Our sugars show no sign of swelling buds. However some of the silvers are just about in full bloom just today. I didn't tap any this year so no big deal. Hope to have a real good run Sunday, we'll see. My goal is 330 gallons.

I just pulled the plug. I was hoping for one more run, but I checked my pans today they were full of slime. It was so thick it wouldn't even go thru my strainer. From what I've read I'm guessing this is "ropey" syrup? That is some nasty stuff. I guess I still have a few things to learn. I finished the season with just over 18 gallons. I was counting on the pans to push me over 20. Not too bad for my second year.