How do you accurately measure the amount of sap you collect?
Hi all, I have a microbush of 8 trees on buckets and always measure how much sap I get from each tree, each collection, so I know which trees are the best producers. And then I have an accurate record of how well they have run over the years.
But the system I use for measuring sap is very, very slow and time consuming....measruing to a fill line.
I need something like a funnel with a digital gauge built into it so I can just pour straight from the pail into the water containers that I use for collecting tanks.
It would also be nice if this device was also either a simple DIY, or is at least affordable and doesn't cost hundreds of $$$, and of course accurate and easy to clean and maintain.
Any ideas? What do other small producers use?
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup