Hi Clem3, Wish I had an answer to your question. All I have are a few ideas. I was in the same spot yesterday. I started boiling outside yesterday at 6 a.m. in the mist (but it is a warm mist). My operation is se up just below my ridge top hidden in some pines I planted for a windbreak/privacy. I heard that wind whipping over my head all day. In fact when I set the operation up I placed it so the prevailing west and south winds work to my advantage. I try hard to keep ash out. Back to yesterday. So its warm and windy. I want all my sap boiled. Don't want warm sap. I run up to the house, wind is really whipping up there. Wife shows me color radar. Instead of the normal green rain coming I see yellow and red bearing down on me. I want to be shut down, and inside when this thing hits. Now what do I do with my last 7 gallon bucket of sap. My wife finds the last snow on the property and say put that around it. I said, no it will be gone by morning with the rain.
My idea is to run it down to our pond. There was just a small floating ice surface covering about half of it. I put on my waders and set it in the pond about 3/4 up the bucket and then weighted it down. Worked Great. The ice is all gone this morning but it is still ice cold. My other idea was to put ice in sealed plastic bags and at least get some cold in the sap. Not sure how long the ice would last but it would be a bit colder. Do you have a spring on your ridge? With this rain, there might be enough runoff. That is another idea that would work as a temporary solution. If I really get behind, my father in law down the road has a meat cooler on his farm. It is only used for hanging deer in the fall but that also works. Not sure if you have a connection to someone with a cooler (local neighborhood bar, butcher, maybe).
To answer your question though, I don't know how long you can go. I am just too new into this addiction and have always just worked through the night until I have caught back up. I am thinking it is cool enough again though that you will be alright. Good luck this spring.
2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup
56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
43.01N
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Originally Posted by Mr Sugar Maple
