Time to start tapping?

[jimmol]

This is my second year getting back into maple syrup and here in Michigan the weather is unseasonably warm with nights below freezing and days 30 to 40 degrees. Usually I wait until the end of February to tap but with the weather as such, I tapped 6 trees this afternoon and 4 were dripping away.

Anyone see any problem with that?

[halladaymaple]

well first off its not maple season no matter how warm it gets during the day. the sugar contenet of the sap will be very low, test it if you wish, secondly the process of creating sap in the roots of the trees is something that is dependent on 2 things, time and temperature - neither of which there has been enough of to produce quality sap. Put the drill away until late feb or when ever the average date is for producers in your area to start tapping. You would be wasting your time and damaging the trees needlesly only to have to retap them in 2 months time.

all the best to you in Michigan

Darrell

[spencer11]

i tapped 3 trees yesterday and it didnt get above freezing. today it got to about 40 and one a little bit of sap i just need enough sap to test for the sugar content and i will let you know.

spencer

[mountainvan]

test tap 2% sugar in the Catskills. last year it never got above 1.8 % for me. 3 gals sap collected and boiled down to a nice light amber. with the antimicrobial spiles reaming is obsolete. if the weathers good I say tap away. it may hit 70 in march and end the season early like 2 years ago.

[Tweegs]

End of Feb or very early March around here. I wouldn't go any sooner than that.

[gator330]

As much as I hate to say this I was doing some logging today in my woods and yes I cut down a big maple tree. It was right for the mill and there are a lot more around it that need the room. As soon as the saw hit that stump she was running a full stream of sap. The past two years its been hard to make syrup. A lot more going on around here then I have time for!!!!! I must say seeing that sap run shure has the maple bug buzzing in my head!

[spencer11]

i got enough sap to test the sugar content from the 3 trees i tapped. i used the new sap hydrometer i got from leader and it read 2.8-3%...which i really dont think is right for this time of the season???

spencer

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

I tapped 7 yesterday, got a gallon or so, and tested at 1.5% +
I wont be trying anymore until mid february.
What can I now do with the tapped trees now? Let them heal slightly, and just redrill the same hole or leave them in until the right time?

[mountainvan]

if it stays warm and the saps flowing make some syrup. you can concentrate the sugar by letting it freeze some in a bucket and keep the liquid in the center. if it gets cold and it stops flowing it should start again when it warms up. I've had my test tap flow into march.

[GramaCindy]

I tapped 7 yesterday, got a gallon or so, and tested at 1.5% +
I wont be trying anymore until mid february.
What can I now do with the tapped trees now? Let them heal slightly, and just redrill the same hole or leave them in until the right time?
Dr. Tim says never to "redrill" a tap. Those trees need a year to heal. Tap others instead.

[Beweller]

Has anyone tried this?

When a tap dries up with season still to go, drill a new tap hole maybe one or two inches directly above or below the dried-up tap. This increases the ultimate wound by just a couple of inches in height, minor change, and doesn't change the width.

???

[Rossell's Sugar Camp]

i would never do that to my trees. I would ream out the holes before doing that! it almost sounds unhealthy for the tree.

[jimmol]

Finally was able to get the equipment to measure the sugar.

3 trees were 2.1 to 2.3%

The other three were 1.5 to 1.7.

Time to pull the taps.

Thanks for all your input.

[jimmol]

With the 18 gallons of sap from my feeble attempt at starting the season way too early, I have my first batch of syrup done.

I let the 5 gallon buckets freeze outside and the sugar content just about doubled in the remaining liquid. Then I fired up my cinder and cement block arch (need to redesign it a bit) and boiled away. 8 hours for the first third, then 13 for the rest with a bit more wood. Since I usually finish on the stove, I had two 5 cup batches with a reading around 40, and one 3 cupish with a reading of 60. I did the 3 cups and now have about 2 cups of syrup.

It registered 66.9 on my Milwaukee Digital Refractometer.

The remainder is in the frig and will be tomorrows project.

Just can't wait for the real tapping season to come, if my trees make it through the winter...

[Redmaple]

I'm tapping in two weeks on vacuum. Just following what the big guys do in my area.;)