Maine Maple Season 2025

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We’ve cooked off 765 gallons of sap so far. The run has stopped over here. Might get a freeze Tuesday night and Wednesday night. Still just getting going. Sap is clear and the ground is still hard. Plenty of frost still in the woods. Looks like it might cool down end of the week/ over the weekend.

[West Sumner Sugar]

Had our 3rd boil this weekend. First 2 were just small runs but this past weekend we put over 1800 gallons through our RO and evaporator. We just converted our 2x8 CDL Venturi to forced draft AUF and boy did that wake this thing up. Hard boil across all pans like we have never had in the past. We made about 15 gallons of some beautiful golden delicate, another first for us. We could never get over 58 on the Hanna checker. We are already half way to last years crop and shooting for 100+ this season.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Had enough of a freeze for a smoking run today and should freeze again tonight. Everything on vac is over 20” and the sap is rolling in. Check your tanks West Sumner Boiling off what we got at the end of the long run thru yesterday right now. Sap still crystal clear and we are making a very tasty Amber. Going to be a good run rest of the week and next week looks promising too

[West Sumner Sugar]

Boiled off 650 gallons today, the RO ran all day. Got a nice run today too...we will process this latest flood of sap on maple weekend.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Had a few visitors at the shack yesterday and boiled off 360G of sap. Everything froze up yesterday and will stay frozen today with the snow coming. Hopefully that's a good recharge for the trees. Weather looks good through the weekend. Sap is still very clear through the warm weather of the first 2 weeks. Have been making a darker syrup than usual to start. First batch was LT 54 and we usually start in the 60's. 2nd batch was at LT 46 but it was delicious. We will start filling 15.5G barrels with dark from here on out if that's what we continue to make. The flavor is great but we will have a surplus of dark if it continues. May be looking to trade for some Amber if anyone is interested.

[West Sumner Sugar]

We had about 140 guests at the sugarhouse on Saturday. Great day seeing old and new faces, friends, and family. We passed close to another 1000 gallons through the rig. We currently have 48 gallons bottled with about 30 waiting. We too darkened right up this weekend..down in the 40s on the Hanna grader. Looking like the next week or 2 will produce some more sap. On our way to a record year and a goal we have been reaching for. We did a ton of woods work this year, built 3 new solar vac systems and added over a mile of tubing. We are now 100% on vacuum and while being 100% off grid.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Hell of a run yesterday and still going today. Was only able to haul 470 of the 550 in the woods. Should be another good day tomorrow. Sugar back up to 2% with the long freeze which looks to happen again this coming weekend. Forecast is great, I assume at least 2 weeks left. Sap was really rolling in as I collected at noon. We’ll see if the syrup lightens up or stays dark.