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Thread: Tennessee weather if finally cooperating

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    McEwen, Tennessee
    Posts
    45

    Default Tennessee weather if finally cooperating

    But still not great. December was too warm. January It was either to cold or to warm until a few days ago when it finally warmed up to get the sap flowing but it only lasted three days. Then right back into the upper 40's at night. It finally frosted last night Jan 29th and it looks like some cold nights for the next week. I managed to get 75 Gallons from my trees and using frozen 5 gallon buckets of sap to keep it cold. I will start boiling that today. Hopefully the sap will run this week and I can get another 100 gallons. If it stays cold I will get more. I was hoping for 500 gallons this year. My trees give me about 50 to 1 ratio so not the greatest. I get a dark robust flavored syrup. Just how I like it.
    Bill In Middle Tennessee.

    Home made arch with concrete blocks. 2'-0" X 4'-0" Smokey Lake Evaporator. 19 Trees. I have several that are 24". 3 that are 30". 25 taps with 5 Gallon Food Grade covered buckets.
    Land Pride Runabout ATV
    For the Firewood. 2 Stihl Chainsaws and an axe and mall driven by 73 year old worn out muscles.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    McEwen, Tennessee
    Posts
    45

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    Well it looks like we will have 8 or 10 days of tapping weather. 20's at night with 40's in the day. It should get the sap flowing really good. 500 gallons may be obtainable now. so 10 gallons of syrup might be possible. I have an outlet to sell some now so a couple gallons for me and I'll sell the rest. I'm thinking about $0.60 per ounce should be about right. I have no idea what people will pay for Pure Maple Syrup here. I have given some away as Christmas presents and they love my syrup so I guess we will see. I try to meet the Maple Syrup industry standards. I don't worry about grading. Mine is always Dark and well flavored. Small operation I know but I enjoy the challenge every year. I don't have any snow to worry about but I also don't have snow to keep the sap cool.
    Bill In Middle Tennessee.

    Home made arch with concrete blocks. 2'-0" X 4'-0" Smokey Lake Evaporator. 19 Trees. I have several that are 24". 3 that are 30". 25 taps with 5 Gallon Food Grade covered buckets.
    Land Pride Runabout ATV
    For the Firewood. 2 Stihl Chainsaws and an axe and mall driven by 73 year old worn out muscles.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    McEwen, Tennessee
    Posts
    45

    Default

    I'm not sure why this thread was closed. Did I do that? If so I am sorry. Anyway I thought I'd update. The weather here has been terrible for sugaring. It just doesn't stay cold enough. I'll get a good day then it warms up for a couple days and the flow stops. Some of my taps have dried up and I have re drilled but today some more seem to be dry even though it was 20 degrees last night and 45 during the day today. I thought I would get some sap today but hardly any. and it's going to warm up again. Early January was too warm then it got too cold. But I'm not giving up yet. My sugar content seems low as well. I'm getting about 1 gallon of syrup for 55 gallons sap. It should be better than that. I really want my syrup to meet the National standards I do not want it thin. Good luck to all of you this year.
    Bill In Middle Tennessee.

    Home made arch with concrete blocks. 2'-0" X 4'-0" Smokey Lake Evaporator. 19 Trees. I have several that are 24". 3 that are 30". 25 taps with 5 Gallon Food Grade covered buckets.
    Land Pride Runabout ATV
    For the Firewood. 2 Stihl Chainsaws and an axe and mall driven by 73 year old worn out muscles.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    203

    Default

    Been on and off here in East Tennessee. I have gotten around 40 gallons to date. This week should be pretty good. I too make really dark syrup. I took some a little too far this evening. Tastes great but is like tar! The reds have been hit or miss. My sugars that get good sun exposure have done really well!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    McEwen, Tennessee
    Posts
    45

    Default

    The weather has been spotty here as well. Either too warm or too cold. But I agree on the sun exposure. It does make a difference. I had a fairly good flow 2 days ago, got about 50 Gallons but I have had much better than that. 25 taps and some of them had next to none. I hope today is better. Do you have problems with the taps drying up after a few days of no flow? I don't like re tapping because I am afraid to have to many taps on the smaller trees. Do you check your syrup with a Hydrometer? If you cook it to far and it's too thick you can thin it with boiled sap or even distilled water. Just make sure it is sterile. I had a batch go too thick last year and just boiled some sap and added enough to get it to the right consistency. It worked fine.
    Last edited by BillinTennessee; 02-06-2018 at 09:03 AM.
    Bill In Middle Tennessee.

    Home made arch with concrete blocks. 2'-0" X 4'-0" Smokey Lake Evaporator. 19 Trees. I have several that are 24". 3 that are 30". 25 taps with 5 Gallon Food Grade covered buckets.
    Land Pride Runabout ATV
    For the Firewood. 2 Stihl Chainsaws and an axe and mall driven by 73 year old worn out muscles.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    203

    Default

    Try using some of the check valve type taps. A guy in Vermont turned me on to them. They won't let air / bacteria back into the hole. He said these kept his holes open a week - 10 days longer. I using them this year and seem to work really well. Reds have always been sketchy here. One day they will produce , then another day nothing. I am at 66 gallons collected so far. Have done a couple of boil downs. Im using a home made arch I built. You are getting some impressive amounts from 25 taps! Mine is around 50/1 as well. I do not use a hydrometer. I boil to about 217 degrees and shut it down. Works really well!

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