anyone else calling it quits yet?

[ctjim]

well after another disappointing week of sap flow i'm pulling my taps this weekend.this winters mild temps and low sugar content, i think are to blame along with the fact that i'm stuck tapping almost all reds.on almost all of my trees wether they're sugars,reds,norways they all seem ready to pop buds anytime. hoping next yr mother nature brings us a better sugaring season.

[thecabinguy]

I tap mostly reds too and the trees have called it quits. In fact, I never really got a good flow from any of them. A good flow was a half gallon on just a few of the trees. Some never flowed at all. I'll second that "hope" that next year we'll actually have a winter and actually get some sap.

[Agent914]

I am disappointed with this seasons take (last year was fantastic). I recently "redrilled" a few "good" trees and the forecast calls for a little cold snap for the coming week and if the trees do not produce by mid-week then I will pull the taps and clsoe up shop.

[Steamhead]

I'm holding out 1 more week. I'm moving 10 buckets off trees that never produced today and hoping the buds hold off till late next week. I'm about 50/50 reds and sugars and neither produced very well for me on gravity. I think the vacuum guys did ok this year. As a side note the sugar was much higher last week, it was about a 45-50:1 ratio (I don't keep track very well) when I boiled wed. night.

[CTfarm]

I'm holding out for one more week to see if there is any flow. Weather looks to be up and down though. Then I'll pull.
Update:Just made the rounds on 30 of the 40 taps and collected 20 gallons. Poured out a few buckets with yellow sap. Probably from the rain cominig down the tree. I haven't tested it yet, so it could be lot's of rain that got in the buckets. Taps are running though. My other ten taps are bags up in the woods so I'll see how they fared.

[ebourassa]

I waiting at least another week. I tapped feb 13-14 and have collected around 850 gal of sap off 425 +\- so I'm not doing to bad so far. I hope this week it runs again looking like good sap weather. But who knows anymore. Im not ready to cAll it quit just yet

[valleyman]

I'm out.

I have 25gallons on ice for a last boil on Saturday. Bittersweet to see the season go. On a bright note this sugar season didn't overlap my garden season. Like another trader said, time to start the tomato seeds.

[Noah's Ark]

Calling it quits this weekend. I will boil what I have an dpull the taps on Sat. It has been a fun first year and look forward to a little expansion next year. Hope for a better season, but this was a great one to learn with.

[CTfarm]

I pulled my taps today. Poured out about 20 gallons of sap collecting the buckets. That hurt. But I'm out of wood and it's time to turn to the garden.
5598

[markct]

I think you guys may be pulling taps a bit early, today and yesterday have been some of my biggest runs of the season, my trees on vac, primarily red maples, have given me well over a gal and half per tap each day over the last 2 days, and my sugar maples on gravity tubing were actualy a little better just shy of 2 gal per tap per day, hold in there a little longer! altho maybe the check valves are helping me here since its been over 6 weeks now they been tapped in most of them. I have sap running thru the ro as i am typing this! gona head out to boil shortly

[Littlesap]

I'm done too. The content of my little hobby vac tank was a sad shade of yellow :( This year wasn't too good compared to last but still had fun. Time for the garden. And the bees.

[hodorskib]

My trees are about a mile from Mark's and it has been like someone turned the faucet on. Collected 200 gallons from 75 taps in the past two days. I thought it got too warm today but they were all running good when I collected at 7. With that said we are pulling the plugs Sunday. Sugar content is getting weaker but the new RO is bringing it up to between 4-5%.

[merryall]

Not quite ready to pull the plug. 40 gallons from 40 taps yesterday. Even with 62 degree temps only a few buckets were yellow. Running between 50:1 and 60:1.

[batsofbedlam]

Looking at the weather forecast, the next two nights should be below freezing, which should give a sap run, but after that it looks all over for this season. The buds here are still tight and there is no sign of Red Maples budding yet, but the temperature dictates the flow.
My experience for this year has been to throw away the calendar and go with the run of temperature combinations. We tapped starting on January 24 and have had consistent runs since then. Even with the low sugar content in sap, we have had our best year ever, thanks to vacuum and especially our R.O.

[ctjim]

nice to see you're still at it bats. we aren't very far from you and our reds looked like they were ready to pop the other day when it was 65 and even when we tapped in early feb. even the sugars are starting to show signs of expanding buds. it always seems to be a bit colder in your general area anyway, as i always recall seeing ice on mansfield hollow and we would be ice free on the south side of willimantic.

[Mike Van]

Was boiling off the 70+ gals. I picked up yesterday afternoon and watched the digital thermometer inside the sugarhouse change from 99.9 to 100. Not fun when those wacky warm days come. I'm staying through this weekend anyway, as it looks good for the next 3 days. Glutton for punishment I guess. I've only lost [stopped running] a half dozen trees so far.

[wavey63]

My first year and I pulled my taps. Not sure if it was too early but it sure was fun and I am kinda happy to be done boiling. Tuesday and wednesday were my best days of the year. Now tell me, my take seemed pretty clear. When you all say yellow, how yellow is the sap? Is it really noticable?

[Mike Van]

Really noticeable, like you wonder if someone didn't take a leak there.

[killingworthmaple]

Over and out boiled off the last today. We collected 1250 gallons for the year. Started in January and had a great time although the sap didn't flow that good. Looking to exspand next year selling the evaporator and upgradeing. Kind of sad to stop.

Nathan

[Agent914]

I pulled my taps yesterday :cry: I would have liked another week or 2 on this early season.

This is my 4th season and I learned alot via this forum, so thanks to all for the input and feedback on my ?

I feel that NEXT year will be GREAT after I make a few simple improvements:cool:

[hodorskib]

Well, the season came to an end for us yesterday.:cry: We pulled all 75 taps and even managed to wash all the buckets and finish off the last bit in the pan. We tapped out February 18th and 22 days later it was all over. Short season compared to last year where we made syrup into April. This completes my 13th year of making syrup and each has been unique in its own way. Some interesting observations from 2012:
• Sugar Content was very low averaging 1.3%
• Collected 957 gallons of sap with a ratio of 66:1
• All medium & dark amber with good flavor
• First 7 gallons burned 1 ½ cords of wood
• Second 7 ½ gallons burned less than ½ cord because of the homemade RO
• Sugar sand “niter” was considerably less which made crystal clear syrup and very quick and easy through the felt
Looking to change a couple of things for next year:
• Going to try about 10 taps with sap sacks instead of buckets. There is a pretty cool idea of using PVC pipe for the holder in the Homemade Section
• Going to add another 100 GPD membrane to the RO which should bring the sugar up to 8% concentrate – truly making this a hobby again instead of another full time job
• Replace the old galvanized steam hood I built 10 years ago with a new one of aluminum or stainless steel
Good luck to everyone that is going to stick it out hopefully you can get a couple more days.

[rayi]

It's not a bad season when the sap runs out at the same time as the wood and your energy does

[batsofbedlam]

Today, I boiled the last of my sap, heard the Wood Frogs in the pond behind the sugar house and saw my first Red-winged Blackbirds of the season. What timing!