Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[GiddingsHill]

'been a couple seasons since I checked this forum, but I've been awful curious as to how different parts of the state are doing lately. Looks like lots of folks are getting a good crop.
We're still running well here, sugar is low, 1.4 today, but getting a lot of sap. As of this morning we're at .57 gal per tap. Beautiful clear sap today. I'll be curious to see what we get next week.

[Sunday Rock Maple]

A good example of "size matters."

https://www.themaplenews.com/story/u...and-yield/187/

Very linear, was your n large enough to provide a decent r squared?

[Msboucha]

Low niter, easy to filter

Lucky! The niter has been out of control this year. Thought for sure something was wrong on our end until talking to some others around Franklin County, only to find we were not alone. I'd say it has improved some since mid March, but still worse than the past couple years.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

All done rough estimate 205.

[spud]

A good example of "size matters."

https://www.themaplenews.com/story/u...and-yield/187/

I enjoyed that article. The chart seems to be spot on with my production and tree size.

Spud

[GeneralStark]

Sap flow has slowed way down with no freeze in a couple nights. Only about 300 gal. since 2 pm yesterday. Boiled about 1800 gal. yesterday and made 15 gal. DR and 10 gal. AR. Flavor still good but not like it has been the rest of the season. Things are starting to change and I suspect the syrup flavor will degrade in the coming days.

Looks like we'll get a reset and then see what happens. Have at least one more boil possibly Monday or Tuesday. Up to .59...

[WestfordSugarworks]

'been a couple seasons since I checked this forum, but I've been awful curious as to how different parts of the state are doing lately. Looks like lots of folks are getting a good crop.
We're still running well here, sugar is low, 1.4 today, but getting a lot of sap. As of this morning we're at .57 gal per tap. Beautiful clear sap today. I'll be curious to see what we get next week.

What's your elevation? A few weeks ago I had heard people at higher elevations, like above 1000', were not in great shape. Had just been too cold. Seems like a lot of people at lower elevations in Franklin county are doing pretty well.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

I'm around 1400 and this season has been tough. I'm at .25 per tap.

[MJPJ Sugars]

The Beefy Baroness is Belting it Out...

We're at 300 feet, and that must've been the Goldilocks Zone this year, just over the Chittenden border in Franklin County. Hung 31 buckets on March 6th, last collection on 4-12 (5 weeks + 2 days):

28.02 gallons of sap per tap made
.50 gallons of syrup per tap.

I'm sure I can stretch it out at least one more week, but that'll get awfully expensive, what with the divorce lawyers and all that... And considering that's more syrup than I've made in the last two years combined (with only a couple more taps...), I think I can safely say I'm tapped-out.

There was a distinct change in boiling aroma from the stuff we collected on Wednesday the 12th -- sap ran all night from the 11th, and the daytime temp hit the low 50's on the 12th. We'd gotten pretty used to the "bready" yeast aroma the last couple of weeks, but this stuff produced a faint whiff of vinegar in the concentrate tank and the sugar shack -- as good a reason as any to use as an excuse to call it quits... but here's the kicker: the boss is telling me this is her favorite batch of the year: very dark, gooey and mapley-- strong maple flavor. So go figure.

As in years prior, it's been tremendously enjoyable and informative keeping-up with the large and small alike here on the forum. Great experience.

Thank you!!

JQ

[DrTimPerkins]

Very linear, was your n large enough to provide a decent r squared?

Duh....not our first research rodeo.

Sample size was 80 trees in 2016 and 50 in 2017 (and 50 more in progress this year). Correlation (r-squared) was 0.70 and 0.78, respectively for syrup yield vs tree diameter. Highly significant trends.