Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[Mead Maple]

I had my first official boil on the new rig. Approximate average evaporation rate was 43gph, but that was a rough estimate. Was very happy with the rig and was happy to have one less thing to tend alone (firewood). Sap did not test the greatest despite a good freeze last weekend. We will see what today brings, was running still last night when I shut down at 10:30


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GeneralStark]

General, how did you plumb in your sight tube?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just T'd into the 1" outlet with an SS T and 6" nipple then transferred to a 1.5" PVC Elbow and then used a leftover piece of 1.5" clear PVC for the sight tube. Works well so far.

Boiled yesterday and turned about 1300 gal of 1.6 sap into over 20 gal of AR. That was sap that came in from Tuesday am to Wednesday about 10 am. Pulled in another approx. 500 gal yesterday and overnight before it stopped. It appears that we did have at least a minor freeze here overnight so we'll see what happens today. Time to clean up and be ready to boil again tomorrow.

[spud]

Sap is running 450 GPH and climbing. Sugar down to 1.9%. Should be a good day.

Spud

[VTNewbie]

Collected 1.7 gallons per tap so far in the NEK Vermont since 3/1/20 1.9%

[spud]

Sap ran great yesterday for 5-6 hours. I got .62 GPT during the run. Sap is testing 1.9%.

Spud

[VTfarmboy]

.20 gpt yesterday still testing 2, not much freeze wed, today should be good hard freeze last night

[Shirefisher]

I collected 20 gallons of sap yesterday, My biggest "estate" Sugar maple trees really ran good yesterday and I bet I'll collect another 20 today. But it's going to have to be stored in the basement till the warm up back on Sunday and hopefully a virgin sap boil on the rig...

[GeneralStark]

Only a marginal freeze wednesday night so lackluster run yesterday. Still ended up with over 1 gpt since the last boil and with a hard freeze last night, ended up boiling over 1k gal and making 25 gal. AR this afternoon. Didn't have a chance to check sugar but making more syrup with less sap so trending in the right direction. With a hard freeze this weekend, looks like next week could be decent....

[VTfarmboy]

.50 gpt today still right at 2% , at .33 full crop, I think changing drops every year on 3/16 makes sense for me, amazing to see how fast it's been running

[Mead Maple]

.50 gpt today still right at 2% , at .33 full crop, I think changing drops every year on 3/16 makes sense for me, amazing to see how fast it's been running

I agree, the 3/16 does pull like a train once it starts filling the lines. However, I am testing 1.5% and am rather unimpressed. New rig is boiling great and chewing through the sap but definitely not much other than steam leaving the pans. Very drawn out process with this low of sugar


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk