Eastern Ontario 2024

[Maplelane1]

The 'hope' piece is where I'm at, eddy.

I wonder how long the maples can handle these extended warm spells followed by a cold spell (and repeat) before they bud out.

Some of my large maples look like they are starting buds (looking through binoculars so not 100% sure), smaller ones not yet. My basswoods have little red buds.

[Coatesy]

Boiled about 20G today. Trees not running after that cold snap. Not liking the looks of the weather. Hoping we'll get another week or two of runs, I fear early buds coming.

[Big_Eddy]

We tapped last Friday. 160 buckets +/-.
Sap was streaming down the trees before we could get the spiles in. Saturday was frigid so we went hiking. Collected a 100 gallon tank full of ice blocks Sunday, then another 100 gallons or so sap between Monday and Tuesday.
Today’s goal is to get to Sugar house cleared out and the evaporator pans connected together and start boiling.
Today should be a good sap day. The forecast going forward is too warm though, and without any snow in the woods, there is no chilling effect to help. Of course the forecast changes daily, so there is hope.

Well, I got the 60 gallons of liquid sap I had boiled and the pans are sweetened. Unfortunately the other 100 gals I have is one big solid lump. We collected half our trees tonight and brought back another 30 gals or so. I’ll need to park my one trailer in the sun until it thaws enough I can pump it out, otherwise it’ll be forever thawing.

[Big_Eddy]

Managed to pump 60 gals of sap slush out of the one tank, and collected another 70 today. Only boiled 30 so I’m getting behind already.

[Galena]

Managed to pump 60 gals of sap slush out of the one tank, and collected another 70 today. Only boiled 30 so I’m getting behind already.

Good to see you back, Big_Eddy! Missed you last season!

Well like always I thought I might not tap this year...but the itch is just too strong. So, after lining up a contingency plan, I am going to tap. But only a light tap. Just 10 taps this year as opposed to 18. I'm pulling #6 off the line as it hasn't been healing after previous years, and #9 had surgery, so I'd like it to have the season off. So just the three bush maples (4 spiles) and only 2 spiles in trees #5, #2, and #1.

Just finished getting everything out of storage, now waiting for my drill's battery to charge. This sugaring thing is a sickness, I tell ya!

[jungmaria]

Finally got enough boiled to finish the first big batch. Bought a new to me 16x16 filler canner with a bain marie and the flat filter tray in the top. Hoped it’d make life easier than doing it through the cone filters. Used new Orlon and 4 pre filters damped with hot sap. Had water bath at 190. Syrup I poured was at 205, filtered through nicely and stayed at 190 while I bottled. Perfect! So much easier than before. But then I saw it. Cloudy syrup. Not terrible but not clear. And nearly no sediment in the prefilters. Had always made clear syrup, even when sand was heavy. First time using flat filters. Am I doing anything wrong? Appreciate any tips you might have.

[Bricklayer]

Couple things can go wrong with the way you are doing it.

#1 - I assume it’s a steam bottler with the water tray under the bottling tank.
Not a good idea to have it up to temp and them filter syrup into it.
What I used to do with mine when I used a similar one is filter the syrup into it while it’s off the heat.
You can get the steam going but just not with an empty bottling tank on top.
Once there is some syrup in it I would put it back on and then keep filtering.

2. Your filters and prefilters need to be way oversized for the grate your putting them on. Syrup will just flow over them and go straight into the bottling tank unfiltered.

3. Using hot sap to wet your filters is not good either. Not really a common practice.
I never really even wet mine. Sometimes I would hang them over the back pan to dampen them. But not always. Used them dry most of the time. Worked just fine.
If you’re going to dampen them do it with steam from your boil or use distilled water or filtered water. Even a kettle boiling will work to moisten them.

4. Orlon filters should be used the same way every time. My opinion anyways.
This keeps the chance of anything left on the side you poured the syrup on from comming out in the next batch.

[jungmaria]

Thanks Bricklayer. Appreciate the advice! Yes it’s a steam bottler on propane.
Did another batch and it came out clear. Not really sure what I changed, maybe I got the syrup into the pan faster or something the 2nd time? What’s that saying? Even a clock that’s stopped is right twice a day?

Couple things can go wrong with the way you are doing it.

#1 - I assume it’s a steam bottler with the water tray under the bottling tank.
Not a good idea to have it up to temp and them filter syrup into it.
What I used to do with mine when I used a similar one is filter the syrup into it while it’s off the heat.
You can get the steam going but just not with an empty bottling tank on top.
Once there is some syrup in it I would put it back on and then keep filtering.

2. Your filters and prefilters need to be way oversized for the grate your putting them on. Syrup will just flow over them and go straight into the bottling tank unfiltered.

3. Using hot sap to wet your filters is not good either. Not really a common practice.
I never really even wet mine. Sometimes I would hang them over the back pan to dampen them. But not always. Used them dry most of the time. Worked just fine.
If you’re going to dampen them do it with steam from your boil or use distilled water or filtered water. Even a kettle boiling will work to moisten them.

4. Orlon filters should be used the same way every time. My opinion anyways.
This keeps the chance of anything left on the side you poured the syrup on from comming out in the next batch.

[Big_Eddy]

Well, didn’t boil anything today and collected another 130 gallons of sap. I foresee 3-4 days of hard boiling ahead. Fortunately I still have lots of ice blocks from last week to keep sap cold

[Maplelane1]

We boiled Saturday, around 200 gal. Pans are sweetened. Not running all that well…. Collected around 100 gal since. Most buckets we put out aren’t running at all. Fingers crossed for later in the week. Good luck all !