Five gallon buckets frozen full equals

[Run Forest Run!]

Hey miner1, if you don't have a refractometer to test the sap then taste a little bit of the melt-off. If it tastes sugary then boil it down. If it's more watery then save yourself the aggravation and just use the ice to keep future sap cool. I'm getting really good at being able to taste the difference so perhaps it's time you began training your tastebuds.

[Mitchman]

Hey Karen, Are you adding more taps this year ? Or staying with 28 ?

[Run Forest Run!]

Hey Karen, Are you adding more taps this year ? Or staying with 28 ?

Hi Mitchman. I'll likely be staying around that same number for this season. I will sometimes move a tap to a fresh tree when the early ones slow down, but all in all I'm kind of maxxed out with the quantity of sap that I can physically handle with my two propane burners. I'm toying with the idea of adding some wood fired evaporation this year, but it will be an experiment to see if I can handle the extra work since I'm only working on this by myself.

[Mitchman]

I hear ya Karen, I also use propane to heat the turkey burners. I don't know if I want to go bigger as by the end of the season I have had enough. I do know everyone who receives some of our syrup say's great job. I like the color of last years syrup pic. you have on your post, our first batch was just a tad darker, a real nice amber. Let's hope she flows the next 2 day's !!!

[Run Forest Run!]

Best of luck this year Mitchman. Keep me posted on your progress!

[Mitchman]

And to you as well Karen, last year we made 7 .5 gallons ( our best ) and hope to surpass that !!!

[Mitchman]

Progress report Karen, Not so great, I think a lot of my tree's are still partially froze. And it will take a couple day's like today to fix it. You can't have below zero temps, 3 nights in a row, without getting stung. Maybe tomorrow ?? A good flow ? How about yourself any action ?

[bagpiper]

Hey Mitchman - We are getting a good run down here on the border. 8:00 pm and my finicky reds are cranking. It's 39 F according to Accuweather but just above freezing if I average my 3 thermometers. Here's hoping they drip all night. Hope you thaw out up there in the hills by tomorrow.

[Mitchman]

Thanks I need some encouragement, my tree's stopped at 5 pm 32 degree's, and I know it will drop a little more, but it may make for a better day tomorrow. One can only hope!!!

[Run Forest Run!]

How about yourself any action ?

Things are very slow and we don't have any freezing nights being forecast for the next week or so. Don't know how this season is going to pan out. Starting to look like 2012. If things don't freeze up after this week then I doubt we'll have much syrup for 2016. Still kind of too early to say with certainty. I'll be happy with whatever I get. I did a small boil today to use up the sap I've stored so far. It might end up being a quart or perhaps a little more. Had a lot fun out there. Every kid on the street was here for samples from the boiling trays.