Sugarbush Management and Red Maples

[Jeremy Hanna]

What grades are made with the reds
I Have access to a 100 or so acres beside one bush we own and have been thinking about renting it but one hesitation is the grade of syrup they produce
We currently have 11500 hard maple and make a good amount of golden and thinking on trying to process the red maple sap separately

[DRoseum]

What grades are made with the reds
I Have access to a 100 or so acres beside one bush we own and have been thinking about renting it but one hesitation is the grade of syrup they produce
We currently have 11500 hard maple and make a good amount of golden and thinking on trying to process the red maple sap separately

My experience has been very similar in grades. Some years here on 95% reds yielded predominantly Golden. Some years Amber. I believe handling and overall processing has more influence on grade than tree species alone. I believe Dr. Tim said the results of a large study on this topic is forthcoming.

[DRoseum]

The study on total yield of red vs sugar when under vacuum was excellent. Short answer.... no measurable difference in yield. Tap all the reds you have under vacuum (that is the key).