Anyone tapping

[twitch]

Has any one tapped or thinking about it what do you think about the long term weather report

[500592]

I have been thinking about it but I am not ready.

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

I tapped 22 a few weeks ago, and boiled some. Today i just tapped the first bush i set up during the summer for 15+ taps. Its all tubing. I tapped them, made some corrections, and the sap poured in. Its only 38 or so, and I didnt expect them to run alot. I also believe I have natural vacuum! I could hear the hissing sound at 2 or3 of the taps, caused by the suction, and the sap was moving fast. I have 37 taps in now, and in a few days i hope to boil again. That bush of 15 has produced 2 gal of sap in the last 1 1/2 hr, while i was working with the lines.

[twitch]

just looked at the accuweather.com forecast and calling for 5 days in row week after this one. I think a gotta get my stuff ready in a hurry.

[gmcooper]

I have been in the woods the past several weekends running new tubing. The land owner has been out with me trimming and thinning anything he can as I work around the woods. He has cut a number of sugarmaple saplings and a few have weeped a bit of sap. It certainly has been wrm enough some of the days but very little sap from those. I have seen much more past years with sappling cut when we normally tap. I'm still looking at 3rd week in Feb as earliest start for me. We were just above 0 here this morning.

[Maple Ridge]

I put in a test tap yesterday and Sap was running good @ 2%. With the weather the way it is going to be this week, Looks like the first run will happen. Cooling off this weekend. The wife and I will be cleaning the sugar house, cleaning the holding tanks, running water through everything and doing a test boil to try out the new steam hood. I need to add a section to the smoke stack and the taps will go in Sunday.

[500592]

I am putting in my vac taps Sunday hopefully.

[Revi]

I checked the forecast and it does look good, but not good enough for us yet. If it keeps on warming up slowly it may be at the middle or end of February. If they predict a bunch of days of 40 degrees then we'll tap. That could happen any time soon.

[western mainer]

I think I'll wait a week or two. Here in the foothills it warms up slow in the day. last year was good for some but here on most days it didn't start running till 11:00 am.
Brian

[gmcooper]

I did hear tonight that one Southern Maine producer with a really early sugarbush is tapping. He is usually 2 weeks earlier than my location and also ends a couple weeks before I do.
I ordered another bunch of tubing today from F W Webb. Looks like my new sugarbush will be over the 300 taps I estimated.

[500592]

I saw some buckets hanging down near the ocean and another producer said that that location is two weeks earlier.

[Maple Ridge]

After seeing the weather for the next 7 days, I am second guessing myself. The sugarhouse will be ready this weekend for sure, just need to keep an eye on the weather for taping. Its all about timing, as we all know. Too earley and the trees will stop porducing before the last runs, too late and if it is a short season we miss out.

[chefchap]

So dusting off the winter and gettin ready to tap by next week temps r looking good here in Casco
Added a few more trees to the Mainline and rebuilt the evaporator did a test boil came out nice good to be back talking with all my other addicts lol hopefully will be a good year

[Maple Ridge]

How much truth do you think is in this old saying? Something I will take note of. But the old timers knew alot.
Wind from the west sap flows best.
Wind from the east sap flows least
Wind from the north sap flows forth
Wind from the south sap flows drouth

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

tapped another small line with 17 on it today. Hope it runs good, and they are all huge sugar maplesi believe, but what ever they are they are good size 3 taps each, and 5 in the one big one.
total count so far is 56 taps. I will wait a week or 2 to tap the other 50+. :)

[Gerryfamily5]

[QUOTE=gmcooper;175611]I did hear tonight that one Southern Maine producer with a really early sugarbush is tapping. He is usually 2 weeks earlier than my location and also ends a couple weeks before I do.
We did well yesterday. Drilled just over 1000 holes,900 more to go. The crazy part is even though it was 10 degrees early am, one small tree in the sun had thawed by 9am. Scrambled to ready things for collection, looks like 2 big days. Should have first boil Fri.pm.
The rest will have to wait,been hired to tap for 2 producers, so looks like by next week I will have drilled alot of holes. The 2012 season in southern ME is underway.

[gmcooper]

Gerryfamily, nice to hear tapping is going well. Weather should be good for you for a day or two. Just saw Sunday forecast of 18 degree high temp, That's not going to be fun finishing up last of my new tubing. Have a great season!

[Gerryfamily5]

Sap ran strong after lunch w/ brite sunshine. Collected about 750 gallons vac@ 26",Life is good. Will need to boil tommorow night.Sap tested 2%, not bad for this early.

[Cider Hill Maple Farm]

Not even close ready to tap.Long summer building a new garage, Sugarshack took a beating from a micro-burst this past year, during one of those storm warnings we as Mainers tend to ignore. Moved the shack of its foundation 8" and ripped old growth maples out by their roots. We might get a few taps in this year but a vacation for the family will more important. Besides I want to improve everything anyways. Good luck to all this year!! I look forward to reading all about the good and bad(hopefully not bad) days in the bush and shack.

[bees1st]

Long range weather looks like we could get a string of 4 days in the upper 30's next week.Ready to pull the trigger . May drill holes on Tuesday. This may change,know better Monday night.

[chefchap]

So tapped a new line today of 69 trees sap was running good
Going to tap big line on tues looks like a good year

[Gerryfamily5]

The first boil went well.Ended Fri. w/over 1700 gals. RO'd to 8%, boiled for 2 1/2 hrs made the first 20 gallons of the season.:) Flavor and color where great. Time to finish tapping, then bring on the BIGGGG SAP!

[abbott]

Well, looking at the forecast makes me awful tempted to start tapping, but it seems a bit early still. I'm in eastern Oxford county. Anyone in western/central maine tapping this week?

[davrhods]

tapped about 200 on sunday around 8 degrees still had acouple wet holes in the sun.will tap the rest on wednesday.

[Maple Ridge]

Tapped 108 on Sunday Will finish tapping Saturday. Looks like it will run this week for sure. Hope to have enough to sweeten the pans next Sunday.

[RickinFarmington]

Tapping 100 trees today in Farmingtion. The week is off to a good start from the weather perspective. Hope for first boil by weeks end,

[western mainer]

I started to tap yesterday, I'm looking for a early spring this year and I don't want to miss any runs.
Brian

[adk1]

that is what I am banking on here in NY

[twitch]

plan on tapping some on wednesday if I can get the day off. I am feeling a little sick :)

[FordHeritageFarm]

Do we think it's early for buckets with tubing into them? I was thinking of tapping some today.

[Revi]

I think we'll tap on Saturday. It looks like the season is starting up early. I hate to miss all the sap that may come in this week, but it just got warm today, so by Saturday it will be flowing for sure. We'll see what happens, but unless it shows a freeze up next week, we're going to be starting up.

[Sandy]

Tapping Wednesday here in Addison. Sunny spots are warm with coastal air. Can't wait to get boilin'!! :) Reef Point Farm

[chairman]

Rick, is it running, i'm tapping this weekend, its going to delay the launching.....;)

[FordHeritageFarm]

103 taps in Waterboro today. Got some good dripping right away even though air was a bit chill. I ran out of buckets, but that's a good thing!

[500592]

Got 30 taps in the other day gonna finish up in the next couple of days hope to boil Sunday

[baconfarm]

Bacon Farm in Sidney started tapping this past weekend and we are about 1000 done and another 2000 to go. Setting tanks and hooking up pumps and releasers friday and run the big grove of 1800 and see what happens.

[Lukie]

All tapped in Manchester Me 70 tapps in just waiting for a run

[tessiersfarm]

We're going to tap this weekend I guess.

[abbott]

I finished tapping my vacuum line this morning, about 570 taps so far. After everything ran on the ground for a while i started the pump at about 10:30 and checked for leaks. Had ~220 gallons by 5:30. Not bad considering no freeze last night. It certainly looks like its go time.

[Revi]

I just couldn't wait and tapped 7 bucket trees today. Only one was running, but that was no surprise since it didn't get below freezing last night here. I hope it does tonight. More fun to tap trees that are running.

We're going to tap the tubing trees tomorrow.

Who knows? We may have some to boil by next week some time if the weather holds up.

[tessiersfarm]

We just washed 150 buckets are going to tap the two woodlots tomorrow first AM. Another 50 or so buckets to wash tomorrow and tap trees in woods sunday morning. Will be our first year over 200 taps I think, we have come close several years but never went over.

[Gerryfamily5]

Finally finished tapping yesterday, never thought I would get it done. Had to boil several times, made 77 gals. of wonderful flavor syrup. Looks like good weather for the next week. Looks like the early start was a reality. Hope your tanks run over:)

[DIMariner]

Only had a chance to put in one tap- too many family commitments today- but it was running nicely. Hope to do 19 more on the Island and 10 in Searsport tomorrow.

[MainelyMaple]

Got 300 in today, most holes were dry. Will make more headway tomorrow hopefully get the vac going.

[Revi]

We tapped 200 today, and found all sorts of little fix ups to do. They weren't running, but tonight's freeze and tomorrow's temps may get them flowing. It was a nice day to be out in the woods. Sun, wind and still some snow on the ground to keep from getting muddy.

[tessiersfarm]

We put in a 120 yesterday and they were running a little at 8:00 AM, never went back to check but the rest will go in today.

[gmcooper]

Finished the pipeline in the new sugarbush yesterday. Ended up with 410 taps there. Started tapping at end of day, got 90 in with only a couple that dripped. About 1600 more to tap.

[Mike Wacker]

Total newbie. First "real" year at it. Put in 18 taps on a friends property and 4 on my little residential acre Friday evening. Saturday afternoon got 22 gallons off my friends and 1.5 from my 4????? Saturday morning I put in 11 taps on another property. Today sunday after a below freezing night I got 13gals from my friend's, 1/2 a gallon from the 4 on my yard and 1/2 a gallon out of the 11 taps I put in yesterday. I'm sure that's pretty confusing. But I'm REALLY confused by all these varitions.

[CPlace]

Tapped 45 trees today, many were running. Depending on the efficiency of my new homeade barrel stove evaporator, I may tap a few more next weekend.

[gmcooper]

400+ tapped, smaller trees were running better than the bigger trees.

[dadsmaplesugarshack]

WE TAPED ABOUT 300 TODAY ALL TAP HOLES WERE RUNNING 200 TO GO : :D SET TANKS WILL FINISH INSTALLING VAC SYSTEM AND NEW MAINLINE MONDAY LOOKS LIKE WILL HAVE TO BOIL BY THE END OF THE WEEK :o

[DIMariner]

Got "all" of mine in now- 30 taps, 20 on Deer Isle and 10 in Searsport. I have tubes drop into 5 gallon buckets. Nothing running yet, interested to see how today goes.

[Mike Wacker]

Total newbie, Totally confused. Tapped Friday afternoon. 28 or so that night. Fortish Saturday. Averaged 1 gallon per tap on spot that I had 18 taps in. Saturday night down to low 20's, Sunday up around forty, averaged 3/4 a gallon per tap. Sunday night again low 20's Monday up to around 42,3,4 or so, 1/2 a gallon per tap. Monday night down to 20. 40 at noon today. Not enough to even bother tipping the buckets. Was windy every day.

[hambone]

Mike, You are just learning how maple syruping goes. You think there are certain ways the trees are going to act and sometimes they act predictably. Other times they are totally unpredictable. You think there should have been a good run,NOT! You never know what you are going to find in your buckets until you look. Welcome to the magic of maple sugarin'.

[dadsmaplesugarshack]

ALL TAPED IN MAYBE 50 MORE BUCKETS FOR LUCK LOL STARTED VAC LATE TODAY TO CHECK FOR LEAKS ..... WE ONLY MISSED TWO TAPS BUCKETS ALL FROZEN :cry: NOW ITS TIME TO GET THE SUGAR HOUSE READY WASH TANKS CLEAN OUT ARCH CLEAN HOLDING TANKS FUEL UP THE TRACTOR AND THE TRUCKS ....... ITS TIME FOR THE SAP DANCE DADS ITCHEN TO BOIL :cool:

[justlookingon]

About 36 degrees here in Southern Aroostook yesterday with 10-12" of snow. Bored a couple of holes in different trees........dry! Guess it's still too early up here!

[Flat47]

About 36 degrees here in Southern Aroostook yesterday with 10-12" of snow. Bored a couple of holes in different trees........dry! Guess it's still too early up here!

Indeed. We're thinking maybe this weekend. Still, the 10 day forecast looks like it's going to cool off a bit, putting the high day-time temps back down around 32.

[RickinFarmington]

Been tapped in for a week and the run has not yet started. Collected maybe 30 gallons on 100 taps. I guess mother nature will let them turn on according to her schedule. Gotta say the temps are looking favorable. Boiling soda well tested!!

[MainelyMaple]

I agree, a slow start. Ran the vac off and on this week with marginal results. Only about 300 gal in the tank. I'll boil fri afternoon and get the pans sweetened. I tapped my 50 on gravity yesterday but I'm going to wait for more favorable weather before I put the buckets out. Should have all 500 on vac tapped this weekend

[Thomas Maxwell Hume]

65 tapped in Westbrook, 300 gallons of sap so far.

[Revi]

I think we timed it perfectly this season. We are getting some sap now and it looks like a boil this weekend is in order. It's going to cool down for the beginning of the week and get us some more for the next weekend. I love it when it conforms to my schedule.

[tessiersfarm]

Right on Revi, works for me too.

[gmcooper]

Last weekend while tapping in the new sugarbush I found some large tracks in one area I could not identify as they had partially melted. They clearly wandered around a number of trees and did scuff up leaves in the bare ground spots before leaving the woods. Heard last night that a few neighbors in the area found fresh bear tracks around houses and barns over the past week. It appears the mild winter may have brought some bears out of hibernation early. There has also been some logging in a large wooded area close to the sugarbush and less than a mile from some of the other locations with tracks.

[Kennebec]

100 tapped in Albion. Our roof was dripping so well this noon I figured that the sap would flow a bit today as well.
We had a lot of dripping on most of the holes we drilled. The later part of the week looks promising.

[Revi]

It is a slow start to the week here, but that's perfect. I wouldn't mind having the sap show up at the end of the week.

[buxtonboiler]

Tapped Fri and Sat. pretty good run Sat

[JuniperHillSugar]

All tapped here in Bowdoin. We've got 190 this year, so we'll be drowning if the season really gets going. We've boiled three times so far, just to make sure we can keep up with the 2x4.
Too cold the last two days to really run. Good Luck all.

[MainelyMaple]

Finally got the new tubing tapped today. My full time job is effecting my time at the sugarhouse lol. Luckily it's been fairly cold so I haven't missed much sap. Now all I have left is the buckets, which will have to wait til the weekend. Hopefully just in time for some sap sat/sun.

[sap seeker]

The youngest and I put 10 taps in last night and to my surprise only 2 were running at lunch. Guess they'll run when they want to. Someone stole my homemade barrel arch from my camp but fortunately left the pan so going real small this season and propane.....ouch.:cry:

[GotSap?]

Last of our 101 taps in on Weds. Collected about 85 gallons as of yesterday, and plan to fire up the evaporator this afternoon. Looking at last years log, we're almost exactly were we were at this time last year (80 gallons and first boil on 3/11/11). Last year we only had 60 taps though!

[Flat47]

Looking at last years log, we're almost exactly were we were at this time last year

Same here. Last year's notes say we didn't get running until 3/12 and I think we'll be about then this year too. We're all tapped and ready to go. Bring it on, Monther Nature!

[Webbs Mills]

Tapped trees - around 2/13. South facing trees running well so far, weather ideal today...can't complain yet.
"Widespread Warmth Expected Next Week" has me a little concerned things are going to end sooner than I'd like.