Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[madmapler]

I'll be done tomorrow. We made 30 gallons of dark this afternoon with 1% sap. I'll leave the pumps on until it warms up tomorrow and then collect and get it in the evaporator. It'll be close to 1600 gallons for the season but no cigar I'm afraid. They're saying 77 DEG. tomorrow and 80 on Tuesday.

[MJPJ Sugars]

I'll be done tomorrow.

Same here. 1.27 gallons per tap so far today at about 1.25% sugar. We pulled about 25% of our taps tonight -- buds seemingly popped like popcorn today. Will grab whatever looks good from the remaining taps tomorrow as we're wading through the mosquitos.

[wiam]

No peepers here yet. Made 51 gallons today. Brings us to .4 / tap. Started as dark then came back to amber. No off flavor yet....

[spud]

In the last 24 hours I have gotten 2gpt at 1.3%. Should continue to come in steady but slower today and tomorrow. Might freeze Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night up here on the hill. Still a thin layer of ice on the pond but that will be gone today. If I keep shooting the pond with my shotgun the peepers will not come out. Should be a interesting week just seeing how long we can continue. I am at .45GPT and really hope to hit .5.

Spud

[JoeJ]

Sap ran 1 gpt yesterday. First time since March 21. Sap made some good flavor DR. Finally got to .40 gpt of syrup. Only problem is the yellow slime that plugged the bag filters pretty quickly. Today might be the end for me.

Joe

[DrTimPerkins]

Made ~55 gal of DR yesterday afternoon, putting us at 2,328 gal or 0.475 gal/tap. Niter picking up some, but still not terrible.

Sap started coming in really hard about 6pm as we were cleaning up, then slowed down around 2pm, but still coming in quite well. Sap filtered hard for an hour or so until the lines were scoured out. Sugar content came up a little bit to 1.8-1.9 deg Brix. RO is running now. Will boil this morning, then clean pans around lunch and probably start the RO and boil again this afternoon. Expect it to run fairly well today with the warmth. Still some snow on the ground here, but it won't last through the day. No peepers yet - still ice on "Lake Huroc." We've got today....maybe tomorrow....who knows for sure, but the end is in sight. Of course the end of maple is simply the beginning of birch.

[sugartree310]

Ran good for us also yesterday , made another 75 gallons last nite of a really strong flavor DR , we are 24 gallons from going over 1000 gallons for the first time . Today may be it for us we will see. Really happy with our season

[GeneralStark]

I'm done. Red maples have popped and several sugar maples by the sugar house visibly budded, and the sap stinks. I don't want to run the risk of contaminating what is in the evaporator...Will boil it out tomorrow. Going to make permeate tonight with the sap I have to be able to wash, rinse and then preserve membrane. Tap pulling should start Wednesday. It has been a great season so not feeling the need to push it any further.

I hope all you in colder areas get through this warm spell. 75 here today.

[DrTimPerkins]

Made about 150 gal of DR this morning from what ran in over night (very early start). Sugar content came up a bit. Niter getting worse, but not terrible. Altogether that puts us a tad over 0.5 gal/tap. We stopped the RO for a rinse and drained the evaporator to clean and to have a bite of lunch. Will probably boil again this afternoon for a short time, and then see what we've got tomorrow morning. Buds still tight here so far, but give that it's close to 70 deg F out there it won't last long.

Afternoon Update
2nd boil was only about 1.5 hrs. Total seasonal production at ~2,481 gal on 4,900 taps, or ~0.51 gal/tap. Will probably boil again tomorrow around noon, then finish off what is in the pans. That'll leave us around 0.54 gal/tap for the season unless it goes for two days....which seems a bit doubtful given that the peepers started singing this afternoon and the sugar maple buds are just starting to swell. Not a hint of buddy flavor in the syrup yet though.

[tcross]

I'm done here as well. reds have popped, but the sugars are still pretty tight. All my tanks are full so the pump is off. I won't be able to boil it fast enough before it spoils. all the 4 gallons jugs of ice I put in the tank this a.m have melted... it's 75 here and sunny! been a good year... should put me a hair above 50 gallons... not to shabby for me! i'll boil late tonight and all afternoon tomorrow with hopes the sap doesn't spoil in-between! I need a faster boiling rig! clean up starts Wednesday!