We finally tapped in today. Put on 65 buckets. 2/3rd's were running by mid afternoon. I think we were on our second or third boil by this time last year!
IMG_9639.jpg
My quality control analyst says "yep, it's sap dad..."
IMG_9643.jpg
We finally tapped in today. Put on 65 buckets. 2/3rd's were running by mid afternoon. I think we were on our second or third boil by this time last year!
IMG_9639.jpg
My quality control analyst says "yep, it's sap dad..."
IMG_9643.jpg
Sunny today and +6 in forecast, no wind so the trees should be starting to wake up! I collected 1g frozen from all of them yesterday. Definitely a few sapsicles.
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
It seems lke I took the right week off work to boil ,weather looks great for next 4 days.
Went out yesterday and built a small fire under my sap tank to thaw about 90 gallons of sap that had been frozen since the cold snap set in then added another 100 gallons that was collected yesterday.
The cold snap might have been the best thing this year I tested the sugar content of my combined thawed and fresh sap and to my amazement it tested at 4.2brix ( has anyone seen this kind of spike in sugar content) my sap usually runs around 2.5 to 2.9
I thought this was wrong so I went around to my 4 collection sites and tested the sap sugar content at each main line, I noted readings from 2.9 brix to 4.5 brix. I have never had sap run from the main lines over 3brix ( has anyone ever seen this kind of spike before not sure how to explain it or why )
Today I'm going to start my boil to rip through the almost 200 gallons in tank and hope to collect another 100 or more gallons by end of today cause the weather looks to be perfect for sap flow . I hope the sap runs over 3 brix or more for the rest of the remaining days .
Last edited by JeffB; 03-19-2017 at 07:42 AM.
2015 First yr 50 taps, Oiltank arch 2x4 Flat bottom pan, 12 gallons finished
2016 New 2x4 arch ,Patrick Phenuef 2x4 hybrid pan, 80 taps on mainlines 33 on jugs
2016 5200 iters of Sap. 31 Gallons finished Great Year!
2017 105 taps all on gravity and main lines (Feb 20)
MF135 tractor
Honda Foreman Atv
Homemade sap collector wagon with 400 liter tank
2 Stainless steel 1000 liter storage totes
Timber King log splitter
Just finished tapping for this year, ended up with 80 total, trying a different section of the bush. Fewer trees than where I had originally planned but they are more concentrated for easier collecting. The twelve early test taps I installed for the warm spell in Feb only gave up 60 litres of sap combined to date so I haven't missed much. Things are just starting to flow here, hope for a good season.
2018: 40 taps, 19.5l syrup
2017: 80 taps, 20 liters syrup.
2016: 40 taps, 38.5 liters maple syrup. Bonus 1 liter of Birch Syrup from 12 taps.
2015: 1st time! 13 taps, 175l sap, 8.2l syrup
Boiling on arch made from old wood furnace with 4 steam table pans
*Jeopardy theme* sittin here twiddling thumbs waiting for my trees to realize that the big freeze is finally over. Going to take a couple more days or so of nice warm weather for thebig ol' beasties to thaw out after being froze up for well over a week.
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
2017: added shut-off valves at several points on the main line, 66L made, 13L sold
2016: Added Wesfab 7" Filter Press with hand pump, 96L sold
2015: now 216 taps, added low vac (24" hg) to new Sugar Shack (24' x 16') w/400gal storage, 143.15L sold
2014: now 150 taps, added 2 sump pumps to 12'x12' sugar shack w/100gal storage to CDL 18"x5', 2 chamber drop flue, 40L sold
2013: 10 5/16 taps gravity to hose, boiled on BBQ
Maple Rock Farm
www.Maplerockfarm.ca
400 taps on Vacuum
18”x60” Lapierre propane evaporator with Smokey Lake auto draw off
Homemade 3 post RO with MES membranes
Ford TS110 tractor sap hauler
I'm just outside of Kemptville, some 70km SE of Ottawa. And I'm not worried about my trees, I know they tend to start late anyway and this freaky weather has only made it even later. But a couple more weeks and I'll have the floaties on :-)
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
Not an exceptional sap flow day for me, starred to run about noon. On 125 taps I got about 50 gallons. Seemed like the taps in the sun were running today but ones in the shade were still froze. Had a couple taps yesterday that I had to reseat because they froze solid and pushed out a bit. First time I've ever seen that. Supposed to be warm tomorrow so hopefully the floodgates open up.
600 taps on vacuum
Lapierre mechanical Releaser
CDL electric releaser
2.5 x 10 CDL Venturi ( new for the 2024 season )
Home made modulating auto draw off
Homemade RO 2 x 4" membranes
CDL 16 x 16 bottler
Wesfab 7" filter press
Delaval 73 vacuum pumps
12 hives of bees
Another headache today due to the prolonged cold snap. Started vacuum pump in the main bushes just after 12:00, still frozen pretty hard to get much sap. Drove up the road to our remote bush,started vacuum pump there,but releaser wouldn't work as there was a layer of ice in the bottom. Played with it for awhile,got it to thaw out,then sap was coming in good. Came back to main bushes,everything okay,so time to go to a wake for a neighbor who died tragically going through the ice. Got home 2&1/2 hours later,went to collect the sap expecting tank to be overflowing,found a puddle on the ground in front of it. Sap had lifted the large chunk of ice in the tank,also lifting the plunger in the bulk tank,allowing the sap to run on the ground. Plastic cap that was a backup had split from the cold,so it didn't hold the sap back either. Figured we would rob the metal cap off another tank at home only to find we couldn't,because that plunger had also been lifted,allowing sap to leak slowly out of that tank. Pumped what sap we could get up into the head tank for evaporator,left it for the night,figuring that 500 gallons can wait till morning,enough problems today without running into trouble feeding the evaporator tonight. Probably need the torch in the morning to thaw out the feed line,ice can melt anytime now
7th generation maple producer in sugarhouse built in 1892
2x World Champion Maple Syrup Producer
1250 taps on cv adapters
Leader Vortex 3x14 with Max Flue and Revolution Syrup Pan,Enhanced Steam Away
www.leggettmaplesyrup.com