Newbie questions

[Shayne Anderson]

This is my first year trying to make maple syrup. I have a large sugar maple that I've put two taps into and a red maple with one tap. I tapped the trees right before the warm spell we had here in CT. In the 5 days I have been tapping I only have about 4-5 gallons of sap. On the best day, when it was sunny with temps in the high 40s in the day and low 20s at night, I only got 1 gallon of sap. I've been having a lot of fun collecting sap with my kids but am left with a couple of questions. (1) Is 4 gallons of sap in 5 days of OK weather from 3 taps normal? (2) If not, is there something I could have messed up? Finally, a couple of the taps have a damp circle around the tap (about 2-3 inches in diameter). Is this normal, or does it mean that I didn't seat the taps well enough? Thanks for your help!

[happy thoughts]

...a couple of the taps have a damp circle around the tap (about 2-3 inches in diameter). Is this normal, or does it mean that I didn't seat the taps well enough? Thanks for your help!

It sounds like you either split the wood setting your taps too hard or the hole you drilled wasn't perfectly round but oval so the tap could not seat well in the taphole. That can happen with a little wobble or unsteady hands when drilling. You'll get better. You might be losing some sap there but at this point there's nothing to be done. Leave it be and move on.

The amount of sap you're getting seems low for fresh tap holes with good sap flow weather but without knowing your trees, their size, growing conditions, exposure, tap placement etc etc, it's hard to give you any number that would be meaningful. There really is no normal. You can usually count on a minimum of 10 gallons of sap per tap in a season though you can also get many more times that in a good year.

Have fun making syrup. I'll bet you'll soon be planning on expanding your operation for next year. And so it begins.... :)

[G0J0]

i have three taps in one very large silver maple. open yard, good southern exposure. the flow really only started for me on Saturday and I collected 3 quarts. today I got 5 quarts. last year when the season was in full swing (many days in the 40's for the high) I had some days with 9 and even 10 quarts from only two taps. Most days were about 6 or 7 qts from the two taps. So, given the recent prolonged cold, I'm not back to where I was last year yet. I'd love to have 4-5 gallons of sap by now. As to sugar content, can't speak to that.

[Shayne Anderson]

Thanks for your help! I'm pretty sure I didn't split the wood but I wouldn't be at all surprised if I wobbled as I drilled. I'll see how things go as the season goes on.

[KGodshall]

Even with the "right temps" (cold @ night, warm @ day) there are quite a few variables that affect sap flow: snow depth, sunlight exposure, in the woods/out in the open, etc etc. It's still pretty early in the season, based upon the very cold weather that is still hanging around. I would say, depending where you are, that you have done quite well for the short warm up that shot through last week.

Best of luck. The "glut" is still to come.

[Shayne Anderson]

The "glut" is still to come.

Crossing my fingers that's the case!