Southern Adirondack Tap Timing

[Couchsachraga]

Glad to hear you are getting a run to the south! No much new in my storage tank from last Sunday when I drained it down. No run today either, at least as of noon. I'm sure if anything ran today it will freeze solid tonight.

I too am hoping it thaws out and starts to run next weekend.

[Adk sugar bush]

I'm watching to hear how you guys are doing this year. I usually do about 100 taps just off S. Johnsburg Rd, but for one reason or another couldn't tap this year and missing it. You Johnsburg and Thurman folks are right, always colder there, which has its good and bad points. I always found I was still boiling when everyone else was cleaning up. I'm guessing this cold snap has slowed things down, but hopefully it'll break.

[strikeee]

went up to property yesterday to get load of firewood all buckets were overflowing, but frozen solid ! will go up on sunday, take out ice and get final boil in on tue. or wed. gotta get last snowmobile ride in on sat !

[SapDacks]

Thanks everyone for keeping this thread alive!

We've had 3 weekends of boiling (skipped last weekend as the cold snap limited our flows). We're only at just under 3 gallons finished syrup, so far. Two weekends ago we think we may have gone too far with our evaporation (syrup hydrometer issues) because we boiled something like 70-80 gallons yet only yielded 3/4 of a gallon of syrup...frustrating to say the least. Hearing everyone else's hauls makes me think there might be something other than cold weather inhibiting our sap/flow volume. I'm guessing we've boiled around 200 gallons of sap...seems awfully light from ~55 taps!? But everything we've bottled so far has been pure liquid gold! We're going to add a sap hydrometer for next season to see what we're working with.

One thing is for sure - it's been a gorgeous sapping season! Next, on to mud season - followed by bug season!

[strikeee]

i don't think you did any thing wrong with the evaporating, my last boil was around 200 gals.and ended up with just over 3 gals. of syrup all 3 boils so far have been around 60-70 gals per 1 gal syrup ! headed up tomorrow for my last boil hope to get around 2 gals. of syrup and to finish off the season, that will be plenty for friends and family! i'll let you know what i got on thurs.

[strikeee]

back home from my last boil ! had better sugar content for this one. collected 20 less gals. and had 1/2 gal more syrup almost 4 gals..it was darker and the amount of clay like sediments was amazing! it only my 4 th season of hobby boiling and the previous 3 weren't like this mud ! maybe it had to do with all the maples in my area had bad leaf damage from all the rain, covered with black fungus spots. maybe someone knows the reason on maple trader. finished out the yr. with almost 10 gals., friends and family will be happy ! hope everyone else finishes the season off well. thanks for all the info here !

[Adk sugar bush]

I'm surprised you all did as good as you did with this cold weather. As I mentioned before I missed this season but am going to get ready for next year by cutting firewood as soon as I can get to it. To your comment on low yields, I've noticed mine has been lower per tap in the past than what I read about here. No complaints though. I put in 100 taps and get around 4 gal. Real good though. It's either that rocky Johnburg soil or my pipeline need work. I'm going to try to improve it next year and playing with the idea of vacuum with a generator (no power in sugar house) but have to research if that makes sense.

Good luck in your clean out and we'll see you here next year.