Tapping in NE CT

[DaveB]

I've been busy the past couple of days getting things set in our woods. I cleared a path yesterday through the woods to my main pump so I can easily check on it and then started the arduous task of tapping my lines there. Today I tapped one of my other bushes thanks to the help of the land owner and his wife. I plan on tapping more of my main bush tomorrow in preparation for the good sap weather this week.

So, I have about 200 of the 450-500 taps that we are planning on putting out this year.

That snow will give you a good workout though!

[wildlifewarrior]

We are all tapped in Broad Brook, 100 taps done yesterday. We used snow shoes yesterday to tap in, then today I decided to just check a few saddles without the snow shoes on and was easily sinking up to my knees, some spots up to my thighs still!

Good luck!

Mike

[markct]

Yea the snowshoes seem like they arnt doing much when you sink in 8 inches still, then you try without em and realize you sink in 2 to 3ft! Atleast the bit of rain last week and couple melting days have helped compact the snow a bit and make snowshoeing easier here. Sap started to trickle today but nothing super, hopefully tomorrow will be better. Spent the day flushing the ro and then replacing a pressure gauge that decided to explode its case, sure made a heck of a bang for being only about 50psi pressure at the time.

[DaveB]

I guess the good thing about the snow is that it will help prolong the season but I don't see any really warm air moving in any time soon. I may be looking at a a home made RO system if the weather keeps looking the way it does. I'm just glad that I have an extra day off my from my regular job each week to work on things.

[markct]

"IF" you believe accuweather long range forecast then I hope they put the Bascom open house a little later this year
than usual or I may still be boiling or just starting to pull my taps!

[DaveB]

My slow start is still continuing and I think we'll be in a holding pattern for the next several days. Yesterday I was hoping for more sap but had very little. I noticed a comment from someone about not getting much from their reds and I tap mostly reds so I'm not sure if that's the reason. Right now I have about 300 gallons of sap. I need to tap more trees!

[DaveB]

After the snow stopped this morning the sap started to flow really well today. I think we're past the worst and hopefully starting Tuesday we can start collecting again. I can't believe it's 3/21 and I've barely begun to boil. The next couple of weeks look good so hopefully we have a nice steady flow!

I also took advantage of the late start and added a couple of new lines that I hope will add to my sap count. Some of the trees were just gushing! It was a lot easier tapping because the snow was rock solid and I could walk on top without snow shoes but as the day worn on I was starting to pop through. Still have about 1-2' in the woods!!

[markct]

Same here. Sat looked terrible then sun came out and they opened up and were still running strong when i came home from a neighbors sugar party around 1:30am. He has my old barrel stove and boils one day a year with the kids and friends

[DaveB]

I've been busy over here in the NE part of the state. The sap has been flowing like crazy this week and I think the fact that no one is updating in the CT subforum is a good indicated. It looks like I have several solid days of boiling ahead of me. This will be the latest that I've ever boiled and I'll probably be boiling next weekend by the way things look but I don't think I will be boiling after that. It's been a crazy short season here!

[Swampmapleman]

DaveB whats the sugar content on your reds on vacuum? Mine over here in wilbraham is doen around 1.2. Awful ****ty but its over for the season anyhow.

Matt

[DaveB]

DaveB whats the sugar content on your reds on vacuum? Mine over here in wilbraham is doen around 1.2. Awful ****ty but its over for the season anyhow.

Matt

It's been better down here...around 2%. I'll check some red specifically at some point and let you know though. That's the overall percent. My trees are still flowing really well and I think they will at least into next week. Saturday night and Sunday look decent but after that it's just cloudy and cool so I'm hoping to capture some sap before the buds open. Last weekend was my first weekend (!) so I need a couple of weeks to make it reasonable.

[WESTMAPLES]

ive been averaging 2% maybe a touch over in westfield throughout the season but thats bushes with both reds and sugars running together into one tank , after all the waiting for a good run to come...... im still up to my eyeballs in sap evap has been working hard and the saps flowin faster than i can get ahead of it. but every gallon made is a step toward a ro for next season good luck to all hope you all will swimming in the sap too

[DaveB]

This week is definitely going to be it, if at all. The sap seemed to be flowing very lightly but some trees were flowing better than others. I'll just see what I have come Friday and take it from there but I think we will be done. I think this will be the first season that I'm ending in almost mid-April with snow still on the ground in the woods! It's just not cold enough at night to let the trees reset.