After the boil, which went well, I collected 55 gallons of sap, the pails were still dripping and the lines still running. I will check the barrels again in the morning and may get an additional 10 to 20 gallons.
Right now I have collected 43% of expected sap. I hope to get to 60%.
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
I finished today’s boil tonight and bottled it and I guess it was just all water taken out, as I got 5 3/4 L out of the 42 gallons.Originally Posted by Swingpure
https://share.icloud.com/photos/069a...nz8I-gUJUut-pg
Busy day.
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
Collected another 22 gallons before starting to boil this morning, so I am boiling 77 gallons today, which I will do in two batches in the one boil.
I have now collected about 45% of expected sap.
Looking at the long range forecast, there are not many collection days left. I would really like to get to 60% expected sap before it ends.
The wind today is in the right direction so the smoke and steam are quickly leaving the shelter.
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
4% concentrated sap
Once before I had checked one pail and it was 3% sugar in the sap and I checked a second pail and it read 4% on my refractometer. I told my buddy and he said that was unlikely.
Today again , I checked one pail and it was 3% and a second pail read 4%. I went back to the first pail and it read 3% again and I went back to the second pail and it read 4%.
I know by how much syrup I make, I am doing better than 40:1, it 4% sugar possible straight out of a tree?
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
All I can tell you is that if you really are averaging 3.5% then never mind 45% of your goals by sap. For most sugar makers you would be at 90% of your goals by syrup!
I have to pick and choose which trees I tap, and even so, I average about 1.7-1.8%.
Gabe
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL evaporator halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same Mason 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals (too much sap!)
2024: 17 taps, 5.3 gall
2025: 17 taps, 4-5 gall
All on buckets
Are you running an electronic refractometer, or an optical unit?
2019 - 60 buckets, 85L of syrup, 2x4 pan outside
2020 - 100 buckets, 105L of syrup, 2x6 flat pan in a Redi Rack Shack
2021 - 137 buckets, 110L of syrup and a homemade RO (why didn't I do this sooner?)
2022 - 154 buckets, 201L of syrup
2023 - 166 buckets, 343L of syrup, cold sap float box, walking beam sap trailer, 4Walls vacuum filter
2024 - 177 buckets, 200L of syrup
2025 - 177 buckets, 235L of syrup, 2x8 raised flue evaporator
Optical.
When I posted my syrup yield from the gallons I boiled, another poster said that would be 3.07% sugar concentration. I went out and check my sap and the refractometer said it was 3%. That is why I trust it to some degree. It said 4% both times I checked the same pail and correctly repeated the 3% for the other.
I would not bet my friend’s truck that it is an accurate reading, I was just curious if it is possible or likely?
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...-sugar-content
Certainly is, this sap was straight out of the tree in 2020 in my post
2019 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 44 taps 13 Liters syrup
2020 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 51 taps 21 Liters syrup
2021- New homemade 2x3 evaporator and flat pan 80 drop lines to buckets
2022- (•,•)1350L naturally ROd sap 44L syrup
2023- "\_(°•°)_/" 1100L sap 30L syrup not accurate due to natural RO
2024 { ';' }1862L sap 52L syrup 52 drop lines to buckets
Yes. It's possible but rare. I have a sap hydrometer calibrated to 3c. I have one tree that produces 3.5 up to 4 early in the run. It's the only one I know of. Have 400+ taps all on lines and only 20 or so pails near the shack. My bulk containers averaged 2.1 early and now about 1.9 steady. Hard rock sugar maples.
Definitely possible. There are a number of people here who regularly report well over 2%. I have one tree that has put out 3.4% in the past.
Just consider yourself a very lucky man, because there are a lot of things you can control/optimize in your operation, but you can't control what the trees put out.
GO
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL evaporator halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same Mason 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals (too much sap!)
2024: 17 taps, 5.3 gall
2025: 17 taps, 4-5 gall
All on buckets
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote