Central Ontario Tapping

[NTBugtraq]

If your not getting any sap, I m going to assume that your taps are closing over, or your splies are plugged with mold. I was pulling taps today and found a great amount of the half to almost closed over.

Some sap is one thing, no sap from 216 taps under potentially 20at is IMO, quite another. Further, should the taps have been blocked, there would be no reason for not getting pressure (I'm only able to get up to 7.5at.)

Besides, the 2008 Maple Syrup Digest included the paper "The Timing of Tapping for Maple Sap Collection", which in essence proves that there is not a significant drop in flow because taps have been in the tree for a while (they tested from as early as January 4th) with sap runs up to 4/23. Old taps produce less later in the season, but not none.

Anyway, whatever the reason, my season is done. 69F here today will likely get buds popping quickly. I still have 200+ gallons of sap to boil, so no final figures yet. At least I know now not to leave any syrup in the arch this year...;-]

[c0ps]

Im done as well, my last batch of the season but wow does it taste awsome.

[Run Forest Run!]

Nice looking syrup c0ps. Is it pure sugar maple or mixed with some soft maple? Congrats on an eventful, yet successful, first season.

[c0ps]

Thanks Karen. Its a mix of sugar maple, silver maple and manitoba maples. I think ill continue to make maple syrup next year! I only make it for family so it looks like we have enough trees for that lol.

[Run Forest Run!]

My final tally is in and my signature is updated. Best year so far! If I hadn't needed to dump hundred of liters of sap because I had no where to store it, and then kept collecting the sap until the trees dried up there would have been so much more syrup in my total. But there was absolutely no way for me to keep up. The trees definitely win this year!

Almost finished cleaning up. 2016's sugaring season was sure fun!

[JDP]

95 taps
45 gallons syrup
22 GPH boil rate on arch

Great year.... now to finish sugar shack and upgrade arch for next year!

[NTBugtraq]

95 taps
45 gallons syrup
22 GPH boil rate on arch

Great year.... now to finish sugar shack and upgrade arch for next year!

Gratz JDP, WTG, nice numbers.

I have one last boil in me, the dregs from my drop flue pan (3'6 x 18"). I figure there's maybe 2-3 gallons there that is at 30 brix. Anyway, right now my total is around 2/3rds of last year, mostly because on the tsunami days I didn't have enough storage (even with 400 U.S. Gals of storage). Trying to decide what to do, get more storage or put heat tape around lines leading to arch from storage. I boiled non-stop of the days the sap flowed, but then the days in-between the line to the arch was frozen. So if I can keep the line to the arch unfrozen, I can catch up...but it costs $ in electricity...hmm.

[ennismaple]

I boiled non-stop of the days the sap flowed, but then the days in-between the line to the arch was frozen. So if I can keep the line to the arch unfrozen, I can catch up...but it costs $ in electricity...hmm.

Can you not put a shutoff valve on the feed line with a quick connect so you can drain it? The electricity for a heat trace is a lot cheaper than the value of the sap you couldn't boil. Another option is a propane torch does wonders to thaw out frozen lines. Once you get a trickle the sap flowing through will that out the rest of the ice.

[NTBugtraq]

Can you not put a shutoff valve on the feed line with a quick connect so you can drain it? The electricity for a heat trace is a lot cheaper than the value of the sap you couldn't boil. Another option is a propane torch does wonders to thaw out frozen lines. Once you get a trickle the sap flowing through will that out the rest of the ice.

Oh wow, did you hit a nail on the head with that post. If I simply remove the line between the storage and the arch when I am finished boiling, there is no reason for it to ever freeze. At worst I have to thaw the connection points for that line, which is nothing. Thanks so much for the idea!!

[ennismaple]

My pleasure - that's what we're here for. I doubt there's a problem any maple producer will encounter that someone else on this board hasn't been through before.

Our sugar camp is unheated, except the RO room, so we are well aware of the challenges of lines freezing up between boils. We have a mental checklist of all the things that need to get pulled apart and drained before we leave the sugar camp at night. If the only thing you need to thaw is the valve and elbow at the bottom of a tank that is easily done with a torch. The money spent on valves and quick connects is worth every penny!