2025 Sugaring Season

[ebliese]

Pdiamond, good to hear from you. I was wondering what you were up to since you hadn't said much during the season.

We were able to get between 30-40 gph on the raised flue set. The average was 30-36 gph but there were some times we got it to 40 gph. Stack temp ran about 500-600*F. A few times when the stack temp got to 600*F, Elle would do a small firing about every five minutes, thus keeping the stack temp at a constant 600*F or raise it. That got our boil rate to 40 gph for a bit. Our stack is twice the length of the evaporator but we are thinking we may experiment for next season and add another section of stack to increase the boil rate. Overall, we are pleased with our rig. It's the second year running it but first year we ran the rig to the point of sap in front pan, water in back pan (last year our stuff went ropey). We RO as we boil so our 80gph single post from the RO Bucket pairs very nicely with our pan set.

[Pdiamond]

Daniel, I ended up not doing any tapping this year. I got an infection where a guy shouldn't get an infection and man did that hurt. Couldn't hardly walk. I am just planning for next year now and would like to expand my operation out to about 200 taps. That is why I mentioned getting an RO.

[ScottT]

We were still boiling in The Thumb yesterday. Ended up pulling some of my taps, but left a small line still operational because the sugar trees hadn't popped. Spring Peepers were going wild.

Our sap was a little cloudy, but it didn't smell and tasted fine. When we went to boil it however, the whole sugarhouse smelled like a bakery. It had me worried, but the boiling sap wasn't ropey or stringy. As we go close to finishing the bakery smell went away and everything was fine. Probably once of our best batches of syrup. there was a little sap still flowing today from the lines and here's hoping the two nights of freezing temps this week keep it going a little longer.

This was our best year since we started a couple of years ago. Adding tubing on 3/16 mainlines and 5/16 drops was a game changer for us. If our silvers hadn't of popped so quickly, it would have been wild. I guess we nw know what our ceiling is for syrup production. Might have to upgrade next year. Not a bad thing.

[ebliese]

Anybody hear how those producers in the Northern Lower or UP are fairing? It looks like a pretty nasty ice storm which went through their area.

[ScottT]

I saw a few pictures on the Michigan Maple Syrup Cookers page on Facebook. Trees down, troubles getting into their sugarbush to check the lines. Looked pretty bad there. Can't imagine the damage it must have done to a lot of the larger producers.

[ScottT]

We pulled the majority of our taps on Saturday in The Thumb. However most of our sugar maples haven't opened yet. We collected very little the previous week, and the sap had been sitting out there for a few days so we dumped it. But with the temps this week going between 40 / 25 for most of the week, I was curious what we would get, so we left 13 taps in.

[ebliese]

Are these 13 taps buckets or your natural vac lines of 3/16ths?

[ScottT]

Are these 13 taps buckets or your natural vac lines of 3/16ths?

Natural Vacuum lines

[ScottT]

Following up on my last post. Left 12 taps on some sugar maples last week in The Thumb. All on 3/16 mainline.

Collected about 20 gallons of sap today. Buds still didn't look open yet. When I pulled the taps there was still sap coming from a few trees. However, many of my taps were plugged with pink mold.

Something to keep in mind for next year. The warmer temps last week probably doomed the taps and lines. But our Sugar maples in The Thumb are quite resilient.

Is there anything that helps prevent the taps clogging toward the end of the season? I'm on natural vacuum.

We flushed the remainder of our lines today, identified 8 more tapable sugar maples on the hill. Ended our season with 6-1/2 gallons of syrup. Our best year yet.

See you in the Fall....