End of season
We had a sugar house party on Friday and called it a season. Trees slowed way down, the sap is cloudy and smells fermented, and under 1%. The syrup is very dark, but still tasty, it’s time to quit before I make something I don’t like. I made 86+ gallons on 260 taps using 3/16 lines. 0.32 gpt. My best season yet and I retired from my day job end of February
Gerold
Northfield, VT
2013 Started with 6 used buckets, 6 sap sacks, concrete block fire pit in the woods and a 20g Agway galvanized tub for boiling - made 8 quarts campfire grade syrup and got hooked. Over the years I acquired or built a 2x6 Leader evaporator, 20x30 barn/sugar house, home-built RO with 1-4x40 membrane and Kubota L3200 with log winch. In 2020 I was certified by VT Audubon as a bird-friendly producer.
2021 250 taps on 11- 3/16" lines hoping for 80 gal.
Out of control hobby, not a business!
Still hanging in there
Sap trickled in slowly over the weekend -- maybe 2-2.5 barrels worth. Looks like we had a moderate freeze last night in Underhill. Sap flow just starting to pick up a good bit this morning and sugar popped up a tad, so hoping we'll get another decent run out of it. We're at a full crop now but will take more if the trees and weather give it. Seems like the peepers really jumped the gun this year. Doubtful we'll last much longer though with temps in the 60s on Wednesday and Thursday.
Last edited by DrTimPerkins; 04-11-2022 at 10:19 AM.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Got a decent freeze Sunday night and flow started up again before noon yesterday (Monday). Another 1 gpt of sap from noon yesterday to this morning, adding another 3 barrels to the total (once boiled). Sap sugar at 1.7 Brix.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Dr. Tim, I follow this thread closely, although we are 700 km from you, our season always ends within a day or so of yours (checking back on your comments/records from a few years back now).
We are calling it this afternoon, some of our forests went buddy yesterday, the colder ones will will let flow today and then call it off.
Starting last Wednesday our flows trailed off quite significantly, I am surprised by your 1GPT collected in the last day or so. I suspect that the taphole sanitation is the culprit (we do not use CV spouts and our drops are 3 years old). Just curious, if you could take a guess (or tell me exactly), what % of your crop have you made since last Wednesday, so that I can compare to our numbers to further test this theory?
PCFarms - Producer of Maple Syrup and Distributor for H2O and DSD
2019 - 30,300 taps
2020 - 34,000 taps
2021 - 38,000 Maple taps, 1000 birch taps
Another 2600 gallons of 1-1.1% this morning. Not sure if the sap will run into tomorrow or not. The quality of syrup is still table grade and sap quality is still looking acceptable.
Remember to keep on ticking while the sap is dripping.
2016- 50 buckets. Made 4 gallons.
2022- 3750 taps + Smartrek! Made 1300 gallons.
2023- 3750 taps after removing a pump house and connected two woods. Made 800 gallons.
2024- 3750 taps 1384 made.
As another reference point, 0.8 gpt from yesterdays run in West Charleston. Ended the season today, except for birch...
Buyers called it a season today. 70,000 gallons of sap with an average sugar content of 1.59% for a grand total of 1290 gallons of syrup. All in all a good season. Happy de-tapping!
Last edited by Ultimatetreehugger; 04-12-2022 at 07:56 PM.
Remember to keep on ticking while the sap is dripping.
2016- 50 buckets. Made 4 gallons.
2022- 3750 taps + Smartrek! Made 1300 gallons.
2023- 3750 taps after removing a pump house and connected two woods. Made 800 gallons.
2024- 3750 taps 1384 made.
Very likely. We use CV spouts in most of our production bush unless there is some reason not to (research related). I won't have final numbers for several days and am actually away on vacation (left this afternoon) for a little over a week.Originally Posted by PCFarms
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
I won't have final numbers for several days and am actually away on vacation (left this afternoon) for a little over a week.
This statement spoken like a true sugar maker. On vacation and still posting on mapletrader!
Thank you for sharing Dr. Tim.
Remember to keep on ticking while the sap is dripping.
2016- 50 buckets. Made 4 gallons.
2022- 3750 taps + Smartrek! Made 1300 gallons.
2023- 3750 taps after removing a pump house and connected two woods. Made 800 gallons.
2024- 3750 taps 1384 made.
We are done. Final numbers in about a week when I get back.
I am happy to say I haven’t lost my Play-dough skills according to my 20 mo old grandson.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
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