2022 is season 7
2016: 20 taps on buckets, 4 gallons on a borrowed 2x3.
2017: 32 taps on buckets, 8 gallons of syrup, on a "loaner" Lapierre 19x48.
2018: 80 taps. First time tubing. New 10x12 sugar shack, Lapierre 2x5. Made 17 gallons
2019: 100 taps. 22 gallons. Added a small RO 50 gph.
2020: 145 taps, 30 gallons, sold half. Murphy cup is a great addition.
2021: tapped Feb 23, 150 taps, 35 gallons.
2022: 200 taps. I lost 50, added 100. Having fun but short season?
16x24 Timber Frame Sugar House
Mason 2x4 Evaporator
90 trees on buckets
Would you ever clean your buckets mid season? I read a couple posts on another thread, where in one case they compared sap to milk, where it spoils after 7 days and in another case in the larger collection barrels, they talked about pumping out all of the sap in the barrel, so that new sap is not intermixed with old sap going bad and filled with bacteria.
Does the sap residue on the sides of the bucket go bad, or just the fact they are kept cold in the snowbank and are constantly refilled is good enough, so that you do not have to clean them mid season?
I never had to clean mine until the end of the season.
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
If you collect and boil daily it won't be a problem unless there is a prolonged warm spell (fairly high temps for more than a day). However, gathering tanks/barrels will develop some slime in them over the course of the season and should be cleaned out (even of its with water and brushed a bit) every so often. These obviously get worse with warm spells too. Sap is like milk and if not kept cold it will spoil.
D. Roseum
www.roseummaple.com
~100 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
2021: 27.1 gallons
2022: 35 gallons