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who's ready to make some maple syrup?

Started by ryguy777, February 24, 2014, 01:58:14 PM

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Chuck White

Sap's running pretty good right now, so we'll be out gathering again in about another hour!

Looks like another 500 gallon gather!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

GAB

To All:
Do not freeze maple syrup in glass jars unless it is at 39 when hot on the syrup hydrometer.
If you do the probability of broken jars is better than 1 to 2.
Of course the freezer temperature will affect the outcome to a certain extent.
Don't ask me how come I know.
Like someone else said just can it, and put it away in a safe place.
Gerald
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

thecfarm

The wind blew here for 2 days. A cold wind too. I MIGHT of got a ½ quart with 10 taps. Oh well,there is always next year.  ;D
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

JohnM

Sad day today...I pulled my taps. :( ;D :D  Boiled all ALL day, started around noon and just poured the sap/syrup into kettles, for finishing inside tomorrow, at 9:30pm. :o  Have to stop, it's just taking up too much time.

Still have probably 8-10 gallons of sap, supposed to pour rain here tomorrow so will try to boil it off Wed.  If I can't boil it then I'll have to call it a season and dump it as it's starting to cloud up.  Had hoped for around 5gal of syrup but will likely end up with around 3.5-4. 
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

Chuck White

Today was not a good boil day, overcast all day!

We'll gather in the morning and see where it goes from there!

I'm thinking the sugaring will be done maybe as early as this weekend!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

thecfarm

Done is right,nothing here for 2 days. We did not even get a gallon. But boy did we have fun!!!!
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Alcranb

March 30th was the last day for me. About the latest I can recall. Made a gallons worth which should last till next year. This years syrup is about the darkest I've ever made and last years was by far the most amber. What a difference a year makes!
"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.  (Mark Twain)

Chuck White

Quote from: Alcranb on April 08, 2014, 08:50:05 AM
March 30th was the last day for me. About the latest I can recall. Made a gallons worth which should last till next year. This years syrup is about the darkest I've ever made and last years was by far the most amber. What a difference a year makes!


I agree, We made quite a bit last year that was "fancy", almost no color to it!

After we got going, we made a lot of "medium amber"!

Totaled out last year at just over 150 gallons!

This year we started out making "medium amber" and after about 2 weeks we got 2 days worth of "light amber", then right back to the medium.
Today we went over 85 gallons!

So because of the screwy weather, we are way down in production!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

loggah

I,m glad i didn't tap this year, the long range forecast is for warm days and nights!!! i'd say the short season is about over here. All the guys i have talked to are way back in production,and all the syrup is pretty dark. Well i have a full woodshed for next year !! ;D
Interests: Lombard Log Haulers,Tucker Sno-Cats, Circular Sawmills, Shingle Mills, Maple Syrup Making, Early Construction Equipment, Logging Memorabilia, and Antique Firearms

JohnM

I didn't realize the color could vary this much year to year (only our second year).  Like Chuck said, our first batch last year was nearly clear, finished yesterdays boil today (7quarts 8) ;D) and it's nearly black.  Definitely like the late stuff better.
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

Chuck White

Still tastes good, doesn't it John!   :)
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

JohnM

Quote from: Chuck White on April 09, 2014, 08:33:32 AM
Still tastes good, doesn't it John!   :)
Ayuh, you know it does, bub! ;) ;D :D  (it ain't like any of it is bad :D)
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

Chuck White

Just got it figured up what we made yesterday, 9+ gallons!

I think we are at 93 gallons, total now!

Saps not running today, maybe tomorrow!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

loggah

supposed to be cold tonight, that should make it run tomorrow.
Interests: Lombard Log Haulers,Tucker Sno-Cats, Circular Sawmills, Shingle Mills, Maple Syrup Making, Early Construction Equipment, Logging Memorabilia, and Antique Firearms

Chuck White

Well, I guess our plan for tomorrow is to gather whatever is there and pull the spouts.

Done for another year.

Lots of firewood left over!

Now it's time to get the sawmill ready!  8)
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

GDinMaine

I have not had time to boil in a few days and the sap is getting cloudy. Has been sitting since last weekend.  How long can I keep it?  I have enough to make it worth boiling but I will not have the time until Saturday.
It's the going that counts not the distance!

WM LT-40HD-D42

GAB

GDinMaine: Unless the temp has been below freezing for 80+% of the time since you last boiled I would pull the plug unless you want to make vinegar.
That is my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
As a matter of fact I dumped some tonight that was newer than what you described.
Gerald
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

Chuck White

Taste it, if it's still sweet to the taste, boil it!

If it has an "off" taste, dump it!

Understand though, if it's cloudy, it will make darker syrup.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

JohnM

Boiled off the last of our sap today, got two more quarts for a grand total of 4 1/3gal for the season.  Had hoped for 5 plus but we'll survive. ;D

GD, ours was starting to cloud as well, but as Chuck said, it was still sweet and turned out just fine.  Just keep it as cool as possible til Sat.
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

thecfarm

I would expect the batch she is finishing off right now will be out last. Here I go again with the man oh man,oh man oh man. That smells mighty good.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Chuck White

All of the sap was gathered today and they (I had to be someplace else) boiled it down and got a little over 7 gallons.

Tomorrow we'll pull all of the spouts and pick up the buckets and wash them and in the meantime, we'll also be draining the sap from the back pan and filling the pan with water, and finish all of the boiling in the front pan!

So, We'll finish out with over 100 gallons!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Chuck White

Finished the season with 102.5 gallons!

Our first day of actual boiling was the 12th of March and today, the 13th of April  was out last!

Not really a good season, but better than it was looking like!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

OH Boy

Quote from: Chuck White on April 13, 2014, 05:42:04 PM


Not really a good season, but better than it was looking like!

I agree. I'm still finishing and bottling but its turning out to be better than I thought it would at the beginning.

Chuck White

Once we were tapped, we had a one month and one day sugaring season and got 2/3 of what we got last year in a season that lasted over 2 months, so in a funny kind of way, we're ahead of last year!  :-\
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

thecfarm

JohnM,you should've kept your taps in.  :D Just a kidding. You have way more than I do. I got my normal 3 gallons a day of sap for 2 days. That would be Thursday and today.It looks good,clear,smells good. The maples are not all budded out strong. I can see some red just on the tops down the road. I won't be bragging more until I boil it down. I froze it up for now. I will see how it comes out next week. Getting ready for the Big Dinner on Sunday.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

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