2013 Season WEST VIRGINIA MAPLER

[Russell Lampron]

I have been reading your threads for years and this has to be the first time that I haven't seen you post about having a week or 2 of 60 to 70 degree weather to screw up your season. It has been colder than normal here too. We haven't had a decent sap run in almost 2 weeks. The sap flow stoppage has been for the same reason, too cold! I'll take that over too warm any day. How are your trees looking? Ours haven't even started to bud yet.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Russ,

You hit the nail on the head as we always have way too much in the 60's. I probably need to start making some syrup earlier maybe last week in Jan. Obvious cold doesn't hurt taps much. I tried 25 of the antimicrobial spouts this year so be interesting to see if they keep running after the others quit. Looks like it is going to start warming up here March 31st. Last time we had weather like this was 2005 which was the best year I had before this year. I always follow your posts and enjoy reading them. It is obvious you know what you are doing and have a tremendous setup. Nice pic of you in the Maple News.

[Russell Lampron]

Russ,

You hit the nail on the head as we always have way too much in the 60's. I probably need to start making some syrup earlier maybe last week in Jan. Obvious cold doesn't hurt taps much. I tried 25 of the antimicrobial spouts this year so be interesting to see if they keep running after the others quit. Looks like it is going to start warming up here March 31st. Last time we had weather like this was 2005 which was the best year I had before this year. I always follow your posts and enjoy reading them. It is obvious you know what you are doing and have a tremendous setup. Nice pic of you in the Maple News.

Thank you for the compliments Brandon. You know what you are doing too. We have both learned a lot and passed on a lot of that knowledge on this site. I have been using the check valves here and have been finding that my tubing stays cleaner and my taps run longer too. I am looking forward to your findings with the anti microbial spouts.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Been too cold here for last 11 days. Never seen that in my life and may never again. Usually done a week ago. Supposed to start warming up little tommorrow and 44 on Friday and 50 on Saturday, so should know if the taps want to give any more or not. Canned quart shy of 150 gallons so far and about 10 more to can. Canned first batch of dark today of 12 gallons to go along with about 80+ gallons of light and about 55 gallons of medium.

[220 maple]

Brandon,
I hope your sap is not buddy, everyone's in Highland County turned buddy last week, nobody knows why because there is no bud growth on their trees? Mine turned buddy also, the trees won't stop running because of the freezes and the moisture we have. Because I have a outlet for buddy syrup we will boil what comes in. As of today we should have 80 gallons of the bad stuff. Good Luck.

Mark 20 Maple

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

I tasted it this evening and it tasted good and slightly cloudy. Been cold here, so not sure why it would do that. Highland county have as good a year as we did?

[220 maple]

Brandon,
I have not heard any totals from the Highland Producers, I very confident some of them had record years like You and I and about every West Virginia producer I know. I had posted earlier about Jay getting a 20,000 plus gallon run in Feb. The last weekend of the festival he was still making syrup. Ivan was having a big run during that last weekend and was hoping for more freezes! BackCreek just posted on the Virgina thread that he made 380 gallons, I believe that is a big number for him. SugarTree CountryStore at McDowell also was having a much better season than last year. He always buys bulk syrup from me, I took him two barrels the week before the first weekend of the festival and have scheduled to take him two more barrels later today. I'll try and find out more details on Highland County producers.

Mark 220 Maple

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

Thanks for update. I boiled off 320 gallons more yesterday. Had to start up with dry evaporator so only drew off about a gallon and wasn't expecting to draw any. Syrup was probably a medium color and had a pretty good flavor. This was sap that had ran over last 8 days. I thought we would get a better run than that Friday and yesterday thru today or I wouldn't have fooled with it. Might pick up another 100 or so tomorrow and fire up as I have to boil out evaporator so will run it down to about 1/4" pull fire and drain rear pan and put it back it and fill back pan with water and keep adding to the front pan until I get it down to about 5 gallons.

[220 maple]

Brandon,
That is exactly how we finish up at the end, fresh water in the flue pan, then keep adding to syrup pan until we get it down to a manigable amount, to finish in the syrup pan.

Mark 220 Maple

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mark,

Too much syrup in the flue pan anymore to chase with water with having the steamaway on top of it. Lot more syrup with steamaway in the evaporator than there used to be. In past, probably 3 gallon. Now probably 5 gallon.