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Thread: Crappy Sap flows- eastern Ontario, will it every start before things get warm.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Belleville, Ontario
    Posts
    48

    Default Crappy Sap flows- eastern Ontario, will it every start before things get warm.

    Hello everyone, seems some of us larger commercial guys are having some bad sap flows this year. Perhaps others are having the same issues. Please share. Our sugarbush is 5 min north of Belleville in the Quinte District. This has been one of the worst sap flows we have ever seen. Yet the sugar is between 2.8-4.1 which is double what we normally see. The season would be a right off if it was at 1.6% like the last year. Currently we are sitting at 20% crop this year.
    2019 Upgraded to 2.5x12 Lapierre Force 5 & 600 RO (850 Taps + 400 Buckets)+ Buying sap
    2017 & 2018 Still Running about 815 taps
    2016 Added additional 75 Taps (800 total)
    2015 Tubing installed 700+ taps
    AirTech Vacuum Pump and CDL extractor
    20x36 Sugarhouse built (and still not big enough)
    250 CDL Hobby RO
    2014 2x8 Cross flow
    300 taps+
    450 Honda ATV
    2013 3x4 single pan
    50 taps
    40L Made last year off propane and one pan

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Kawartha
    Posts
    65

    Default

    Seems to be the same way here compared to last yr

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Campbellford, on
    Posts
    682

    Default

    I’m located in Campbellford and in the exact same boat. I’m sitting at 30% crop. High sugar content has been the only plus for the season so far for us as well. Fingers crossed that we get a couple good runs this week but beyond next weekend the weather does not look good. Im thinking at best I might get to 50% crop if I’m lucky. Not much more we can do but take what we can get. I really feel for those that this is a major part of their income.
    Maple Rock Farm
    www.Maplerockfarm.ca
    400 taps on Vacuum
    18”x60” Lapierre propane evaporator with Smokey Lake auto draw off
    Homemade 3 post RO with MES membranes
    Ford TS110 tractor sap hauler

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    North Grenville
    Posts
    1,477

    Default

    Ditto here for me and I only do this as a hobby. Very low sap runs but about double the sugar. Making microbatches of 2l or less.
    Been tapping since 2008.
    2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
    2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
    2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
    2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
    2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
    2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Red Bay Ontario
    Posts
    191

    Default

    Same on the Bruce for me at least. I did 100 tap last season and it was not the best year either but I was overwhelmed with sap. This year running 65 Trees just not wanting to run when temps are right. I will be putting in 15-20 more first thing in the am to hopefully get the most out of what looks like the last week of the season.
    225 taps 180 on vac 45 on natural gravity lines.
    2x6 drop flue with auto draw.
    Home built 3 x400gpd ro
    2017 kubota M7060hdcc12
    2019 can am defender


    2017- first year 80 taps 22x36 home made arch and pan.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Lanark Ontario
    Posts
    73

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Clamer33 View Post
    Hello everyone, seems some of us larger commercial guys are having some bad sap flows this year. Perhaps others are having the same issues. Please share. Our sugarbush is 5 min north of Belleville in the Quinte District. This has been one of the worst sap flows we have ever seen. Yet the sugar is between 2.8-4.1 which is double what we normally see. The season would be a right off if it was at 1.6% like the last year. Currently we are sitting at 20% crop this year.
    I'm north of you in Lanark. Also seeing low flow but much higher Brix. Wondering if it is because of the caterpillar damage last year? Some folks are not tapping trees to allow them to recover.

    Sent from my SM-T817W using Tapatalk
    Eastern Ontario (Lanark Highlands)
    http://www.espritdanslaforet.ca or http://www.spiritintheforest.ca

    Canada's First Provably Net Zero GHG Emissions Maple Syrup Producer
    Waterloo 18" x 5' wood fired evaporator

    2022 - 121 taps on gravity lines, 1150 L online + 600 L offline storage
    2021 - 92 taps on buckets & gravity lines, 750 L storage
    2020 - 75 taps on buckets, 750 L storage
    2019 - 34 taps, 400 L storage
    2018 - 12 taps, 100 L storage

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Lanark, ON
    Posts
    2,387

    Default

    Agreed Paul - sap per tap is down (we're not even at 10 gallons per tap yet) but the high sugar content is more than making up for it! We got hammered by caterpillars the last 2 years and that will lower sugar content but something else is bringing the sugar levels up despite the damage. Spraying our woods helped minimize the damage but it was still noticeable.

    The long range forecast looks like we might be done by the start of Easter weekend but that could change.
    4,600 Taps on vacuum
    9,400 gallons storage
    3 tower CDL RO
    3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
    Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
    www.ennismaple.com

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Huntsville
    Posts
    4

    Default

    I am with you. I'm in Huntsville, Muskoka and very poor flow so far. I have 100 trees tapped. We still have about 2 ft of snow in the bush. I am going out to tap another dozen trees if the rain let's up. I figure it may be worth a try if we get a day or two of good flow.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Huntsville
    Posts
    4

    Default

    I am with you. I'm in Huntsville, Muskoka and very poor flow so far. I have 100 trees tapped. We still have about 2 ft of snow in the bush. I am going out to tap another dozen trees if the rain let's up. I figure it may be worth a try if we get a day or two of good flow.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    North Hastings ON Canada
    Posts
    28

    Default

    Hi Folks

    I’m in Bancroft. I no sap after this weeks rain the snow base is down to 28” from 36” a week ago. 4” of snow yesterday. Less then 1000 litres off 157 taps over 2 weeks. Moths in the buckets yesterday. Looks like winter is going to run into summer and skip Spring again this year.
    Rob

    2017- 75 taps 21 liters of syrup, 20x48 sugar shack
    2018- 150 taps 35 litres syrup 2x6 Lappiere evap, Auf, steamhood
    2019- 200 taps?- 150 on buckets- 50 on 3/16- the 3/16 still in the box due to time and weather this year- 43 liters syrup- tapped for week and a half
    2020- 204 taps- 170 buckets- 34 3/16 gravity tapped March 19th
    Kawasaki Mule Pro FXT SXS on Tracks- sap hauler
    Wife and kids who like sugar’n almost as much as me.

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