tapped in brooklyn

[ebourassa]

Set all my taps in, I really need to get a count on them, i think i am up to near 350 now with the ones i added today, all the trees were running even when i drilled on the north side, so hopefully i will have enough to boil this weekend.
let the sap flow.
happy sapping everyone.

[saphappy]

Anybody rent taps from the DEP, tried to get the ranger to do it, but they never want to get involved. I hear the head of the DEP is into sugaring, maybe he can help. Any info would be appreciated.

[ebourassa]

I personally i have never heard anyone renting taps from DEP, but there always has to be a first. I wonder what type of regs they would put on you for tapping their trees.
Well on another note i collected 260 gal of sap today, i was expecting a little more but that will do for now, at least enough to sugar the pan.

[ebourassa]

well trees ran good today maybe another 200 or so gal, will collect and boil tom., boiled yesterday, made a few gals of light syrup. Finally got a count on my taps 375, never thought i had that many, keep adding every year and boy do they add up. 52f today and they were running til the wind kicked up this afternoon.

[JasonS]

I boiled for the first time yesterday, 3/5. I didn't get any finished syrup and the sap in the flue pan reminded me of late season sap, funny smell and alot of junk floating in it. I had about 170 gallons of sap @ 2.0% sugar. I'm hoping things get better before they get worse. Anyone else have a similar experience??

[ebourassa]

i noticed alot of junk and sand this year for the first runs, but made about 8 gals now and it tasted great which is all that matters, it looked like i was going to make med amber, but finished off making all light syrup. Dont look like it run till this weekend, its going to take a day or two to thaw this out now with this sub zero temps we are having, high today 10F. Fired up the rig to get rid of the ice in the pans. hope to boil early next week.

[ebourassa]

picked up 275 gals and boiled everything yesterday, total so far 15 gals. 10 fancy 5 med. I was hoping to get over 400 gal yesterday as the weather was good, but only 275 out 375 taps, that dont sound like alot to me, i thought like a day like sunday i should get an easy 1 gal per tap. went and check the tubing thinking there were hole in it but none i could see, had one line with 10+ taps down but i dont think that would do it. well 275 is better than none i guess. maybe i should keep my expectation low then i would be surprised lol

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

The days are few and far between when you will see 1 gallon per tap. I went the entire season last year and never saw it once.

Sounds like a good day to me and it may still be early.

[ebourassa]

look like a long day boiling for tom. cant wait, i like boiling on the weekends, i have at least 400 gal to boil for tom so it should be fun, i am around 25 gal and still making med amber, hoping to make so dark soon since that is highest in demand, i have one guy who wants the last 2 gal i make every year.
erik

[ebourassa]

picked up 425 gal of since weds. boiled it all off sat, boy the color change fast, we were making a lighter med and it went right to dark almost a B syrup, i really dont remember see it change that fast. hoping to get another run tom. well good luck to everyone else.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Seems like more of a smile on your face now with all the sap.

[ebourassa]

well think after this weekend that is it for me, I think next year i am going to try those addon 5/16 spile adaters, seems the bush with new spiles on it is still running and the one with 2 year old spiles stopped, took a spile out and the hole looked pretty dry. trees are running a little today hope to get enoughto boil sat or sun. would like to make a little more Grade B since that is what is most popular around here, freshened up the tanks today so we'll see what will happen.suppose to be 27 tonite.

[JasonS]

I'm going to try and hold out one more week, looks like cold temps. toward the end of next week, I'm still about 400 gallons short of last years total (sap). I thought last year was bad!! I'm just going to wait and see.

[JasonS]

I'm not sure what to do, taps are all dry but accuweather has a cold snap coming. A big part of me is burnt out and wants to pull everything today and clean while a small part says, wait and see what happpens. I don't want to waste time and let the lines and buckets get full of mold, if the holes are dry now will it run again with a minor cold snap even after this long warm spell?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Take a break for a few days and give it a chance, might not run hardly any more, but won't hurt to wait and recharge your batteries at the same time.

[dhbiker1]

Well I am all cleaned up, happy with my second year, and ready to increase further for next year. I will probably add another 30 taps and get a bigger evaporator. I have talked with a man from Quebec on ebay who has on there a 2x4, 2x6, and 3x8 (i think). I can get him to do 2x66" with flue and syrup pans. I will first see what I can find used and go from there. Now, it is time to go ski Tuckerman Ravine, the only thing that can compete with sugaring. Hope everyones season is or has been great.

[danno]

I hear ya dhbiker - sugaring and skiing don't mix real well. I usually spend a week and a separate weekend in northern vermont every March at Smugglers and Jay Peak. Was in Whistler first wek of March this year and was fortunate that our run did not begin until I got back.

Although there are some big syrup operations near smuggs, including one right at the base area. I've skied with locals who had to leave powder days at noon to get home and boil.

[dhbiker1]

I went to school at Johnson State College 2 years ago and skied smuggs/stowe all the time. We used to start at smuggs early on a sat. morning, hike over to spruce and then try to get up to the summit of mansfield by late morning. Then it was down hell brook and ski back to smuggs through the notch. That was my favorite run there. Here in CT sugaring ends a little before VT and NH so I usually have a little more time when its over to head up to Tucks.

[JasonS]

Well, I left the taps in until last tuesday, April 17th. This was the longest I have been tapped almost 8 weeks. I got a additional 400 gal. however it was 1/2 grade B with the last 200 gal. being daker than that. I'm not sure what to call it, I have never seen syrup that dark, almost black. When I put it in the grading kit you couldn't see through it at all. Not sure what to do with it, tastes ok. I guess we'll be cooking alot of maple flavored items this year. Just finished cleaning up this weekend and I think I might scale things back next year, I'm running out of time for this hobby. ( I say the same thing every spring, yet I keep adding trees!!)

Jason