Tapping Feb 7

[lafite]

I am tapping tomorrow! Looking at the potential snow this coming week, it will be easier to get my gravity lines in and be ready. Check valves will keep my holes safe for the season.

Since I took last year off, my reserves are running low!

good luck this season!

[lafite]

tapped 15 single trees today. sugar reads 3.2% with my refractometer. I'm hoping to get a boil in early this week!

[lafite]

gravity lines in. 60 taps so far with another 25 singles left to do. collected 30 gallons today. Let's see what mother nature has in store for us over the next couple of weeks..

[lafite]

full steam ahead...sorry for the pun! great day of our first boil of the season. collected 60 gallons today and had 70 collected from the week. It took 5 hours to sweeten the pan and we had a 1 gallon draw off at 5:30. Light amber syrup tastes amazing!

[lafite]

finished a 2nd gallon of syrup. not bad for a quick morning boil!

[lafite]

collected another 60 gallons yesterday and pushed out another gallon of syrup! 3 gallons and counting! Today I will empty and rinse the pan. I'll protect the concentrate for what looks like a great boil on Sunday.

[lafite]

it was a shame to dump out almost 45 gallons of sap this morning. I'm travelling until Friday and have no way to protect the sap with no snow to cover my 2-55 gallon containers. I have 15 gallons of concentrate stored at my buddy's package store until Saturday morning. I'm hoping for a great run this weekend to continue on!

[Pauly V]

Its a horrible feeling. Ive got 250 gallons ready for this weekend. 1 55 gallon drum is getting a little cloudy, still taste fine. Just bottled 3 gallons last night Light Amber as well.
. I hope it holds on, ive got to clean my pans tomorrow.

[lafite]

17 degrees at 7am. I'm hoping that things warm up for a nice run this weekend! I installed a new blower yesterday which runs at 300 cfm. it has a variable switch and will tear through my wood!

[lafite]

https://youtu.be/7MiY8qzBKk8

My Backyard in Cheshire, CT Filmed with my Drone

[hodorskib]

February 29 and it looks like April - very cool video!

[lafite]

you got that right! I would normally have my collection barrels packed in snow. I'm at 6 gallons total for the season with most likely just one last boil this weekend. next week's temperatures are supposed to soar into the 60's most of the week.

[lafite]

collected 12 gallons between yesterday and today. the next 3 days look great. I'll check the sugar content tomorrow. Monday could be a great final boiling day!

[lafite]

we are back in business. 60 gallons collected and tomorrow is looking good as well. I'll be firing up in the early afternoon!

[sugarridge48]

Good to hear. Slow run up north but promising. For the next couple days.

[lafite]

great day of sugarin'! boiled down 100 gallons and drew off 3.3 gallons. I had my concentrate stored at my buddy's package store so we drew off an hour and a half in. sugar content was 2.3 down from the almost 3% the last couple of boils. maybe one more small boil tomorrow since it's 32 degrees now at 7pm and dropping. I'll try to squeeze out whatever I can!

good luck to all the other sugar makers in the area!

[lafite]

excited about tomorrow! it's 28 degrees at 8:34. it's supposed to be in the 50's tomorrow so I can predict a great run. I think I'm obsessed with this hobby...lol

[hodorskib]

All of my bags were still half frozen just started to run when I collected at 6pm. Hoping for one more good run to finish up the season strong.

[sugarridge48]

I had small run in North canton yesterday,Ice in buckets so I'm hoping for one final epic run. Maybe today if the sun comes out.

[lafite]

I boiled my last boil today. the taps were flowing great and I just started shutdown an hour ago. 1.5 gallons pushed out today. I'll empty my evaporator tomorrow to boil down the concentrate on the propane.

Good year for 6 boils and a Feb 7th tapping. 11 gallons in 2016

lot's of upgrades for 2017....stay tuned!

[hodorskib]

Not the huge run I was hoping for but half of my bags still had ice in them and all of them were running well. Had to replace 12 out of the 80 that were leaking from squirrel damage and one appeared to have been destroyed by a bear. Hoping the next two days will produce and then wrap things up.

[lafite]

took down the gravity lines yesterday. I finished and bottled my last 3.5 gallons today. powerwashed the pan and the collection barrels...tomorrow when dry, they will be put to bed for the next year. Strange but fun season. Stay tuned for my upgrades next year which will include a preheater and an newly designed arch.

did I mention that the filter press is the best invention for mankind??