The unseasonably warm weather for March continues. The warm days have been very pleasant but the non-freezing nights have resulted in a rapid reduction in flow. The amount of sap is being measured in ounces per tap instead of the expected gallons. The volumes have been so meager that we have not been able to use the reverse osmosis or even the evaporator.
We have used a combination of techniques including ultrafiltration, refrigeration, and germicidal ultraviolet light to maintain the quality of our sap, until we have a large enough volume to process. When we eventually fire up the evaporator, we'll see if these techniques have been successful. If we are not satisfied with the quality of our syrup, we'll drain our entire system, power wash all equipment and start afresh.
The forecast for this weekend is for nights in the 20s which we will gladly welcome.