Tapping too early?

[somershobby]

Here in CT we have had some perfect weather. I threw in my taps and posted in the Ct section that I had. I got a couple responses saying they were waiting. Now is it bad to tap too soon? If we get a cold snap wont it just stop flowing and then start again when it thaws? This is only my third year and never realy thought about it. One guy seemed a bit snide about it.

[Maplehobbyist]

Taps only run for a certain amount of time, because bacteria eventually shuts them down. If you tap too early, your taps won't yield as much later on if the weather conditions are better for sap flow.

[morningstarfarm]

There's nothing wrong with tapping early...as long as you do it right...by that I mean half tap your trees...if that particular tree takes 2 taps put only one in early...then when it starts to dry up you can drill the other tap and swap it over...that really saved my season last year...tapped in jan 5th and swapped them over towards the end...

[spencer11]

i assume you dont have vac, but if you have vac or CV's your tap holes will run longer cause the sap wont get back into the tap hole, seasonal spouts and CV's help pro-long the life of a tap hole on gravity to

[sugarwoodacres]

Ive tapped for the last 3 years . As follows: 2010 feb 14th, 2011 feb 5th and 2012 feb 5th. now we had the most taps last year but they stopped early. Now mind you im in northwest corner of NJ near Pa gap . This year I have been watching and waiting and Im going to tap around Jan 20-25 with leader check valves and seasonal spout . About 200 taps , the half idea has been said to me by my mentor and friend who boils aprox 5000 gallons of sap per year . So thats my thoughts . Good Luck

[somershobby]

Thank you all for your help. I appreciate it. Hope you all have a great season

[HyeOnMaple]

Just a quick question: Does it make sense during a January (and the walking is easy) to tap the trees and wait for the real thaw to come several weeks later? Does the bacteria start to attack the opening in the tree to quickly (even in the freezing temps)? Sorry for my ignorance, just trying to make the trudging a little less tiresome.

Merci

[spud]

[QUOTE=HyeOnMaple;200082]Just a quick question: Does it make sense during a January (and the walking is easy) to tap the trees and wait for the real thaw to come several weeks later? Does the bacteria start to attack the opening in the tree to quickly (even in the freezing temps)? Sorry for my ignorance, just trying to make the trudging a little less tiresome.

It makes perfect sense to tap early for two reasons. 1) Have spouts in before the deep snow comes. 2) Catch some early runs which might have been lost. There is no ill effect to tapping early according to research. Overall GPT of sap for the season can be much higher it you tap early. If you tap in January your tap holes will drop off only a slight bit by the end of the season but your overall sap yield may be much higher. PMRC has a great study on this topic. If you go to their site click on to ( timing of tapping ). Their studies also show that people that tap early with buckets can do better and their tap holes do not dry up as fast as some may think. The warm temps is what gets the bacteria to start healing the tap hole. Because of this, tapping early has very little affect on the tap hole because it is still cold. A couple of early runs can get you some extra sap and then a month of cold weather can help to slow the healing of a tap hole before the real sugaring season starts.

Spud

[GeneralStark]

The primary reason that the old timers were concerned about tapping too early was not regarding early taphole closure, but instead they did not want to damage their equipment. One challenge with buckets, especially those with soldered seams, is that if your bucket fills and then freezes the bucket can be ruined through the ice expansion breaking the seams. If you have several hundred or thousand buckets, losing a portion of them to freezing could be a major loss.

This is certainly still a concern today of you are using buckets, especially older style galvanized with seams. So, one thing that can be done if you tap early with buckets is once your early season run is over, you can pull the buckets so if the sap does run on a sunny day, the buckets won't fill and freeze. Then when good sap weather returns, rehang the bucket. I have observed many times on days when the trunk of the tree warms in the sun, taps on the south side may run a bit but then quickly freeze when the sun sets. If you are not paying attention to this your bucket could fill and then freeze and split.

ALso, as others have mentioned, with buckets, you can take advantage of early runs and tap some trees and then move the taps and buckets to other trees later in the season. Or, on larger trees, put one tap in and then put another in later when the season really comes. Buckets can provide some flexibility as to when you tap and being able to take advantage of early runs like we just had.

Tubing is another story as it can withstand freezing up without major damage, though if you don't have good pitch, fittings and pipe can be split.

[jmayerl]

Just to reitterate what spud said. When tapping early with buckets, if it gets cold again bacteria growth is minimal due to the cold temps. Dont let everyone give you crap it you tap weeks before they do and make early syrup. I had alot of people doing this with me last year when i tapped in mid feb here in northern wisconsin. Guess what... I made syrup and lots of people didnt get any.

Tap when the weather dictates!

[Dennis H.]

I now have had the taps in here since Monday morning. I collected 3 times, Tues, Weds and today and I now have gotten 540 gals of sap.
This is about 1/3 what I got the entire season last year in only 3 days!
Just think of what I would have missed if I listened to others that say it was too early. The biggest thing is they do not live anywhere near me so thier weather is not the same as mine.

So do what is best for you.

[adk1]

I agree. I would have said go go go to you personally being in PA.

[Randy Brutkoski]

My dad started tapping today. It gives him something to do and it really helps me out because i work a 7 day a week job. He got about 200 in today. It was only 31 degrees today with snow squalls and he said about half of the taps were running pretty good. It is going to be a real good season. I am going to have to fill all of my wifes tupper ware when i run out of barrells.

[adk1]

Just seems really early especially given that this entire week coming up is gonna be real cold, like down into thenegetative numbers

[happy thoughts]

Just seems really early especially given that this entire week coming up is gonna be real cold, like down into thenegetative numbers

I agree that the season won't really start for a few weeks yet. Doesn't look like I'll be tapping as early as last year. But I'm just on a few buckets and tapping isn't all that labor intensive for me so I can afford to delay. The extended 30 day forecast for my area doesn't look good for sap runs until around Mid Feb. I'm keeping an eye on it though, because I already feel the signs of the fever:).

Have a good season everyone! Praying the big wave is coming for all of us:)

[somershobby]

Alot of great info thanks guys. This is my 3rd year and my kids and I couldnt wait. A few weeks ago I had to cut a maple down at work and it was throwing sap as the saw cut threw I got antsy. Now Iknow the truth about tapping I wont listen to those other guys. since sunday I now have 60 + gal from 30 taps not bad for a quick beginning preseason run. And to the folks from PA hello. I have family in Mt Pleasant and claysville.

[sugarman3]

Better be ready adk1

[somershobby]

[QUOTE=HyeOnMaple;200082]Just a quick question: Does it make sense during a January (and the walking is easy) to tap the trees and wait for the real thaw to come several weeks later? Does the bacteria start to attack the opening in the tree to quickly (even in the freezing temps)? Sorry for my ignorance, just trying to make the trudging a little less tiresome.

It makes perfect sense to tap early for two reasons. 1) Have spouts in before the deep snow comes. 2) Catch some early runs which might have been lost. There is no ill effect to tapping early according to research. Overall GPT of sap for the season can be much higher it you tap early. If you tap in January your tap holes will drop off only a slight bit by the end of the season but your overall sap yield may be much higher. PMRC has a great study on this topic. If you go to their site click on to ( timing of tapping ). Their studies also show that people that tap early with buckets can do better and their tap holes do not dry up as fast as some may think. The warm temps is what gets the bacteria to start healing the tap hole. Because of this, tapping early has very little affect on the tap hole because it is still cold. A couple of early runs can get you some extra sap and then a month of cold weather can help to slow the healing of a tap hole before the real sugaring season starts.

Spud


Thanks spud, Im glad I ended up tapping early, I ended up with 3 gal of syrup that I would have been out if I had not done so. My kids sure are thanking me for it. The heck with the nay-sayers. I now have double the syrup I ended up with last year.

[adk1]

Better be ready adk1

sugarmanmudroad, I am ready and waiting! I am about a week later than you down there heck I am a week later than Mtn Road even, at least that is what it was last year.

[spud]

I am really glad to hear (somerhobby) was able to make some early syrup for the kids. That's what it is all about (family's that play together stay together). I'm having a tough time because of low back issues. My woods is not fully tapped yet but I am getting there. My good friend from Alaska will be helping me finish up the tapping and then I should be good to go. I did have some smaller trees run a bit the other day but my big trees are still froze solid. I know that in States south of me they are starting two weeks earlier then last year. I wish they would send that nice weather up north.

Spud

[Gary R]

Somerhobby, great job on getting some early syrup!

I tapped on 1/7. By yesterday I've boiled almost 1000 gal. off of 136 taps. We've just got to go with the weather. A lot of folks south of me did not tap.

Randy, I hope your wife has a lot of Tupperware for that many taps:)

Spud, sorry but we are sending you the cold arctic air the mid westerners are sending to us.

Good luck to everyone.

[sjdoyon]

Spud,

We were able to pull in almost 4,000 gallons of sap last weekend while tapping and repairing lines. We boiled on Tuesday, got the pans sweetened and made a few gallons. Mostly our small trees were running, large ones were still frozen. Now looking at negative 15 - 20 this week so glad we're done with tapping and repairs. Long term weather forecast is for a very cold February and above warm temps for March/April.

[spud]

I'm happy to hear you guy's got some early sap. I have been down and out with the flu and low back problems. Hey sjdoyon what was your sap testing on the little trees? I wish everyone the best.

Spud

[bowtie]

not sure what i am going to do now? looks like i could get a 3-4 day run next week but then it gets colder after wed. i watched the weather channel long term forecast, it called for below average temps in the northeast in feb and MUCH above average temps in march and april. that could mean a dismal sugar season if this holds true. when i saw that i thought maybe i should tap even for a short run but not really sure. anyway it was -13.9 f this morning at my house. what are you guys thinking about this weather trend? the only holes i may drill this weekend may in the ice!!

[happy thoughts]

not sure what i am going to do now? looks like i could get a 3-4 day run next week but then it gets colder after wed. i watched the weather channel long term forecast, it called for below average temps in the northeast in feb and MUCH above average temps in march and april. that could mean a dismal sugar season if this holds true. when i saw that i thought maybe i should tap even for a short run but not really sure. anyway it was -13.9 f this morning at my house. what are you guys thinking about this weather trend? the only holes i may drill this weekend may in the ice!!

There's not much you can do about the weather. I wouldn't get too down about. All you can do is hope for the best, keep your eye on the local forecast and go with it. It's still looking good for mid Feb in the long range forecast for my area and that's about a week or two before the commercial operations here usually expect good sap flows. Also, It's not like weather predictions are anywhere near an exact science. They are just as likely to be wrong as right. Keep the faith :) Wishing you a great season!

[western mainer]

Up here in Maine we don't look to far a head on the forecast. They have a hard time getting it right 2 days ahead of time.
Brian

[wiam]

Up here in Maine we don't look to far a head on the forecast. They have a hard time getting it right 2 days ahead of time.
Brian

Sometimes they can not get it right TODAY.

[Red-bellied Woodpecker]

I know for here in the Aniwa WI area the weather trend so fare this year is a lot better then last year. Jan 2012 we had a 29.3 ave temp and if the forcast holds for the next week we will have had 24 ave temp this year. Myself wouldnt put to much thought in what they are saying for March and April yet.

[sapbrush]

way to early

[chevypower]

We finished tapping a couple days ago except for the buckets which won't be until later.. Just waiting on the weather like everyone else now.

[bowtie]

chevypower, like your call name. i have a vortec max 6.0liter, and 6.2l in my tahoe, nothng like american push-rod power. i bleed bowties, never owned anything but and hope never to. good luck this season.

[chevypower]

You too! Sap was flowing some today, flushed the lines some at least....

[spud]

I got about 500 gallons of sap yesterday. Next week we will have 2-3 days that might give us some good runs. We got two inches of snow last night. I think this is going to be a good season.

Spud