2024 Season

[schaapj]

Thanks Keitha333 and dew042...so if I'm hearing correctly the appearance, smell and taste of sap really should be my indicator? I already pulled my taps last Thursday as I noticed elongating of the buds and I already have 4 gallons of syrup now but I'll try that next year.

Part of my reservation to continue was that I collect into 5 gallon pails so I didn't want one bad day ruin a week. I'll change it up next year to start dumping into separate pails when the season nears the end to avoid the anxiety.

I also find it interesting that you say the sugars are just getting started dew042...that's all I tapped just 20 miles south of you and consistently got sap from 29-Jan until I pulled them on 14-Mar. 178 gallons from 10 trees boiled into 4 gallons of syrup. Would have likely had another half gallon if I hadn't burnt a 15 gallon batch a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks for all the help and can't wait until next year already!

-Jeremiah

[Keitha333]

Thanks Keitha333 and dew042...so if I'm hearing correctly the appearance, smell and taste of sap really should be my indicator? I already pulled my taps last Thursday as I noticed elongating of the buds and I already have 4 gallons of syrup now but I'll try that next year.

Part of my reservation to continue was that I collect into 5 gallon pails so I didn't want one bad day ruin a week. I'll change it up next year to start dumping into separate pails when the season nears the end to avoid the anxiety.

I also find it interesting that you say the sugars are just getting started dew042...that's all I tapped just 20 miles south of you and consistently got sap from 29-Jan until I pulled them on 14-Mar. 178 gallons from 10 trees boiled into 4 gallons of syrup. Would have likely had another half gallon if I hadn't burnt a 15 gallon batch a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks for all the help and can't wait until next year already!

-Jeremiah

Yes I would let that be my indicator

Dripping into different pails would prevent the whole batch from going bad but remember this will be at the end of the year and you would be making more work the rest of the season by doing this. I would keep the same pail, dump (yes it is okay!) the bad pail, eliminate the buddy tap and keep going.

Sounds like you had a great first year! I am sure you have 20+ different ideas you want to improve on for next year!

[schaapj]

Yes I would let that be my indicator

Dripping into different pails would prevent the whole batch from going bad but remember this will be at the end of the year and you would be making more work the rest of the season by doing this. I would keep the same pail, dump (yes it is okay!) the bad pail, eliminate the buddy tap and keep going.

Sounds like you had a great first year! I am sure you have 20+ different ideas you want to improve on for next year!

Perfect, thanks...and yes I'd only do that toward the end of the season.

It was a great year indeed. The main thing I want to change is to figure out how to filter the final product efficiently to where I don't have a plugged filter that won't pass any more syrup. I don't know if it's just me but I've burnt myself a few times now trying to figure out what to do in that scenario which seems like it happens every time to me.

Any good tip, tricks, or resources for that?

[Jeeves]

Maple Fest is at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum this coming Saturday (3-23-24) from 9am to 2pm (no pancake breakfast this year). Demonstrations will be given on tapping, boiling and the whole process as well as demos and information on our Black Walnut syruping and research. Check the Arboretum website for further details.

[Keitha333]

Anyone still going?

[dew042]

Anyone still going?

I expect so, skipped the snow this week but there have been several single digit temps so I expect frozen solid sap, if any, this coming weekend. Silvers were still going but low sugar, so I pulled them 3/17. Forest bound sugar maples tend to be slow and grumpy, so I'm optimistic I'll get a week or two more here. Ground was still pretty frozen with the lack of snow this winter. I think that has really slowed the season down.

[dew042]

I expect frozen solid sap, if any, this coming weekend.

That's what I found, there was sap but it was almost all frozen from the last two weeks. Emptied and reset buckets. Sugar content continues to be marginal this year.

I expect a great week this week to end the season. Fingers crossed on no bad sap!

[dew042]

That's what I found, there was sap but it was almost all frozen from the last two weeks. Emptied and reset buckets. Sugar content continues to be marginal this year.

I expect a great week this week to end the season. Fingers crossed on no bad sap!

♩♫ Alllllllll by myyyyyyself ♫♩

One more boil on my docket, see y'all next year!

[sweet acer]

Sap still running today with clear liquid and a brix of 3. Yesterday it did not run so emptied the tanks and made a batch of maple sugar. Think the rest of the week looks good. North of Marcell.