Pretty dismal year so far. Sugar buds aren't swelling yet and temps might be good for mid week. Fingers crossed!!! Boxy buds are swelling as are the hybrid maples. 50 gals last year, maybe 20 this year. Oh well!!!
Pretty dismal year so far. Sugar buds aren't swelling yet and temps might be good for mid week. Fingers crossed!!! Boxy buds are swelling as are the hybrid maples. 50 gals last year, maybe 20 this year. Oh well!!!
Homemade 2x6 arch 2'x2' syrup pan 2'x4' sap pan 100 taps on bags
I'm still going and Im south of the cities an hour. I collected and cooked 500 hundred gallons of sap today. Thats the lowest amount in a long time for me. I hope we can make it to that cold spell later this week! Good Luck!
Collected 20 gallons yesterday. Will end up with 47 gallons for the year on 99 taps. The last 5 gallons is the darkest I have ever made. Still tastes great just does not look as good in glass.
Same here. The last batch was the darkest I have ever made.
Homemade 2x6 arch 2'x2' syrup pan 2'x4' sap pan 100 taps on bags
In the Marshall area, my taps all dried up last Thursday. I'm done. Quantity-wise I managed to eek out something close to average this year. I too had lots of super dark stuff (but still with good flavor!).
Dan
-15 years sugaring and counting - hoping to create a tradition my kids will always remember
-400 taps, mostly buckets (Silver Maples + a few Boxelders just for the heck of it)
-Custom-built 2x6 evap with Smoky Lake Maple raised flue, boiling in dad's old farm granary, now converted to sugar shack
-Cobbled-together RO with XLE4040 membrane
-New in 2021: experimenting with 3/16 tubing & a Shurflo pump.
I quit about the 24th of march. 6 weeks was enough. took the last of my sap to Maplenutter Butter. Had a real satisfyng season. The dark stuff for me didn't show up until the last week. Got 88 gallons on 300 taps.
2.5 x 6.5 custom built wood fired arch.
2018- 300 on 3/16, 100 in pails on the flat.
35 years experience still haven't mastered the fire
Polaris Ranger collection vehicle
Super excited to try out the new AUF system 2018
For those who are still going, is your sap cloudy?
Where are you located, nutter and tonka? I boiled a bit of what was running several days ago as I pulled my tubing, and it smelled fine but tasted terrible. You must be well north to still have good syrup.
John
2x8 Smokylake drop flue with AOF/ AUF
180 taps on sacks
75 on 3/16 tubing with shurflo
Eden Prairie, Minnesota