Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[220 maple]

Spud
Same event happened here in West Virginia off of snow storm where the snow was coating the trees for a day just about a week ago at the camp that shutdown on the last day of March, they got a good sap run after, taps in 8 weeks, so I’m hoping same happens for you! How long have your taps been in production?
Mark220maple

[spud]

My first run was Feb 9th. I’m thinking by Wednesday I will be done. If I could get another 10,000 gallons, I might be able to afford a set of Ping golf clubs. 😁

Spud

[spud]

Yesterday I got 2100 gallons and today it’s running at 250 gph. It’s going down to 27 degrees tonight and then 48 and sun tomorrow. We have three more freezing nights and then things warm up on Wednesday. Sap quality is cloudy but very nice.

Spud

[spud]

I just checked the tank and I have 1750 gallons from yesterday’s run. Right now it’s 25 degrees at the house. Supposed to be full sun and 45 degrees today. Hoping for a good run.

Spud

[spud]

Saps running 300 gph and testing .9%.

Spud

[Mooneybc]

Turned off the pump today because of minimal production over the last week. Sap is milky and .8%

End of year numbers:
800 taps
18,175 gallons of sap
235 gallons of syrup (just over a barrel short of last year)
Tap holes stayed productive for 9 weeks plus one week of small production.


Good luck to all who are still going!

[spud]

Woke up to 1800 gallons in the tank. It never froze in my woods last night. I suspect I will be shutting the pump off later today. No more freezing nights in my forecast. Sap is testing .9%

Spud

[tcross]

i unfortunately pulled the plug friday. Took a trip south to pick up a new puppy friday a.m. Returned to full tanks of 0.9% sap. without an R.O, that's not worth my time. it was odd because our last run was 2 days before and the content was 1.8%. sure would have liked full tanks of that! the sap was pouring in yesterday without my pump on... still tested 0.9%. all in all, we had a very average season.

[DrTimPerkins]

No more freezing nights in my forecast. Sap is testing .9%

Sap still running a bit up on the mountain in Underhill, but we're clearly in the phase of the season where sanitation is critical to maintaining good sap flow. The nice cold and snow we had bumped the sugar back up some, running 1.7 Brix in the main bush and 1.3 in the lower section. We will probably be OK for at least a few more days, and perhaps more, but nothing close to a freeze in the 10-day forecast, so the end is coming. We're within our normal season-end window.

It'll likely end up close to an average season for us, mostly because we got nailed by the wind storm in early-January (the bad thing about being high up on a mountain with western exposure), which took over a month of work to clean up. If the snow had been deep it would have been disastrous. But it did mean that tapping wasn't able to get started until later than normal and we missed those early sap flows. That and a ****?&&& pesky leak somewhere in the mainline system (we suspect UNDER the road where we can't get to it right now) hasn't allowed us to get the vacuum to where we want it. If not for those two factors, it'd probably have been a really good season. But...we're satisfied with what we got. Some seasons tend to be more of a struggle than others. Hope to have some preliminary results within a week or two.

I should also note that I'm largely a spectator myself this season...since I'm out here in Michigan where I can only see what is happening at PMRC via the cameras/sensors/data. Can't do much other than provide advice and consolation as needed and asked for. Thankfully we have a real dedicated and experienced crew that doesn't need me to tell them what to do anyhow.

[spud]

Sap is running 125 gph and I think I will keep the pump on till tomorrow. I plan to pull spouts as soon as I shut down. I still have 200 more apple trees to prune. Lots to do this spring. Hoping to get my other new woods set up this summer.

Dr. Tim. I hope you’re enjoying your new living conditions. I’m sure the grandkids are happy you’re there. I hope you enjoy the quality time.

Spud