Eastern Ontario 2015

[Lespetras]

Thank you so much for all the nice words of encouragement. This forum has really helped us achieve our first completed batch of maple syrup without a hitch or a divorce! We had 70 litres and boiled it down to 1200ml! Not sure what that would work out to be using the rule of 86 but it looks and tastes like the best **** syrup we've ever had!
Thank you Galena, if not for your warnings of boiling over... We sure would've gotten a divorce.. We came close, but as you said didn't take our eyes off the stove once it was to 216 degrees... And then 219 degrees and then it happened, it was complete and we are hooked! Already talking about building a sugar shack and arch!!!!!
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[Vandy]

Awesome! Looks great.

[MustardSeedMum]

Good to hear some of you starting to boil down and some finishing their first batch! It's so exciting, whether the 100th or the 1st!

Started my boil this morning on my crude concrete block arch. Got a good rolling boil going on my 3 steam pans and was in the middle
of boiling the first 80L of sap when the block chimney came crashing down....thankfully backwards instead of into the pans.

Going to have a word with the builder (DH) tonight who is responsible for the non-level build of the setup...

[Galena]

Thank you so much for all the nice words of encouragement. This forum has really helped us achieve our first completed batch of maple syrup without a hitch or a divorce! We had 70 litres and boiled it down to 1200ml! Not sure what that would work out to be using the rule of 86 but it looks and tastes like the best **** syrup we've ever had!
Thank you Galena, if not for your warnings of boiling over... We sure would've gotten a divorce.. We came close, but as you said didn't take our eyes off the stove once it was to 216 degrees... And then 219 degrees and then it happened, it was complete and we are hooked! Already talking about building a sugar shack and arch!!!!!
Attachment 11056

Glad to be of help, Lesley, and that is a VERY nice looking batch of syrup, clear and that lovely first-batch golden colour. Does it taste like vanilla and marshmallow? My first batch always does, though of course you have different terrain and trees.

Congrats, you're no longer sugaring virgins! So how much is left or are you going to preserve the bottles for posterity? Lovin the moose bottle in particular. And now that you've got your first bath made, the rest should be easy. Again, huge congrats to you both! :-)

[Kyle Baker]

Still waiting on sap here near Smith's falls, but my taps were wet with a few drips this afternoon so maybe tomorrow with a warmer day I'll be in business.

[WI Sugarpop]

Thank you so much for all the nice words of encouragement. This forum has really helped us achieve our first completed batch of maple syrup without a hitch or a divorce! We had 70 litres and boiled it down to 1200ml! Not sure what that would work out to be using the rule of 86 but it looks and tastes like the best **** syrup we've ever had!
Thank you Galena, if not for your warnings of boiling over... We sure would've gotten a divorce.. We came close, but as you said didn't take our eyes off the stove once it was to 216 degrees... And then 219 degrees and then it happened, it was complete and we are hooked! Already talking about building a sugar shack and arch!!!!!
Attachment 11056

70/1.2=58.33 then 86/58.33=1.474% Hope that helps. Great looking syrup.

[hillbillybee]

I have a sap tester (Hydrometer) and it says : Brix scale for sap @ tp 38F 3.3C.

Is the brix scale sugar content? Or is there some calculating factor needed to get my sap content? Q#2 if I'm testing sap @ 1 deg. C instead of 3.3C how will that change my tester reading?

[Big_Eddy]

I'm making steam today. Lit the first fire of the season at 10:45. Had a full boil at 10:58. About 100 gallons left to go. ImageUploadedByTapatalk1426350042.755423.jpg
Had to make a run back to the house for defoamer as the bubbles were rising!

[Big_Eddy]

95 gallons of sap to boil
95 gallons of sap
It smells so good,
So add more wood
89 gallons of sap to boil

89 gallons of sap to boil
.......

I love watching the gradient develop for the first time each season. I'm only about halfway to sweetened but I can clearly see the colour in the syrup pan whereas the flue pan is pure sap.

Here's a picture from last year after the first 80 gals of sap.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1426353286.248520.jpg

[Run Forest Run!]

That right there is a thing of beauty Big_Eddy. All the best for a great season. It looks like you and I are sharing the excitement of a first boil on the same day this year.
P.S. Does it make my sugaring experience all the more Canadian this year in that I was being watched by a beaver yesterday while collecting sap?