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Thread: 2017 Season

  1. #151
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Elliottsburg, PA
    Posts
    2,222

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    I am quite happy with how my season went even though I pulled taps back on Feb 23rd.

    Could I still be making syrup, heck yeah. Would it be good syrup? Not so sure about that.

    I have no means to off load a lot of dark or off flavor syrup so what is the sense of me sticking with it just to get bigger numbers?
    So I took advantage of the warmer temps back in Feb and cleaned everything up and put everything away. I am now onto other things, things that on a normal year would still have to wait for a few more weeks.

    What is a normal year anyway?
    1st Generation Hobby Maple Producer, you got to start somewhere.
    222 Taps, all on Vacuum! No more buckets.
    Lapierre 2'x5' raised flue w/Hood and Preheater
    Surge SP11, Lapierre Hobby Releaser
    Modified 5" Filter Press made by Daryl with a Gear Pump
    Homemade 2 membrane RO
    Kabota RTV Sap Hauler

    Hardy's Maple Syrup on Facebook

  2. #152
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    BECKLEY, WV (SUGARHOUSE DAWSON, WV)
    Posts
    6,621

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    I'm not interested in making any off flavored stuff either. We made the first dark of the year our last boil over 5 weeks after we started. Lots of medium with cloudy sap and expect it to go back to medium tomorrow which will be the first boil since we last boiled on Monday the 13th. Been crazy cold here the last four days with temps in single digits and teens and sub zero wind chills. We got about 5" of snow this week and about 1" of rain coming tonight and tomorrow so lots of moisture will be in the ground.

    Tomorrow is our WV Mountain State Maple Day so we hope to have sap to boil for it if trees can get thawed out today and tonight.
    Brandon

    CDL dealer for All of West Virginia & Virginia
    3x10 CDL Deluxe oil fired
    Kubota M7040 4x4 Tractor w/ 1153 Loader hauling sap
    2,400+ taps on 3/16 CDL natural vacuum on 9 properties
    24x56 sugarhouse
    CDL 1,000 2 post RO


    WEBSITE: http://danielsmaple.com

  3. #153
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Middlebury Center, PA
    Posts
    1,391

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    I started getting little bit of sap on Saturday and more yesterday after a 9 day freeze. Sap looks pretty clear and was testing 2.1, which is up from the last I tested on March 9 which was 1.6. This week the weather looks to be good. Time will tell.
    Jared

  4. #154
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

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    Folks,
    I think we may be done! Tomorrow will tell the tale. Temps are good for sap flow, but its sure has not started yet!

    Past news:
    Maple Taste and Tour Weekend was busy with several hundred visitors stopping by. Weather was perfect!
    We boiled water in the evaporator, had the wood stove going, a propane heater in the product display area, and a electric heater for the family members at the checkout table. I had a great time!
    Regards,
    Chris
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

  5. #155
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Bethel Park, PA
    Posts
    33

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    So back in post #70 I said how my season was over and showed pictures of my syrup. That was Feb 20. My sugar maple has been dry since then through all of the freeze thaw cycles. I noticed one of the smaller maples, not sure species, had some sap, but I just left it. I actually left all of my taps in, mostly out of being too busy and laziness. So, yesterday I came home from work to 5 jugs on my sugar maple each having about 1/3 of a gallon in them. Today, they are at about 1/2 gallon. It does look a bit cloudy, doesn't smell funky.
    I never expected it. Is it normal? Should I collect or just dump it? I'm thinking dump it as there is sediment in the jugs, etc..

  6. #156
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Middlebury Center, PA
    Posts
    1,391

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    My season ended on the 26th a little earlier than expected, but my second baby girl was a week early. Now we have 2 little sap suckers a 22 month old and a new born. I would have liked to have made more Syrup but it sure was a crazy year weather wise. My last boil was 3-23 I ended up sending my last 1800 gallons of sap to another producer who processed it while I was at the hospital. I got all my tanks washed during nap time one day and finished off the evaporator and rinsed it the following day during nap time. I still have to finish cleaning the evaporator and I have some Syrup to can and spouts to pull. Would have liked to have had all the recent rain as snow a Month Ago!
    Jared

  7. #157
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    NE PA (Pocono's)
    Posts
    1,426

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    Quote Originally Posted by unc23win View Post
    My season ended on the 26th a little earlier than expected, but my second baby girl was a week early. Now we have 2 little sap suckers a 22 month old and a new born. I would have liked to have made more Syrup but it sure was a crazy year weather wise. My last boil was 3-23 I ended up sending my last 1800 gallons of sap to another producer who processed it while I was at the hospital. I got all my tanks washed during nap time one day and finished off the evaporator and rinsed it the following day during nap time. I still have to finish cleaning the evaporator and I have some Syrup to can and spouts to pull. Would have liked to have had all the recent rain as snow a Month Ago!
    Congrats Jared
    CDL 2x8
    Around 4000 taps
    Polaris ATVs, Ski Doo snowmobiles to get around
    Atlas Copco pumps
    Lapierre two post RO




    http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/j...Sugar%20shack/

  8. #158
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Northeastern Pa
    Posts
    432

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    April 5th and we are throwing in the towel here in the northeast part of the state. Sap looks like milk and slowed to almost nothing. On the good side the syrup is still dark robust and good taste. Good luck to all that are still going.

    Craig

  9. #159
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Middlebury Center, PA
    Posts
    1,391

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maplewalnut View Post
    Congrats Jared
    Thanks Mike I hope to someday to share my sugaring with my kids like you do. I hope your season went well.
    Jared

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