Trapper2, what an incredible harvest for you this year! Your syrup looks fantastic! I have another 5 quarts or so finishing off on the stove today and the cream is ready to finish it off to perfection. Thanks again for your advice.
Trapper2, what an incredible harvest for you this year! Your syrup looks fantastic! I have another 5 quarts or so finishing off on the stove today and the cream is ready to finish it off to perfection. Thanks again for your advice.
~ Karen ~
2012 - 10 taps, 1 turkey fryer - 169.5L sap 4.2 L syrup
2013 - 23 taps, 2 turkey fryers - 748.5 L sap 17.56 L syrup
2014 - 22 taps, 509 L sap 12.5 L syrup
2015 - 28 taps, 1093.75 L sap 25.1 L syrup
2016 - 25 taps, 1223.5 L sap 28.25 L syrup
2017 - 21 taps, 518.5 L sap 12.7 L syrup
2018 - 28 taps, 2 turkey fryers & Denali 3 burner propane stove - 798L sap 16.9 L syrup
2019 - 28 taps, 1409.5L sap 40.12L syrup
Sugar, Norway, Manitoba, Silver and Freeman Maples
1960 - 1970s 70 taps on galvanized buckets with Dad and Grandpa.
1970s - 1985 Acted crazy!
1986 - 2005 20-30 buckets.
2006- 2017 70 buckets and bags
2017-2019 100 bags and buckets
2020 Finally retired!!! 75 buckets, 50-75 on tubing. RO Bucket, New 12 X 16 Shack and a 42X42 flat pan.
2021-Adding another 125 taps along with a second RO bucket.
2022- Shooting for 350 taps, with 100 on lines.
Lots of Family and Friends and dogs named Skyy and Nessy!
1960 - 1970s 70 taps on galvanized buckets with Dad and Grandpa.
1970s - 1985 Acted crazy!
1986 - 2005 20-30 buckets.
2006- 2017 70 buckets and bags
2017-2019 100 bags and buckets
2020 Finally retired!!! 75 buckets, 50-75 on tubing. RO Bucket, New 12 X 16 Shack and a 42X42 flat pan.
2021-Adding another 125 taps along with a second RO bucket.
2022- Shooting for 350 taps, with 100 on lines.
Lots of Family and Friends and dogs named Skyy and Nessy!
Poured off a batch today, 3 gallons and filtered it off the pan with new papers inserts and orlon filter and it was not a good time. It was the worst, slowest filtering ever. I always do this when hydro hits 30. I didn't use the milk b/cuz we didn't any whole milk on hand. I will definitely use it on the next batch. After I finished on LP stove it filtered fairly well and turned out clear.
On another note my season in NW Marinette has been the worst ever, started tapped 3-17, 65 of them, 5 1/2 gallons canned. They just aren't running. Cold nites around zero for over 2 wks and heavy snowfall just about killed sap suckin here. Thanks for the info on milk it may be big saver.
4-25-18 Final cook down last night, I ended the season with 18.5 Gallons off of 70 taps and buckets. Just over a quart per tap. Is that about normal for buckets and bags? I was tapped in for 5.5 weeks. I probably could have left the taps in for another 3 days and cracked the 20 gallon mark.
1960 - 1970s 70 taps on galvanized buckets with Dad and Grandpa.
1970s - 1985 Acted crazy!
1986 - 2005 20-30 buckets.
2006- 2017 70 buckets and bags
2017-2019 100 bags and buckets
2020 Finally retired!!! 75 buckets, 50-75 on tubing. RO Bucket, New 12 X 16 Shack and a 42X42 flat pan.
2021-Adding another 125 taps along with a second RO bucket.
2022- Shooting for 350 taps, with 100 on lines.
Lots of Family and Friends and dogs named Skyy and Nessy!
Trapper2- I would call that a very avg year for our area. We had about 850 bags and 60 on tubing, finished just over 8 week season with .65-.7 gallons per tap(final tally in a week or so)......most ever in 10 years of doing this.
Last edited by jmayerl; 04-25-2018 at 04:47 PM.
custom made 2x7 intensofire
With SL pans
250 deer run
300 3/16 (new 2016)
500 sacks around the neighborhood
1960 - 1970s 70 taps on galvanized buckets with Dad and Grandpa.
1970s - 1985 Acted crazy!
1986 - 2005 20-30 buckets.
2006- 2017 70 buckets and bags
2017-2019 100 bags and buckets
2020 Finally retired!!! 75 buckets, 50-75 on tubing. RO Bucket, New 12 X 16 Shack and a 42X42 flat pan.
2021-Adding another 125 taps along with a second RO bucket.
2022- Shooting for 350 taps, with 100 on lines.
Lots of Family and Friends and dogs named Skyy and Nessy!
Officially done for the year. 570 taps on vacuum and 200 bags. We ended with 356 gallons of syrup. Sugar content in the sap was good all year consistently staying around 2.5-2.7. I would say I ended with a fairly average crop which is better than most of the guys I have talked to. Now just to get cleaned up and put away for next year.
2017:
600 taps on vacuum
4 x 8 flat pan
2 x 4 finish pan
Nights and weekends after my real job
I finished off my last batch April 23rd.
1960 - 1970s 70 taps on galvanized buckets with Dad and Grandpa.
1970s - 1985 Acted crazy!
1986 - 2005 20-30 buckets.
2006- 2017 70 buckets and bags
2017-2019 100 bags and buckets
2020 Finally retired!!! 75 buckets, 50-75 on tubing. RO Bucket, New 12 X 16 Shack and a 42X42 flat pan.
2021-Adding another 125 taps along with a second RO bucket.
2022- Shooting for 350 taps, with 100 on lines.
Lots of Family and Friends and dogs named Skyy and Nessy!