Collected my last 130 gallons the last 2 days. Some of the taps have dried up and some are too cloudy to keep. I will run it through the RO tomorrow and finish boiling it and the sweet in the pan this weekend. First time the sap dropped below 2 percent this year. A very good year all and all. Really had a good time. Next up garden and hay season. See y'all next year.
2024 55 3/16 gravity, 19 5/16 gravity, 40 buckets and bags, RO Bucket rb15 kit, 5ft Phaneuf drop flue evaporator, Mason AUF arch.
2023 35 3/16 gravity, 30 5/16 gravity 53 buckets and bags, RO Bucket rb15 kit, 5ft Phaneuf drop flue evaporator.
Mason AUF arch
2022 35 3/16 gravity, 28 5/16 gravity, 50 buckets and bags, New RO Bucket rb15 kit.
2021 11 on 5/16 gravity, 30 on 3/16 gravity, 69 on buckets and bags. All sugar maples. Mostly large old trees.
I’m in West Simsbury on the Canton border. Totes were frozen this weekend, so we will see what today and the overnight brings. I’ll boil that and the sweet and I’m done.Originally Posted by Triple G Sugar Shack
i,m over in Torrington on the New Hartford line, mine are running decent today, hoping they'll run thru out the night like last week and give me a good amount tomorrow, thinking wednesday may be it over here
i.m in Voluntown . doing the same thing ,collecting one more time sometime this week ,pulling tap /n /buckets ,wash and put away on the weekend,while boiling........then it's on to the boat i.m redoing ,,,1976 <Mako classic 23' center console
2022,,140 dropline tap n,bucket ,,25 treehangers
2021,,125 " " 25 tree hanger spile n pale
2020,,R.O. triple filtering system
2019,,85 dropline tap n bucket 55 gallon barrel stove,
2'x3' evap with dbl on top pre-warming pans.
2018,,60 tap n bucket dropline,propane burner
2017,, 35 home made spile n jug ,propane burner
Mondays run stopped here, as we had 30 degrees this AM - Buys us another day at least. No dark syrup yet, that'll probably change this week.
Yesterday, I collected sap and pulled the taps from the buckets at the same time. Had planned on having the last boil on Sunday, but the sap tank was half frozen! So yesterday was it. I have 6.25 gal bottled so far, and another 4-5 waiting in pots to finish.
Next year, I have to get a better system for bottling. I have a spigot on the bottom of a pot, for after it goes through the filter, but it goes straight out. I think I just need to change the fitting to a 90 deg bend. Also tried using tin to bottle in. I liked the way they look, but impossible to see how far up you are, and therefore, very messy. Last year I used glass, but even though I filled them to within a quarter inch of the top, when they cooled, they were always at least an inch down (quarts and pints and half gal jugs). I know the syrup will shrink as it cools, but . . . that much? I question the seal. Thoughts?
Anyway, on to other things! Starting seeds this week! Planting peas! And getting the small sailboat ready.
2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing
Today is most likely my last boil. I’m in Southbury. Was a good season! Probably my best yet at 4 gallons. Hoping today gives me some dark syrup. I have plenty of amber.
2017: 7 taps, turkey fryer
2018: 10 taps, turkey fryer
2019: 15 taps, turkey fryer
2020: 20 taps, Mason 2x3
The taste at the end makes it all worth while
collected last night around 6, had full buckets, went to collect today at 1, had 1/2 to 3/4 full buckets again, and still running like a faucet here in Torrington, thinking it'll run all night again tonight giving me full buckets again tomorrow
I pretty much had the same. I've picked up 100 gallons on my final run. Thought my drops to buckets were done for the year but they returned to first week form with first week sap for some reason. Even though they are 4 weeks in and seen several days in the 60's. That was a surprise. Hit the highest natural vacuum of the year on one of my natural vacuum runs today. Another surprise ... even though we had at best a soft frost last night. Can't say I have ever seen anything like it before. Seemed like the trees still had some business to take care of and knew they better git er done now! Sugars gave 2+ and Reds gave 1+.
I imagine things will run a bit tonight but I see them backing down now.
What a gorgeous late season day to be getting gin clear sap, making this my favorite season so far for sugaring.
I am pulling taps when this run stops and flushing. No sense in letting things get buggered up after this.
If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.
Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.
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