pulling taps?

[Brian Ledoux]

Hello,
Anyone in or around NH pulling taps yet? Would love to know when folks in NH/Mass start doing that this year...

I have several silver maples that have really big buds right now. I am worried about adding the sap from those trees to my good sap. DO NOT want any off flavor syrup again this year. Such a waste of time and energy. Any thoughts? Is it too early to be worrying about that yet? Thanks. -brian

[Dill]

I know I've had a hard freeze every night for the last week and it froze last night, and it looks like it will continue doing it for the next 10 days of forecast.

[PerryW]

i would pull the silver maple taps but definitely keep the other taps in. There is a silver maple in Franconia that has usually has flowers on it and I'm still boiling up a storm.
Hello,
Anyone in or around NH pulling taps yet? Would love to know when folks in NH/Mass start doing that this year...

I have several silver maples that have really big buds right now. I am worried about adding the sap from those trees to my good sap. DO NOT want any off flavor syrup again this year. Such a waste of time and energy. Any thoughts? Is it too early to be worrying about that yet? Thanks. -brian

Dill, somebody must be getting mega-sap runs south of me (or lower than 1000'). My taps really WANT to run but it hasn't been getting quite warm enough. A few of the warmer trees have gushed sap. At least maybe the people who had a lousy year (southern/central NH, etc) can make up for it this year.

[Dill]

I'm getting mega sap runs here. Yesterday the vac bush thawed out at 11:30 and I got 200 gallons by 5. The gravity taps are running good as well. Bucket trees are half to 3/4 a bucket a day. I've been swamped. Central NH is the place for sap right now. Even Lee which usually stops in 2 weeks is still running with no buds.
Right now its a 3 way attrition fest, what's going to give out first. Wood, willpower or weather. And I can tell you its not the weather.

[mlaird]

Hello,
Anyone in or around NH pulling taps yet? Would love to know when folks in NH/Mass start doing that this year...

I have several silver maples that have really big buds right now. I am worried about adding the sap from those trees to my good sap. DO NOT want any off flavor syrup again this year. Such a waste of time and energy. Any thoughts? Is it too early to be worrying about that yet? Thanks. -brian

Check out my thread here: http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=12334

I'm wondering the same thing as you. Check out my latest post to that thread with the photo of huge buds that are starting to open!

I decided to separate my silver maple sap from the reds, and while its flavor is a bit funny, it's not unpleasant, so I'll keep boiling it for now.

[TapME]

Right now its a 3 way attrition fest, what's going to give out first. Wood, willpower or weather. And I can tell you its not the weather.

after last year nothing is going to stop me. I love a nice fire and watching finished product come out. 2 cords left and one to be split(was for this coming year). I am getting my second wind about now.

[morningstarfarm]

pulled most of mine last week...but it was not because of poor sap run...NHpete is still collecting from about 20-25 taps here if front of the house..by all acounts its still running well..he told me last night he had around 60 gals this week to boil today...

[The Butcher]

Hey Brian,
How many did you end up pulling?

I thought I was done but this last cold spell has the buckets overflowing again.
I think I am boiling last time on Tuesday then pulling them!!

Best year so far for me.

[backyard sugaring]

Pulled my taps today, sap is still flowing but, I am tired and out of bottles. Made close to 6 gallons. Thank you Mapletrader for all your good advice. I now can consider myself a Sugarmaker.

[Brian Ledoux]

Dumped the sap in my silver maple taps on 3/25. Did not use any sap from these trees after 3/23 or so. Some of the silvers were clearly budding and the sap even had a different odor. No need to chance it.

Stopped collecting completely on thursday of last week. Boiled all I had thursday night and ended season with about 21 gallons. Was a good year for me. Sap is still running but am too tired to keep going! My full time job, lack of helpers, and the 5 hour collection route became too much to keep going! Was good while it lasted. Now I will try and sell some of my finished product, which teastes amazing. I think my grandfather's norway maples add a really nice flavor to my syrup!

[Mac_Muz]

Tamworth is slowing I guess. I pulled one tap last week, and dumped the reddish stuff in 2 buckets. A double tree seems to have quit running, but the other half is running good still.

I am hoping for one more good run for B, and have better than half a barrel of sap for it now.

37 taps, down to 36.

Since i do batches I'm in it till the end.

Last year for kicks i let the trees bud out, the sap turned yellow and I boiled some black stuff of it. My wife loves that black syrup too. Is that Grade C?

[red maples]

I am starting to pull taps today. If the rain holds out!!! alot of the red buds are really getting big. some getting ready to pop I am sure they will this week temps in the 50's here.

[Gary in NH]

I pulled mine on Sunday (4-3). Some of the bigger trees hadn't done anything for over a week and a half. Late starters were making up for the difference. Only three taps out of 46 were getting cloudy. No nights in the forecast for temps much below freezing so I decided call it a season.

[Mac_Muz]

It's runnin in the rain today in Tamworth. For a few days it looks bad, but who knows.. then another brief 3 days cold snap. Com'on Sap!

I got better than 40 gallons to boil in a barrel, and would like to make at least 1 more gallon.