Yes big vacuum runs for sure. It looks like the buckets could run good too. Looks like we should get some BIGSAP if the weather liars are somewhat close in their predictions.
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Yes big vacuum runs for sure. It looks like the buckets could run good too. Looks like we should get some BIGSAP if the weather liars are somewhat close in their predictions.
As of last night I am at 197.5 gallons of syrup for the season. I have 350 gallons of sap in the tank plus what I get today so passing 200 gallons isn't going to be a problem. The grade was almost light amber last night too. Maybe I'll make some light tonight.
The sap is still coming in clear even though it is the end of March. I don't know how much longer this season is going to last but it has sure been a good one. I have gotten sap until the 14th of April before and wouldn't be surprised if it happens again this year. Tonight and tomorrows snow should give us a big boost.
Russ,
Sounds like your doing well.
Didn't get that much snow here!!
Maybe 4'"
Doing good here, just hit 37 gallons.
37.75 is the most we've ever made!!!!!
Looks like warm weather coming in middle of the week.
Keep boiling.
Looks like you are going to set a new record too Dave. I am at 217 gallons now and should be able to add a bit more to that before the season ends. The wood pile is looking a bit scary. I have about enough to make 50 more gallons left.
My grade went up to light amber Thursday night. I'm supposed to make that at the beginning of the season not at the end. I'll take it when I can get it.
Things have been going pretty smooth this season. Only minor vacuum issues and a little time to learn how to run the filter press. The press was a lot different with the diaphragm pump on it. It works a lot better than the hand pump.
Times of sap and no wood are better than times of wood and no sap. If I am out of wood it means that I had a great season.
Seems like a good year for records. We are on the brink of hitting 300 gallons. Our mighty vacuum pump has been humming along at 20"to 22" and if today keeps running good will hit .625 gallons of syrup per tap on that system. Larry at Windswept was comparing this years runs to one in thirty years ago.
Marty
Made another 7 gallons of light amber last night. The syrup colors are backwards compared to a normal year but I will take it. I am running out of syrup storage. I have filled my 4 15.5 gallon kegs. I have filled all of my 5 gallon containers but one which has about 2 gallons of B in it. Every time that I grab that one to top it off the syrup grades lighter and I put it back. I am now down to a 30 gallon barrel and two 55 gallon barrels. I know that I won't produce enough syrup to fill the big guys. It looks like I will be emptying some 5 gallon containers into the 30 so that I can refill them.
From Friday afternoon until yesterday morning I got 450 gallons of sap which I boiled last night after sweetening it to 19%. From 11 am until 6 pm I only got 200 more from the vacuum and the buckets hadn't run enough to gather since Friday afternoon. It got down to 27 at the house last night which means it got colder in the woods. I am hoping for BIGSAP today.
Russ, I'm in the same boat as you. All my kegs are filled and my options are either 5 gal jugs or 30 gal drums. My season has followed a typical progression from light to dark, except for the B I made mid-season because of the warm spell. We started making B the other day and I don't see it coming back because it's coming into the releaser a bit cloudy.
Josh my sap was cloudy yesterday as well but I still made light syrup last night. My syrup started out B, went up to dark, then medium and back to B for maple weekend. From there it went up to dark, back to medium and then except for Friday night it went up to light and stayed there. I have made 27 gallons of it so far.
I pumped 20 gallons of dark amber into my 30 gallon drum and if I don't make any more dark I will heat up 10 gallons more to top it off. That freed up four 5 gallon containers but with the stormy weather and warm temps that are predicted it looks like I might not refill all of them.
It has been a record setting season and I only need enough sap to make about 10 gallons more syrup to break 250 for the season. The wood pile has taken a hit. I have less than a 1/2 cord left out of the 3 that I started with.
It constantly amazes me that you can make so much syrup with only 2.5 cords. I started w/8 cords of pine slabs and after 63 gallons, my wood is half gone. If I was starting out now, I would definitely go with your setup.Quote:
Originally Posted by Russell Lampron
On another note, I guess I know why you call them weather liars. I was depressed on sat. morning with only 48 gallons and no freezes in the next 10 days. Now I am at 63 gallons, a low of 26 last night and now there are a couple lows of 22 degrees predicted! Thinks are looking up for my season now. Still 1-2 feet of very dense snow on the ground.
Yeah Perry I like to sweeten my sap as much as I can get it with the RO so that I can get the boiling done. I save wood in the process and can get out of the sugar house at a reasonable hour. Anyone starting out now would be foolish not to figure an RO into their plans.