If only the calendar said it was two weeks earlier, I'd feel really good about where we're at. I'm getting the feeling that in a couple more weeks I'll be saying, "If we can just get a couple more cold nights..." I feel like we're running out of time and every day I don't get at least 500 gallons of sap is a disappointment. But February and March were colder than normal, so as long as April is too, we'll be good to go!
5000 gallons of sap down, 10,000 to go!
Steven Abbott
Over 900 taps on vacuum
30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
Half acre market garden
2 farmers in training
We are finally getting some decent sap day's, and thanks to Maple Trader my brother and I built an R.O. system and a cooler vacuum system. Both are running decent. They will help us get to our goal of 4 to 6 gals of syrup, the most we have ever done in a season. Made our first gallon of finish syrup today, the sky's the limit !!
416 Cat backhoe
Polaris Indy
12x16 Sugar Shack
27 buckets
39 taps on line
Sounds like you've got enough taps to make at least ten gallons! Don't settle for less!Originally Posted by Mitchman
Steven Abbott
Over 900 taps on vacuum
30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
Half acre market garden
2 farmers in training
The sap ran in faster today than it has all season so far, though it wasn't a terribly long run... looks like it will freeze up soon with the total around 500 gallons. That brings the season tally over 7000. My goal of 15000 seems a long way off, but with the sap still pretty sweet (2.5 brix now) the syrup is adding up quickly. I haven't checked the tank on the gravity line today, but those taps may have actually passed last season's total at about 5 gallons sap/tap.
Looks like we'll get another productive week, then ???
Steven Abbott
Over 900 taps on vacuum
30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
Half acre market garden
2 farmers in training
Get ready. I think tomorrow will be a big sap day!
Steven Abbott
Over 900 taps on vacuum
30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
Half acre market garden
2 farmers in training
Steven, I'm only getting dark syrup, no amber, and it's usually the other way around for us ? Think I missed that train ? Not that I'm complaining as I have 3 gallons and the best I ever did was 4 1/2 gallons. I should beat my record soon the way it ran today !!!
Hard to say why you've only made dark. Some years I make some light (golden now) but not this year. I've made almost all amber with a bit of dark at the beginning and a bit of dark after that 60* day. You might make some amber if you boil yesterday and today's sap promptly, but in general the syrup will only be getting darker from here on out.
Not sure how much more ran after I left the sap house, but I got about a gallon per tap on the vacuum yesterday - best total yet this year but I was actually hoping it would run harder than it did. Just about 200 gallons of syrup made to date. I'd be disappointed with anything less than 300 when all is said and done.
Steven Abbott
Over 900 taps on vacuum
30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
Half acre market garden
2 farmers in training
Same here abbott little dark bunch of amber 1 dark boil back to amber and would suspect that would go back to dark. It's looking like the season may get cut off here soon. I am up to 65 gallons 70 is the most i have ever made i think i will be over that can't get to collecting tonight so will see in the A.M. Boiled off yesterdays run tis mourning was running 2.75% sugar i think it was up because my road side buckets ran really well the last couple days I left them till they were full since the weather was nice and cool got some that are 3.5 - 4% they help out a lot made around 8 gallons 250 gallon of sap. In comparison to last year when I made 30 gallons this has been a great season would like to hit the 100 gallon mark some time will probably need to tap more trees....
2 1/2 x 10 with steam away leader drop flue inferno arch.
550 in gravity
sorry abbot not trying to take over your thread thought i was on the Maine tapping 2015 woops
2 1/2 x 10 with steam away leader drop flue inferno arch.
550 in gravity
Take it over? Nah - make it better.
Steven Abbott
Over 900 taps on vacuum
30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
Half acre market garden
2 farmers in training
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