Best tempurature for sap ? Killing me here !!!

[TerryEspo]

Happy Sunny Day Everyone !!

The sun is out here in my yard. Not real warm out, maybe a degree above freezing.

33F or 1C

My lines stay with frozen sap until about noon or a bit after.

Sap is dripping slow, slowly moving in my lines, nothing is frozen in the lines.

Will the flow get better if it was warmer? I am sure the answer is yes, but need to hear it from an expierenced voice.

If it was 35F or 4C, will that be a slower run that if it was 40F/ 7C ?

I have a line that has about 13-15 taps on it and it wont fill a 5 gallon pail. Is that because of the temp.?

I am thinking my holes are drying up, or something else is wrong. :mrgreen:

Input please....

Thanks.

Terry

[Shawn]

You are not alone my friend. The north wind blew here today until around two this afternoon with the temps like around 36 now the sun WAS OUT now not and it has warmed up to 40 and my trees around the house with buckets are dripping some good some slow. Out back where my pipeline is some are starting to run a little. I am hoping that the warmer it get these trees will open up. As of today two weeks here for us with nothing. Hang in!:cool:

[wnybassman]

It has been my experience that after a good long cold snap it takes a decent warm day or two to get the trees moving again. It got to 41º here today and all the trees are dripping, but not real good yet (some better than others). After they have been running for a few days, and the nights just get down to the upper 20's at the lowest, then mid 30º daytime temps can really be excellent. I've had some of my best runs over the years in the 30's, but not right after a cold snap.

[Run Forest Run!]

Another lackluster sap day in Caledon. :-|

If patience builds character then we'll be dripping in character by the time we get our first big run.

[DrTimPerkins]

Will the flow get better if it was warmer? I am sure the answer is yes, but need to hear it from an expierenced voice.

Yes. As Shawn says though....if it has been very cold before it gets warm, it can take some time for the trees to thaw....especially big trees.

[Shawn]

Well the sap God works his wonders, and Mother Nature. The sun did not come out here like I said until around two and the temps went up to around 40, I just did a hike checking stuff and my buckets around the house are running good, so way out back I went and all of my 178 taps on gravity feed pipeline are running like crazy. I could not help it I let a loud YES,AT LAST, THIS IS SO COOL! to stand and watch that sap just coming down those lines. Go figure! Collect tomorow and fire up . It just dazzles me on how this works and the waiting game starts to pay off (AT LAST):cool:

[Ausable]

Ah Yes! Keep the Faith. Last year at this time - I was all finished with the trees all budded out and I had pulled my taps. This year - is more close to normal. Sap frozen in the pails - what there is of it and still not enough collected to even think of starting a boil. Glad I don't do this for a living - I would have a nervous breakdown. ----Mike------

[DonMcJr]

Not much flowing here either Terry and it went up to 36 I think... Slow trickle in my tube line and buckets dripping very slow...trees need longer to thaw...

[Mike R.]

I had only half of my trees running today. About 75% of the trees with buckets ran today and about 65% that are on vacuum, mind you the trees on vacuum are in a valley and don't get as direct sun as the trees with buckets.

[TerryEspo]

Hi Mike:

Mike, do you mind me asking how many taps to have total?

I need to guess at my tap count.
I am thinking, 140. My son and I just got back from collecting and putting into one 50 gallon drum,,,,17 gallons is my guess from today,,,,good grief.

Looks like Wed. I will boil again if sap runs each day till then.

Soon,,,,soon,,,,please sap !!

Terry

[Mike R.]

Terry, I have 175 taps. 150 on vacuum and 25 on buckets.

[dufftj]

Terry, 17 gallons of sap, about now I'd be thrilled with that. Our season has yet to begin, I've only collected about 6 gallons off about 40 taps since the 1st weekend in march.....Has been below average for temps around here. Hope it starts soon!

Tim

[TerryEspo]

Hi Tim,,,,

Well, ya I should be happy with the 17 gallons, got the same approx yesterday and the day before too. Boiled that each day and got great light syrup.

I just want to see a day that even we get 1/2 gallon of sap per tap. I start my arch and then run outta sap,lol. I want a long boil and end up with over a gallon of syrup for once.

I am sure soon we will see that day or week !!

Terry

[DonMcJr]

If my predictions are right then I will have around 100 Gallons tomorrow night and I can do another boil!

Terry...I'd say another week and you'll need arm floaties so you don't drown in sap!:o

[TerryEspo]

Oh DonJR,,,that sounds so good ,,,,say it again ,lol !!

ARM floaties,,,love it !

Great you have 100 gallons, wow. Do you get another friend who put in a pipeline to get you sap,,,,Ha Ha.

Next two days here are just a couple degrees above freezing so I should get a bit each day,,,,better than no flow I guess.

My creek is behaving this year too, getting across with a ladder laying down and a couple of pallets right now.

All good.

Terry

[JAMIE]

Terry,sap is just around the corner.We have had two not to bad days here.I started the sap puller at 11am and shut it down at 7pm .The bush gave me 255 gallons on 350 trees(south facing bush),so its trying.Things up there are still frozen but when they thaw out i hope it picks up.Gravity is slow but running.A pleasant suprise was the 100 pails we put out yesterday,we gathered them this pm and the averaged .65 gallons each.We start the beast tomorrow am early we have 620 gallons to boil off!Its going to be a long day.You soon will be swimming in sap!!:)

[BrianL]

Got 35 gallons of sap from 18 taps, first in two weeks. Finished off 3 1/2 gallons yesterday not too bad for only 4-6 good days....

[DonMcJr]

I'm pretty sure I have over 100 gallons but we didn't empty buckets because my stepson wasn't feeling well. I told him most of the 21 5 gallons buckets might be full after school tomorrow so he better be ready!

[Run Forest Run!]

Wow Don. The sap at your place is out of control!