77 Sunset Strip ?
No, 77 total boils for the 2024 maple syrup season. Each boil started with 4 liters of sap so 308 liters. That's a little over 81 gallons processed, resulting in over 20 pints of syrup. The final boil resulted in about 5 oz. of 66% syrup, almost perfect.
For next season I might do some tree work to enhance the "sugar bush" - maybe cut down some of the trees around the maples, many of the surrounding trees are diseased beech anyway.
Also, want to nail down the distilling process, dial it in for both the input quantity of sap and the output measurement of the distilled water. At the end of this year I was able to avoid the dreaded flip-offs while still getting syrup close to the ideal of 67%.
It is harder than I first thought to measure the sap accurately or maybe more importantly, measure it consistently. I was considering a graduated pitcher or graduated cylinder but a more accurate/repeatable way might be to use a vinegar jug or Erlenmeyer flask - something with a tapered neck - the level difference between 127 or 128 ounces of liquid is easier to see on a narrow neck than on a wide pitcher.
Anyway, this year was a success, I've got plenty of maple syrup ! AND still over 40 gallons of distilled water.
Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm
For next season I might do some tree work to enhance the "sugar bush" - maybe cut down some of the trees around the maples, many of the surrounding trees are diseased beech anyway.
Also, want to nail down the distilling process, dial it in for both the input quantity of sap and the output measurement of the distilled water. At the end of this year I was able to avoid the dreaded flip-offs while still getting syrup close to the ideal of 67%.
It is harder than I first thought to measure the sap accurately or maybe more importantly, measure it consistently. I was considering a graduated pitcher or graduated cylinder but a more accurate/repeatable way might be to use a vinegar jug or Erlenmeyer flask - something with a tapered neck - the level difference between 127 or 128 ounces of liquid is easier to see on a narrow neck than on a wide pitcher.
Anyway, this year was a success, I've got plenty of maple syrup ! AND still over 40 gallons of distilled water.
Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm
