Finally had some sap flowing. 30 gallons around 4:00 pm yesterday and another 15 this morning for around 65 in the tank. Boiled all day and got a second gallon of syrup for the season. Its darker than Amber Rich and lighter than Dark Robust so DR it is.
Bunch of 50+ degree days in the forecast this week so sap should be flowing.
2025 - Back to 50 taps.
2024 - Ended with 33 taps and another pancake breakfast
2023 - 25 taps. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast
2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
2021 - 20 x 30 Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons. Dad hooked too.
2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer
Glad to hear your success in struggling with frozen sap, I hope I can pull it out tomorrow night after tomorrow’s weather. It’s been colder than forecasted which has left me waiting. At least it’s frozen I guess.
It looks to be ok but I’ll find out once it thaws. Does anyone see an issue. It’s about 4-5 days old
25 or so gallons of the sap I boiled Saturday had been what I collected and in the tank mostly frozen since the 12th. Slightly cloudy but nothing else going on so I boiled it. I didn't taste any issues with the syrup so I think you'll be OK.Originally Posted by Paul01036
2025 - Back to 50 taps.
2024 - Ended with 33 taps and another pancake breakfast
2023 - 25 taps. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast
2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
2021 - 20 x 30 Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons. Dad hooked too.
2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer
Crazy, I went down to my lines and buckets last night to check on any wind damage. To my surprise there was about 50 gallons in the buckets that I had to bring up. I wasn't expecting that but I know what I will be doing tonight! On a side note what are you seeing for sugar content this year in the sap. I tested one of my buckets and its reading 1.5 to 1.75 on the sap hydrometer.
My sugar content is by far the highest I've ever seen it. It's 0.6% higher than average, and 0.35% above my previous best year. Of course that will probably drop a little as the season progresses. That's on my trees in the Berkshires. My one yard tree in the Boston suburbs is the opposite. It got decimated by fungus and also had a mast year. It's sugar is down from 2.5% last year to 1.7% this year!
GO
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
2024: 17 taps, 5.3 gals
2025: 17 taps
All on buckets
I left my buckets uncollected Wednesday night thinking that would help keep them in place during the wind storm and was glad to see no issues yesterday and 55 gallons collected. That was 111 gallons collected in three days. Expecting another good collection day tomorrow morning and then I'll be boiling away for the weekend. I've only tested twice this season and haven't seen 2% yet but the syrup tastes good and I don't mind some extra boiling time.
Long term forecast shows no freezing until next weekend so this might be it - though I am in it until the end so let's hope this week doesn't follow the forecast.
2025 - Back to 50 taps.
2024 - Ended with 33 taps and another pancake breakfast
2023 - 25 taps. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast
2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
2021 - 20 x 30 Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons. Dad hooked too.
2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer
197 gallons collected this past week and all boiled as of last night. Tested the output from the tank and it is coming at at about 1.5 again or slightly under.
A question for the Maple world:
My Norway Maples are starting to grown little fingers from the buds - is that "budding" and the end or do I wait until I see actual leaves pop? The Red Maple that usually pops open first and I use as a guide hadn't as of yesterday morning, but with 65 degree temps yesterday I wouldn't be surprised if they are today.
In it until the end and hope everyone's season is still going.
2025 - Back to 50 taps.
2024 - Ended with 33 taps and another pancake breakfast
2023 - 25 taps. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast
2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
2021 - 20 x 30 Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons. Dad hooked too.
2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer
Did you boil all 197 gallons last night? Wow, that must've been a looong boil! What rate do you get on your evaporator? I had a long boil myself yesterday, 125 gallons put on the evaporator, made over three gallons of nearup.
Regarding budding, I don't really know, but if I'm worried, I'll take a little of the sap from the tree I'm concerned about and boil it on the stove before combining it with the rest. Also, on red maples, their flowers go first, and then the leaves. When the flowers are blooming apparently that doesn't affect the sap, it's only when the leaves pop that the sap gets buddy.
GO
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
2024: 17 taps, 5.3 gals
2025: 17 taps
All on buckets
Boiled Saturday and Sunday both looong days. I’m getting 10+ gph out of my evaporator this season and definitely approached 15 hours between the two days. Only a gallon and a quarter so in the 1-1.25% range sugar. Numbers are rough (note to self keep better track next year!).
I’ll give a try testing today and see what I get!
2025 - Back to 50 taps.
2024 - Ended with 33 taps and another pancake breakfast
2023 - 25 taps. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast
2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
2021 - 20 x 30 Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons. Dad hooked too.
2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer
Congrats Aaron and I hope you got some sleep today. I boiled up everything I had and picked up another 60 or so gallons yesterday for the days total boil of just around 100 gallons. I use a propane evaporator, I started around 8:30 and finished up around 3:30 I assume your on wood.
Generally I draw off and finish it in a pot because I don't trust myself going lower than that. I am in the burnt syrup club and trust me, I never want to do it again! Yesterday I decided to go lower and went as low as 1" of depth in the pan yesterday before I shut it down and drew off everything I could. The nice thing with using propane is one you shut it down, your done in a few minutes.
I bottle in canning jars, what do you guys use and what size? I'm in this for a hobby and something to do with my grandson before golf season starts, so I am ok with making a few gallons to give away.....
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