Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[DrTimPerkins]

Two more weeks easy.

Ever the optimist....I like your way of thinking!

3,607 gal of sap from the brief run yesterday from about 2pm-8pm. Sugar content is 1.8-2.0 Brix. Total season yield is definitely above 0.5 gal syrup/tap at this point...will probably make it to 0.6 gal/tap or more. Woods now frozen up solid. Not likely to start running again until this afternoon -- and probably not much and not for long. Will freeze up again tonite. Tomorrow should be a good flow day, continuing through into Friday and beyond. No freezes (not even close) in our forecast through the middle of next week - so this last freeze tonite might signal the beginning of the end, but we'll still get a fair amount of sap between now and then. RO is running now. Hope to boil on Friday.

[spud]

No sap today for me. I cleaned my tanks today and hope to fill them tomorrow.

Spud

[to100]

So for those in NE Kinkdom with all this snow, how high are your sap lines above the ground?

[Ultimatetreehugger]

To100 my average tap height is 10ft.

[GeneralStark]

The sap flow did improve yesterday so I suspect we had a marginal freeze Monday night. A definite freeze last night which really picked up the flow today. Over 1 gpt since late morning and now it is freezing up again. I boiled the sap today that I had collected since last boil on Sunday and made over 25 gal. 15 of DR and the rest AR almost to GD. Surprising given the amount of slime in the tank but I guess the cold has been keeping the grade up. The flavor is still good so I'll boil again on Friday and then go from there. Sc approaching 1% and lots of yeast bubbles. The ice in the lines has been scrubbing the slime so the sap is pretty cloudy as well.

With today's boil I am currently at .48gpt. Should have no problem going over .5 but we'll see how far...

[DrTimPerkins]

A whopping total of 61.3 gal of sap yesterday. Never got much above freezing. The good news is that there was a good recharge, so when it does warm up (noonish today), sap should come pouring in. We will be boiling tomorrow. Have enough concentrate to make about 650+ gal of syrup + whatever sap comes in this afternoon and tonite. Will be our 4th boil of the season.

[Mead Maple]

A whopping total of 61.3 gal of sap yesterday. Never got much above freezing. The good news is that there was a good recharge, so when it does warm up (noonish today), sap should come pouring in. We will be boiling tomorrow. Have enough concentrate to make about 650+ gal of syrup + whatever sap comes in this afternoon and tonite. Will be our 4th boil of the season.

It is just nice to see hobbyists enjoying what they love. “Have enough concentrate to make 650+...”
Love reading about sugar making on a whole new level! Been a fun year to learn so much!


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[smokeyamber]

Looking like today and possibly tomorrow will be it for me. I am scrounging wood and have over 10 gallons so far which is my usual mark. Need to plan on twice the wood next near if I do more 3/16" ! Should hear some peepers when it hits 60 on Sat !

Amazing short season, didn't think I would make much , but the weather helped alot !

[Ultimatetreehugger]

With today's boil I am currently at .48gpt. Should have no problem going over .5 but we'll see how far...

after this year I am sold on a high vacuum system. I hope to upgrade for next year. I made 378 gallons last year off of 966. So far this year, 268 with 1700. I still have 3 feet of snow in the woods!

[GeneralStark]

Sap has been running as hard as it ever does today since it thawed. Looks like this season will go out with a bang... Running the ro overnight to stay ahead of the flow as a freeze is unlikely. Boiling tomorrow and then making the call if it is worth continuing. The red maple buds are starting to swell and I found a few wild flowers starting to pop. Still lots of ice in the wetlands below so the peepers are delayed.... for now.