2016 N.W. Wisconsin

[Brad W Wi]

I figured I'd start something for this year. I'm starting to get the itch, and will be getting things together starting this week. Been an odd winter with the ups and downs. What's everyone out there thinking??

[jmayerl]

We made syrup already....lost most of the snow cover in the last 3 days, next 7-10 days looks cool but with no frost and hardly any snow it will be a short season without a major spring snow.

[mike z]

This weather has me excited to tap, but I'm holding off yet. I think it's too early here. I keep looking at the long range forecast to see what next week is going to be like. I've jumped the gun way too many times.

[Merklin Maples]

I was going to tap this weekend, but I as well have jumped the gun by tapping early. I will be taping next weekend I think. I built a new evaporator this year and have done a test boil that went exactly as I had hoped. Now anxious to get going and boil the real deal.

[mike z]

Playing the guessing game on when to tap is horrible. I try and have everything ready to go. When it's time to pull that trigger, I can have my 300 buckets hung in 6 hours (not counting covers). It gives me a little peace of mind during this time or year knowing that. I have a touch of O.C.D.; missing out on the slightest bit of sap drives me absolutely crazy. I then, drive my wife crazy. Its so much more relaxing retrieving buckets and taps at the end of the season.

[Zucker Lager]

Seems like here in Sugar Camp Wisconsin we are in a valley and its a state cold spot running up through Land O and Phelps. I looked at my records and in the past 4 years I drove taps on the second week of March maybe I've been missing sap? But last year I drove a test tap in a tree near the house and it didn't start until that second week. Hey Merklin Maples do you think that the big pond has a little to do with your tapping times? you are closer than we are. Jay

[Merklin Maples]

Yea I think being closer to the big lake makes a difference just as it does with lake effect snow. Depends on how the winds are blowing. Want to have some taps in by mid week.

[southfork]

For most of you guys on buckets north of Highway 8, when looking at current conditions and the forecast I see the weekend of March 5th being a likely tapping weekend. Forecast can of course change and as others have mentioned, some sugarbushes produce earlier than others.

Also remember, producers with high numbers of taps on a semi-closed vacuum system generally begin to tap well in advance of those on buckets and bags. Some are already tapping and have been as they have thousands of taps to get set and vacuum can produce sap on more mild temperature swings. Tap holes also dry slower and therefore produce longer on vacuum systems.

Good luck to everyone this season.

[GramaCindy]

I had planned on tapping around March 1st this year. No evaporator at this time. Sold my old one in a day, waiting for the new one.....HOPEFULLY SOON! I'll need to install firebrick and do a test boil, so I'm really perplexed about when to tap now. Typically the sap doesn't start to flow until after St. Patty's day up here. We were out in the yard all day on Saturday, working in the shack and whatnot, and all day I noticed the "Sugar Snow" as one of the locals calls it. Really had me itching to tap. Tim broke a maple branch with the tractor, so I kept a close eye on it....Luckily, no sap.

[Brad W Wi]

Mother Nature is in charge. It's a guessing and waiting game. I usually start hanging pails early March.

[gouldjs]

anybody tapping in polk county yet?

[Russell B Hanson]

The snow is nearly all gone in the open and not much in the woods. I put out a test sugar maple tap 3 days ago in a nice open area that warms early. It dripped for a while at 1 drip every 3 seconds. This afternoon (Friday) it dripped at 1 drip per second. I will put some more out tomorrow. I think I will put the rest out on Wednesday of this week--forecast is about right. Normally we tap about mid March, but since 2012 when we missed the season -- should have tapped about the beginning of Feb instead of the beginning of March.

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[GramaCindy]

Today's temps make it really tempting to get out and tap, but unfortunately I don't have my bags on the holders yet. Today will be about bricking the new arch and getting the chimney hooked up. This coming week doesn't look favorable for sap, so I'm shooting for next weekend to tap.

[markcasper]

I'm a bit further south than you's and started tapping yesterday. My test tree that I tapped last Saturday was going at 90 drips a second at 4pm. EVERY hole I drilled was spitting out sap. It will take me a week to tap so I am going to keep at it despite the cool down, it could change and not get as cold. Maybe I'll be ready for once. Using check valves so am not worried about them later on.

[WI Sugarpop]

My test tree that I tapped last Saturday was going at 90 drips a second at 4pm.

How do count that fast? LOL

[Super Sapper]

At that rate you should make about a barrel a tap!

[Brad W Wi]

I have out 4 test pails. Sun AM 1 had about a gal. Then 1 had a pt. the other 2 less than a cup. I hope to start hanging pails Wed or Thurs. I got a RO this year and hope to go over it a couple of times before I need it too.

[mike z]

I put out a few test buckets last Friday and had about .25 to 1 gal. by Sunday afternoon. Nothing since. Gonna tap all mine this Friday if forecast holds.

[Brad W Wi]

I started tapping Wed. I got out 75 pails. I hope to get the rest out today (325). I also started up my RO as well. I never saw one work before. As people on here have said "don't worry their easy to run." Well your right, I consider myself the village idiot and I did it. Now I can't wait to use it.

[GramaCindy]

I put in 91 taps today....ran out of steam. I am hoping and after reading Dr. Tim's posts that the season will actually really get under way at some point. A few days of over 40* without nightime freezing will not end the season. Every year I go throught the worry. HOY. Tomorrow 3" of snow, hopefully after some morning appt. I'll be able to get the other 49 taps in.

[Blue Diamond Maple]

Bruce, Wi
tapped 86 on gravity line today. Nothing running. 150 left to put out this weekend. Still 6 to 8 inches of snow in the woods and frozen solid. Hope to be boiling next week.

[Snow Blind]

Tapped 12 today and 2 yesterday. Not a drip yet but really did not expect any. Temps should rise soon.

[Maplemuff]

Up here in Mercer, Iron County. Put in 3 taps yesterday. 15 more today. Drip....drip....drip. Slow but praying for tomorrow. Starting to wake up out there. Very sloppy and slippery.

[johnzski]

we did about 150 today...the sugars were running pretty good. The reds were spotty

[Snow Blind]

tapped 35 so far. Some 2 drips a second, other nothing. All depends on exposure to the sun and other factors I don' know about.

[Brad W Wi]

Well we've collected 3 times 210, 220 and 105 today out of 400 pails.. Weather is something else. the RO is really a time saver . I was worried, 'cause I'm no spring chicken. It ain't easy teaching an old dog new tricks. Waiting for better weather, sounds like next week.

[Merklin Maples]

Tapped last week. Monday got 67 gallons from 100 taps. Yesterday 50 gallons. Keep it coming Mother Nature.

[gouldjs]

collected MOnday....nothing since in polk county

[mike z]

Collected and boiled 500 gal. so far. Saps been 2.2% sugar, and making light syrup. Was happy, and a bit surprised to see that considering I had to let 350 gal sit a couple days before I could get to boiling it. Hopefully tonight will get down below freezing.

[flying squirrel maple]

Made 4.5 gallons of real light syrup, filtered nice of the arch. Waiting for the big run tomorrow.... Hopefully


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[Snow Blind]

Freezing overnight near Superior. Would like to get enough to use my new 2X4 evap.

[GramaCindy]

You should have a great sap day today Snow Blind

[Brad W Wi]

Bottled 8 gals of real light syrup this morning. Mid day it was it's running like mad. Counting on a good collection tomorrow. But looking bad for the rest of the week as far as the weather goes till thursday.

[mike z]

510 gal. Collected and boiled today (yesterday). 2.0 % sap

[flying squirrel maple]

We ended up making 22 gallons. First 15 was real light, not much sand, last seven got a little darker with more sand also but not bad. A little strange cooking syrup in a t shirt in the middle of March, thank you global warming, climate change, or whatever else al gore and his cronies are calling it. 😉


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[Brad W Wi]

We've bottled 23 gals so far. First batch very light and the second just a shade darker. We were getting worried with the weather we were having. It looks good and came in time as well. Took a walk in the woods this AM in the wet heavy snow. I did see one soft maple that was starting to bud out but everything else looked good to go. I think the next week is going to be great. But then what do I know. At least I hope it will be great.

[Zucker Lager]

Hey Sappers I need some input. I got my arch all bricked up and everything ready to go about 3 1/2 weeks ago here in Sugar Camp Wisconsin. My plans were to tap the next day...............the next day I took an ambulance ride to Wausau with heart problems. Now I'm sitting here thinking that I'm almost recouped enough to go and tap? I do about 15 trees right now just for home. I'm thinking I'm too late, did I loose the entire season? what do you all think? thanks Jay

[jmayerl]

That far up north you could have a good 5-10 days yet, down here we are done but I know they are still getting good sap just north of us in oconto county.

[Rhino]

I know a producer in price county who just tapped his 600 trees a few days ago. All hard maples which all of our buds are tight on them yet. I'm a bit concerned with it as far as how the sap quality will be. Hate to have it be ropey syrup. 2 1/2 inches of rain here with now snow.... my test taps arnt doing anything today. I think friday will be the start again.

[mike z]

I would still tap. You're tapping in "Sugar Camp" Wisconsin after all. My sap has been crystal clear so far and shows no sign of late season yet.

[lpakiz]

We're still in the hunt down here in Clark County. Go for it. Great weather coming up starting now!!

[Zucker Lager]

thanks Guys I was all but giving up until your input now. With my small operation any boil will be a good one. Sure would like to see some steam coming out of my new arch. he he Jay

[Brad W Wi]

Weather looks good for a least another week. I did notice a few soft maples starting to bud out. It started running Thursday afternoon here in the Winter area.

[mike z]

I went around late yesterday and emptied rainwater from all buckets in prep. for this upcoming sap flow. Forecast does look good. The woods is a mess. Water everywhere.

[GramaCindy]

We collected 20 gallons yesterday. Most of my trees are on a West slope or rather at the bottom of it, so they flow later. I could use some warmer day time highs to get things moving down there earlier in the day. Go figure, first we were worried about warm weather, now things look ideal for night time temps, just a tad cool for day time temps. I was surprised to see the taps at the top of the hill flowing yesterday with snow, cloudy skies and only 32* so who knows, maybe it will start this weekend. Fingers crossed, still.

[Brad W Wi]

Just took a walk around the sugarbush. Trees are running, not great but running. Between yesterday 34 and cloudy and today 39 and sunny not much in the pails. Varies from 1/2 cup to more than a pint. It's 2:45 so plenty of time today for running. I hope to pick up enough for a boil on Sunday. Odd year. Last weekend in the 60's and now in the 30's. One day this week we got 3" of rain followed by 6" of snow right after the rain. On Thursday I went around and emptied the rain water out of the pails, even with tops on plenty got in. We've made a third of what we usually make so far. I'm hoping to make more. HOW'S everyone in N.W. Wisc doing out there.

[mike z]

The first tree I checked at 3:00pm today was just pouring sap, bucket almost running over. All other buckets I checked were about half full with sap running okay. Decided to wait until tomorrow morning to collect, hoping the trails will be a little more firm (frozen), with the low temps expected tonight. Here we go....

[mike z]

I have about 25 gal. (1/3 crop) made so far including what's sitting in the evaporator. If projected temps hold, this should be a very productive week though.

[lenp]

we have about 350 taps on 3/16 there was about 150 gal in the tanks from yesterdays run. the trees didn't thaw until after 2:00 so it was a short day.

[mike z]

Collected and boiled 230 gal. today. Tossed off lots of ice. Big variation in sap quantity between buckets. Still making light syrup, sugar sand was less too. Sap ran good today starting at 2:00 or so. Almost had a burned front pan. While I was off collecting, I had the wife watching the evaporator; she noticed the front pan getting dangerously low and realized the scoop had dropped down inside the float box reducing flow to the front pan. She immediately grabbed the scoop out and started shoveling sap from the flu pan into the front pan. Caught it just in time. Thank goodness she was paying attention. Of all the helpers, she's the only person I trust running the evaporator when I'm not there.

[Brad W Wi]

Sun. P.M. we collected 170 gals of 3.5 after ice was removed. Just got back from the sugarbush, it's 5 A.M. and it's a mile down the road. I went over to check, looks like we're going to collect again this A.M. Looks like we'll get about the same as yesterday. I didn't get to do anything with yesterdays sap so I'll run it all through through R.O. and have at it. Hoping for a normal year of syrup. Normal for us is + or- 70 gals. We're at 23 gals bottled.

[mike z]

Heading to work today, will collect at 4:00 this afternoon. Tomorrow, I'll boil it all down. Red maples look like buds are just starting to open. Wonder how long the sugar maples can keep giving good sap? Wish I had that R.O. Brad for those big sap days, or when I'm trying to play catch up.

[Austin351]

First time poster although been lurking for a while... Running 12 bags and 9 buckets (Don't know how I have an odd number...) This is really the second week I have been tapped. First week made one pint of the best tasting maple syrup I have ever had, almost tasted like it had a buttery, vanilla, finish. Last week was out of town for work and then dumped and back to collecting on Saturday morning. Good run on Saturday, ok on Sunday, but today has been crazy compared to what I am used to. Collected 18 gallons and am cooking again to make room in storage.

Guessing we are getting close to the end of the season but will push on until.. Just wanted to say hello.

[mike z]

440 Gal. Yesterday. Hope it keeps going, and going...

[Diesel Pro]

Heading to work today, will collect at 4:00 this afternoon. Tomorrow, I'll boil it all down. Red maples look like buds are just starting to open. Wonder how long the sugar maples can keep giving good sap? Wish I had that R.O. Brad for those big sap days, or when I'm trying to play catch up.

Yeah my reds have me nervous. Hoping things stay clear this week and final run Saturday.

[Austin351]

Brad W Wi - Looks like you are about 3 miles south of me. I'm across the river from Dix's Chalet, on Rankin Rd.

[Snow Blind]

45 taps sat for 2 days in Douglas Co. Just over 50 gallons. 13920

[Brad W Wi]

Austin 351, I live on Lk. Winter Rd. Send me an E_mail and we'll get together and talk makin' syrup.
On Monday we collected 140 gals of 3.25 after taking the ice out Ran it through the R.O. and boiled it off with Sundays haul. Today Tuesday we collected 500 gals of 2.25. I'll be running that through and boiling it off on Wed. Just checked my pails at 4:00 PM and not a lot in them, maybe a pint. But we'll collect and I'll boil it off on Wednesday with the rest.
I'm hoping this weather holds. Like Diesel Pro said the reds (soft maples) are about to bud out and then the hards aren't very far behind. Strange weather, now they're talking snow tomorrow.

[Brad W Wi]

Boiled off today. We made about 18-20 gals. Will probably bottle it tomorrow. Nothing much ran yesterday and nothing going on today. We keep hoping for more, I don't want to be greedy but would like an average year.

[Austin351]

Had an ok day (very small time hobby), pulled 15 gallons off of 21 taps. Also noticed my test birch spit out a tablespoon or two. Timing is perfect, planned on pulling the maple this weekend and tapping birch. Only make a couple pints of birch syrup, mainly filter and bottle the rest of the sap as "birch water". Been looking forward to this elixir since I ran out last July. :-)

[mike z]

Finished boiling off another 380 today. Brought a couple milk cans to the house to bottle over the Holiday weekend. Checked buckets today; figured there's another 100 gallons on the trees. Will pick up tomorrow. Birch water sounds interesting. What's it taste like?

[Austin351]

Tastes like mineral water. Not so much about the taste, I enjoy it because it makes me feel great.

[Brad W Wi]

We bottled 16+ gals Thurs AM. That gives us a total of 40+ for the season so far. A ways to go. We didn't collect on Thurs. It was iced up pretty good till later. We have some help on Friday and will collect then. The soft maples have me worried "cause the hard ones aren't far behind.

[Brad W Wi]

collected about 450 gals of sap. It was froze this A.M. and waited till11:00. it started running again an hour later. Hope to pick a good run tomorrow. The weather looks good for a few days.

[GramaCindy]

Boiled off 100+ gallons yesterday and gathered another 160 to get through today. Not sure if there will be sap today, 33* low, but this season is shaping up to be an odd season with sap flowing when it shouldn't and not flowing when it should. Loving every minute!

[jbelany]

Things are going strong south of Ashland, trees are dripping strong and clear sap. The buds look to be on the verge of breaking open any day now. We've boiled off 160 gallons so, 90 in the garage to boil tomorrow, and likely 50 hanging on the trees right now. Definitely need to figure out a real arch as this cinder block/barrel stove arch is only running about 6 GPH with my Smoky Lake 2X4 flat pan.

Joe

[Brad W Wi]

Collected approx. 250 gals of 2.75% today and boiled it off. Nothing running today so we'll bottle on Sunday. Very odd year like Grama Cindy said.

[mike z]

Collected 200 yesterday and 160 today. Some buckets almost full today, others (most),next to nothing. Boil it down tomorrow. Happy Easter maple friends!

[Austin351]

Pulled the remaining taps out of the maples yesterday. Once I cook off the remaining sap in storage I'll finish the season with about 23 pints of syrup, . Plenty for the family and friends, assuming I don't make more friends between now and next season. ;-) Cleaning everything up today and will tap the birch when I get back from the Cities on Wednesday.

Had the pleasure of spending an hour or so at Brad (Brad W Wi) and Linda's Sugarbush yesterday morning, great property and great people. Heck of a set up they got going there and was very interesting learning and seeing it in action.

[jbelany]

Pulled all of my taps today. Sap is starting to get a pretty descent haze and the buds have become huge. Everything still tastes and smells good, just figured it was time to pull. When I boil my remaining 120 gallons I will be a little strong of 8 gallons finished, plenty for family and friends for the next year. I'm gone all next week, so another reason to pull today.

Learned several things this year, still struggling with filtering. I have managed to filter 2 gallons at a time before my Orlan filter starts getting too slow; modified a bucket to hold my Orlan bag then wrapped these in towels and covered with a towel. Put a 35 gallon tank on the back of my ATV, which made sap hauling much easier this year. The woods are absolutely soaked this year and has made for some awful long days standing in mud.

Cinder block arch with a Smoky Lake pan is only boiling at 6 gph; definitely need to come up with a better plan for next year.

Great season, a lot learned, and more than doubled my syrup production with a much clearer syrup.

Joe

[Jeff E]

The jury is out near Spooner. Several locals have heard Peepers, the woods frogs that are really good at singing to tell us to pull taps.
I haven't heard them yet (keeping window closed!) so I am waiting until Friday to see it we get anymore decent sap.
So far it has been an OK year of production. We made a lot of syrup in the last 12 days.
The early weeks of March was some of the easiest boiling sap I have ever had. Very clean.
We are now making niter on the front pan in a big way. Every boil requiring a major cleaning.

Hoping for a few more decent days!

[Brad W Wi]

Today is Wed. We boiled of the 300 gals we collected yesterday. Had a problem with a leak on the RO yesterday. It took a while but I took care of it. Raining today but some ran yesterday after we collected. It's a cold rain so we're still hoping for some more sap. Might even get a few days with the weather forecast. We'll take what we can get. Sat. Austin 351 stopped by for a visit. We had a good time always nice to meet other tappers. I tried warning him about the addiction of making syrup. Of course I didn't listen either. Right now as far as syrup goes we'll call it a normal season.

[sbingham]

I boiled Monday evening and again last night. All was quiet on Monday, but the frogs were singing big time last night.
I think it is time to wrap things up for this year and start the cleaning process.
The wood pile is almost gone and I am starting to run out energy.
As always, it has been very enjoyable - but a very different year to say the least.

[Brad W Wi]

I went around this AM and looked. Nothing going on, but what is in the pails looks OK. This weather is something else. I talked to one tapper in town this AM and their holding out till this weekend. I also talked to a big producer in Cadott and their holding out till this weekend as well. I'm hoping for some more, time will tell

[johnzski]

Seems the reds are getting cloudy but the sugars still look real good. Probably pull the reds and leave the rest. I don't wanna be done yet !

[mike z]

I'm hoping for more as well. I think we'll get another good run or two yet. But these roller coaster temperatures have been a pain in the butt.

[Brad W Wi]

Mike, I agree. These temps are driving me nuts. I'm hoping for at least one more boil. But to be honest I don't know. Sunday I'm going to finish off everything in the evaporator. I hope to have a run next week, the temps look good.

[mike z]

I emptied buckets today and noticed some late season mold on quite a few taps. Yikes! One more good run will give me .25 gal./tap. That's all I want!

[Brad W Wi]

Anyone one in NW Wisc. still holding on and waiting? I went out this AM and some pails were dry and some half full to running over. Problem is they were froze solid. I can't check cloudiness or sugar till later. Odd season that's for sure.

[markcasper]

I'm going out to gather from yesterdays now, had to work town job in the overnight. Commercial was being made yesterday morning......pulled all the soft maples one week ago but didn't seem to help any. 18 degrees here this morning.

[GramaCindy]

I'm still hanging on as well. I decided last week to just let the sweet freeze to slush in my pans and leave the bags alone. Checked yesterday, no sap. Pulled all of the reds. Waiting

[mike z]

About 1/3 of my taps ran real well late yesterday, the rest did very little or nothing.

[markcasper]

Trees ran about a gallon per tap yesterday. Releasers chock full of ice at noon today and just starting to trickle. The past 3 days have had many problems with pulling the soft maples and then ice backing up into the lines and popping the drops off the T's :( Who would have thought at seasons end this would happen? Had icicles hanging from numerous saddles again this morning.

Trees are actually running pretty good right now at 9 oclock and 33 degrees. Sugar went up slightly and sap has really cleared up coming in.

[Jeff E]

I'm still hanging in as well. We made syrup on Tuesday night, still good flavor, dark amber to B.
My thought is we will be done within 24 hours the next time the sun comes out and we are over 50. The trees want to make leaves!
We got about 600 gallons on 2400 taps yesterday afternoon. I expect about the same today, so maybe making syrup tonight.

I am done buying sap as a lot of folks are getting cloudy, buddy sap. Don't want to buy sap to make bad syrup, I will do that with my own sap:lol:

In the end, we will end up with about an average year of production. What ever that means!

[Brad W Wi]

Yesterday I started pulling pails. I hate to stop but it was real cloudy. I bottle all mine and I sure don't want to make bad syrup. Ended up with 70 gals, a normal year.

[mike z]

Im not far behind you Brad. 1/2 of my buckets have shut down completely. The others seem to be running okay, but even with the cold temps the sap is not keeping well, and with the reduction in buckets, time between boils has grown too great. Its a tubing mans game at this point. Saturday I'll finish off the pans, and start the clean up. It's time to Barbeque!

[Dave Nielsen]

Monday our sap was looking cloudy and we were considering hanging it up. Thursday, however, we got over 400 gallons of bright, clear sap.

[Dave Nielsen]

Actually, when we finished hauling everything in from Thursday's run, it totaled 625 gallons. It tested at over 2 percent sugar and we were making light amber... Crazy

[Rhino]

My brother in laws last collection jumped up to a 2.6 test after being much lower the whole season.... truly is a strange season.

[Snow Blind]

Very clear but frozen stiff in the buckets. Down to 37 taps but no use checking them until we get some near thawing temps.

[Brad W Wi]

I'm packed up and cleaning things up. Odd year, but everyone knows that. Already thinking of next year. Does anyone use a flow meter to keep track of gals of sap? If so what kind?

[pls009]

I'm packed up and cleaning things up. Odd year, but everyone knows that. Already thinking of next year. Does anyone use a flow meter to keep track of gals of sap? If so what kind?

looking forward to seeing a reply on this also

[WI Sugarpop]

Where do you want to put a flow meter?

[markcasper]

I have a neptune i bought off e-bay....use mostly just for recording purchased sap. Its 3/4", so too small for big timers. I had a new one years ago and wore it out, bought a different one which was crap, really liked the neptune.

[Snow Blind]

Pulled my taps today. About 1/3 were running best ever for the year. But the forecast is looking at warming temps and if I keep them out longer don't have a window of time to process it.
Got close to 300 gallons of sap this year. Can still process more next year if I don't overbook myself.

[Brad W Wi]

Mark, where do you have yours? I was thinking of putting it on my sap wagon or on the line running to my feed tank. Before I retired we used them at work but they were for 6" to 24" lines. What I'm looking for is something for a 1" line. I'm also worried about the sap gumming up the works when it has to sit a few days. I'm going to google Neptune flow meters and see what's out there.

[GramaCindy]

I pulled my taps yesterday and also, it appeared to be the best sap day for the season. It's always sad to end the season, but also a relief. Looking forward to some nice spring weather heading our way. I collected a total of 900 gallons of sap this season and will make more than 15 gallons of syrup. A record for the Mangy Moose.

[markcasper]

Mark, where do you have yours? I was thinking of putting it on my sap wagon or on the line running to my feed tank. Before I retired we used them at work but they were for 6" to 24" lines. What I'm looking for is something for a 1" line. I'm also worried about the sap gumming up the works when it has to sit a few days. I'm going to google Neptune flow meters and see what's out there.

I have it on the outfeed of my sap pump, which is in route to the ro feed tank, i just have a small electric pump and speak of the devil, mine got hatched the other night/morning when it started to freeze, it quit working.I have had them freeze slightly before and it has never did anything to them, obviously if its going to freeze hard I bring it in or cover with a coat/blanket.

I just got in from cooking the last sap....still have to cook the flue pan out, but will have to wait until Friday. Best looking sap that I have ever finished the season with. It was commercial, but the easiest boiling mersch I've ever finished with.

[Austin351]

Maple is pretty much done around the area so, in comes the birch. Only have 9 tapped since they are not very abundant on my property, or even in the area.... Flowed very well last 24 hours and pulled 17 gallons of nice sap. Have already bottled about 8 gallons of sap and put on ice. Will drink it over the coming months as my little vitamin water boost. Cooking today since storage is filled up. Nothing serious, will be bottling syrup into 1.5 oz. jars and giving to friends and family. Just something else to do, keeps me out of the bar and in the woods. :lol: