sistersville tap

[Edward Howell]

We have been having ideal sugar weather last 2 weeks , high 20s at nite and 45 even 50 daytime , always wonder if you should wait to tap :cool: .....

[Rossell's Sugar Camp]

I was thinking the same thing but i know better. and besides that I am no where near ready. There was a sugar maple that had some kind of growth on the side i saw yesterday and it was pouring sap.

[220 maple]

Edward,
I agree it's been ideal sugaring weather since the first of Nov. at my location. Everytime I'm in the the woods the trees are leaking either from broken twigs or sap sucker birds. Hopefully we will get some cold weather, if not I don't have high hopes for anything.

Nark 220 Maple

[Edward Howell]

Mark ?
Why are worried about the freeze issue ? Are you having no sub 32 deg ?

[220 maple]

Edward,
We had 11 degrees Monday mourn. The issue is the high temps, 63 today, two weeks ago it was 73 degrees, Walnut, Hickorys and pear trees that are ready to pop open. I actually seen a Silver Maple that had opened some of the buds. I heard that the guys who tap red maples in Somerset County Pa. are concerned because the buds are already swelled. I suspect the bud sap is up in some of the Sugars, Ivan Puffenbarger told me he got a call from someone in the Charleston, WV area who has already tapped and said is syrup is off flavor. I'm not surprised about that at all. Ivan in all his years of making syrup has not seen weather like this. I'm sure we will get some nice freezes in Feb. The bigger question is how many days of 60s,70s and possibly an 80 throw in to make Al happy.

Mark 220 Maple

[Edward Howell]

My alamo surge started making unplesant noises and sure enough the needle bearing had passed on , and it took the hardnened 1.375 shaft
with it . So , .. a new 1.250 bearing and seal , turn 58 rc shaft to 1.2500 , polish and reassemble , about 20 seconds to read the post and 10 hours to do the work . But.... she purrs like a kitten and holds 3 inches more vacuum. I bought it used 15 years ago for 100.00 bucks , would not really be right to fuss about it dying :) There was no lube or grase fitting , I installed a zurk so the new bearing can be greased , odd , ... the flat is on the casting for a grease port but surge never tapped at the factory . Go figure .....

[Edward Howell]

Finishing this boil and listening to peepers out side in the puddles , these two things cannot continue happening together for very long .....

[220 maple]

Edward,
I agree on the peepers, but the temps keep dropping into the low twentys and the syrup is not buddy yet, or it wasn't Thusday night. It might be now? If it is buddy we still make it I have been able to sale every drop I have ever made and don't believe I will have any problem this year either.

Mark 220 Maple

[Edward Howell]

OK , I have a quart of no 7 and will spend today starting the dreaded cleanup , I HATE cleaning :( never knew when I started making syrup all those years ago that I would spend all this time with scalding water) Nothin but a wash woman , oh well , if you want beautiful syrup the equipment must be spotless , squekkly , shiny clean !