Tapping on New Year's Day.

[nace]

Is it just me or do other folks have two months of work to do by tomorrow?

[nace]

12281 150 taps in while repairing tubing as I went (part of that two months worth of work). All of my tap holes were dry even after the temp reached 40•. Vaccum manifold assembly after supper!

[Tommyv]

Hey Nace, I am following your progress, and trying to learn from you. I just got interested in maple syrup last year, but didn't have any luck. I am just up the road a little from ya, towards Owensboro, so I figure if you are tapping I should be also. Thanks for posting

Tom

[Sugar]

We tapped yesterday. We only put 30 in, but will add more next week after the little warm-up we have predicted. This is the first time we tapped, that the holes were completely dry and no sap ran. We live about 5-10 minutes from Nace.

[treeguy]

i am holding off till the weather is right. last year we had a good spell of weather at this time. We need a good period of freezing weather not just a few chilly nights ;-)

[Tommyv]

Thanks for the help Sugar and Tree.

[nace]

Hi Tom, you could wait for a harder freeze to tap. Try to tap while they are frozen, just be careful not to drive the tap in so hard they the tree splits. If they leak later, you can Seat them then. I'm so far behind, due to my wife's health this past fall, that I have to replace squirrel damage and re-stretch tubing as I go. I figure this first run will flush the lines while I clean the tank, re assemble the evaporator, finish up my vacuum system... Just all the stuff that should have been done in the last 2 months. With scrap iron at .30 a pound, I made new fire grates out of 3"x1/4" angle iron for my 40"x12' king. The angle iron was only $28! Crones Recycling in Scottsville, has useful scrap separated so you can find what you need. How many taps do you have?

[esetter]

My 3rd year making syrup. LOTS to learn. I will be following you guys!

[Tommyv]

Hey Nace, thanks for the tips. I am only going to try 2 trees this year and see how it goes, if all goes good I will expand more next year. As of right now, I am just looking for a small hobby without making much of an investment. Since it is 19 degrees today and isn't going to get out of the thirties this week, it should be a good time to tap, correct?

[dje5717]

We have spent the past week setting things up, moving to a new "sugar house" and new evaporator and all new inside piping. shooting for Thursday to set the first tap. seems the weather is finally cooperating!

[nace]

Hi Tom, you get appx 1gal. Of sap per tap with gravity on a good days run. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. How are you planning to boil it? I started with 5 gallons of sap, a turkey fryer and a roasting pan. 6 hours later, I had 12oz of syrup. Two words of warning:
Stove top boiling, will remove wallpaper.
Success may lead to maple madness, and there is no cure.

[afretired]

With all of the warm weather we have had the last few months I wonder if it will even be worth trying to tap? I haven't done a thing to get ready. Since about a week of warm weather after you start tapping will cause the bacteria to grow and mess up the sap, what will the warm weather do before you tap? Has the bacteria had a chance to turn the sap?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

The very cold temps were are getting now will take care of any bacteria. Showing cold her for next 15 days so looks like it will be a normal start to the season. Maybe it will stay cold longer than normal this year and have a long season, nothing to worry about at this point.

[Super Sapper]

The bacteria does not change the sap in the tree, the tree does as the leaves are opening up. The bacteria will eat the sugar in the sap if exposed to the outside environment. This will in turn cause the tree to "wall off" the "infected" area to stop the bacteria from invading the rest of the tree. Bacteria activity increases as the temp. increases. For every 1 degree C or 1.8 F bacteria metabolism will double.

[nace]

hi afretired, my runs so far were intended to flush the lines, and with my delaval 76 and a 6.5 horse horizontal shaft motor from harbor freight....they are flushed!! plenty of home made parts to assemble my vacuum system, like the coffee can oil reclaimer and drip oiler, but man oh man, what a difference! ive got to tweek my bender releaser because the vacuum is so high, it wont release. just an un-tweek from last years too low amount of vacuum.

[Tommyv]

Hey Nace, I am planning on boiling on outdoor wood fire, I have a large shallow restaurant pan. If I can make 12oz this year I will be happy...