Michigan Tapping and Sap Flow Reports.

[Ed R]

For me anything over a skiff of snow is completely useless, and the only thing good about a skiff of snow is that you can see where you've been.

[shane hickey]

It snowed another 8 inches last night. Can anyone tell me anything positive about the snow and making syrup. All I know is it makes my day driving the brown truck more interesting.

Wet snow makes sap run its 35 and its running pretty well.

[TerryEspo]

:lol:Oh DonMcJr:

It hurts to see that sap dripping. I want your Doc,s phone number so I get get you in tomorrow. Going to tell him to keep you in for 2-3 weeks till my sap runs.

I will help you, and boil that sweet looking sap your getting.

Isnt that what friends are for ??:lol:

I enjoyed the video,,,thanks.

Terry

[Tweegs]

Whelp, fried my inverter. Thought I had it mounted in a safe spot, but water found it. A puff of smoke, a little flame…May it rest in peace. :lol:

Boiled about 3 hours, got to near syrup, 217 degrees, before I ran out of sap. Evaporator, steam stack and hood are a go, need to rethink that inverter, move an outlet for the pump, make a minor tweak to the draw off and I’ll be ready for the big sap.

Was worried about the temp probe for the auto draw-off being sluggish to respond to changes in temp, but it’s much faster than I imagined. Anxious to see it in action.

[DonMcJr]

Well we are just over 55 gallons of Sap! Emptied Our Buckets today and added one more Tap cause that's all the Taps I had left. Cleaned the Evap Pan and Preheater Pan and gonna Boil our first boil this weekend!

The Sap is still flowing in our Gravity Line as I type this. Might flow a bit tomorrow then the cold is gonna have it locked up til next Wednesday then I am thinking all heck is gonna break loose!

Here's yet another Video!!!


http://youtu.be/T5FdhSe0R3g

[Run Forest Run!]

Don, I'm both happy for you and jealous that I don't have sap. You've waited many months for this. Have fun! Surely I must be getting close to hearing my buckets filling.

[konwinski]

Hello all, I have a simple question that I think I know the answer to but I thought I'd ask the experts. I have taps with tubes down to buckets. If the end of the tubing is in the sap, will the bucket still fill? I think so but fill me in.

Thanks,
Ken

[shane hickey]

Collected all the buckets today vacuum pumps still pulling sap collect all the woods on tubing tomarrow.

[DonMcJr]

Hello all, I have a simple question that I think I know the answer to but I thought I'd ask the experts. I have taps with tubes down to buckets. If the end of the tubing is in the sap, will the bucket still fill? I think so but fill me in.

Thanks,
Ken

I don't think it will because the small drips coming out of the tree will not overcome the pressure of the weight of the sap in the bucket. Definately get some more opinions but I would try and keep the hose end out of the sap. If anything it still might fill just alot slower...

My gravity line is still flowing! Yippee!

[hfitch]

I agree with Don on this one, there's no pressure behind that sap it will just fill up inside of the tube. You might get a little go into the bucket once the weight of the sap is greater than the force needed to displace what's in the bucket but eventually it will even out and not allow the bucket to fill completely. Did any of that make sense?!?! LOL I think I just confused myself : )

[David in MI]

My bags always fill up completely on a good run and the tubing is down in the bag a good 8".

I think we're going to tap on Saturday. The forecast for next week is starting to look really good and since I am really only able to tap on Saturdays due to my work schedule, this Saturday is the day. Hoping to get to 500 this year (485 in 2012) but I'm just about "tapped out." :)

[shane hickey]

Good to hear and good luck david

[DonMcJr]

It made sense to me! I felt the same way after I typed my reply!;)

[David in MI]

Thanks, Shane. It's been rather difficult to sit on the sidelines so far this year but as I mentioned earlier, my taps are primarily located on the North side of steep hills so they don't seem to thaw out as early as some others. On the other hand, I'm only in my third year so I understand the concept of as-soon-as-you-think-you've-got-it-figured-out-best-understand.... YOU DON'T! :)

[shane hickey]

Dave what part of michigan you from

[David in MI]

Live in Davison, farm in Ortonville. Hoping to build in Ortonville in the near future.

[Ed R]

I boiled in 65 gallons of sap tonite and 70 gallons on monday night. Sap is still below 1.5. I may head up to the family farm to help out tomorrow. I hope the sugar maple sap is running sweeter.

[Cake O' Maple]

Hello all, I have a simple question that I think I know the answer to but I thought I'd ask the experts. I have taps with tubes down to buckets. If the end of the tubing is in the sap, will the bucket still fill? I think so but fill me in.

Thanks,
Ken

I've been told that when the tree re-freezes, it can suck the sap right out of the bucket if the tubing is in the sap.

[BoarsNest]

Looks like big sap temps next week. We will be tapping this weekend! Is the hood done? No. Are the tanks ready? No. It must be time to tap!

[DonMcJr]

Looks like my sap flowed all night and is still flowing! My Gravity tube I switched to the 2nd storage tank yesterday afternoon and right now I have about 10 Gallons in that tank since about 4pm yesterday!

Took my dog for a walk to the closest 3 Buckets and they aren't flowing much if al all...

I wonder if my gravity line is pulling a little natural vaccum??!!

I am getting super excited cause I decided to boil this weeked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Spartazoo]

Just collected about 50 gallons on 25 taps. Will be doing my first cook of the season on Saturday. Nice end to the week for me.

[acerrubrum]

Hello all, I have a simple question that I think I know the answer to but I thought I'd ask the experts. I have taps with tubes down to buckets. If the end of the tubing is in the sap, will the bucket still fill? I think so but fill me in.

Thanks,
Ken

I've had a similar concern. I've noticed that sometimes the end of the tubing is in a plug of frozen sap in the bucket. Next day the sap is backed up in the tubing up to the spout, unable to drain because the end is frozen. I'm guessing it all works it self out, but I've been trying to leave the tube closer to the top of the bucket (out of the sap) and/or keep up on emptying buckets.
Pat.

[DonMcJr]

My last 19 Buckets someone reccomended drilling the hole in the side of the bucket at the top. Then I only put about 5 inches of it in the bucket so unless the bucket is full it's not in the sap.

My Gravity Tube line has ran all day and is still running even though it's dipping below freezing!

[twofer]

After starting at 5" of vacuum I don't think I've seen anything more beautiful than this.

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/4282/picfhk.jpg

Not too shabby for two dinky Gast vacuum pumps pulling on 530 taps.

[shane hickey]

Collected all day boiled tonight just finished have 2 more bushes to collect then boil most of the day tomorrow

[DonMcJr]

Closing this thread...there's a sticky at the top going for March Reports...