Taps and when to tap

[Tucker08]

New and improved rig is ready to go, and iam chomping at the bit. This is my first year with lines and stubbies. I am running the health spouts. How long can a person expect to get out of these taps before the holes get skunky all things being equal? Should I drill this week? Seems early. Wouldn't do my buckets this early, right? What do you experts have to say? Thanks!

[PARKER MAPLE]

Well Tucker08 Im no expert but Im looking at the weather for next week and it has potential. I got 7weeks from my new set up with no problem, I tap usually the weekend after valentines day and pull them in april. If all you stuff is ne, like spouts and drops you have nothing to worry about.

Im starting to tap my trees today, hopefully will have my 600 tap bush done. Then next weekend will do somemore.

Hope this helps.
MR

[northwoods_forestry]

Sugarhouse is pretty much set to go except for test firing the new rig. That'll happen sometime this week. I don't see anything too promising in the weather forecast for my location at this point. Temps on 2/11 and 2/12 look to go above freezing, maybe, but even if temps do creep above 32 I'm not seeing enough warmth to thaw out the trees after the deep freeze we've just gone through. I'm going to concentrate this week on tubing repairs and hold off on tapping for a bit longer.

[802maple]

With only 200 taps, no need to jump the gun. You should be able to tap them all in a half a day or day at the most, so I would wait until you see some favorable weather. Right now as far as the extended weather forecast goes, at our location atleast, there doesn't seem to be any sugaring going on in the month of February, maybe the last few days of the month.

[PARKER MAPLE]

well we just got done on our big lot today. got everything in order and had to fix a couple of downed line dues to wind damage. I had apprx 2hrs left so I grabbed the drill and went for it. I tapped in one section up there that has apprx 160-180 on it. The holes emeadatly were running and wet. I think that this week will bring some sap to us.

Im going to keep taping in this week and see what happens, apprx 1 week earlier then normal but what normal any more.

MR

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

With only 200 taps, no need to jump the gun. You should be able to tap them all in a half a day or day at the most, so I would wait until you see some favorable weather. Right now as far as the extended weather forecast goes, at our location atleast, there doesn't seem to be any sugaring going on in the month of February, maybe the last few days of the month.

so when should i tap?
hey buddy fired up the beast a little today i need more air what size blower? what i have isnt doing it. heres some pics
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e234/poultneyfiredog18/New%20Arch%20Build/IMAG0450_zps2cc3d007.jpg

[Tucker08]

Thanks all. Maple Rookie, I see you are in Andover. I grew up in Chester on Smokeshire road. Probably not far from you. I live in the Banana belt now down in Shaftsbury. Ran lines today. Some screws on the sunny side of the trees were leaking, but the north sides were frozen solid. Will tap in a week or so. I need my sap from buckets to have enough, so have to wait a bit.

[802maple]

Flats, what size pipe is that, that you are using for air duct? Are your blowers high pressure?

[802maple]

P Cloudy
26°
12°

feb
11
Wintry Mix
Wintry Mix
36°
30°

feb
12
Snow Showers
Snw Shwrs
34°
18°

feb
13
P Cloudy
P Cloudy
31°
16°

feb
14
P Cloudy
P Cloudy
33°
24°

feb
15
Snow Showers
Snw Shwrs
37°
19°

feb
16
M Cloudy
M Cloudy
24°
11°

feb
17
Snow Showers
Snw Shwrs
19°
8°

feb
18
P Cloudy
P Cloudy
20°
9°

feb
19
Sct Snw Shwr
Sct Snw Shwr
19°
13°

nothing in that forecast for us

[Randy Brutkoski]

Nice job Rusty. You should be able to get 500 gallons of sap an hour through that steam train. But honestly, looks real good. Hopefully everything goes right. How is the r.o. looking. You might have to get Jerry down there and expand it to 1800 g.p.h.

[Randy Brutkoski]

Also, wednsday i should be boiling so call me and stay in touch. 2 releasers set up and ready to flip the switch. 3200 taps online. 4000 to go.

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

Anyone in Central VT (Waterbury area) tapped yet. If so have you collected anything yet. The weather channel and accuweather have mixed reports. It seems like it's going to stay cold enough around here to hold out another week or two.

[vtwoody]

Anyone in Central VT (Waterbury area) tapped yet. If so have you collected anything yet. The weather channel and accuweather have mixed reports. It seems like it's going to stay cold enough around here to hold out another week or two.

I talked with a friend near me in Jericho who was tapping this morning in a snow/freezing rain squall....no sap coming out of the holes when drilled. Looking at the weather for this week they SHOULD run...looking at next week's forecast, I'm waiting a little longer. Plus, I still have lats to run, pan to clean, pre-heater to assemble....lol

[northwoods_forestry]

Tubing repairs in the rain today. Temp only just hit 30 despite the forecast of 40. Not tapping yet though I might regret it when the sun comes out later in the week.

[wsugar]

Temp here was 37 and sap wasn't running putting the finishing touches on the sugar house r o is washed and ready the new vacuum pump works well we need sun to thaw things out ????

[Randy Brutkoski]

Your right. If we had sun today the sap would have been dumping. The rest of the week looks good though.

[rchase]

Your right. If we had sun today the sap would have been dumping. The rest of the week looks good though.randy i hope your right.

[wdchuck]

All holes were dry today- heck, the ice in the drops didnt even begin to thaw!

[DrTimPerkins]

Temp here was 37 and sap wasn't running putting the finishing touches on the sugar house r o is washed and ready the new vacuum pump works well we need sun to thaw things out ????

Takes some nice warm temperature or a good bit of sun to warm the trees up. Was pretty darn cold over the weekend, so will take a while for the trees to thaw out.

We started tapping last Wednesday, although we tend to tap a bit early (takes a while to both tap and set up experiments at the same time). Still got a ways to go.

[adk1]

Might be tapping in this weekend depending on next weeks forcast. Good luck to you Vermonters

[802maple]

I know that they can't even get the same day right 90% of the time , but the extended forecast for our area doesn't show any real warming trends until until the 10th of March. but who knows.

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

Things are looking to be closer to normal in terms of ideal tapping dates for my area. Every forecast I can see shows nothing to get excited about til the week of the 25th. That should give everyone a chance to get things done and actually be prepared. If there is such a thing. And it looks like there is plenty of snow coming so that should only help. Not tapping of course, but extending the season hopefully.

[GeneralStark]

I put out two test buckets this morning. The one on a 10" tree is running steady at 1.6% and the one on a 28" tree is dry.

[adk1]

thinking about tapping a test tree myself. but, looking at this weekend weather its not gonna run.. and my tank isnt ready to take the sap either!

[northwoods_forestry]

Anyone getting sap today?

I finished up repairs in the bigger bush today. One small bush to go. Looks like I'll be missing any possible run this week.

[GeneralStark]

In the last 7 hours that my test buckets have been hanging, I collected about 1 pint of 1.6% sap from a 10" tree. The bucket on the 28" tree is dry. Long range looks cold after friday. I probably won't tap for another week or two.

[PARKER MAPLE]

I tapped 200 on sunday and while the sun was out it was 39 and every tree I drill ran wet. I tapped another 100 or so this afternoon and same result. I believe we are flirting with the edge of the season. It will start sooner then we think. Im going all in this weekend and keeping fingers crossed.

[Randy Brutkoski]

The sap was starting to run ok right at dark. And thats when the wind stoped too. The next few days with the sun should be pretty good. Did leak patrol on 2 releasers and got it pretty tight. 25hg.

[wsugar]

The sap ran ok. The sugar content was 2.4%. Looks like good weather for the next couple of days.

[PARKER MAPLE]

bring it on today

[Randy Brutkoski]

sap ran so so today. cloudy and no sun. concentrating 1300 gallons right now. the next 2 days should be a bit better.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

sap ran so so today. cloudy and no sun. concentrating 1300 gallons right now. the next 2 days should be a bit better.
boiling tonight or friday night?

[GeneralStark]

I'm up to just under a quart of sap on my small test tree, and the large is still dry.

[DrTimPerkins]

The crew is out finishing up the last bit of tapping today. Brian is in the sugarhouse prepping things there.

[PARKER MAPLE]

sap was running very steady today when I checked at 3 00 tomorrow looks like the last warm day And there might be enough for me to sweeten up the pans. cant wait
MR

[Randy Brutkoski]

Sap ran ok today. Got about 2000 gallons. Not bad for being early. If i was all tapped in it would have been a different story.

[wdchuck]

Almost done - have yet to even find a wet spout, although the ice in the drops has started to melt a bit. Maybe today things will loosen up a bit.

[802maple]

Seeing what has happened with you guys, I am glad we have waited. We will start tapping in a couple weeks.

[Tucker08]

I put my first 50 taps in last night. I went out this morning and there was about 6 gallons in the tank. It froze last night but then was 38 degrees by the time daylight came and it was running well. I didn't get a sugar content on it, but put in another 20 taps this morning. I will wait on all of my buckets until after this cold snap. It is beautiful here now. Close to 40 and bright sun. What happens here in Southwest Vermont is quite often different than the rest of the state though...

[wsugar]

Sap is running good today 45 degrees ill boil tomorrow and have it all cleaned up before the cold weather

[northwoods_forestry]

Sure felt like a sugaring day today and I did boil, but only water and baking soda!. The new rig did fine, though I'm going to have to put another section of pipe up, 18 feet of chimney wasn't pulling enough draft for the 3x10. A few of fittings to retape and tighten, but all in all not a bad shakedown firing. I'm going to do another boil and rinse tonight and then back into the woods tomorrow. As soon as I finish up the last few tubing repairs I'll start tapping. Should be good to go by next weekend.