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View Full Version : Did I pull taps too soon?



SevenCreeksSap
03-19-2011, 10:52 PM
In reading these Ohio posts, I guess the answer seems to be no. We're in east central Oh and new to this hobby, second year. Started great with golden results and ended with darker, which is usual according to all I've read here. Boiling my last sap tonight as I pulled all my taps today (10 taps) and ended up with about 2 gallons. I'm really happy with that since last year we got 1 1/2 pints.
Started like everyone else on a turkey fryer and this year built a barrel evaporator. I can already foresee spending time this year building a real evaporator and spending some $ on a real pan and real supplies. I'm hooked!! Can someone explain why you get more into this the more you do it?

Doing this really pulled me out of the winter blues this year. We recently obtained 20 acres of land that was logged before we bought it, and the good Amish logger left us mostly Maples on the land and more firewood than I can burn before it rots. I guess it will need to be a big evaporator:D.
I'm chainsawing all the time making space for a sugar shack, and now all of the land plans are with an eye towards a sugarbush. Elms are going with ropes to keep the small Maples intact.
A big thanks to all of you for the information I've learned here just by your willingness to discuss sugaring. This is the friendliest site I get onto. I also fish, and the fishermen arent always as forthcoming with help.
Thanks for reading my long first post. If anyone is going to be selling a 2 x 4 pan with dividers/draw off/ preheater pan, I'm really interested.

2011- 10 taps on 7 yard trees - 2 gallons
2012 - Lord willing- shooting for 50 taps, gravity with tubing, new evaporator, and a sugarhouse. 20 gallons?? 30??
God Bless America

Kev
03-19-2011, 10:59 PM
cause its addictive is the only answer I have for you.

woodburner
03-20-2011, 10:42 AM
We all second guess ourselves, did I tap to soon? to late? Did I quit to soon? My long suffering wife is hearing it all the time. I think it goes with the territory. The good news is after a week or two you forget all about it and move on to getting ready for next year. My trees are down for next year so I will clean up and start moving and splitting wood for next year.

maple marc
03-24-2011, 01:53 AM
Seven Creeks, good for you! Sounds like you have a nice woods for expansion. Don't box yourself in with small gear--aim high! If you are like the rest of us, you'll want to keep growing.

driske
03-24-2011, 02:03 AM
Go for it Sevens; There's few things in life more gratifying than nurturing a woodlot to become a sugar bush.

SevenCreeksSap
03-24-2011, 09:10 PM
I never thought of hours (years?) of chainsawing as "Nurturing", but that is a good way to look at it. I am already looking at going bigger. Scoping out a fuel tank now for next years evaporator and looking through leader catalogs at the real evaps. One step at a time I guess.