Backyard Syrup Enthusiasts 2023

[Mvhomesteader]

Starting to think after tomorrow my taps in Freeport may be done. Never really got a great run down here this season, however I did miss the early Feb run that probably would have helped that.
5c
Im Waiting on the other taps up north to finally open up and get flowing. At the rate this stuff is flying off the shelf this season I am starting to think I'm going to have to buy syrup just so I can have waffles after the season.

I'm having all I can do to get 60 gallons for Sunday's finale. More trees are drying up every few days. It's tomorrow or bust, probably, with the rain Saturday.

Craig-you might be right about the February run. I decided to tap a week or so early (10th) and had 270 gallons in storage before I could boil 2/24. I've collected near 870 this season, so 270 is near 30% of the yearly total. It was a crap shoot to tap when I did (you never know what the season may be like that early) and perhaps my trees are partially drying up now because that was 6 weeks or more ago. My trees generally start to dry up now anyway, as my last boils are usually by 4/5, so its probably a multi fold affect.

[Mvhomesteader]

I decided this morning to do the 11th boil today rather than Sunday as the wind is supposed to be quite gusty. After running around empty what buckets were left I was able to scrounge 8 gallons of sap for a finale boil of 66 gallons. This netted 1.25 gallons of syrup for a ssc of 2+%.

All the taps have been pulled and the buckets washed. Sunday I'll put it all away in a reasonably organized fashion for next year.

In total, I boiled 817 gallons and made 18.25 gallons of syrup for an average ssc of 2.23%. Since I gave 36 gallons of sap to my daughter so she could make some syrup the trees actually produced (and I hauled) 853 gallons. She made around 3/4 gallons of syrup. I started with 35 taps and added 7 mid season, so some taps were here all season and some for half. So let's say I had 39 full season equivalent taps. That would mean each tap produced 0.48 gallons of syrup. I have never had such a good return. I'm used to maybe a quart and a half if lucky, and some years even less.

What was so productive about this season? I love to theorize so I'm going to say it was more 40ish degree days and cool nights in March, combined with a two week run in February. No 50 degree days in March. I can't think of another explanation.

So that's it for me. I think the only maple project for the off season is rebuilding one brick wall in my arch that is falling apart. Of course I've got to refill the woodshed but the wood is at least cut.

Good luck to everyone left in th he game and see you next season.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Boiling off 275 gallons. Sap was running hard when we collected this afternoon, snowing out right now. Will probably do another boil Sunday. Looks like a freeze Sunday night which should make for a good run early next week. Pretty questionable after that. Probably finish out the pans and be done next week unless the forecast changes. Sap quality has stayed good all year thanks to snow in the woods. Sugar content down to 1.4 though.

[West Sumner Sugar]

The end appears to be near for us as well. Gathered the last load of sap this morning in Lewiston. 125 gallons for the week on 100% tight vacuum. Heading up to the sugarhouse now to gather and boil off what is up there. Hopefully another week up there for us. We are at about 65% of last years crop. Really hate to come in under but thats how sugaring goes. Big plans/ideas for the upcoming seasons. Just need to put together the time to get it all in.

[Mvhomesteader]

We are at about 65% of last years crop. Really hate to come in under but thats how sugaring goes. Big plans/ideas for the upcoming seasons. Just need to put together the time to get it all in.

Was last season a banner year or a normal year? Just curious how the 65% fits into your normally expected volume.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Another 275 gallons today which is from Friday at 4 PM thru last night. Not really slowing down yet. Good freeze tonight and some marginal temps at night thru the week until next weekend. But I expect to make it another week. We beat last years’ sap total, 3340 so far but sugar content is lower. Still, just met our goal of 50 gallons before todays boil. I expect we will push 60 gallons, which will be our best year yet. 55 gallons last year.

[craigwade2005]

Ran off just over another 7 gallons of Syrup this weekend.
Ran the last of the sap from Freeport and man was that painful. Just over 3 gallons plugged my filter press up tight. Couldn't even get warm water through it to flush it out. Early season syrup it's usually good for 8 or so gallons.
Cleaned the pans, boiled off what was left in them and started fresh with concentrate from Byron. Looks like the efforts paid off with some nice dark amber to start the new run up there.
Hoping for another 2, maybe 3 weeks to finish out our season up there. It's like a whole other world up on the hill. Still 12-18" of snow and cold.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Looks like the efforts paid off with some nice dark amber to start the new run

Must be nice Craig, we can't seem to make dark syrup this year and we need some!!! Yesterdays batch was LT 52 but called it dark due to the flavor. Really could have gone either way. Hopefully make some more robust dark this week to finish out, but that's what I said last week

[maineboiler]

Started pulling taps yesterday. I plan to do a last boil today an and run the sweet. Good season——over 2,000 gallons of sap which is as good as I’ve seen. Should end up with close to 40 gallons of syrup. Now the clean up…….

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Dumping today, check your tanks if you’re still in it. 400 gallons since it started going yesterday afternoon and still piling up.