No Complaint for a first year.

[Snappyssweets]

Well as I can now say my first season is complete. As I finished the final boiling and bottling tonight.
Off 99 3/16 taps I pulled 540 gallons (could have done a bit more but lacked the ability to process more)
I ended with 11.85 gallons of Syrup.

Thanks to everyone for all the compiled information so many of you have posted. Reading it all has been entertaining and educational.

Next year will see a huge difference in the ability to process. Building a barrel/half arch combination and a shack so I can use wood. I have lots of wood available. Its much cheaper then propane and will help keep me busy. Its been a lot of fun doing this with all home made materials. Thank you to everyone here.

[Ausable]

Hey! Glad You had a good first year. Slow here - Usually I'm done by this time - but - I'll try for another week - still freezing at night. Question - How do You like the small spiles?? I have been using 7/16 plastic spile - Drop tubes to buckets. But ordered the smaller 5/16 because I had no choice and haven't had to use them this year. LOL and now 3/16 spiles. Next year - there will be some with 1/16 spiles. You will appreciate having a shack to get out of the bad weather and Yep - Wood is a lot cheaper. I finish my syrup using propane. My Mom and Dad lived in Sanford - years ago. Both are long gone.

[optionguru]

My 3/16 taps are still a 5/16 hole.

[Ausable]

Thanks Pete - I didn't know.

[Snappyssweets]

Ausable. I made my own.
Used 3/16 steel tubing and then attached 3 - 4 foot of 3/16 air line on the end of them and ran the line to my jugs.
My holes were drilled with 1/4 inch bit. I actually tried 3/16 bit but it was too tight to get the spiles in and tapping them didnt work well, so I went to 1/4 bit.
I then bent the spiles at a downward angle and pulled back out a bit allowed it to get air in behind and caused a vacuum effect on the lines when the sap was running good.

I figure for running the smaller spiles as I said I put out 100 actually but one broke hence why I went to 1/4 bit. So with 99 spiles in I pulled less sap then a 5/16 which is pretty apparent given I only pulled 540 gallons of sap. Our best day was 83 gallons in a day. I think those of you up north of us will have another week or even two perhaps. UP may be even longer before season is over. Myself I am on to getting ready for crappie and tilling the garden now. Spraying fruit trees and bushes this week to take care of any early pests like cherry aphids. (I HATE THEM THINGS) Japanese beetles nothing but grub killer can cure and it serves no purpose for me to bother with it as we back the forest here. Too many acres of public land to do any good verses killing them off.

Deer are always a problem on the trees and bushes but with a little work we can run them off usually.

[Ausable]

Snappy - Thanks so much for the nice reply. Glad You had a good year and thanks for explaining how You made Your spiles - a cool idea. I know about pests and critter and insect damage as we live in the Huron National Forest and have had an adventure that way. Rabbits, Voles and Mice have girdled fruit trees - especially apple - so expansion wrap, construction screen, fencing and spraying have kind of kept the before mentioned group, insects and deer away. We now have an Empire Apple tree that gives 5 to 6 bushels of apples - except the one year the late frost wiped everything out. Yep! Always a challenge - but - not in the City and that is a big bonus.

We have had good weather temperature wise - but not much sap - still have frost in the ground and little rain. Have about a 4 to 5 gallon total of Maple Syrup so far - Usually we end up with 8 or 9 gallon from our own 50 to 55 taps. Last year the Kids and Grandkids hauled up sap to boil and we made a total of 18 gallons of Maple Syrup. Every year is different.