SmokestackLightnin Posted March 22, 2015 Report Posted March 22, 2015 Temperatures have fallen so sap has stopped flowing. It ran well Thursday and Friday and as a result another 350 litres to boil. I setup a boil at noon today, it will run all night and I will filter it off tomorrow. Here is a shot I took 5 minutes ago of the second boil of the season.
TJQ Posted March 22, 2015 Report Posted March 22, 2015 screetching halt here.. got a few more tapped and some maintenance done.. well started lol. http://howtomakemaplesyrup.com/maplesyrupjournal/2015/03/22/there-is-unrest-in-the-forest/
Sinker Posted March 23, 2015 Report Posted March 23, 2015 I'm froze solid. My buckets are good and full, but solid ice. I hate when that happens. S.
lakerguy Posted March 23, 2015 Report Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) I'm froze solid. My buckets are good and full, but solid ice. I hate when that happens. S. Yes mine are 1/4 full,but frozen solid. I went over to my cousins place on Saturday and had a look at his new evaperator. It's a Leader 2x8 with drop flues. Automatically dumps syrup out a valve at 219.5. The thing boils sap so violently it almost rolls out of the pan. It's crazy but very neat to watch. I was there for a couple beers and it had boiled thru about 300 litres of sap. He won't start it unless he has well over 1500L of sap. Edited March 23, 2015 by lakerguy
TJQ Posted March 23, 2015 Report Posted March 23, 2015 Ya everything is froze solid here too.. gonna be ten days before it runs agauin
lakerguy Posted March 23, 2015 Report Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) I'm froze solid. My buckets are good and full, but solid ice. I hate when that happens. S. Once your buckets thaw or partly thaw,you should dump some of the ice out and measure the sugar % of the sap then. It would be interesting if the old saying is true that unfrozen sap under ice is Natures Reverse osmosis. Edited March 23, 2015 by lakerguy
Sinker Posted March 23, 2015 Report Posted March 23, 2015 The sugar content does increase when you remove ice. I let my storage bins skim over, and remove the ice each morning. My sugar ccontent went from 2% to 3% after doing it a couple times. Im considering thawing my buckets enough to get the solid chunks out, letting it skim over in the pan, and skimming off the ice for the next few days, but its a lot of screwing around to thaw them out. I have a few buckets that are going to overflow when it starts running that i'd like to empty at the very least. We'll see how ambitious I am over the next couple days. Perchin tomorrow, but off wed with no real plans. Lol S.
Rod Caster Posted March 23, 2015 Author Report Posted March 23, 2015 Once your buckets thaw or partly thaw,you should dump some of the ice out and measure the sugar % of the sap then. It would be interesting if the old saying is true that unfrozen sap under ice is Natures Reverse osmosis. I was going to ask this very question. TJ, have all your trees started? Or only some of them
lakerguy Posted March 23, 2015 Report Posted March 23, 2015 I was going to ask this very question. TJ, have all your trees started? Or only some of them Sap sure tastes a heck of a lot sweeter when I've removed ice that's for sure
TJQ Posted March 23, 2015 Report Posted March 23, 2015 Only some.. very few, the ones high up and in the sun.
Sinker Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 You guys getting any sap up there yet? Its been slow going here, and now that im headed south on vaca, it looks like the run is going to let loose. Ive got 10.5L finished so far, and another small batch going now. I have a buddy of mine collecting for me while im away, and expect to be swamped when I get back. S.
TJQ Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 Just started today.. slow but sure... looks like we will be able to bil the first big batch by the weekend!
Rod Caster Posted March 31, 2015 Author Report Posted March 31, 2015 barely any signs where I am Expecting a good run Thursday or Friday.
KLINKER Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 Back when I helped my Uncle do sap we would gather the sap and dump the ice or if it was in the pails too long we just dump them ready for the next run. In the old sap house he had one big evaporator that ran close to if not 24hr a day, when he moved up by the road he had two big evaporators and two 1,000 gal holding tanks. Occasionally in the old shack with nobody around and that big fire going he would fall asleep and burn out the bottom out of the pan requiring a spare. The sap would go into the back corner of the back pan (about 12X 5 or 6) and as the new sap came in it would push the hot sap out the opposite corner into the front pan (about 6x6) . In the opposite corner there is a thermometer and when it gets up to temp you take off the syrup there. We tapped 4 woodlots, all buckets. We would fill the holding tanks and two gathering tanks so he must have had least thousand taps maybe two. Best guy to work with in the woods was Mum's Uncle, He taught me how to work with a gang and he was the last one to use horses. I remember the horses but I couldn't have been very old then.
SmokestackLightnin Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 Back when I helped my Uncle do sap we would gather the sap and dump the ice or if it was in the pails too long we just dump them ready for the next run. In the old sap house he had one big evaporator that ran close to if not 24hr a day, when he moved up by the road he had two big evaporators and two 1,000 gal holding tanks. Occasionally in the old shack with nobody around and that big fire going he would fall asleep and burn out the bottom out of the pan requiring a spare. The sap would go into the back corner of the back pan (about 12X 5 or 6) and as the new sap came in it would push the hot sap out the opposite corner into the front pan (about 6x6) . In the opposite corner there is a thermometer and when it gets up to temp you take off the syrup there. We tapped 4 woodlots, all buckets. We would fill the holding tanks and two gathering tanks so he must have had least thousand taps maybe two. Best guy to work with in the woods was Mum's Uncle, He taught me how to work with a gang and he was the last one to use horses. I remember the horses but I couldn't have been very old then. Sounds like great memories
SmokestackLightnin Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 Sap ran well here yesterday, with today's collection I have another 350 litres and just put a boil on to run all night so I can finish off tomorrow. I am also heading south on Friday and will be gone for a week. I am debating on pulling my taps on Thursday night but can see from the weather there is a perfect storm of sap running weather coming Saturday, Sunday and Monday...figures. I am usually done after three boils as I use 2 full 100 lb propane tanks for the 3 boils. I"ll make the call Thursday. The syrup so far this year is really light, golden and really sweet. I suspect the syrup on the current boil will be amber.
Sinker Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 My syrup has been really light so far too. Ive had a lot of compliments from people who hhave tried it so far. Funnyy how each batch is a little different. I boiled 55l off last night and got 1.75l of syrup. Pretty good yeiild from that batch, and its delish! Im outta here in the morning. Where you headed smokestack?? We're going to veradero. S.
SmokestackLightnin Posted March 31, 2015 Report Posted March 31, 2015 I am heading to Cayo Santa Maria, staying as the Iberostar Ensenachos
Sinker Posted April 1, 2015 Report Posted April 1, 2015 Sweet! Bring some tackle! See yas in a week. S.
Rod Caster Posted April 2, 2015 Author Report Posted April 2, 2015 Half my trees started yesterday! Dripping at a good pace. I imagine it'll run today and tomorrow then lock up for the weekend again
Beavertail Posted April 2, 2015 Report Posted April 2, 2015 (edited) So my trees have been flowing really good the last couple days here in the KW area...I've got about 80L and I started boiling today. I have no idea what I'm doing but it seems like a great way to kick off the long weekend! I'm using a burner from a Turkey fryer, seems to be working out pretty good so far. Edited April 2, 2015 by Beavertail
TJQ Posted April 2, 2015 Report Posted April 2, 2015 Just starting here... and it snowed 3 inches last night.. http://howtomakemaplesyrup.com/maplesyrupjournal/2015/04/01/the-storm-before-the-calm-before-the-storm/ Got a new steam hood in though!! Gonna put a full 4x8 sheet of galvanized on the wall behind as well! Gonna look like a kitchen.. which it kinda is i guess!
Rod Caster Posted April 2, 2015 Author Report Posted April 2, 2015 So my trees have been flowing really good the last couple days here in the KW area...I've got about 80L and I started boiling today. I have no idea what I'm doing but it seems like a great way to kick off the long weekend! I'm using a burner from a Turkey fryer, seems to be working out pretty good so far. Haha, nice. Same as me last year. I'm using two turkey fryer burners this year...next year I should have a good fire pit built.
Rod Caster Posted April 2, 2015 Author Report Posted April 2, 2015 This tap leaked a lot, so I hung this little wire and it now drips into the bucket.
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