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What's everyone in Maine up to besides trying to stay warm? We have set 2 stainless tanks to replace plastic totes in the woods and started working on lines. We should have half the taps ready after this weekend. Won't be tapping anytime right off, things are froze up. Would be great if we could wait until the end of February to tap. Trying the new Sapmaster spout on our 3/16" taps as a test. Good luck to everyone getting ready!
Good evening Mainebackwoodsyrup and anyone else signing in!
February has not been like the past few years, probably more like February's past. I'm getting spoiled with the warmer February's of recent vintage where I can get a boil in before months end. Not this year.
Looking ahead I think I'll tap this weekend or into early next week to catch a hopeful run Tuesday thru Friday. I'm planning on a shorter season this year (I could absolutely be wrong) so I'm setting out extra taps early on. I'll probably do 68 or so including a new run of old large maples along a rock wall that I made a road to access with my tractor. Looks like the first week of March will be cold, but it HAS to ramp up the second week....right?
Good luck to all!
Good luck to you! We’ll tapping some next week as the weather allows and be all in the following week. First week of March seems to always be cold. I don’t expect much next week with the cold we have had but when the March sun and March temps hit 40 degrees it won’t take long. Next weeks weather should help melt out around the tree bases some.
I'm planning on waiting it out, tempted as I have been. Tapping early usually isn't worth it, I've found. Sap won't be very sweet yet and the trees will be slow to run. I'll get them tapped next week and be ready for the next warm-up.
Started tapping today. Had to break out the snow shoes for a first time in a while. There’s a slight run going on but mostly the trees are quiet and cold. I got a feeling it could be a short season do I’m glad I’m collecting now——
Started tapping here as well today. Only the large sugar maples gave a couple drips. Not running yet, maybe the next warm up.
I set 74 taps last weekend and after the couple days of nice weather this past week put 40 gallons into the snowbank. The flow was mixed with some putting out 1/2 gallon a day and others a trickle, so its not consistent. I did a quick brix on three trees and got 2.0, 2.6 and 3.0 % sugar. My fear is to be too early and flame out due to bacteria, but I think I should be good till early April. A lot of my drain lines into buckets curl up inside the bucket which maintains a slug of sap all the time. I just read where air introduction into the tap promotes bacterial growth, so this sap slug cuts off air flow. I'll take some notes as the season progresses.
3 of 4 bushes tapped. The last one to do is our cold bush. Looking at the weather it won’t run there next week. Maybe the other ones get going. Few drops from large sugar maples only while tapping, but most trees still froze up. Get the pumps set up Sunday and be all tapped in by end of day Tuesday. I think it’s going to come quick when it comes.
Sap is more of a dribble today than a run but it is going. We have the pumps on just to clean out lines. Been a few years since we had this much frost. Rain helped melt the snow away from the bases but ground is still very hard and still have a snowpack. I suspect we get going very quickly with next weeks' warm up. That will give us time to get everything in the shack ready this weekend. Good luck everyone!
Wish the wind would die down, tapped on Thursday then the wind kicked up, looks like great sap weather this week always looking forward to the first boil, took to years off and excited to be back in the shack with the peace and quiet and occasional visitor to get through the mud season enjoying the outdoors.
First boil of the season today. I boiled 75 gallons and got 1.6+ gallons of syrup for a sugar content of 2.17%, so I'm pleased. I started at 10:30 and was jarred by 6.
It looks like the sap should flow nicely over the next 10 days or so, though I would like more sun. I can see the day coming soon where it will be boil, clean-up next day, rinse and repeat, to keep the sap fresh. I don't have a lot of snowbanks for storage this season.
First boil under way for us. 200g from only about 220 of the taps that are running. Our best yielding bush is still froze up. Not enough sap to check for leaks there but other 2 are north of 20”. It’s begun. I expect a massive run with no freeze in sight for the next several days, until it eventually stops. Hopefully it cools down again some time next week.
Wow, did the run kick in today! I pulled in over 100 gallons of sap from 75 taps. It will be interesting to see how this goes during thew warm up.
I boiled my second time yesterday getting almost 2 gallons from 80 gallons of sap, 2.4 sugar which is higher than the first boil slightly. The syrup was much more amber than the first boil which was darker. looks great inn the canning jars. Ive got nearly 200 gallons in storage so looks like I'm boiling this Saturday to whittle to pile down.
Continued luck to all!
Down here in Gorham, it’s been going heavy the past 3 weeks on and off. I’ve collected about 350 gallons on 80 red maples, and that started February 26th. Tomorrow could be the last big run for me, given the 2 week weather forecast. But I’ve made almost 7 gallons of syrup, Brix has been 2-ish the whole time for which I’m grateful (I’ve had years where it’s mostly 1.5).
Crazy to think I made 8 gallons of syrup over 3 months last year (Jan-march) and I’ll make 8+ gallons in about 3 weeks this year with the same number of taps. What a wild hobby this is. Grateful for my 2x4 arch and hobby RO to keep me relatively efficient.
Have a great year everyone, may it be a long season for everyone (away from the coast that is)!
Nice to hear from you Canterbury! Glad the season has been rewarding.
My trees have shut off for the time being, but the weather here looks like it will go into a regular nighttime freeze starting this coming weekend. I have no idea what will happen. Secondary surge? I have enough stashed in the snow for three boils of 85 gallons (this Tuesday, next Saturday with my son from Pittsburgh in town, and a week from Monday) plus 25 gallons towards a fourth, so I'm hoping to get another 60 or so top complete the set. With a first boil of March 9th and perhaps a last in the week of the 24th it is a compact run. I talked with a local producer today who is struggling to fill his 400 gallon tank to fire the evaporator. We'll see how it goes.
We’ve cooked off 765 gallons of sap so far. The run has stopped over here. Might get a freeze Tuesday night and Wednesday night. Still just getting going. Sap is clear and the ground is still hard. Plenty of frost still in the woods. Looks like it might cool down end of the week/ over the weekend.
Had our 3rd boil this weekend. First 2 were just small runs but this past weekend we put over 1800 gallons through our RO and evaporator. We just converted our 2x8 CDL Venturi to forced draft AUF and boy did that wake this thing up. Hard boil across all pans like we have never had in the past. We made about 15 gallons of some beautiful golden delicate, another first for us. We could never get over 58 on the Hanna checker. We are already half way to last years crop and shooting for 100+ this season.
Had enough of a freeze for a smoking run today and should freeze again tonight. Everything on vac is over 20” and the sap is rolling in. Check your tanks West Sumner :lol: Boiling off what we got at the end of the long run thru yesterday right now. Sap still crystal clear and we are making a very tasty Amber. Going to be a good run rest of the week and next week looks promising too :cool:
Boiled off 650 gallons today, the RO ran all day. Got a nice run today too...we will process this latest flood of sap on maple weekend.
Had a few visitors at the shack yesterday and boiled off 360G of sap. Everything froze up yesterday and will stay frozen today with the snow coming. Hopefully that's a good recharge for the trees. Weather looks good through the weekend. Sap is still very clear through the warm weather of the first 2 weeks. Have been making a darker syrup than usual to start. First batch was LT 54 and we usually start in the 60's. 2nd batch was at LT 46 but it was delicious. We will start filling 15.5G barrels with dark from here on out if that's what we continue to make. The flavor is great but we will have a surplus of dark if it continues. May be looking to trade for some Amber if anyone is interested.
We had about 140 guests at the sugarhouse on Saturday. Great day seeing old and new faces, friends, and family. We passed close to another 1000 gallons through the rig. We currently have 48 gallons bottled with about 30 waiting. We too darkened right up this weekend..down in the 40s on the Hanna grader. Looking like the next week or 2 will produce some more sap. On our way to a record year and a goal we have been reaching for. We did a ton of woods work this year, built 3 new solar vac systems and added over a mile of tubing. We are now 100% on vacuum and while being 100% off grid.
Hell of a run yesterday and still going today. Was only able to haul 470 of the 550 in the woods. Should be another good day tomorrow. Sugar back up to 2% with the long freeze which looks to happen again this coming weekend. Forecast is great, I assume at least 2 weeks left. Sap was really rolling in as I collected at noon. We’ll see if the syrup lightens up or stays dark.
Monster run yesterday with the sunshine hitting the trees. Sap is still at 3% with the sugar maples. Looks like a banner year:)
I agree, the weather has been on our side this year for sure. We have surpassed our best year by almost 20 gallons as of yesterday. Looks like another good week coming and we might squeeze another one out the following week. The one downside to having a banner year...we are just about out of firewood and had to start mixing in green wood. Its a good and not good problem to have but we will take it.Quote:
Originally Posted by maineboiler
We ended up with 1400 gallons of sap from Tuesday thru Friday. We had it all boiled down by 9 PM Saturday. At 50 gallons for the year. That 1400 gallons came out at LT 61 syrup. Lightened right up.
If you thought last weeks run was hard, better go check the tanks today. Sugar went up 2 tenths and we have at least 900 gallons of sap on the overnight run. Still running when we collected at noon. Good freeze then another long sap run. Going to be new record year here before we are done.
Yea, big run yesterday. Probably a continuation from Monday. Sap is still at 3% for me! Should be a strong run today. Getting a little overwhelmed.
Me too. Gonna have to break out the RO
Boiling now but the bulk tank is full with around 200 gallons still in the woods before it started running today. Oil tank is low, more coming Friday. Going to boil off what we can now and then again all day Friday. Sugar content is still ok, just under 2%. Making Amber syrup, probably in the low 60’s on the Hanna meter. Will find out Saturday. Our shelves are full and we are now filling barrels from here on out.
Sounds like a good season, maple addict. I pulled my taps yesterday, still a decent run with sap at 2.5% but I’ve had enough. Great year, good quality sap and lots of it. I need to boil, finish and bottle the last batch today, then clean up starts…..I’ve got a food grade plastic 35 gallon collecting tank that i am looking to sell if any one is interested.
I also pulled taps yesterday as well. Finished the last 60 gallons....sap was at 2% but it's been a very good season, IMO. Sad to say, it's finish-up the Near and start the cleanup.
It seems this has been the year of new records every week. We finished 42 gallons of syrup this weekend. Thats over half of what we made all last year and half of our best year ever. Processed just over 2000 gallons of sap and the bottled tally sits at right about 144 gallons. Its nice to see the results of the work you put in the woods. We are 100% off grid, solar powered and 100% on vacuum. We tapped the first week of February and taps are still flowing great. It seems this week will be another good one!
Yes, new records and the old ones are being smashed. 2300 gallons of sap here from Tuesday thru Friday last week. Got all caught up by yesterday afternoon. No signs of buds here yet, 1 more week by the looks. Depending on how it runs after the freeze we will be pushing 100 gallons of syrup. Shelves are and almost all the barrels are full! Boil on!
A great year no question. Ran out of wood before sap, first time that's happened in years.
Sap started running again yesterday but not very hard. The trees are about done but we will see how today goes. The end is near, probably do our last boil this weekend and start soaking the pans.
Nice run at the end here. Sugar content is down but have around 650 gallons of sap. This weekend is it for us and we will end likely just under 100 gallons of syrup. Awesome year, ready to clean up and move on to other projects though.