Maple Rock Farm
www.Maplerockfarm.ca
400 taps on Vacuum
18”x60” Lapierre propane evaporator with Smokey Lake auto draw off
Homemade 3 post RO with MES membranes
Ford TS110 tractor sap hauler
We've collected about 40% of a crop and the syrup is quite dark this year.
Even the first boil was fairly dark.
Syrup almost seems super sweet but very stringy this year vs Mapley like last year.
Looks like our season ends at Easter this year again.
Funny that Easter is 4 weeks later than 2013.
This all makes 2012 look not so bad....
2010 40 buckets- 4 gals finished
2011 80 buckets- 14 gals finished
2012 105 buckets- 8 gals finished
2013 maxed at 130 buckets- 24 gals finished
2014 new max at 240 buckets- 18 gals finished
2015 newest max 240 buckets-+48 taps on 3/16 gravity- 22.5 gals finished
2016 150 taps on 3/16 gravity- 23 gals finished
2020 250 taps on 3/16 gravity- 22 gals finished
2021 385 taps on 3/16 gravity 25 gals finished
2022 385 taps on 3/16 gravity- 26 gals finished
This was my first year making my own syrup. I am glad that I decided to go with lines, the snow was deep and now real wet. I made about 2 gal. boiling 3 times. The syrup tastes great. My neighbor a few doors down has been sugaring for 10 years and told me not to get discouraged, it has been a poor year. He also is impressed that I did make some good syrup and didn't burn any (the other neighbor was sure I would burn it). I hope to get one more boil as the sap is flowing a bit still and looks clear.
Thanks to everyone who posts here as I have done tons of reading and answered many questions that only experience would teach.
Pablo, wtg!...but we're not done yet in Ontario, I see 6 sap flowing days in the next 8 day forecast...we can hope.
Cheers,
Russ
2017: added shut-off valves at several points on the main line, 66L made, 13L sold
2016: Added Wesfab 7" Filter Press with hand pump, 96L sold
2015: now 216 taps, added low vac (24" hg) to new Sugar Shack (24' x 16') w/400gal storage, 143.15L sold
2014: now 150 taps, added 2 sump pumps to 12'x12' sugar shack w/100gal storage to CDL 18"x5', 2 chamber drop flue, 40L sold
2013: 10 5/16 taps gravity to hose, boiled on BBQ
Yesterday I got about 25 gal (it only got to about 2 c) and at noon today I have about 30 gal and the lines are the fullest I've seen them this year.
Good thing it is a long weekend.
The sap is running the strongest it has all year! Tomorrow really is looking like it will be a 'Good Friday', following a most 'Excellent Thursday'.
I haven't had the time to collect all of the sap yet today, but so far I've got 37L from 8 taps. There is two to three times that much still waiting to be gathered. One of my silvers is offering 4% today. Thank-you trees.
~ Karen ~
2012 - 10 taps, 1 turkey fryer - 169.5L sap 4.2 L syrup
2013 - 23 taps, 2 turkey fryers - 748.5 L sap 17.56 L syrup
2014 - 22 taps, 509 L sap 12.5 L syrup
2015 - 28 taps, 1093.75 L sap 25.1 L syrup
2016 - 25 taps, 1223.5 L sap 28.25 L syrup
2017 - 21 taps, 518.5 L sap 12.7 L syrup
2018 - 28 taps, 2 turkey fryers & Denali 3 burner propane stove - 798L sap 16.9 L syrup
2019 - 28 taps, 1409.5L sap 40.12L syrup
Sugar, Norway, Manitoba, Silver and Freeman Maples
Glad your finally getting a good run! Sounds like its going to pay off for sticking it out. Hearing that makes me kinda wish my taps were still in the trees.....
Maple Rock Farm
www.Maplerockfarm.ca
400 taps on Vacuum
18”x60” Lapierre propane evaporator with Smokey Lake auto draw off
Homemade 3 post RO with MES membranes
Ford TS110 tractor sap hauler
I had my best sap day ever today. Boiled for 9 hrs, and still have 100 gal of sap...and its still running but I'm pooped. Made 7L of syrup today.
Cheers,
Russ
2017: added shut-off valves at several points on the main line, 66L made, 13L sold
2016: Added Wesfab 7" Filter Press with hand pump, 96L sold
2015: now 216 taps, added low vac (24" hg) to new Sugar Shack (24' x 16') w/400gal storage, 143.15L sold
2014: now 150 taps, added 2 sump pumps to 12'x12' sugar shack w/100gal storage to CDL 18"x5', 2 chamber drop flue, 40L sold
2013: 10 5/16 taps gravity to hose, boiled on BBQ
WOW. What a day.
I collected 83L from 8 taps down the street. After emptying them at noon, 2 were overflowing at 6pm and the other 6 were close to the top (these are 2 gallon buckets).
I emptied the buckets on my property twice today just to make sure there was room for the sap tsunami. After emptying everything here again at 4pm there is somewhere near 10L already replenished out there. Total for the property here was 36L.
Grand total for the day was 119L. Boiled my brains out today - but was at least smart enough to get the propane tanks refilled before the end of the day as nothing will be open tomorrow. That would have been a brutal mistake to have made.
Can't wait to get boiling again tomorrow, I'm done for today.
~ Karen ~
2012 - 10 taps, 1 turkey fryer - 169.5L sap 4.2 L syrup
2013 - 23 taps, 2 turkey fryers - 748.5 L sap 17.56 L syrup
2014 - 22 taps, 509 L sap 12.5 L syrup
2015 - 28 taps, 1093.75 L sap 25.1 L syrup
2016 - 25 taps, 1223.5 L sap 28.25 L syrup
2017 - 21 taps, 518.5 L sap 12.7 L syrup
2018 - 28 taps, 2 turkey fryers & Denali 3 burner propane stove - 798L sap 16.9 L syrup
2019 - 28 taps, 1409.5L sap 40.12L syrup
Sugar, Norway, Manitoba, Silver and Freeman Maples
Dear all; I am looking to buy sap from anyone willing to sell. Our sugarbush is in the lanark area but has turned milky. Anyone with clear sap? Looking for large amounts. Thanks!