My plan 2022/23

[Swingpure]

I wasn’t expecting any flow today, but it rose to +1 and I collected 7 gallons. Not much, but 7 gallons closer to making syrup.

I looked at my last year’s records, I tapped on March 6, did not collect anything until March 14 and did not collect as much I have already this year, until March 22. The flows did not pick up until March 20th.

The long range forecast still does not look good, but even a minor warm up could be a big change to the flows.

The positive out of this is I have been collecting all spring, had a good boil the other day and I made syrup on January 1, so as unconventional as this season has been for me, it sure has been interesting.

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[Swingpure]

+1° again and the sap flowed, ever so slowly, but flowed. Once again the December 27 tapped line flowed the best.

It has been windy the last couple of days, so I walked the three steep lines to make sure there were no branches or trees down on the lines. There was just one small branch on the lines. Of the three lines, line 3 runs the best, followed by line 2, then line 1. I noticed this time that there is a slight ridge that runs down the slope. Line 3 is on the south side of the ridge and Line 1 the north side of the ridge, which explains things.

No improvement in the 14 day forecast for the season starting anytime soon.

Not sugaring though allowed me the time for me and my buddy to drop a large oak tree on the ice and today we cut it up, hauled it away on the ice for about a mile, and cleaned up the area. Two more very tall white birch trees to do in the next couple of days as soon as the winds die down.

[Brien]

are you using your homemade RO this year?

[Swingpure]

are you using your homemade RO this year?

I haven’t yet, I haven’t had the flows to warrant it yet. I believe once I get the membranes wet you need to use them most days of the week.

Once I start to get overwhelmed and I know that the sap will be flowing well most days of the week, I will give it a try.

To be perfectly honest, I hope that I do not get overwhelmed and that I do not have to try it. That may sound like heresy, but never having used it and none of my sugaring friends in the area having never used one, it just seems as a complication I do not need. I 100% know it will save me time and fuel, but it also takes time to use and especially clean and learn. I still have so much to learn about the divided pan and I still have not used my new system of transfer pumps and connections. Flows have been so slow so far, I have been just tilting over and then eventually lifting the barrels and emptying them into five gallon pails and hauling them off.

If I ever use it, I may fall in love with it.

And also being honest I almost put it up for sale again in a 5 minute brief moment of weakness, but I decided I have to give it a chance. So far it is winter here and my flows are are about half a quart a day, but if my taps ever produced a gallon a day or more, I will be reaching for the RO sooner than later.

are you using your homemade RO this year?

Unless you are asking because you want it and I would be more than happy to sell it to you and you can try it. Lol

[Brien]

lol, no thanks. I'm still learning the setup I have, I made a homemade float box and have a head tank this year. So I will be fooling around with that.

[Swingpure]

lol, no thanks. I'm still learning the setup I have, I made a homemade float box and have a head tank this year. So I will be fooling around with that.

Although I have a float box, if you ever want to share your homemade float box design, I would be interested in seeing it.

[Swingpure]

Today’s high was supposed to be at the freezing mark, but it rose to a balmy 1.7° C /35° F briefly. The sap flowed a little and combined with a little flow yesterday, I collected 16 gallons. I am glad I have 170+ taps. Still no real warming in the two week forecast. It will not a be that long before the two week forecast gets into April.

I am grateful for the 16 gallons, so I now have 50 gallons of raw sap, plus 20 gallons of “sweet. They are all being kept at 5° C / 41°F. I don’t see the next boil for another week. I am not sure if the sap will last that long.

[DRoseum]

Just boil it into your pan and then let it remain cold.

[Swingpure]

Just boil it into your pan and then let it remain cold.

Looks like I am boiling Sunday, it is supposed to be just above freezing. I will have to pull the sweet off the pan again at the end, as the next boil could be a week or two away. I might have a shot at making some syrup, although it is a long shot.

[berkshires]

Looks like I am boiling Sunday, it is supposed to be just above freezing. I will have to pull the sweet off the pan again at the end, as the next boil could be a week or two away. I might have a shot at making some syrup, although it is a long shot.

Why are you pulling the sweet out of the pan each time? If it will be a while before you boil again, you just have to bring the sweet back to a boil every few days or so. Much less often if it's really cold.

GO