Northern Vermont

[Daren]

I took a walk in the woodlot today to flag some trees for next years firewood and noticed a couple of the red maples that I normallly tap had budded during that warm spell throughout Janurary. It has since gotten very cold as many of you know, with several nights this past week below zero and highs in the low 20's. Am I out of luck for tapping this year because some of the trees already budded, or will the new cold snap completely reset the process? I do not want to ruin any good sap I may be able to collect, but if I can not tap the reds, I will probably not be able to boil this year :cry: If I am not able to collect on my property, i may have to haul it in from a friends place. Not an easy process as I do not own a truck tank! Anyone out there have any input? Are all the reds that have budded so far out of the question? Once again I need the input from the pros on MapleTrader.com. :cry:

[Al]

Hi Daren, don't have an answer but the Procter Research Center may have. There under the UVM home page. Just looked at the weather an two days in the forties have me itching. You can see my sugarhouse from the road coming down it but not up it. I'm at 1334 Pumpkin Village Rd. You and Nick should get together an come on up. Give me a call I'm in the book. Take care,

[Daren]

I will take a look at the website to see if there is any info. I have met Nick on one other occaision at another friends (and mapletrader). I think an attack enmasse to your place is a great idea....not sure what that might do to the property values though.... :lol:

[Daren]

I looked at the proctor site and did not come up with anything. I might post this question outside of the vermont tapping site to see if anyone else might have some input on should I or shouldn't I.

ps. whats with the 36 degrees outside right now.....at almost midnight. I need more COLD....or gotta get drillin'. :?

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

A guy that i know in the Jericho area has made 5- 55 gal. barrels so far. I'm not sure of the grade or the sugar content, but he does have around 11,000 taps or so. But this cold weather we're having now should set those buds back a bit. I wish everybody an excellent season!! :D

[Lance]

Daren - If the Proctor site didn't have the info you're looking for on the red maple question, give 'em a call. I think their phone # is on their website. I've called 'em before about a bunch of different stuff and they've always been helpful. Good luck!

[Mike]

Started tapping today.....Got 3/4 done......Used a 18 volt DeWalt drill.works pretty good.......Will finish tomorrow and will hook up the vacum this weekend...OH YEA!!!!!!!! The SAP was running some today...... :D :D

[Daren]

Thats great mike! you'll be boilin in no time....

[Mike]

Finshed tapping yesterday..... :D ....The sap was running again!!!! Hope to have vacum hooked up the weekend.....Will add another 80 or so taps next week......Weather looks cold up till next thursday.....

[Daren]

How much sap did you collect? Did it run well, or just a teaser?

[Mike]

Daren, It wasnt a bad run... It would of been a good one if my vacum was hooked up.....What did run we let run on the ground...... 8O ....Stop in some time and check it out.....

[mapleman3]

Mike... Fired up ole Alice tonight and she's purring like a kitten, running 180 gals through her tonight hoping for a small drawoff.... you get to fire up the big girl yet? you must have test fired??

[Mike]

Jim, Havent fired up yet....Looks like this comming weekend. There calling for 40 and rain.. :D :D ....The vaccum is all hooked up, just have to fire it up and chek for leaks in the lines.....hope to add another 75 or so taps next week.....Have a great season,...... Ill keep ya posted...Mike

[Mike]

Had my first boil monday......boiled some today and made about 22 gals for 2 days....not bad for the first boil........

[Mike]

Im at 100 gals.....The vacuum pump is sure paying off..The releaser was dumping every 2-3 mins.......Thats good for less then 700 taps....Looks like another 1500 gals or so for tomorrow....Hey Daren, I talked to Ben yesterday and he told me he boiled with you....Ill have to stop in some time to check out your set up......Mike

[Mike]

Looks like its done..........120 gals....Not a bad year considering...Now for the clean up and grading the sugar house road.....Looks like I'll have to had more taps for next year and get another oil barrel....... 8O 8O ...

[Al]

Wow! That's not bad at all. Do you think that with this snow we might get another run? That's what they're saying at work. I think we're done except for the clean up.
Take care,

[Mike]

I agree with you Al........Made some dark stuff on the last boil...I dont see it getting lighter......Any other thoughts on this!!!!!!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Snow is the best thing you can get in the late season. If it gets cold enough, you could be making light syrup after it warms back up. I looked at the 10 day for Franklin this afternoon when Mike said he was quitting and it doesn't look very warm. Not much freezing, but it could very well get a lot colder than that. A few inches of snow and the trees will run like mad. A lot of work to quit now, sure wouldn't hurt to wait another 7 to 10 days. Grade B is selling as good as other grades for table syrup and is at a premium wholesale along with C. It appears the crop this year nationwide is well below average and there is already a big demand for every grade. The US syrup market should be dry by the end of this year unless there is a good amount more to be made. 1 more good run could make it a good season for a lot of people!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mike,

Are you holding out for more sap? In 20's three of next six nights. :?

[Mike]

Brandon, Id like to get another big run but my problem is I have very little oil left and the road isn't good enough for a oil truck to drive up.....I havent any way of bringing oil up.....I will be getting another oil barrel for next year.... 8) ....... Its a learning curve this sugaring fever......

[Al]

HI Mke, Brannons and Horiwgans are still aboiling. My Dad got back from Fl. yesterday and we're going to try a boil tomorrow. Buckets are full some look good some look a little cloudy. We're going to give it a shot since we haven't done much clean up yet.
Take care

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Al,

Boil everything, you should make med or Dark and worst B. The last 12 gallons I canned were B with a medium flavor. :D

[Mike]

Hey Al, Let me know what you get for sugar content?????

[nmerritt]

Sap is running like crazy in Fletcher. Both pipes and buckets are running steady. Nice clear stuff, hope to boil out some of the darker stuff I have in the rig and bring my grade back to med. Last time we checked the sugar content it was 1.7-1.9% which isn't too bad

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Nick,

Enjoyed all your pics and you have a really nice place. Love the rocks on the property and the house looks really nice.

It is a shame that both of us have piece of junk evaporators. 8O Guess we need to start the JUNK EVAPORATOR CLUB! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[nmerritt]

A really expensive one at that!!!

[Al]

Hi Mike, just about like Nick's place.
Take care

[SteveD]

Nick....

Is your evaporator one of the WSEs? Is it a 2x6 or 2x8..and how did you like its performance this year? I'm considering the possibility of a larger evaporator sometime...

Thanks ...Steve

[Sugarmaker]

Nick,
Very nice pictures. Your sugarhouse and set up is top notch. Keep up the good work! What a view from the sugarhouse!
Brandon I haven't been following all the junk evaporator comments, but both you guys have very nice outfits!. :!: (don't look at my old cobbled up rig)
Regards,
Chris

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Chris,

You have an very nice rig and an awesome job at restoring it. Couple yahoos on here made the comment that Leader was junk and the people that worked there were basically stupid.

It is one thing to criticize a manufacture or not like there products, it is another thing to call everything they make junk. I am still proud of Amercican made stuff and we could be living in socialism instead of our freedom. I am not advocating Leader nor do I think anything they make is better than everyone else.

God bless America and American made stuff and thank God we are free and don't live in socialism! :D

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

I'm Guessing also what they might be refering to is if you read the Leader motto- When you buy our products, you get our people too/ But they forgot ot tell you your paying bigtime to feed them also? Myself i don't see how they stay in business with their sky high prices.

I was looking at this copy of a Fax send from Brad at Leader to an acquaintaince sugarmaker i know in Alaska(Michael East) Kahiltna birchworks last fall and i almost crap'd my pants looking at the "Discount" leader was going to give them for buying all the stuff (Around $100,000 worth) to set-up an larger birch operation and even with the discount i could go and buy this stuff locally off a dealer and get it cheaper by 5-10% and so i advised them to shop around if there wise.

The question is= where is the quality conserns (craftsmanship/quality of work performed) other then the pans are short-Yes they could be taller.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Kevin,

I am not advocating anyone buy Leader or anything else. If I had to buy another evaporator now, I may very well buy a Lapierre. Just sorta unkind to say that half of the evaporators owned by members on here are junk. 8O I have never heard that Leader motto before, didn't really know they had anything. Yeah, I agree they are expensive, but it is like most of the things you own. Go to the store and find two tools, ones made in China or Tawain are much cheaper than the American tool beside them. It is a no brainer that things can be made cheaper in Canada. I have a 320 gallon Lapiere feed tank and love it and I am buying a Lapierre filter press off of the maple guys because the price is a lot better than anyone else. :)

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

That's it- If the quality is the same i'd go with the lower price everytime as if you can save $100 here and there on every purchase it's more $ in your pocket then in theirs. More goodies you can buy later with the savings.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Let each buy what he wants to buy and leave it at that, don't go criticizing someone else or what they bought. Freedom of choice is what makes this country great! :D :D :D

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I apologize for comments made earlier that shouldn't have been said, mainly referring to the word "yahoo". :oops:

[Mike]

Looks like i'll be tapping this week....Hope to be all tapped by Friday....RO and generator will be installed this weekend.....Will be adding 100 more taps....Should bring me up to 900 taps and hope to add 500/600 more next year on a new vaccum line at the sugar house....Will like the idea of the sap going straight to the Sugar House.....Any one else up here done any tapping?????

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

I'm going to try to get all my tubing tapped by thursday ish, then worry about the buckets a little later. I don't have many of them, but the ones I do have will certainly be worth doing. And by having less of them, I can wait until the weather is ready.

Maplwrks, What are you thinking?

[Valley View Sugarhouse]

Sounds like you are all on the same schedule as myself.. I am going to start next saturday with mine. (hopefully if the high paid help pulls through I will have all of them done by saturday night)

[mapleman3]

Hey Mike.. Hows it going? Hows the place holding up? road opened up for the oil truck LOL

Ole Alice was pumping out some steam today with a test boil and the new hood and preheater.. I'm keeping your ole girl in shiney new condition!

[Pete33Vt]

Hopeing to plug mine in by the end of the week and do a test boil sometime this week also. If not next week for sure.

[Mike]

Hey Jim!!! I opened up the road yesterday with the Massey.....Ya gotta love a heated cab.....Where almost ready to go.....Waiting for a 230 gal SS feed tank.....Switching everything over to SS.......So ya got a Hood for the OLE girl.....You'll like that!!! You'll have plenty of hot water for sure....How many are you tapping this year?? I see some of the Maplers are seeing buds on some of the trees....Looks like it may be a short season......At least with the RO I can make some C grade...They pay pretty good for a barrel of it....Should pay for next years oil.....Later...............Mike

[Mike]

Trees are all tapped.............................Let the sap run......

[Mike]

Darren, It was just a teaser......We let it run on the ground to clean the lines out....Looks like it will start this saturday, and next week looks good....Any one up this way going to the Franklin Fire depts breakfast this sunday?????

[Daren]

Hi Mike. I got 72 taps in yesterday and the last 6 in this morning. I gave another buddy 8 of my 7/16 taps to hang on his huge yard trees in So. Hero. He brings up the sap in a cooler. Anyway, most trees "seeped" when drilled yesterday and a few dripping, but not as much as I would have guessed with temps in the low 40's. Not sure I will have enough to boil in the morning monday. Might have to wait until tuesday morning. Set up the shack today. Also messed up my back a little fighting with a buried snowmachine. The wife is not going to be impressed with me. I hope today is the "teaser" and tomorrow runs like the winooski through montpelier. How did it run up your way today (sunday 11th).

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

trees are definately still frozen. this afternoon i was walking around fixing vacuum leaks, and for the hell of it i pulled a few taps on the end lines to see how the vacuum was at the end, and there was ice in the tree behind the taps. gonna take a few more days for 'em to wake up. But when they do, BE READY!!!

[Mike]

Darren, Its been running slow...I have 300 gals from yesteday and hope to pick up some more today....Might have enough to boil this afternoon of tomorrow!! Hows it running up your way??

[Mike]

Had 500 gals to boil....Made about 4 gals of med amber....I hear the sugar content is low....One guy had 1% ........I think he dumped it......Hopefully it will sweeten up some.....Got the RO all set up and now need some sap to run thru it.....