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Thread: Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

  1. #1821
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    East Fairfield Vermont
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    135

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    I'm done too. Pulled the plug last night. Guy that boils my sap said they tested the pH of my sap, his sap, and the other guy he buys from. His own was pretty bad, mine was borderline and the other guys was barely ok. He boiled out the rig last night and I drained 500gal of sour sap. Good season, still bitter sweet when it ends.

  2. #1822
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    6,391

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    We too are finished. Boiled some test sap that came in overnight and picked up the first signs of pre-bud. We aren't really interested in making commercial syrup, so now it's time to drain and clean the tanks, boil out what is in the pans, and get some rest (just in time for Easter). Final totals not quite in yet (still have about 30 gal to finish and filter and the pan sweet to boil down), but it'll likely come in somewhere close to 0.54 gal/tap, which is close to our long-term average of 0.59 gal/tap. The vast majority of that was AR, with a bit of DR, and perhaps a couple of drums of VDS.

    A little over 2 weeks to pull together talks for the manufacturer open houses in Swanton. I'll be at Lapierre (high brix) both Fri/Sat mornings, then H2O around noon (high sap yield practices) each day, then Leader in the afternoons (Biological/Environmental effects on sap flow and sugar content). Hope to see a bunch of folks there.

    Hope to get the summer camp opened up this weekend and start getting the boat and dock ready. Sugaring is DONE!
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  3. #1823
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Thetford, VT
    Posts
    2

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    First post, but have been following this thread all year.

    Finished up on Sunday w/ 102 gal total made (all but the last 20gal were a nice AR) on 340 taps. All taps are 3/16 natural vac (15 - 28" depending on the line). Sap was still running clear yesterday when we pulled the taps, but sugar was down to just over 1% at the end, making for a lot of boiling without an RO. Starting 3/28 we averaged 1 gal / tap a day for 2 weeks straight - it never stopped running on the natural vac! Need an RO next year to cut down the boiling time as a single day off meant 10-12 hours the next day.

  4. #1824
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Barnet, VT
    Posts
    2,580

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    Calling it quits. Had a slight off flavor last night. Will boil down sweet this afternoon. Be around .45 gpt.
    William
    950 taps
    3 X 12 Thor pans on a Brian Arch
    CDL 600 expandable

  5. #1825
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    2,223

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    Dumped 2800 gallons this morning. Washing tank and hoping for a Frog run tomorrow and this weekend. It froze in the woods last night and I had ice in the releaser.

    Spud

  6. #1826
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Westford, Vermont
    Posts
    238

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    Been dumping sap for two days at both bushes. We are going to try to collect tomorrow and boil at our home bush, and the guy who buys our sap is going to try to do the same at our big bush. Looks like we might freeze tonight so hopefully the sap runs clear. We had a lot of foam when we boiled on Tuesday but the syrup tasted fine even though the concentrate smelled and was like 80 degrees. It was filtering fine too. The RO wasn't happy to process it though. Hopefully the sap is good enough to RO tomorrow and boil.

  7. #1827
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    East Fairfield Vermont
    Posts
    135

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    sooooo I know I said I was done a couple days ago, but it was 30 degrees at the house this morning and everything was froze up. I'm going to collect again today and see what we get. Could be the last frogger of the season

  8. #1828
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Bristol, VT
    Posts
    1,978

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    I have been pulling taps with the vacuum on and continue to get large quantities of sap....but would not want to try to make syrup with it...
    About 750 taps on High Vac.
    2.5 x 8 Intens-O-Fire
    Airtech 3 hp LR Pump
    Springtech Elite 500 RO
    14 x 24 Timber Frame SugarHouse
    16 x 22 Sap Shed w/ 1500 gal. + 700 gal. tanks
    www.littlehogbackfarm.com

  9. #1829
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    2,223

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    I shut the pumps off today. The sap has slowed down a lot and its time to call it quits. It was a very good year and I finished at .48 GPT. I will be planting 100 more apple trees next weekend. I hope all you Traders have a great summer.

    Spud

  10. #1830
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    East Fairfield Vermont
    Posts
    135

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    When people start selling their syrup let us know what everyone's getting/pound. I kept hearing before and beginning of the season that it was going to be around $2/lbs. But I've heard people whispering about lower, and the guy that boils mine thinks it will be similar to last year and be a touch over $2

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