North east ohio 2018

[christopherh]

John, what was your sugar content?

[woodburner]

Finished off 8gal from first run, first time in over 40 years of sugaring the first day of boiling was over 50deg. Sap is at 2% all hard maple. Syrup medium Amber. With the temps headed into the 60s looks like a short season and no light syrup. Guess we need a new Holiday we will call it Tapping Eve Dec.25th hang the stockings and go tap the trees. Only way I know to get any cold weather anymore.

[CrossBroMaple]

Made 7 gallons of nice syrup last night. Dark Amber but that's the norm for me. Sap came in at 1.6% mix of reds and sugar maples. Hung 200 buckets today hoping this season can hold on and make it thru the forecasted warmer temps.

[johnallin]

John, what was your sugar content?

Chris, I was on the high side of 1.5% with a mix of reds and sugars.

[kls1891]

I'm getting 1.5% to just under 3%, depending on the tree. I've just got about 10 buckets setup in the back property, so very small scale. Collected a lot of sap yesterday and even more today.

[Hunt4sap]

Well, got my best sap amount ever ( nice and clear and no off taste)my Woods is another story, haven't checked rain gauge from today but what a muddy mess, no way can I take Kabota to collect anymore ( all on foot and buckets today)48 gallons- 60 taps( less than 24 hours run)
Now to the evaporator early in am

[johnallin]

Collected and boiled off 160 gal last night and it was still running. Sugar still 1.5% Made 3 gallons med amber, waiting on a new bottler to show up so I can get it put away.
Looks like another 200+ gallons out there this morning... The 3/16 tube is amazing but I'm concerned that what's out there will spoil in today's temps. Plan is to boil it off tonight if it's still good. I sure hope this isn't 2012 all over gain!

[Jen4jas]

Hey all!

I am a newbie to this whole maple party! I started a 2 years ago with ten taps (all on milk jugs) I then went to 15 last year on buckets. This year I doubled it and went to 30 buckets. All in my backyard outside of Ravenna Ohio! The majority are on silver maples. I do my evaporating on a homemade unit built out of a 55 gallon drum I made this past fall. I appreciate all the post as I have been reading since I began but this is my first post!

My question is that with 70 degrees today and 60 tomorrow how can you tell when the sap is done at the tree? I have been watching for the buds and there are some but they haven't opened yet. I don't want to accidentally boil off bad sap! Any advice on how I can tell? Can you actually taste the sap and taste that it is bad? I do look for the cloudy or yellow sap but so far it has been very clear.

Again thanks for all your post I appreciate your knowledge and your willingness to share!

Jen4Jas
---------------
1st year 10 taps - 1/2 gallon of Syrup (I was hooked)
2nd year 15 taps - 1 gallon of syrup
3rd year 30 taps - 2 gallons and counting!

[Jacob]

I was at Home Depot 6am i got a propane tank exchange for preheating on my grill I have 2 full size steam pans 6" depth on a barrel . I am sitting in my shed now waiting for the rain to stop I have no enclosure to cook under and every time it rains cover up my wood pile and cover the pans with 2 extra pans and that I got I cooked 35 gallon yesterday and with what I have hoping to finish by midnight I put zip lock bags with ice in my buckets rain stopped back to work something new I am doing is using a hair dryer to speed things up it works wonders

[Jacob]

Midnight has come and gone and still boiling i should be able to finish what i have in storage by 5am that will be 100 gallon