To throw ice away or not ?

[DrTimPerkins]

I see no reason why I should save solid ice unless the weather forecast and my schedule indicate sap spoiling conditions.

Like many things, it depends upon your personal situation. If you have an RO, saving the ice means no loss of sugar. If anyone with an RO was passing 0.7 brix sap in the permeate, they'd be rather unhappy about it.

If you don't use RO, but have lots of evaporator capacity, saving the ice is also OK, as you don't lose any sugar that way.

If you have too many taps for your evaporator, or not enough time to boil, tossing the solid ice makes sense.

[RileySugarbush]

[QUOTE=DrTimPerkins;147394 If anyone with an RO was passing 0.7 brix sap in the permeate, they'd be rather unhappy about it.

[/QUOTE]

Yes, they would be unhappy about it, but I bet they wouldn't save and boil it!


I agree. Depends on circumstances. For the small operator on a block arch it can be a tremendous deal

[steve J]

Well I took about a dozen completely frozen buckets and dumped them into a collection barrel yesterday and if they unthaw and I get caught up I will boil them but I am heading back up there now and will boil right thru the weekend and I expect the trees to be gushing doubt that ice will ever get boiled

[Wardner in Tewksbury]

If you don't use RO, but have lots of evaporator capacity, saving the ice is also OK, as you don't lose any sugar that way.

I'd certainly be willing to lose the 0.7 sugar ice. From an economic perspective, who can make money reducing that? That's like ice burning a hole in your pocket considering the time and fuel. You'd be better off buying good sap (2.5 to 3.5) to replace the wasted sugar, or, setting up a few more taps.

I tested more than twenty trees this year. My average has been over 3% until the last few days. Why chase diminishing returns?

It's like scrapping metal. Why go to the trouble and expense when prices are low? There will be better days.

Although, this is off topic, I don't see why people don't ream tap holes. It doesn't take much time and, as far as I can see, the results are spectacular and well worth the effort. Several test taps have gone from zero to 1.5 gallons per day. Of course it makes more sense if you are using buckets and each tree can be monitored. I'm not sure yet, but maybe two reamings may be necessary. It will depend on quality of sap. That increase of sap volume will certainly offset any "wasted" sugar/ice many times over.

[Arnie]

We are in an area where there are times the sap freezes completely. How would you handle that, throwing out the ice seems to be throwing out the sugar content too. Should we wait until it's half thawed? Or something else.

[smokeyamber]

Hey steve J how did your season turn out ? I am pulling taps this Sat, amazing run from me, I need to upgrade the barrel a bit for next year