Thurs., March 2nd.....second day working the fire. Will be all caught up at the end of the day. Todays bucket check tells me that I have tomorrow and maybe Saturday off. Flow has all but stopped. Warm weather around the corner and I'll be ready for it. The Vineyard sugar bush reported they saw bluebird scouts checking out bird houses.
2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup
56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
43.01N
Irish Ridge, Glad to hear you're caught up with this last run. We'll get caught up tomorrow around noonish. I was beginning to think we were going to drown in sap after this last run. Wishing we had a bigger evaporator as we were losing ground boiling about 16 gph. We are setting at about 14 gallons of syrup as of right now. Hoping to get one or two good runs yet this season. It looks like a fairly long warm spell next week.
Hi Irish Ridge Have not seen any blue birds as of yet but the houses are ready. Sounds like you have some syrup to enjoy, how long to make a gal with your rig? Our first boil will be this Saturday.Take care and enjoy that great syrup.
12x16 Sugar House 2x6 Maple Pro wood fired evaporator Arctic Cat 4x4 1980 Snowmobile 225 taps on buckets 17 Taps on 3/16th tubing on steep hillside
Morning Spike and Mr. Sugar Maple,
I don't have quite the size operation that both of you have. That is probably part of the reason that I don't mind gambling on an early start. If I can get 6 gallons of sap boiled off in an hour I am very happy. Usually somewhere between 5 and 6. I am working off of an old oil fuel tank pretty much cut in half and turned into a wood burner. Has a big tall stack and I am set. I read on maple trader somewhere about adding firebrick. Once I did that I began using much less wood, achieving a hotter fire, and a better boil off per hour rate.
After yesterday I now have just under 6 finished gallons. Also this last run was much darker than my batches of very light amber - but what a taste.
2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup
56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
43.01N
Wow 6 finished gallons, that is a lot of boiling, every drop of your maple syrup you surely earned. our 2x6 evaporates about 30 to 35 gallons per hour . My son has been building me a preheater dont know if it will be done in time for part of this season.
12x16 Sugar House 2x6 Maple Pro wood fired evaporator Arctic Cat 4x4 1980 Snowmobile 225 taps on buckets 17 Taps on 3/16th tubing on steep hillside
Sunday, March 5th....Did a walk today for a bucket check after church. My results dictated rushing back to grab my mule and start collecting sap. 47 taps and over 115 gallons of sap. Finished boiling for the evening at 9 p.m. and will start early tomorrow trying to beat the rain. Moths like crazy today. Sap today isn't nearly as clear as spring water like it was a few days ago. Still right around 2.5% sugar. Disappointed in that result - usually higher with my trees. My wife brought me supper down to the sugar shack at 7 and told me Spike and the Vernon County people must all be working late tonight or driving home as there was nothing to report on Mapletrader at that time. Hope everyone had a good time and good results this weekend.
2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup
56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
43.01N
Wow-- there's no quit in those trees the last couple of days. Boiled all day today and lost ground. Our 300 gallon tank has room for about two more inches as of tonight. Hopefully tomorrow we can gain some ground on it. If this continues maybe an RO will be in our future. Hate to spend that kind of money just for a hobby?? Happy boiling!!
You are so right Spike, trees are cooperating. Began boiling yesterday in the mist and went all day and evening shutting down operations about an hour before the storm. This morning collected even more from over the past 36 hours. One thing I have noticed is clarity of the sap. Noticeably less clear than earlier. Still hovering at 2.5 per cent sugar content in sap I have collected - and these are sugar maples. The wind is still blowing so much that I think the best route is waiting until Wednesday to boil again. I have to say that I sure am enjoying this sap season or maybe it is the early spring - hopefully both.
Heard peepers last night. Spring is here.
2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup
56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
43.01N
Wed. March 8th.....Boiling with an outdoor operation in 40 mile per hour winds was not fun today. The wind just never quit. Interesting because that is just the opposite of my sap flow. In the past 24 hours my trees have all but stopped. That and over half my buckets were laying on their side when I did my afternoon bucket check. I am actually thinking that I may very possibly be done in the woods after my bucket collection tomorrow. Going to sleep on it. This much I know, the sap has all but stopped running again on Irish Ridge.
2019 47 taps and 10.75 gallons of syrup
2020 45 taps and 21.25 gallons of syrup
2021 50 taps and 13.5 gallons of syrup
2022 50 taps and 18.5 gallons of syrup
2023 49 taps and 18 gallons of syrup
2024 49 taps and 9.75 gallons of syrup
56 acres above the Mississippi River in SW Wisconsin
43.01N
Irish Ridge, we decided we would collect what sap we had as of last night and try to finish up today. The trees have quit for now but may start up again after this cold snap. We will be over 30 gallons of syrup when everything is cleaned up so we feel it was a very good season. So we're pulling taps and looking to next year! Other than three digital thermometers with issues it was a good season!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote