The 2015 Season

[GeneralStark]

Certainly not much sugaring going on in VT right now but it won't be long. I'm in the midst of setting up a new area on our property and on a small portion of our neighbor's property and will likely be up to 800 taps for this season maybe more. I am also planning on buying some sap as well. I had to buy too much syrup this year to get through the holidays so I need to ramp up my production.

I have also added an RO for this year so I still have a bit of plumbing to finish up to be ready to concentrate sap. My goal is to tap earlier this year and hopefully have all my taps in by about Feb. 15. I have a feeling this season is going to come earlier than the last two, but you never know.

This will be my first year trying CV2s and I'll be using them on drops that were new last season. The plan is to use CV2s on one year old drops and smart spouts on new drops. Probably about 400 of each. I have quite a few drops than need replacing due to animal damage.

So, what is everyone else thinking about the 2015 season?

[billyinvt]

It's my first "big boy" season boiling on a new rig and I've still got quite a bit of work to do to be ready. So I'm thinking that a late start would be just fine with me. I do have all my buckets, spiles, and such cleaned and ready though. I wake up some mornings at 3 a.m. thinking about all sorts of maple related thoughts! Making my wife crazy too.:lol:

[BranchHillMaple]

I agree with the late start this season,but a better season than last and hopefully we dont get as much snow as there saying Ive still got to run a little more sap line in the woods and 2ft of snow will make it that much more enjoyable haha

[VT_K9]

In the last year we cleared an area to setup a "sap shack" for the releaser and tank. We used the hemlock we harvested to build the shack. Hopefully this week will with have the boards on and will do the battens this summer. We have to extend the 1" mainline, setup the 1 1/2" vacuum line, and 1 1/2" pump line to the sap shack. Then we can plumb the 3hp airtech vacuum and we are ready. If time allows we will add about 75 taps this year. We will have to add the other 100 next year. Good luck to everyone and here's to hoping for full tanks.

Mike

[PARKER MAPLE]

Glade to hear from the local sugar makers here in VT. I'm thinking we won't be ready for another 3weeks here, still lots to do, this fall kept me extremely busy at work. So we've been working every weekend to get caught up.

We are redoing my family's sugarbush and setting it up for vacuum. Should probably have apprx 1200 there. I won't be tapping in 100% of our taps this year as the Weston lot suffered lots of ice storm damage back a few weeks ago. Probably only get 50% of that bush.
Still got to retire the sugarhouse, plumb the RO, clean all tank, and finish the install. Seams like a lot but every weekend we take a huge chunk out of the list.

Good luck to all.

[spud]

I have about 2500 of my west facing trees tapped. I am holding off on the rest of the trees for a week or so. Looking at my charts i am seeing my season never started in full swing until last week of February. I am hoping to be all tapped by Feb 20th.

Spud

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Not even close, flue pan still at leader, have welding to do on arch, pvc valves coming so I can use my HP fan for both AUF and AOF. Parts for second RO are starting to show up this week and still trying to finish insulating sugar house/garage and put a ceiling in the sugar house portion. Taking hammer drill out this weekend to drill holes in frost across farm field so we can get lines stretched out and hung. barrels in Barre have to go get them any body want to help? :lol:

[steve J]

Looking at long range forecast if they are right the season is going to start early as they are showing day time temps in many cases in low 40s for the last part of Feb and first week of March! If that is accurate its a complete 180 from a year ago.

[sugartree310]

We have about 2200 or so tapped and about a 1000 left to go, going to be the middle of next week before we get any more. Done .

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Looking at long range forecast if they are right the season is going to start early as they are showing day time temps in many cases in low 40s for the last part of Feb and first week of March! If that is accurate its a complete 180 from a year ago.
And the epic snow storm we had last week ohh wait it never happened:evil:, I have looked at long range forecast a couple times but dont hold water to it. I just use the 10 day forecast I havent looked at that yet this year.

[northwoods_forestry]

Sure hoping for another cold couple of weeks in So VT. I'll be at least another week finishing up the winter thinning in our main sugarbush before upgrading the old gravity lines to vacuum. Still inching towards 1000 taps, but doubt we'll reach it this season. Maybe next year?

[GeneralStark]

More snow...more cold...a real New England winter we are having. Looks like snowshoes will be required in the woods after this storm. I have one more section of mainline to get up and then about 100 taps worth of tubing and saddles to install before I start tapping. I'm thinking I will start right about the 15th.

[opiejudd]

We are way behind this year. We are still putting our arch back together. The plumbing for the pan is being welded this week. I have to build a float this weekend so hopefully next week we can start our woods work. We will be pushing it.

[GeneralStark]

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the woods...stretching mainline, wire tying, stringing tubing, following critter tracks, and staying warm despite the cold wind. This is what it is all about. Still lots to do, but I'm feeling good about "The 2015 Season".

[steve J]

I am small time so it will take me only a few days to be ready to go. I will plow out up at camp tomorrow than I have to work starting Sunday thru next Saturday to make sure all those Valentine's Day flowers get delivered. After deer season ended I question rather I be able to boil this spring. Doctor tells me I need a partial knee replacement. But knee has calm down and I think I am good to go. I will have to be in far more constant pain than I am currently in before I let them put a replacement part in me.

[smokeyamber]

Well I am way behind on my prep work, but my incentive is being built now by Smokey Lake ! A new 2x5 divided pan ! Now I need to rip everything out of the shack and figure out how to fit it all back in. With a float on one side and the draw on another I will be tight in there... Still need way more wood, but I may start scarfing pallets. Snow is so deep that pulling stuff out of the woods is not fun...

I resisted the call of the combo flue pan model from Smokey Lake, beautiful, but I would have to expand my taps and I foresee them contracting as my labor pool dwindles to just me...

I think this season is going to start very late... even with warm weather the snow in the woods is going to take some time to recede. Hopefully it is gradual and long once it starts... :lol:

[steve J]

Smokey With the steep of the hillside your tapping I would run 3/16 line vs your buckets have it all going to one large holding tank. You will triple the amount of sap from the same number of taps. All but one section of my tubing is now 3/16th.

[smokeyamber]

Hey Steve J, At some point I will go tubing, though I really love Buckets, for now I have help collecting and will stick with the dump stations. I do plan to move the shack so I can have the dump lines all go directly to a tank behind the shack. The 2x5 will keep me small since it is a flat divided pan. Hope the thaw comes slow this year, I will try and get up your way to see the Mason running this season !

Chris

[sgrmaker]

Have been following the 10 and 30 day forecast, temps really aren't breaking until 3rd week of March, there are a few teasers around the 19th. With 2-3 feet of snow in the woods and temps the last two nights of 30 and 12 below, can't even drill holes. Shaping up to be a more tradional sugaring season (waiting until town meeting day). Might put a few in tomorrow afternoon - think it might be more like Sunday, next week looks good right after town meeting day.

[GeneralStark]

I'm planning on starting tapping on Monday. I have some more saddles to install this weekend, and a little more plumbing mainlines to the new releaser, but after that I will be ready to start. We may get a 2 day warm up middle of next week but we'll see. Looks like spring will come on slow in early march but may really come fast after that.

I have been finishing plumbing the new ro and making some other changes in the equipment room on the colder days. Running around on snowshoes has been keeping me warm in the woods and now I have plenty of trails so tapping should go pretty quick.

[VT_K9]

We made a little more progress today. We are still wire tying the vacuum and pump lines (both are 1 1/2") We have a short run of a mainline to the releaser to complete. I am hoping tomorrow I can have both 1 1/2" lines down to the point were the 1" mainline is located. We have to wire the vacuum pump and finish the "exhaust port" to the outside. The cold has been a help giving us extra time to finish up, but it has been a bear to work in at time.

Mike

[steve J]

I hope to start tapping tomorrow and finish on Sunday and than go back up mid week next week and set up evaporator.

[TunbridgeDave]

My cousin in Hartland VT just finished tapping his 8200. All by himself so it takes him a while. My bush in Tunbridge VT faces W N/W and is pretty high up, so I'm gonna start next week. LY my first boil was on March 30th so hopefully this year will be earlier. On average my first boil has been the 7th of March for my area, going back 20 years of records.

[billyinvt]

I've got to get my taps in this weekend because of this J-O-B.

[GeneralStark]

Tapping away here and hoping to be all done and leak checked by the end of the weekend. This is my first season using CV2s and so far I am liking them. Using them on two year old drops and CDL smart spouts on new drops.

[DoubleBrookMaple]

Finished tapping my 250 or so today. A few more drops to hook up to laterals on my all new tubing and home made vacuum system. Tomorrow I hope to hook up 3 mains to manifold to vacuum system and test for our teaser runs on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be a good test run for me. After that another week of sub or near freezing it looks like. NOAA/NWS outlook is for below average temps in southern Vermont throughout March....
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/forecasts/

[Sweetleaf]

Not to change the subject Gang... but I work for a man who is always day late and dollar short... (age thing) and cheap.... didn't wash the lines last year and lots of scuzz in the lines. boiled for seven hours to the 219.2 point and drew off. filter press with minimum D.E. by previous year standard and the filter press just Jammed up... could not manage to filter syrup!!!! Ran steam away water through and came out alright! anybody else out there had this experience past or present? Niter seemed very thick! every paper in the press seemed just caked with gunk. do we need to put MORE D.E. In. syrup blowing out through the sections of the press! HELP!