Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[Ultimatetreehugger]

About a gallon per tap from the last three days. Sap was .9 but has gone up to 1.

[Brian]

Same here low sugar, but running good.

[PARKER MAPLE]

Yesterday’s run was less then expected down here. Ended up with less then 1gpt. Sugar did come up tho so that’s a bonus. Brought it all back to sugarhouse and Roed last night, we will boil it in along with the sap we gather today. Should have close to 1000 gallons of 12%

[VTfarmboy]

picked .25gpt last night just under 2%, was hoping this run was going to be the big one but it never materialized, should be at 25% crop after todays boil

[drewlamb]

Yup. Sounds like many of us are seeing similar. We got about 0.5 gpt from Wed and just over 1 from Thursday. Sap at 1.5.

[GeneralStark]

Yesterday I boiled everything I collected this week and about 200 gal. left over as a block of ice from the end of Feb. About 1900 gal. total through Friday am so over 1gpt per day each Wednesday and Thursday. Made about 30 gal. and would have made more but I had to add water to the head tank at the end of my first boil as my wood loading timing was off....

We did get a light freeze Thursday night so it ran ok yesterday. About 1/2 gpt. Running again now pretty well after a sold freeze last night with light winds and a warm March sun to thaw the trees. Will probably boil again tomorrow before a likely solid freeze for a couple days.

We lost most of our snow here this week so that should help improve sap flow later this week.

[tapdrinker]

looking at long range forecast-full throttle onward from Tuesday for me. I might need more buckets to keep inside to keep my concentrate thawed.

[TapTapTap]

Another lesson learned yesterday with my new electric releaser. I had a leaking fitting that finally failed on the discharge side of the pump. It had no real affect on my production since the sap run had ended due to sub freezing temperatures. I want to replace several pvc fittings with ss but I just used a fernco rubber reflex fitting for now. Of course the fernco isn't good at staying on under pump pressure so I was making a restraining system with hose clamps and steel strapping. While I was making up the joint, some more sap melted in the lines and the tank filled enough for the pump to kick on! What a mess, I was covered with sap to the point that even my socks in my rubber boots got saturated.

Next time, de-energize the pump!

[VTfarmboy]

yesterday picked .30gpt testing 2.1, today in the cold north wind picked .50gpt testing 2.2, making a nice red dark, sugar sand starting to get worse.

[DrTimPerkins]

What a mess, I was covered with sap to the point that even my socks in my rubber boots got saturated.

Sounds about right. Seems like I end up being covered in sap or syrup at least once each season (which always means the Def Leppard song "Pour Some Sugar on Me" starts bouncing around in my head https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UIB9Y4OFPs )

I like to joke with my brother-in-law who has a small bucket operation that we spill more syrup in a day than he makes all season.