Why is the brix so low?

[Mvhomesteader]

I sampled a dozen or so trees today after I tapped, and it seems to me that the brix is generally slightly lower than last season, perhaps 0.5. The range was 1.8 to 3.6, and I know that higher one was a 4 last season and I never started out with any less than 2. I'll check in more detail once the flow kicks in.


I would be interested to know if anyone else has similar observations. Ultimately I guess it means slightly more boiling for an equal volume of syrup compared to last year.

[Mvhomesteader]

I measured the brix in four 5 gallon buckets that I collected today, ranging from 2 to 2.8, with an average of 2.45. I checked back at last year's records and saw that on the first boil (mid March) I had a brix of 3 boiling 50 gallons down to 1.5 gallons. I will be boiling about the same amount on Saturday so at a brix of let's say 2.5 I'll be down a pint compared to 2019.

Anyone e!se noticing this?

Did a lot of the higher sugar sap get taken up the tree in January during all those thaws and l missed it?

[abbott]

I boiled at 2.4% today. Often I start around 2.0-2.2, climb to 2.5-2.8 for the middle of the season, then taper off. I generally end up right in the neighborhood of 40:1. So starting off at 2.4% is a good place... some good freeze thaw cycles should bring it up farther.

No, the trees aren't using the sugar in the sap yet. You might have a down year. But I would expect it to get sweeter before you're done.

[Mvhomesteader]

Interesting that Abbott had a 2.4% boil. I did as well on my first boil today. Still lower than my first last year, but I'll cross my fingers that Abbott is right, as well as a few others on this thread, and it might go up as the flow begins!😊 I'll keep posting results as they come in.

[Mvhomesteader]

Second boil had the same brix of 2.4%. At least it's consistent and not dropping yet. I'll see how the third one goes Sunday.

[abbott]

Well I'm disappointed in my sugar content. It's been about 2.2% lately. Without any deep freeze likely, I'm afraid it isn't going to go up much. I think my worst season averaged out at about 43:1. We may be looking at another like it.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

I'm still trying to stay optimistic but it's getting harder. Have had some nice daytime temps but the overnight lows have not been there. And the trend continues to look warm overnight after the much needed cold snap this weekend. Certainly not throwing in the towel but just not getting as much sap as usual for the prime early season runs.
On a good note, our sugar content has been pretty good this year. Just below 50:1 which is good for us with the reds we have mixed in.

[Mvhomesteader]

Since I last posted on 3/6 I have boiled twice more, and got a sugar of 2.5 each time. I consider this consistent with the earlier boils. I looked at last seasons numbers. The season, you'll remember, stated late. I began with 3%, moved to 3.3% by the fourth boil, and then saw a steady decline to 2.2% after nine boils. I also noted the flow was strong and steady.

So, as Abbott mentions with his sap, I see my own sugar content lower than last year. As mainebackwoodssyrup notes, I also see the general volume down. I've had one day where I collected 35+ gallons, where last year that was common for several days. Dr.Tim commented last season that the sugar of any given year is a combination of sugar made by the tree over a general 3 to 4 year period. And with water, sunlight, and other conditions as variables, I'm not sure it's even possible to attribute the difference to any one item. However, I will say that my garden has had issues related to what I consider an overly hot sun, and I've noted over the past several years many sugar maples in the fall with leaves drying and crisping on the tree before falling off in the fall, never turning yellow but rusty brown. Who knows.

Hopefully the flow will stay steady for a bit since with a lower sugar content, I need more sap! I'm afraid mainebackwoodssyrup might be right about the too high temperatures next week causing reduced flow. One night is supposed to be in the mid forties. I still think the warm January has a hand in this somehow.......

[eagle lake sugar]

Typically at the beginning, it's very low. I got around 300 gallons last week on our little warm up that was only 1% sugar content. I need 800 gallons to use my R/O and there was no more coming soon, so down the drain it went.