The test tap had a slow drip all week so getting ready to do the rest today
The test tap had a slow drip all week so getting ready to do the rest today
JC
44° 55' 23" N
2x6 smoky lake divided pan custom arch ‘The fire truck’
Spiles on bags were running at close to 2 drops per second today. 75 taps on 3/16 plus shurflo totaled 7 gallons per hour for most to the day. Second boil tomorrow.
John
2x8 Smokylake drop flue with AOF/ AUF
180 taps on sacks
75 on 3/16 tubing with shurflo
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
So far we have boiled down 186 gallons. Front pan made it to 217.7. Next time we cook we will get multiple draws. Only got 31 gallons yesterday on 101 taps, 72 on 3/16 natural vacuum and 29 drops to buckets. I think it will be slow until the frost breaks loose which might be this week on Thursday. Do you guys have any thoughts on this?
2 X 6 Smoky Lake with auto draw and reverse flow
16 X 16 Smoky Lake Filter/Finisher
2017 82 on gravity and 31 on drops to buckets
Finally things are starting to drip pretty good here for me only problem is the river where my trees are keeps rising! I have all my jugs tied off so hopefully none of them show up in Princeton!
The river is high enough where I'm collecting sap by boat this year!IMG_20190323_142454.jpgIMG_20190323_142454.jpg
I have been collecting Sap with my ARGO ATV since it floats. Had to pull some taps and move them to high grounded trees.
Our sap has been lower than usual for sugar content at 1.8% this year and my first batch made some pretty dark stuff. The taste is excellent though!
2017 - 45 taps on buckets 260gal sap 6gal syrup
2018 - 92 taps on bags
All boiled on a homemade 2x5 fuel oil evaporator using 6 steam pans
We've had about four good gathers this season so far in east central, and today will be a good one from yesterday's run.
Snow started out being a challenge, but most of it has melted. Mud might become an issue in the low spots but so far, so good.
Looking at the forecast, it look like we are likely to have one more week and that might be it. But if there's anything I've learned, is that season isn't over until you hear the first spring peepers!
Our season looks to be winding down and it has been an interesting one. Last year we had record production. Not so lucky this time. We will have plenty of syrup, but have several batches with metabolism off flavor. Very disappointing. We have been experimenting with correcting by boiling to 240°F and diluting back to syrup density, with some, but not complete, success. That is painstaking work though.
Hoping recent hard freezes have corrected the problem.
John
2x8 Smokylake drop flue with AOF/ AUF
180 taps on sacks
75 on 3/16 tubing with shurflo
Eden Prairie, Minnesota