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batsofbedlam
03-18-2013, 06:05 PM
We tapped 8 weeks ago this Wednesday. This past weekend, we collected 5000 gallons of sap from 1500 taps.
Check valves are proving their worth.

sugarman3
03-18-2013, 06:09 PM
Great news to hear:)

killingworthmaple
03-18-2013, 06:38 PM
It has been a great year here in CT. After weeks of being tapped I am still getting good flow. I also have check valves and am very happy with them. In total I have got 2275 gallons of sap from 175 taps. I had many days with 1 gallon averages per tap. It looks like the next week or so the sap is still gonna flow good. But I pulled my taps this weekend because I do not have the time to boil I am getting busy at work.

PS. I am looking to upgrade to a 2x6 if anyone knows of one for sale.
Nathan

markct
03-18-2013, 07:05 PM
Looking at the forecast for next couple weeks makes me glad i spent the little extra on check valves, should flow good for a little longer! doesnt take alot more syrup to pay for the extra 10 cents a piece check valves are, even if its commercial syrup!

markct
03-20-2013, 08:44 PM
A few days of little sap but today its back to flowing again! the weekend looks promising!

lafite
03-20-2013, 08:47 PM
What a year for us! patience and persistence pays off!

hodorskib
03-21-2013, 12:13 PM
It has been a good year I held off until February 16th to tap so missed the first good run. But I have made almost 17 gallons of light and medium syrup from 75 taps. Going to hold out until Thursday. I have Friday off next week for the holiday and will pull everything and clean up then. I have enough bottles for 22 gallons may be a far stretch but they may all get filled this year. Good luck to everyone still going.

wkies
03-23-2013, 12:15 PM
Finally slowing down in Stamford. One of the best seasons. I thinknthisnwill be my final weekend... Until next season.

markct
03-23-2013, 09:31 PM
still going strong in Northfield! And Granby too thats where another guy is that is bringing me sap off about 130 taps

PerryW
03-23-2013, 09:56 PM
I knew it must be running somewhere south of me. It would be great sap weather if it was 5 degrees warmer.

batsofbedlam
03-24-2013, 09:52 PM
The weather is warming up and it looks like some nights above freezing are predicted. But this weekend was fabulous. 6000 gallons of sap from 1450 taps.

Agent914
03-25-2013, 06:00 AM
I noticed that the sap collection in middlebury is slowing down a bit some with slow running taps having stopped and some of the good runnning taps slow down to a trickle. I reamed "redrilled" a few taps and the sap started running again. Also very few moths but a lot of ants around the taps.

It has been a great season, a lot longer than last year with the most syrup I have ever made (8.5 gallons) a lot of light grade A to Medium amber no grade B as of yet.

Calling it quits after I reach the 10 gallon milestone...no since in being gready.

markct
03-29-2013, 09:24 PM
Been a great season here in Northfield, looks like its just about over tho, gona start pulling out the gravity taps sat morning, the vac taps are still trickling in a bit so gona give them a lil longer, been making commercialy since sunday night, but thats still got decent value and well worth it to me with the modern efficiencys of ro. Have enough commercial made already to pay for the vac pump electricity and all my check valve adapters as well as the 10 inch short bank filter press i want! hope to get a couple more days of that still too.

batsofbedlam
03-29-2013, 09:45 PM
We called it a season 2 days ago, 9 full weeks after we started. The flow is slowing, but I am selling 1200 gallons of sap per day to neighbors. We made about 20% B, and the rest A dark amber. About 700 gallons total from1500 taps.

markct
03-29-2013, 10:08 PM
Yea looks like we will be at about 300 gallons off around 1000 taps, many of which are red maples so a bit lower sugar. These long running seasons make the check valves well worth the extra 10 cents each!

ctjim
03-30-2013, 06:00 PM
finished off the last of our syrup the past few days and pulled my buckets and washed them all this afternoon. the wood frogs were out in the pond and vernal pool in the woods as i was pulling buckets. the buds are ready to pop down here esp on my reds. the last few days of sap it was very cloudy. our season was pretty good especially since we're stuck tapping reds, made some nice med amber early on then it got dark as usual and the last batch is just about commercial which i'll still use for myself for cooking. still hoping to pick up a place to tap some real sugars hopefully one of theses days we will find something close by.

jrmaple
03-30-2013, 07:26 PM
Also finished today and pulled all the taps out, finishing with my best season so far. Now just looking forward to next year and aiming BIG with the goals set high, p.s. if anybody has an evaporator capable of boiling 120 gph+ I would be interested. Just throwing that out there. Good season! Hope everyone had a great season!

hodorskib
03-30-2013, 08:58 PM
Great year all around. Finished 24 gallons all light and medium and Crystal clear off 75 taps. Pulled them on Friday and how nice it was using sap bags with PVC holders. Bags went into the trash and holders went into the dish washer. Only had to wash 4 barrels and 10 buckets. Hope everyone has a great off season and I look forward to chatting with everyone next season.

Agent914
03-30-2013, 09:39 PM
This was the best of my 5 seasons as a 1 man operation turning sap into syrup. With the nearing an the end I pulled my taps and clean my equipment, my finally tally was 10+ gallons of light - medium amber and today my last boil I finally made 1 gallon of dark grade B.

Lessons learned for 2013 - I need a bigger evaporator and a small RO machine if I am to get to my next goal of 15 gallons for 2014

markct
03-31-2013, 10:49 PM
The weather channel says 26 monday night and 27 tue and weds night! glad i didnt start to pull the taps yet!

Sunday Rock Maple
04-01-2013, 06:37 AM
"700 from 1,500 taps" --- Outstanding!!!

batsofbedlam
04-05-2013, 12:38 PM
Even though I stopped collecting a week ago, most of my tress are still dripping. 11 weeks and still going.

bemer
04-06-2013, 04:17 PM
Tapped first weekend of January, and pulled last of 110 taps today. They all stopped on their own. The ones I redrilled gave me a lot more than the old holes, but some non redrills did as good, figure that out. Made one pint short of thirty gallons. I want to try a R/O system next year. I did start using a blower and find it worth it. Most syrup black, or red depending on how long I held the sap.

markct
04-07-2013, 08:53 AM
Today i am going to gather the last of my sap that flowed and boil it then chase the sweet out of the pans. Went to bascoms saturday and turned in some bulk to buy a new filter press and pretty much every sugarhouse we stopped at said there season was at the very end too maybe one day left

Romeo
03-24-2014, 07:34 AM
Do you have Vac. ? That 2.14 trees per Gal. great . The sugar must have been high . Great job !!! Marty

lafite
03-24-2014, 07:49 AM
romeo, these posts were from 2013

Romeo
03-25-2014, 10:23 AM
I saw the date but to make 700 Gal. of 1500 taps is real good thank you Marty