Willow Creek Sugarhouse 2016!!!

[BlueberryHill]

Yesterday was slower than expected here too. Got about 200 gallons. But when I woke up this morning, I had another 190 already from the overnight run. Emptied the tanks and headed to work. Hoping that when I get home they are full.

[red maples]

I am around the 600 tap mark. the day combined with the over night worked out to be pretty close to about 450 gallons. but again sugar still low. I am hoping we get some more consistent weather to get that sugar up.

Ended up boiling out 490 gallons of sap last night made about 7 gallons I think.

Filter is getting better and better. filtering out the front pan help A LOT. I think with the initial sweetening combined with heavy syrup and getting amount of DE right again it went really good. pressure never spiked went through easy and fast.

got the freeze last night not muh but did get a freeze hope its long enough to get things going again.

I am VERY nervous about the length of this season. I don;t wanna say anything else. so I will leave it at that.

[red maples]

Man I wish my sugar was better...

1.25% is not good... still making syrup but its pretty dark. Got spoiled with 2.25% last year I guess. I quickly ran the numbers last year it was right around 50:1 and this year is like 75 to 80:1 but if I didn't process it I wouldn;t have syrup.

I have to say this is VERY strange weather. I know New England can have weird weather went to bed last night 34* Woke up it was 48* now its supposed to be 15* tonight??? !!! I don;t know then 60 all week next week... really nervous!!!

most of the sap is vacuum sap only bucket sap from really the sap Tsunami last week been pretty hit or miss with those so far this year.

[Russell Lampron]

My sugar was better tonight. I made 8 gallons with 400 gallons of sap. Tuesday night I made 14 1/2 gallons from 950 gallons of sap. The evaporator was pretty sweet from the night before so that may have made tonight's numbers look better though. It was all amber in February and so far March has been all golden. I haven't made any dark or even close to it since the season before last.

[red maples]

Well russ you have that magic thing.... I might be investing in one of those things so I can have a variety of grades. Last year I did manage some amber but for the most part it was dark... I will have to come up after the season is over so I can take a first hand look at that bubbler so I can make one for myself.

Boiled out the 320 gallons I had last night made another 5.5 gallons sugar was actually a slight bit better that just under 60:1 which is better than it has been at 70+:1. I am hoping this freeze thaw gets them going again at least for the few days before it stops flowing due to warm temps.

but the forecast looks slightly cooler after sun/mon. just have to hope for a little freeze in there some time. I hope we get a little snow but who knows wit this winter... I would be happy with a few little 2-3 inchers just to get a little insulation on the ground and to cool the air at night. hopefully we will get a another sap Tsunami on saturday/sunday.... trying to positive.

[red maples]

Little freeze up 2nd day below freezing I am guessing it will take a a couple of days before things let loose again. We actually got a few inches of snow today that should help alittle I hope. I have severely out grown my old 50 gallon plastic barrel feed tank beside it a PITA to clean!!! Putting my new 100 gallon CDL Stainless feed tank up Saturday afternoon. it was supposed to go in the begining of January but well my arm and everything(which is doing better by the way can start muscle rebuilding 2lb curls) its going inside the sugarhouse instead of outside. so Have to build a new platform and Try and get that plumbed in before the next boil. I need to get a clear tube for a depth gauge though. don'twant to use Vinyl from the box stores. not food grade. maybe just a get a little 1" syrup hose should be fine!!! have to check with WEBB and the hardware store in town see what they have that I can buy by the foot.

[red maples]

Not much yesterday if we got 20 gallons it was alot only above freezing for a short time. Nothing really moving yet. The sun is really warm but it gonna take a while for the trees to thaw sap probably won't really get going until tomorrow.

Got the new tank up just about finished plumbing should be ready soon.

[red maples]

Computer issues again have to use my phone...

So where was I... yesterday I ended up with just over 400 gallons total with the few gallons frim the poor runs... had another 100 gallons by the time I was done boiling came back out at 11:30 it was 33 and release was frozen up left the vac going but only got about 50 gallons from 11:30 to 5 am. But had a total of 450 gallons to process tonight and there is another 100 gallons in the tank again. Hope it keeps running still coming in pretty good right now. Buckets are dripping good too the smaller trees are slowing but the bigguns are still going strong.

[Russell Lampron]

I've been getting a lot of sap here too. The little trees on buckets stopped yesterday but the big ones made up for it. The vacuum has been pulling in a lot of sap. I boiled in 525 Tuesday night and 925 last night. The sap was still coming into the releaser good at 6 pm.

[red maples]

got 200 gallons in the tank to start the day. I am a little sleepy. but hanging in there. hoping the overcast and low pressure system keep things going. close to 1+ gallon per tap per day for that last couple which is quite good for my reds on vacuum.

Hope the big trees on buckets keep going the sugar is still good on those. went from 1.75 to 1% again. Love the RO... I would love to have consistent maple weather... haven't really had that in 3 years or so. It aint gonna happen this year either. just seems like all or nothing: all or nothing: repeat... but just as long as I can still make syrup.