Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[spud]

Sap is running 525 gph and should run all night. Looks like a good 10 day forecast.

Spud

[tcross]

didn't get a whole lot of sap flow yesterday. had 29 at the house this a.m... today and tomorrow should be good days up here!

[blissville maples]

Sap up to whopping 1.4 from three freezing nights. Was 1.1 so that will help. Just about at .7 of last year's, hoping to get thru next week. The end will come quick with no snow cover, looks like next week 50sand sunshine with warm nights, that will certainly kill it quickly. We wont get into April this year that's for sure. Flavor going to take a tumble once 50-60s appear.

[DrTimPerkins]

Sap ran a little on Wed late afternoon and evening, then again yesterday once it started up in the afternoon. Not a gusher day by any means, but good. Sugar still holding at around 1.9-2.0 Brix. Got 1,000 gal of 35 Brix concentrate chilling in the bulk tank and another 8,000 gal of 2.0 Brix sap in storage starting through the RO now, so should be a good boiling day. Have a few experiments to run during the boil too, so it'll be a busy day. Once all is finished (we might not boil it all out today), we'll likely be right around 73% of a minimum crop target (0.5 gal/tap). Should run all day today, tonite, and tomorrow, so should be well over 80% by that time. Based on the forecast, it'll be too cold for sap on Sat, Sun, and Mon, then will start up again next Tuesday. Another weekend off.

[spud]

Almost 2 gpt in the last 24 hours. Sap still gushing in and testing 1.7%. We should go well into April up here at the border.

Spud

[spud]

A crazy day for sure. Woke up to a tank full of sap that was testing 1.7%. I pumped that sap over the mountain to the neighbors. I then got another 3000 gallons and that tested at 2%. Sap is still running at 300 gph at 8 pm. Gotta love it.

Spud

[GeneralStark]

Decent runs this week with Wednesday -> Thursday being the highlight. No freeze here since Tuesday night... Boiled yesterday after cleaning out the rig and made about 30 gal. from approx 2700 gal. of sap collected since the last boil on Sunday. Very nice dark robust syrup. Definitely making darker syrup this season overall...

SSC is lowest I've ever seen here this season. At about .25gpt for syrup at this point so should be able to get over .3 for the season... Doesn't look like a bumper crop here like the last two seasons but I'll be happy with what I can get.

Sap running decent and have pulled in about 1 gpt since noon yesterday. Going to prep to boil tomorrow. Then it looks like we might get a break for a bit.

[drewlamb]

I've got a question and not sure where to post it but gonna start with you guys. Got a small amount of sap today - enough to concentrate and do a full RO wash/rinse. But for a boil, once the evaporator gets hot, we'll basically go right into shut down. What I'm wondering about is just concentrating and storing it in the head tank (200 gal cap), but I'm afraid it's going to go to ice, which would be real trouble. I know people store high brix concentrate but guess that's less likely to freeze. If I concentrate to 12%, I'm guessing that's still likely to freeze. Anyone have experience with this?

[drewlamb]

I should add that we're looking at teens the next 3 nights and around 30 during the day.

[VTfarmboy]

last 2 runs here .30 gpt testing 1.5 then .5 gpt at 1.75, still have a bit of wood would really like to keep going, some trees look a bit buddy, pulled reds and silvers off, today wasnt quite as warm as i thought it might be and hardly any sun, ill test some the turkey cooker to see if its buddy before i add it, if so ill boil out, near full crop for me of .25gpt syrup. Rye really greening up and popples look like they pushed alot, good luck to those still at it!