I collected 25gal from 18taps. Between yesterday morning and this morning.
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I collected 25gal from 18taps. Between yesterday morning and this morning.
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I am at about 15 Gals from 14 taps, seem to be getting about 5 a day the last 3 days.
I guess I'm more central ontario than eastern ontario... reposting this here.
Switched to bags this year. Hopefully less cleanup at end of year. Homemade bag holders from PVC pipe.
10 trees tapped on Saturday. Collected 85L so far. Worried about the coming even warmer spell. I've got as much snow as available piled around my storage buckets. I'll likely boil whatever I have soon to avoid spoilage. Freezing a big zip lock bag full of water to add to the storage barrel to try to keep it cooler.
Calling for sun and heat tommorow, good idea to boil whats in the bags.I think ill start boiling when i get home from work tommorw as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by wobbletop
Only got 3L today. In another couple of hours my first boil will be done. My collection pails are all empty and ready for the next run whenever that happens.
Why are you worried?Quote:
Originally Posted by wobbletop
Been steady at 5 gallons of sap per day for 10 taps since Sunday. Today my better trees slowed down and my slower trees picked up. Boiling this weekend.
Afraid I won't have time to boil down the sap before it spoils due to the warmth.Quote:
Originally Posted by NTBugtraq
Everyone is making me jealous, still don't have any tree's tapped, Saturday can't come quick enough lol. I did manage to score an old Oil tank that I plan on making into an evaporator for next year, just need to figure out how to do it.
If you have snowbanks, esp on North side of house or shack, dig bunkers for sap storage. Some years ago a fellow MTer collected on a Saturday and realized he wouldn't have time to get to it. He told me on the following Tuesday (so 3 days later after collection) that this sap was available if I wanted it. I believe I went and took most of the sap that Wednesday, stored it in snow bunkers and got to it later on Thursday (5 days after collection) . It made an exceptionally lovely batch of late-season syrup. What I was unable to take - I took 16 of 25 gallons available - he kept and did boil up.Quote:
Originally Posted by wobbletop
Another 3 gallons of sap today. It has slowed. Just got in from burying sap pails in another snow bank. Last year had to import snow from the school parking lot down the road to keep the sap cool.
Finished off my first batch of 2017 today. I got 1.2L from 48L of sap, so a fairly respectable outcome.
One tree woke up today and gave me 3L, but the others were fairly quiet. A neighbour has offered up their trees and I put a total of three taps into two large sugar maples. I think I'll use more of their trees once the season really begins.
Thats awsome! first batch is always the funnest lol. i was supposed to start boiling tonight but just got home from work and its to late, ill try tommorow
I had piled as much snow as I could around my storage barrels (north side of the house in shade), but with the constant 12C overnight, EVERYTHING is gone. I put a couple zip lock bags filled with ice cubes in overnight. I did a couple of hours of boiling tonight, and plan starting again tomorrow morning, but rain is in the forecast. Not good for us outside boilers.Quote:
Originally Posted by Galena
Well this is a first... chased inside while boiling by a thunderstorm. Couldn't figure out what the flashing I was seeing was from. *insert political comment about global warming*
Guess a sugar shack is next.
Same thing just happened to me! Grabbed my two steam pans and went running in!Quote:
Originally Posted by wobbletop
I wondered what all of the crashing and banging was! Lightning and thunder!
Getting thunderboomies right now though seems to be passing through, not much rain. Can't ever remember a February thunderstorm, always associated them with late summer and fall. Boilin down nearup of 55 l sap, expect approx 1.5l syrup.
Your first syrup of the season Galena! That's great. :)
First batch. Lightning storm was awsome.
Attachment 15698
Great staging effort with that photo c0ps! Congrats on your first batch - it almost takes the sting out of last year's ice storm, well, almost.
Lol thanks....yes almost got rid of the sting. Im sure the next batch will do the job.Quote:
Originally Posted by Run Forest Run!
I just finished my first boil ever before the storm happened around me. Can't remember the last time that happened in February. Syrup turned out great. Started this year with 40 tap as I am not sure how fast or how much my arch will be able to boil. Hope for s great 2017
Its a fun hobby. Thank god the season doesent last long. Its alote of work, but worth it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Hkb82
Looks like the warm spell is over for a bit now. Started my boil today will finish off what is on hand hopefully tomorrow. So far I have collected just over 100 gal of sap, that will equate to just over 2 gal syrup :{) Finished off just over 5 Litres today as the rain came tumbling down!
I like the bottles! I've always used canning jars. Is there a different method for those bottles? Any issue with storage?Quote:
Originally Posted by c0ps
Boiled through the 85L I had collected. Haven't bottled so not sure of the exact amount of syrup. Emptied whatever was left in the sap bags into storage barrel. Might have been a mistake as now some of the bags are blowing off the trees.
Also tried using a hyrdometer... Always seemed to read low. I boiled a pot of water and the digital thermometer read 210, so add 7 deg and I stopped boiling at 217 (218 actually). Hydrometer still read low (needed more boiling). It's only for my consumption, so not really concerned about it, but has anyone used one and can give tips? It's also a pain to try to fill the hydrometer with syrup since it doesn't fit in my boiling pot. I may just give up on it.
Bottles are great. The caps have an induction seal. As long as you bottle the syrup while it's 190 degree or higher it will last a long time unfridgerated.Quote:
Originally Posted by wobbletop
I use a a hydrotherm...but I wouldn't be putting the hydrometer in your boiling batch. If the glass on the hydrometer breaks you will end up throwing the whole batch out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by c0ps
i agree that using it in the batch would be bad if it were to break that would just make ya cry. I had trouble finding a test tube to use so I just used a stainless thermos to test in. Not ideal but it works till I can order one. Plus since its insulated you can just hold it without gloves.
Finally got around to finishing off my first batch, made 1 liter from about 13 gallons. Got to try out my new barrel stove evaporator for the first time, think it went well and it was allot faster then the propane burner from last year.
Attachment 15751
Pretty picture! You and c0ps have all the right props for some maple glamour shots.
Things started to drip here an hour ago. Looks like we'll be enjoying some good sap runs tomorrow.
Nice color!
Yours too, our first batches could be twins!Quote:
Originally Posted by c0ps
That is good news I checked about 2 hours ago and nothing was dripping here.Quote:
Originally Posted by Run Forest Run!
Just started dripping here. Only about 10 gallons so far today.
Drip, drip, drip, drip, here too. I've collected 40L in the past 48 hours - 3/4 of that this afternoon.
good run after last nights cold, picked up another 35 gal sap this morning :{)
Any sap running?
I had a decent day. I collected 28L and have boiled everything down that I built up over the past three days - about 75L. Just shutting down now and bringing it inside to finish on the stovetop.
Just brought in 8 gallons, my best run so far.
Just came in from checking mine, 148L collected. Would love to start boiling it down but looks gloomy outside. Expecting high amounts of rain tonight.