tapping

[oxfordsugarshack]

hope winter starts soon weather aint looking to good anyone got any thought of tapping early

[Sugbud]

Tested, I think it got to cold now, must wait

[sjdoyon]

We plan to tap third week of jan, takes us a week to get done and fix any new damage. Top of sugarbush is winter herding grounds for moose. They are getting used to tubing, seen them duck underneath the lines.

[adk1]

Will u really get runs in early February? Just seems weird to me

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

So I see that quite a few of you guys up north of me are planning to tap early in January. Are you guys thinking that we will have a warm winter/spring again, and need to tap in quite early?

[spud]

So I see that quite a few of you guys up north of me are planning to tap early in January. Are you guys thinking that we will have a warm winter/spring again, and need to tap in quite early?

My thought is there is bound to be a few warm days in Jan and Feb. If I could get a few good runs before the real sugaring season starts it could mean thousands of dollars in my pocket.

Spud

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

My thought is there is bound to be a few warm days in Jan and Feb. If I could get a few good runs before the real sugaring season starts it could mean thousands of dollars in my pocket.

Spud
Okay that is what I was wondering. For everyone's sake I hope we have a better winter than last year so that we all get a "more-normal" year.

[spud]

Will u really get runs in early February? Just seems weird to me

It is very possible we could get a few warm days in Jan or Feb. The way the weather has been changing over the years in this area has caused many to tap a little early. We (almost) always have a January warm spell that may last 3-5 days. PMRC got 5 gpt in about 3-4 days in early January back in 2006. Again in 2007 they tapped in January and wound up getting 6 gpt more then the trees they tapped in mid Feb. If I could get 6 gpt more sap just by tapping a little early that could get me 35,000+ gallons of sap. I see no risk in doing this because PMRC trees went on to out produce all their others trees that were tapped later in the season. I would feel real dumb if I missed out on $15,000 of early sap. For a person that only has 1000 taps or so they can just watch the weather and tap as soon as they hear the temps are going to go up. The five day forecast seem to be pretty good but the ten day is ify. So a person that can tap their whole woods in a day or two could just sit back and wait until the warmer temps come. For me it will take 10 days or so just to get a tapped in.

Spud

[Greenwich Maple Man]

It is very possible we could get a few warm days in Jan or Feb. The way the weather has been changing over the years in this area has caused many to tap a little early. We (almost) always have a January warm spell that may last 3-5 days. PMRC got 5 gpt in about 3-4 days in early January back in 2006. Again in 2007 they tapped in January and wound up getting 6 gpt more then the trees they tapped in mid Feb. If I could get 6 gpt more sap just by tapping a little early that could get me 35,000+ gallons of sap. I see no risk in doing this because PMRC trees went on to out produce all their others trees that were tapped later in the season. I would feel real dumb if I missed out on $15,000 of early sap. For a person that only has 1000 taps or so they can just watch the weather and tap as soon as they hear the temps are going to go up. The five day forecast seem to be pretty good but the ten day is ify. So a person that can tap their whole woods in a day or two could just sit back and wait until the warmer temps come. For me it will take 10 days or so just to get a tapped in.

Spud

I'm with Spud on this. I know a local producer that had alot of sap end of Jan. last year. He wasn't even done tapping. I'm going to watch the weather .If the winter is normal I plan to start in mid part of Jan maybe ending part. Plan to be tapped by the 30th of Jan. If the weather is warmer I'll then go earlier. I don't believe you can put a date on tapping anymore. You can have a plan but need to be able to bend if the weather says to.

[adk1]

I tapped last year on Valentines Day. This year I will wait another week. even with last years warmer weather, took better part of a week for my trees to run on gravity

[killingworthmaple]

I saw this today in CT and thought someone may enjoy it as I did. Middletown CT6147

[adk1]

Is there a tap stuck in there?

[Welikit Farm]

The sap was running in the quiet corner two weeks ago when we were putting up main lines in the nice weather. We have a lot to do in the next month!

[Sugbud]

The sap is flowing today in Berlin and Bristol

[Starting Small]

Have you had a chance to check the sugar content yet?

[Sugbud]

Not yet will check Monday

[Starting Small]

I was splitting wood, getting the barn and evaporator together all afternoon. I broke a twig off of a sugar and a red and both were dripping. The 7 day forcast looks good but I am leaving for vacation for a week so I will not be able to tap for two weeks. My brain is saying not to get antsy but my heart is hoping I do not miss anything! Please calm me down that it is still early!

[oxfordsugarshack]

just took a look at the 30 day forcast looks like it is going to get cold again the end of january looks more promising in the high 40s and low 20 at night im goin to hold off

[Sugbud]

I checked today, 2.3 %,going to the bush to collect now

[can'twaitforabigrun]

From reading the latest research and forum posts it seems that watching the forecast for when to tap is a thing of days gone by if you have vacuum and check valves. In theory you could tap the 1st of Jan. and your tap holes will still be wet when you pull the taps in mid April. For those on gravity and buckets it's important to be ready to go as soon as the forecast indicates good sap weather. Common sense of course, just because it is going to warm up this week there is still a lot of winter left. Looks like the possibility for a cold snap after this week through to the end of the month, February is looking slightly below or at normal, with extreme long range models indicating a quick transition from winter to spring (similar to last year???) in March. Most of my long range weather information comes from Joe Bastardi at weatherbell.com. Most producers should be safe tapping mid Feb. to be ready for early March runs. I highly doubt that this spring will be as extreme as last year, the killer last year was the extreme sustained warmth that caused the trees to bud out almost a month early in some places, effectively ending the season at the traditional midpoint for most producers. Just my two cents, I would like to see what others think on this topic, maybe Dr. Perkins could provide some numbers for trees tapped in January in addition to the two years already stated by Spud.

[valleyman]

Hi Can'twait...

In my opinion Joe Bastardi is a great meteorologist. He was spot on with Sandy well before others. Thanks for the long range. I don't subscribe to his website, just peek at the free forecasts.

I did look at another long range and it suggested that January would have this upcoming warming trend then beginning in early February above average snow fall from MA, CT south through the Appalachians.

[Sugbud]

The weather is good and says it's going to stay that way , for a while,last year I started early , I was buying bottles to jar and everyone else just started tapping I was at least a week and a half before everyone around me, the weather channel, intellicast, and the old farmers almanac, some of the ground is frozen so those are slow, I will boil about 100 gallons or more by the weekend , the huge sugar maple reads 3.0% an the Brix, send me your email and I can send vids of flow and pics of brix test

[killingworthmaple]

Ha keep us updated on the sap flow. I was looking at the forcast for this week down by the shore where I am in CT many nights will be above freezing hard to believe Jan. and night after night above freezing. I going to hold out till last week in Jan. and see what the forcast is then. But its hard to wait with weather like this.

Nathan

[MAPLE247]

Keep us up on the flow Sugbud!... and the sugar content...
Some friends started tapping yesterday here. This is the only thing I don't like about sugaring, It's like skydiving ('do I jump now? or do I jump now?'..:) I'll be checking in with our friends here in Westbrook to see how it's going. It doesn't look like we will be tapping yet, some want to hold out a little longer... I can't say that doesn't make me nervous but...
We got a new evaporator last year and barely got to use it, can't wait to get that thing fired up!

[Sugbud]

Put more taps in, the new bulk of what I collected was 2.3 %, and maybe a little less sap, temp here tonight 27ish, I'm on a little mountain so it's a little colder than what it says , maybe a warm day coming up, oh well 1 bad day, can't complain ,I need a day off Sunday , as long as I'm not missing anything, and give me time to find more,last year ended early too so, wait, don't wait, I don't know ,so far weather here and location of trees is working on most but it will be experience and time will tell

[valleyman]

Hi CT maple producers,
I'm sure you're all looking at long range forecasts like me, but I can't help get excited over the latest one I checked. If it forecast is remotely accurate, we should have a long season in CT this year lasting over 8 weeks until the end of March at least. Long stretches of above freezing days and below freezing nights.

I know, I know, wishful thinking. At least it's encouraging!

[MAPLE247]

valleyman, that's great news if it's accurate...which we hope :)
I'm still not sure wether we should be jumping in with the others that are tapping now or hold off till Feb. what do you think?

[Tithis]

That sugar level is encouraging for me. If I get near that % I'll be plenty happy.

[valleyman]

Maple247,
I'm smalltimer with buckets/sap sacks and rely on gravity and I'm concerned if I go in to early the holes may close up. I'm getting everything all set now so I'll be ready come the end of the month.

[wildlifewarrior]

We are going to be tapping probably the end of this week or this weekend more likely. Of course the weather the last week has been good, and my brother who I tap with goes on a cruise! He apparently didn't think this through very well.

Mike

[lafite]

I'm holding off. I only have one section of gravity on check valve which wouldn't be affected by closing early. With the forecast of an arctic blast for next week, I don't think winter is over. I wouldn't want the rest of my lines and buckets to dry up sooner than necessary. Hopefully I'll have everything in by the beginning of February.

[killingworthmaple]

It looks like good syrup weather to me for the next week or ten days in CT. But I can't tap going on vacation next week.

[MAPLE247]

Put in 100 between yesterday and today. We tapped a couple oldies that came up dry. But for the ones that are running, It's flowing good.. Our friends got an awesome run the week before us so we couldn't hold out any longer. I will post our sugar content once we collect... needless to say Sugbud ~ We jumped..:)

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

Going to boil again today sometime, hope to make some syrup. going to push the sap and sweet out of back pan with water as it is going to get cold again and I am not leaving sap in there with the real cold weather for that long. I will post how it goes.