Fully frozen sap-cubes

[berkshires]

So this is my third year, and this year I've run into a new (to me) problem. Every time I have time to boil, the sap in my buckets (I'm all buckets) is frozen solid. I tried bringing them in overnight the night before boiling, but that barely did anything. We're talking 2 gallons plus of solid ice in each bucket. I hate to just throw giant ice cubes on my evaporator, but I keep waiting for them to melt at least 50% (I would save the melt, and toss the remaining ice). But after waiting about a month, it's just not happening. Instead, every time there's a warm day, the new sap just drips onto the big ice cube in the bucket, and then freezes into a bigger ice cube by morning. Very frustrating!

What to do?

Gabe

[jrm]

So this is my third year, and this year I've run into a new (to me) problem. Every time I have time to boil, the sap in my buckets (I'm all buckets) is frozen solid. I tried bringing them in overnight the night before boiling, but that barely did anything. We're talking 2 gallons plus of solid ice in each bucket. I hate to just throw giant ice cubes on my evaporator, but I keep waiting for them to melt at least 50% (I would save the melt, and toss the remaining ice). But after waiting about a month, it's just not happening. Instead, every time there's a warm day, the new sap just drips onto the big ice cube in the bucket, and then freezes into a bigger ice cube by morning. Very frustrating!

What to do?
R
Gabe

I'm only buckets -- well, milk jugs, too. I'm not yet tapped this season, but in the past I've on occasion had 2-3" inches frozen in my buckets, and some of the jugs frozen halfway. Generally, I managed to be able to transfer to my 5 gallon storage after a few days.

When I intentionally froze sap, to keep it long enough for a batch boil, I found it took a good 48 hours to fully defrost when left inside. I only have frozen in flat rubbermade rectangles (roughly 9x13 sized, some 3" or 6" deep.)

I wonder since your limited on time, and have a manageable number of taps, if you could swap out the frozen buckets for some milk, or water, or something, jugs. Bring the frozen buckets indoors. One they are loose enough, combine into one or two buckets and let that continue melting, while you replace the others on your taps. You could also help loosen the ice blocks from the sides by placing the buckets into a larger container filled with water... just like defrosting a turkey.

Good luck.

[berkshires]

Getting the cubes out of the buckets isn't so much the problem. The first time I went to try to boil, I decided I'd just dump all the cubes into a big 50 gallon barrel and come back to boil after they'd defrosted a bit. Well two weeks later I had about an inch and a half of sugar-water-ice in the bottom of the tote (maybe one or two gallons max) and aside from that all the cubes were still sitting there unchanged.

I think what I might just have to do is bring the cubes into the house and defrost them in big pots on the stove, then boil the next day. Ugh, what a pain.

GO

[unclejohn]

you might check other posts on maple trader about collecting sap with ice in it. ice on top generally has much less sugar than the sap- some folks throw it away. but if all the sap is frozen in a bucket, you have to boil it all. john

[berkshires]

Today, tomorrow, and Friday all look warm(ish). So hopefully that'll be long enough to do something to the cubes. I'm going to drive to the sugarbush Friday night, pour all the buckets into a barrel and store it inside overnight. I'll also check on the big cubes of ice I have in the barrel now, bring that inside, and just generally hope things are a bit defrosted. I think I'd better get there Friday night though, because overnight Fri - Sat it's supposed to drop into the teens.

[Sugarbush Ridge]

Some time just the luck of the weather. You may just have to put that ice in you pans and start cooking form there instead all the waiting.

[ROCKRIVERMAPLES]

To avoid that problem we collect at the end of the day,usually they slow down or stop soon after.Dont know if thats possible in your case.Sap then freezes in my pan overnite.No problem when ready to fire it justs melts.We have a 250 gallon pan in the woods we get close to syrup with then finish in a machine shed 40 gallon pan.