Quote Originally Posted by Ultimatetreehugger View Post
Dr. Tim. Where are you guys production wise? Have you hit .5?
Because of the way we do things (collect sap, concentrate to high Brix, store in refrigerated bulk tank and boil only when our two bulk tanks are full), our syrup production always lags behind our sap collection by several days to a week or more. The crew is boiling today (900+ gal of 35 Brix concentrate, so about 360 gal syrup). Should hit the 0.5 gpt of syrup mark by around lunchtime.

Sap flow has really slowed down in the last few days and SSC has dropped off even more (1.5 and 1.3 Brix in our two sections). Given the hot weather yesterday and today, what is forecast for later this week, and the fact that there are no freezes expected here in the next 10-days, we will likely pull the plug after today or maybe tomorrow. No peepers yet though -- will check again this afternoon. Stopping will avoid getting into a sour sap situation (hot weather fermentation in the mainlines causing an off-flavor). We typically try to avoid making any commercial syrup.

That'll put our total production for 2023 somewhere around 0.52 gpt syrup when all is said and done, which is higher than our minimum target (0.5 gpt), but lower than our average 0.58 gpt. That seems to be the situation for colder bushes in this area this season. Assuming this value stands, that means over the past 20 yrs since we revamped our operation, we've had:

- an average production of 0.58 gpt (6.4 lbs syrup)
- 9 yrs (45%) of production over our long-term average of 0.58 gpt syrup
- 9 yrs (45%) of production over our minimum target of 0.5 gpt, but less than 0.58 gpt.
- 2 yrs (10%) where production fell below 0.5 gpt (2012 and 2021)

We've also grown over that time, from 1,549 taps in 2004 to 6,428 this year. Lots of changes.