[Syrupmakers] sorghum and Frost

[Keith Kinney]

We'll tomorrow, Saturday, is the day.  Last weekend we got the 
furnace set up, the mill set up and the engine hooked up.  It was 
supposed to get down to 25 degrees last night so we went out after 
dark and cut about a 1/2 pickup load of cane.  With any luck tomorrow 
we will grind and cook some Sorghum.
Thanks for everyone's advice.  I'll let you know how it turns out.
Keith


At 08:17 PM 10/27/2006, you wrote:
>Keith,
>
>Just checking to ask how your cane looks?  If you had a hard
>freeze that lasted several hours, I would be a little leery of it
>still being good.  If I were you, I would squeeze a gallon of it
>and cook it on the stove before going through the trouble of
>stripping grinding and cooking.  I made a whole batch several
>years ago that hadn't frozen, but was way past maturity, and
>it wasn't worth wasting a buttered biscuit on.  I learned then
>that it was a good idea to make a test cooking to be sure the
>juice was still good.
>
>Just a few days ago, Morris Bitzer sent a message to some of us
>which contained a little blurb that might explain the problem.
>
>I quote:
>
>"I have had several calls about the frost or cold weather which
>we got. We got down to 30 to 32 and out leaves are still mostly
>green with some darkness to them where they were lightly frosted.
>It takes 26 to 28 degrees for up to 4 hours to really do you
>damage. If you get what you think is a killing, then cut and
>squeeze in less than 48 hours. A hard freeze will usually turn the
>leaves almost white."
>
>Take care.
>
>Ken
>
>
> > [Original Message]
> > From: Keith Kinney <kkinney at herculesengines.com>
> > To: <syrupmakers at syrupmakers.net>
> > Date: 10/26/2006 9:30:59 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Syrupmakers] sorghum  and Frost
> >
> > I need some expert advise.  We had a light frost a couple of weeks
> > ago that killed the leaves of our Sorghum Cane.  Night before last we
> > got down to 28 degrees.  It will be another week before we will have
> > a chance to harvest and cook.  Will the cane/juice be any good?
> > Thanks.
> > Keith
> >
> >
> >
> > Keith Kinney
> > Evansville, Indiana  USA
> > www.HerculesEngines.com
> >
> > ____________________________________________________
> > If you grow sorghum and are not a member of the NSSPPA
> > please check us out at: http://www.ca.uky.edu/nssppa/
> > Syrupmakers archives are located at:
> > http://lists.syrupmakers.net/pipermail/syrupmakers/
> > ____________________________________________________
>
>
>
>____________________________________________________
>If you grow sorghum and are not a member of the NSSPPA
>please check us out at: http://www.ca.uky.edu/nssppa/
>Syrupmakers archives are located at:
>http://lists.syrupmakers.net/pipermail/syrupmakers/
>____________________________________________________

Keith Kinney
Evansville, Indiana  USA
www.HerculesEngines.com