Bigsap Warning 2009

[Sugarmaker]

Theron,
Nice to follow your BIG sap posts. I guess I DONT WANT IT THAT BAD! cant keep it in the pan. No wonder if you ran it in the RO any longer you wouldnt have to boil at all! Save the boiling just put the 28% sap in with some mersh call it low density and sell it by the pound!
1400 gallons ! wow nice year for you and what a lot of work and time you have put into it too!
Were you able to look those pancakes in the face at the breakfast with your dad?
Regards,
Chris

[PATheron]

Chris- We had a real nice breakfast and had fun visiting with everyone. Took the day off today and rode 4 wheeler around the woods with the kids and shot pop cans in the pond. Just having a fun day off. I didnt mean to do the 28% thing. Kind of a mistake. Didnt think the stuff would go that high. Got another 1500 gallons to boil in the morning and Im all cought up. Im just wondering with freezes starting again tonight if the bush across the road will run more. Might not matter if it wont stay in the pans. Gotta quit sometime. Need to clean up all the mess. Terreble. Theron

[caseyssugarshack93]

Low 20's at night and mid 40's during the day should get some FLOOD RUNNSSS SOOON !!!!!!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Theron,

Can you slow the fire down a little under the pans and help keep it in the pans some vs burning it as hard as you can??

[danno]

Theron,

Can you slow the fire down a little under the pans and help keep it in the pans some vs burning it as hard as you can??

Towards the end, everytime I fired I added defoamer where the sap enters the flue pan as some have suggested. Had alot of success with this. Kept the boil in check and had my most consistent draws of the season. Than again, I'm not boiling 28% sap in my flue pan.

[PATheron]

You guys are right about less fire. I have been doing that. Pretty much boiling with the draft door shut and I have been running the pans deeper and only concentrating to 9 or 10%. That 28% really was a mistake. Real shocker, pretty funny though. I think its that the sap now is just to where its pretty unmanagable. Its real cloudy right from the tree and by the time its R.O'd it looks like milk and smells like vinigar. Its got so no amount of butter will keep it in the pans. Time to pull the plug. Just hated to stop with sap still running but I guess it gets like that. Never tried to go this long. Theron

[mountainvan]

What does the finished product taste like, or have you not been brave enough to try it.

[PATheron]

Van- I havent dared. Its to density and it came from a maple tree and thats about all I can say about it. Theron

[Parker]

Last year I made some pretty special stuff at the end of the season,,,I dipped my finger in it and tried a SMALL tast,,,,pretty nasty,,,,,brought over to Bascomes,,as they were weighing it Bruce came along,,I told him it wasent the greatest tasting stuff,,he took out a turky baster, FILLED it, and as I was saying NOOOOO,,he squeezed the whole thing out in his mouth and sucked it down,,,,,,,,thought I was going to Barf,,,,he looked right at me and said "not the worst tasting stuff I have ever tried",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,GAG,,,,I would not want to be a syrup taster over there this time of year!!!

[Jerome]

we seem to have a reprieve here in central Ontario it might never end. No buds and it looks like winter is back for the next week or so.