I have 1200 check valve taps on vacuum. In 2016 my sugar never got above 1.5. THis week, my sugar was .5. I ran the vacuum all week. WTF?
.5% sugar. Why?
I have 1200 check valve taps on vacuum. In 2016 my sugar never got above 1.5. THis week, my sugar was .5. I ran the vacuum all week. WTF?
3x12 drop flue.
1000 taps on 24 inches of vacuum, and 200 buckets.
Bought a used springtech 500 GPH RO
Shooting for 29" of vacuum, less than 5 taps per line, and 2 quarts per tap.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lown-...4713586?ref=hl
No answer, but a similar problem. We have about 45 taps on vacuum pump and about 125 on natural vacuum 3/16" lines (total of 7 lines). Sugar has been low all season. At the beginning of the last run the sugar ranged from a low of 0.6 to a high of 1.2 depending on which line we checked. By the end stage of the run, several of the lines were down to 0.4. Note we have 90%+ reds with only a few sugars.
10 taps in 2015
65 taps in 2016
177 taps in for 2017
new Homemade RO
2' x 4' Hobby Evaporator
Sap may run without a freeze on vacuum. It takes the freeze thaw cycle to recharge the sugar in the sap.
first year 2012 50 taps late season made 2 1/2 gals.
2013 2x6 homemade arch 180 taps. 20 Gals.
2014 40 on 3/16 gravity 160 on buckets.
http://omasranch.wix.com/omasmaple
Several of us were talking about the differences between our bush sugar content and one thing we found to be consistent in low sugar content for us was the soil our trees were in. It seemed those that were in sand had the lowest sugar content. 1.4-1.8 never over 2.0 and those in heavy soil, mostly clay had 2.3 and higher. Just our anecdotal evidence.
I have a full time day job. I had to let the sap sit in the tanks for 5 days. Could bacteria have eaten the sugar? I have consistantly had 2% for the last 10 years from this woods.
3x12 drop flue.
1000 taps on 24 inches of vacuum, and 200 buckets.
Bought a used springtech 500 GPH RO
Shooting for 29" of vacuum, less than 5 taps per line, and 2 quarts per tap.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lown-...4713586?ref=hl
Early sap typically runs low sugar, if its an early year for you it may be running lean yet. It's been 50+ all week here, and we've held off tapping until more seasonally temps come back. We seldom run below 3%, but being 2-3 weeks early I'm certain we'd run low if we tapped right now.
Greene Maple Farm Sebago, Maine
7 Generations of Maple Syrup
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/...01122259971904
Phillip View Farm
Sebago, Maine
30 Highland Cattle
2 Alpacas, numerous pigs
Chickens, lots of chickens
http://www.facebook.com/atgreenetrac...hillipViewFarm
My sap usually runs 2.2-2.5 in the early season and then falls as the season gets late to about 1.7 or 1.6. This year my best has been 1.7 and so far my low has been 1.5. It is just a low sugar year from where I sit.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.
Same here. I boiled down darn near 100 gallons of sap and only got 1 gallon of syrup back. I blame myself for not using my refractometor prior to boiling. In years past this bush is usually right around 3%, so I didn't bother to check it first. Now I wish I had.
We did the same, going to tap next weekend and we'll find out at the end of the season if it was a good idea to wait or not. Trees were running this week.Originally Posted by Atgreene
Maybe your vacuum has turned the trees into a soda straw, and you're just sucking groundwater. My bucket bush reads 3.5
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