Late January run in Southern Maine?

[bagpiper]

I'm in very southern Maine on the NH border. I just checked the long range forecast and they are predicting daytime highs around 40 on 1/26 to 1/28 & 1/31. Also again from 2/2 to 2/4. I realize that these forecasts are often wrong, but for a back yarder with 90 buckets, would it foolish to put them out?

[Mark-NH]

Sit tight. Not worth tapping that early to chase a couple day marginal run.

[Revi]

I tap any time it warms up in February, and I live in Central Maine.

If you don't mind having things freeze up again, then go for it.

The tap holes start to dry up after about 2 months, but that might be enough in Southern Maine.

We are usually done around the second week of April, so we tap in the middle/end of February usually.

If it looks like it's staying chilly then we tap at the end of the month.

There are people up north that are tapping now. It won't hurt anything, especially if you have tubing.

[Mitchman]

Yes, and I am in the Mts. and I like to tap the 3rd week of Feb. as my lines have started flowing that early. And I have a head start on trouble area's. I plan on adding more tree's that have never been tapped, so the early start works for me.

12x16 sugar shack
59 taps on gravity
21 buckets in yard
416 Cat backhoe
99 Artic Cat sled
Homemade R.O. system
pan evaporator

[Revi]

PA Theron, known for his colorful posts is tapping right now, and has already boiled down in PA.

Southern Maine may have some nice runs in February.

[Mitchman]

I walked my line trails today and couldn't believe how high up my old tap holes from last year were !! I would have needed a step ladder to reach them. If the weather stay's like this, I will drop down quite a bit with the lines, and start a little earlier. 2nd week of Feb. Then all I have to worry about is deer and moose trashing my lines. Both are on the property all the time.
12 x 16 sugar shack
homemade R.O. system
59 taps on homemade vacuum
21 buckets in yard
416 Cat backhoe
99 Cat snowmobile
pan evaporator
snowshoe's

[bagpiper]

Alright, thanks for the feedback. Since I'm doing this for entertainment and to stay busy in the late winter/early spring months, I think that I'll average in. When the near term forecast looks half decent with 2 or 3 days above 40, I'll put out half my buckets, or about 45. If there is an early run, great, I'll have something to boil. I'll then wait a few weeks for the prime season and put out the other 45 buckets. If the 1st round of taps dry up and the trees are still cranking, I can move from the dry trees to some others that I haven't yet tapped.

[Revi]

I am amazed at the difference between up here in Central Maine and where you are at in Southern Maine/NH. The temps down there are quite a bit warmer than here. I would say that those warm ups will be okay for sugaring. It looks like they are predicting in the 40's for some days this week! If it all freezes up please don't blame me, however.

[gmcooper]

Bagpiper I am only an hour north of you but I do not see anything in the forecast to get exited about. As we all know the forecast is likely to change significantly by mid week. Good luck on your season!

[bagpiper]

Hi gmcooper. Check out Accuweather for 1/30 to 2/3 for Berwick. They show daytimes temps of 42,41,38,45 & 46. Are these daytime highs too marginal to get the sap flowing? This is only my 2nd year, so I'm just feeling this out. My younger son and his wife are visiting from Raleigh NC from 2/4 to 2/9, so I thought that it would be great if we could show them how to make the liquid gold.

[Mitchman]

If I can jump in here, sounds like you have 5 good days coming, provided the nights are below freezing which they should be. Your doing buckets so there isn't a lot of wasted energy and time. And it's great to be able to show off one of our state's natural resource. You will be our scout, looking ahead Good Luck !!!

[bagpiper]

Mitchman & gmcooper - I'll put out 1/2 of my buckets today. Everyone knows that crazy fisherman that is out there April 1st casting a spinner with a worm into the open water between the shore and the ice; every once in a while, he catches that first 3 lb. brook trout. And that guy that plants tomatoes in mid-May and miraculously, they survive the cold nights and frost and he is eating a ripe tomato while your plants are putting out little green marbles. I know that it's early and I suspect that I'll have several mediocre runs before the season kicks in. But just maybe I'll have a few quarts of 2016 syrup within the next 2 weeks.

I'll be the advance scout as you say Mitchman. I'll report in with data when the sap starts flowing.

[Mitchman]

Way to go, two years in the past with winter's like this I set out early and got decent results. Friends around me started doing the same, seeing what I was getting and were happy they did so. It's been a crazy winter, and no doubt will be a crazy spring !!!!!!

[Revi]

I doubt it will be worth it for us, but you have a nice 5 day spell of warm weather coming for the next week or two.

I think after a couple of over 40 degree days it will start to run.

It will freeze up again at some point, but by then you will have collected and boiled some syrup.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/berwick-me/03901/daily-weather-forecast/2182909

If we get a forecast like that, we're tapping!

[bees1st]

Gee I don't know Coop , I think you should start thinking about drilling holes in trees ! My feeling is this year ain't' the norm .I plan to start in the next few days .

[Mitchman]

Yup, I think i'll start next week myself, How's it going BagPiper? Any liquid gold flowing??

[bagpiper]

Mitchman - I ran around before work this morning and put out about 30 more buckets. I checked them around 2:00 pm and had some putting out a drip/second; most were not quite as prolific. I checked a few buckets about 10 minutes ago and they are still going. Temps maxed out at 50 here today and it looks like a low of 30 and a high tomorrow of 43 or so. If the sun shines, I think that I'll get a good run. Definately will have enough for a small boil this weekend. Just watched the Portland weather and they are predicting 40's this coming Sun., Mon. and Tuesday. Looking good.

[Mitchman]

Yes, I saw the weather for you and it does sound good, only marginal for us. The big key is the sun, gotta have it. Warm that tree up and it will flow. I 'll put my lines up and secured, just won't tap in. You should be able to show the family sugaring !!!!

[gmcooper]

I have been in the woods most days for past 2 weeks thinning, installing new tubing and making repairs. I have cut out a bunch of saplings and I have yet to see anything more than just some damp wood. Nicked a couple trees with saw that should have been dripping last 2 days but not a drop from them. Saw some guys tapping lawn trees in Hollis other day. Have no idea if any were running but they should know with what appears a tap every 16" all the way around each tree.

[bees1st]

But Coop , we're not talking about the past , we're talking about the future !

[bagpiper]

As expected the trees in full sun ran pretty well on Tuesday and Wednesday; the shaded trees and the larger ones put out a cup or so but didn't really take off. Still, I dumped a dozen buckets with a gallon or more and that was fun to see. I collected 25 gallons from 60 buckets and I expect that I'll have another 10 - 20 by Saturday morning, so enough for a 1/2 day boil in my 2x4 flatpan (no dividers). Sunday through next Thursday is looking really good, so my son and wife from NC should be able to stand around the shack and eat hot dogs and feed the wood into the stove! Have fun everybody - I'll post pictures Saturday when I fire up the tankenstein.

[Revi]

We aren't tapping yet, but it looks good.

[Peeper]

Good afternoon all. Snowing lightly here in West Rockport and the next several days are looking real good. More tapped today and she's a runnin'. Anywhere from 2% to 3.75%. I'm not complaining. In fact, I'm calling it the first good early season run. The early stuff is my flavor favorite to boil anyway. We'll see if it gives us the early light amber/x-tra caramel flavor.

[Mitchman]

Sounds like a good weekend for your family bagpiper!! My brothers and I are putting out the lines and buckets and see what happens today and Sunday. My tree's are welling at the base and that's my sign to get going.

[2oldsaps]

New members to the site and first post.

I was wondering if others were tapping too. We sunk a few taps to see what would happen and picked up a gallon on Thursday from one tree. Gonna tap some more today and put up out portable sugar shack as well.

Good to read that we are not alone!

Good luck all.

2oldsaps
Berwick, ME

[Mitchman]

Welcome aboard (2oldsaps) this is only my 2nd spring on the Trader. You will find the people are great, both in knowledge and humor :lol: Started my buckets today and everything is flowing, so I will go for it tomorrow. This is very early for the Kingfield/ Carrabassett area. About 20 day's to early. But then the whole winter has been crazy, so be it. If it turns cold I will just have to deal with it.

18 buckets
60 taps on vacuum
homemade evaporator
homemade R.O. system
12 x 16 sugar shack
99 artic cat
416 cat backhoe

[bagpiper]

12703127041270512706

Pretty short boil, mainly wanted to check some improvements that I made to my set up and to see what was missing. Beautiful morning and looking forward to a long season.

[Mini_Maple_Men]

We tapped the first 1/3 of our new sugar bush today. Upgraded from 50 on buckets to 41 on 3/16 today. We have about 100 more on our second stand but ran out of time to get line hung. Feels like we are way behind the eight ball with this ridiculous early warm up.

[maplemoonfarm]

bagpiper
please keep us updated on what you are seeing. we are right next door to you in Lebanon, Maine and are debating on whether to tap or sit tight. good to see some steam rising in 2016 :) Cheers,
Frank
Maple Moon Farm

[Chicopee Sap Shack]

I tapped Saturday (160 taps) and had about 120 gallons last night boiled but couldn't run long after filling the pans not much left. Mostly 1.8%


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[2oldsaps]

Thanks. I like what I see here already. Really helpful information.

Looking forward to a late week "first boil" in the new evaporator.

My woods trees are running slow, but.... tapped my son's yard Sugar Maples this morning at 0800 and they were gushing out sap. High hopes the the week ahead.

Happy tapping!

2oldsaps

[bagpiper]

Hi to Maplemoon & 2 old saps - The sap did not flow much in my red maples this week; too warm at night I'm guessing. Out of 70 taps, I have only a dozen trees that are putting out any volume, the remainder are still dormant. I had a friend in York bring over some sap from his sugars and we mixed it with my bit of red maple sap and we had a great boil on Wednesday - perfect weather. Looks like we'll be waiting for a spell before we get some decent maple weather but that's OK. The buckets are up!12807

[2oldsaps]

Hi,

All the woods trees (mostly ''''reds) that we have tapped gave some sap last week (~10 gallons). They have since shut down! We put in 16 taps in some yard Sugar trees that I got access to on Monday and so far I have collected 40 gallons. Hope to collect more tomorrow and boil on Saturday.

2oldsaps

[Revi]

I think the temps have been too warm for sap lately! The nights haven's even been below freezing the past couple of nights. It is supposed to warm up again at the end of next week, and that's when we'll tap in Central Maine. I think we missed a week, but it will be okay.

[Peeper]

Finally!! Nothing like a nice winter storm to spur a person to exercise! I say "finally" because I just finished collecting all the sap from when I 1st test tapped on January 27th. Didn't really need the snow to trudge through. 82 gallons! Not bad for a first run of the year and a small sugar bush on buckets. I'm in mid boil and finished building a makeshift shed lean to yesterday out of my kid's (now dismantled) cedar works knock off swing set (they're now teenagers). From swing set to sap shack is what I call it. Spent the morning setting up the half pint, and then battling the elements for a boil. I'm bushed, but will try to hold it out to see how much I can boil through the evening.

[Mitchman]

Our night to day swing has been great here in the Mts. 20's up to 38 - 40* degree's. But we keep getting a Northeast wind to cool everything down. It was still flowing though, not like we want but moving. And yes it looks like a few day's off so we can get the rest of the bugs corrected.

[Mitchman]

Hey bagpiper, How's it going down there on the borda !!!!! Are you on track to beat your best ?

[bagpiper]

Hi Mitchman - Boiled off about 35 gals. this afternoon in anticipation of having a long boil on Sunday. A friend is bringing over about 40 gals. of sap from some prolific sugars and I'm thinking I'll have another 30 to 40 from my stingy reds. My tankenstein with 2X4 flat pan is working great! I raised up the flue part of the innards leaving about 5 inches between the top of the bricks and the bottom of the pan. I'm boiling about 10 gals./hr. which is lighting fast for this rig. Having fun and making syrup. How are you guys doing up there in the north where real men dwell?

[jdb4whlr28]

I tapped in late January this year in Southern Maine which allowed me to catch that early run. However, I used the new check valve taps. From what I was told you can get an extra 2-3 weeks out of these taps before the tree starts to heal because they don't allow sap to go back into the tree.