Finished batch #2. Got 2.1L of light syrup from 71L of sap. What a great day in the fresh air!
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Finished batch #2. Got 2.1L of light syrup from 71L of sap. What a great day in the fresh air!
Well, its been an extremely strange 24 hours. Yesterday we broke freezing here around 2:00pm and the sap started to flow. I had 80 gallons of sap in my 400 gallons of storage, so I decided to hold off boiling until today. The forecast was showing a slow but constant temperature rise through the night and into today.
I went out this morning at 6:00am and bingo,400 gallons of sap. I have no idea how much sap I lost, but it had obviously had slowed down as my sump was only pumping into the storage once an hour (so 5 gallon/hour). My boil is beating the sap flow (12-13 gph boil).
Hopefully I will finish from syrup today.
Lucky you!! I probably have that much water in pails from the storm last night...Quote:
Originally Posted by NTBugtraq
calling for -11C here tonight so may see some flow late this evening? Picked up just over 18 gal sap today along with many sallow moths! Have not seen more that a couple to this point but today they were thirsty :{) every pail had swimmers - up to 7 or 8 in a few.
Attachment 15809
Moths are one of the reasons I switched to bags.
Rain is why I decided to do tubes to a 5 gallon pale with lid, hole on the top and side of bucket. Collected 65 gallons of 2% sugar in last 2 days. Boiling on friday
I predict my small amount (50L) of collected sap will be frozen solid until after Sunday.
I'm glad that I left some sap in my buckets. With this insane wind, by morning, they will only be 100 km away instead of 200 km.
A good lesson to be had. This morning I was retrieving pails and lids that got blown off.
I got home when it was dark, now your making me want to go look at my pails......not chancing being eaten by a wolf tonight.Quote:
Originally Posted by JWB27
I was spared from having to retrieve pails. The weight of the sap kept everything in place, thank goodness! I'm with you, I don't go messing around with my pails after dark. Too many coyotes around here! You can keep your wolf.Quote:
Originally Posted by c0ps
Checked mine this morning. Collected 35 gal from 20 buckets. Biggest haul for me so far. I had one bucket that was dark sap. Smelt ok but everything else was clear except this one. I dumped it out. Any else experience this before or know why?
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If rainwater that has run down the length of a tree trunk is able to make its way into your bucket it will make the contents of your bucket look dark.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireguy124
I have drop lines into buckets so rain water from the tree shouldn't be getting into it I don't think...
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Are the holes drilled into the top of the lids or into the side of the bucket (at the top)? Sometimes rainwater can still get in when the hole is drilled into the lid. Another possibility is that you inadvertently drilled into some dark wood in the tree. Sap might be making its way through a bit of punky wood that is causing some discolouration.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireguy124
The holes are in the top so i guess maybe between a possibly bad hole and some tree water would explain it. Would you boil it down or toss it? And drill a new hole?Quote:
Originally Posted by Run Forest Run!
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Boil it up! Test the percentage of the sugar and test boil a small pot
I think it was a good choice to dump it. You've got 19 clear buckets and it's not worth the risk of spoiling the entire batch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireguy124
Oh c'mon, a little tree pee never hurt anyone, the batch I'm finishing off tonight has plenty of yellowy sap in it. So long as it's clear and doesn't smell, just man up and cook it down next time! ;-)
What she said!Quote:
Originally Posted by Galena
Anyone know how to start boiling buckets of ice?
I use some yellow buckets with drop lines that run down to the buckets on the forest floor, I drilled my holes in the side right under the rib that goes around the pail, I drilled it with a drill bit the same size as the tubing so it has a snug fit and then I put the lid on tight. Just incase they get too full I drilled 2 smaller holes directly across from the hole with the tubing about 6" apart and they act as a over flow. I have been doing this for the past 3 years and never had an issue with rain getting in.... at least I don't think so, its never been an off color.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireguy124
Boiled 14 galons of 5 percent (unfrozen sap from buckets of ice) and finished 3 liters of syrup in 4 hours.
5%?! this early in the season, for real? wow....
ETA: re boiling buckets of ice...keep in mind I have a microbush of 6 trees. Anyway what I do with frozen is fill kitchen sink about 2/3 full with warm water and immerse buckets of sap (with a spare collection pail under spile while doing so) and try to let it thaw out. I guess I could also just stand the buckets atop my cast-iron woodstove but afraid of warping them.
Maybe i should explain better. It didnt come out of the tree at 5 percent. It was about a quarter of the melting sap from a bunch of frozen pales of sap. Still have about 13 buckets of pure frozen sap.Quote:
Originally Posted by Galena
Nothing running today. I thought for sure their would be sap running today.
Hey c0ps. I'm starting to see some drips now. Since it won't be below freezing tonight I expect that the taps will run through the evening and we'll have something in our buckets by morning. :)
First post! Hello all. I'm hoping to get my lines in next week, as the snow is finally workable in the bush where I am, just North of Huntsville, 16" of snow last time I checked. Being that I am on a fairly good hill, deep snow just doesn't make things easy, and the temps are up and down like a yo-yo. Looks like next week will be the start. I am literally chomping at the bit waiting to get going.
Welcome MapleRatz! Keep us all posted on your season. :)
Hey Karen,did you find any sap this morning? Brother in law called last night while driving through Burlington and said it was plus 12,it was still freezing rain here at the time. Buses cancelled today because of freezing rain,thought it would be a great day for sap,but nothing happening so far.Checked one bush for leaks,did some repairs,then shut the pump off as nothing was coming in. Tried checking another bush but started pouring rain
Hi Bruce. There is a lot of sap this morning. The taps did run all night and there is 2-3L in almost every bucket. The wind has picked up a little so some of the dripping has slowed done somewhat. I'm heading out to empty the water jugs as they only have 4L of capacity and some will be overflowing soon.
Lucky you !! Nothing here so far
We had a good run also yesterday and last night on the Bruce. Today has also slowed down but still drip drip. Time to boil again
Collected 32L at noon. It also includes the sap that was frozen into the buckets at the end of last week. Was able to eliminate some frozen bits and have a sugar content of just under 3%. That should get me close to a litre of syrup when it's boiled down.
Got my boil on by 6:00am this morning. Nothing was running and in fact, my little space where I keep my pump and such was frozen?? 100W light on and vacuum running, but it still managed to freeze. So much so that the float for the sump was frozen in a down position...yikes! Anyway, sap started running at 10:00am-ish, but slowly. I boil at 12gph and the sap seemed to be coming in at 8gph (from 200+ taps). Its still flowing, but we are expecting it to drop below zero tonight so I am hoping the ~120gallons of storage I have available will be enough. I've got 280 gallons of sap in storage, so tomorrow is going to be another big boil day.
My pans are still sweetening, so I have no idea what color I am going to get. I am hoping for some nice clear, as I only ever got that on my very first boil 4 years ago. I should find out tomorrow.
I collected about 180-200l today around 11 am. Has slowed big time now but will likely get close to another 100 tomorrow when I go around. That's of 62 taps. I can boil at 5-6gph if I am really working at it. So far first batch had a nice colour I think. Attachment 15917
Folks, I don't know about where you live but right now I have the most amazing red sky to the west...WOW!
I know! Isn't it sensational?!Quote:
Originally Posted by NTBugtraq
This is the view I had this evening.Quote:
Originally Posted by NTBugtraq
Attachment 15920
Collected 15 gallons of sap from the front yard and hardly nothing from the trees in the vally. Most of my trees are in the vally, go figure.