Tapping in Ontario

[ennismaple]

With this cold snap we can't get all our lines stretched yet. The weather forecast looks good for this weekend so we plan to tap on Saturday & Sunday. I've been telling people for the last 6 weeks that we'll likely tap around March 10th and it turns out I was right to the day!

This is the week I look forward to every year! Nothing beats the sweet smell of the first run of syrup!!!

Good luck to the rest of the Canadian producers who are about to fire up the drills for 2007.

[LittleGuy]

I put 36 in on Saturday, and added 60 some on Sunday. Both days the trees were bleeding.:) Did get a little from Sat. Half was frozen so i boiled the liquid on the stove, ended up with 250ml of Light. Boiled the rest on sunday when it thawed, got a tablespoon from a 4 gallon bucket.

Doing more on tapping Saturday, have about 75 more to put in.

[Jerome]

I will be tapping end of the week I was going to on Monday but the 90 klick winds sort of took the fun out of that idea. Here hoping for a good run.

[traderzach]

i'll be tapping this saturday also....the forcast for next week looks good.....even if the temperature yesterday was -45

[H. Walker]

If the Lord is willing, I will be starting to tap on Friday. The best we have ever done was 700 taps in one day, so it looks like I'll have to tap on Sat. in the rain. And yes I'm made of sugar, maple sugar.

[ontario guy]

If i can get all my equipment cleaned on Saturday the 10th i will be tapping on sunday.

It is supposed to be +8c on wednesday and last night is was -24C if that doesn't get things started with a bang nothing will.

[Fred Henderson]

Don't you clean your equipment when you are done using it the previous year? Good luck with tapping.

[ennismaple]

I can't speak for Ontario Guy but we wash everything when it's put away at the end of the season and also wash again before we put sap or syrup into anything. You can't be too clean!

[ontario guy]

I do wash everything twice as well, i have mice and all sorts or critters in my shack in the off season. not to mention just plain old dust an dirt.

It looks like i will be ready to tap Sunday, i am burning pallets this year. i can't wait to see if that increases my GPH.

Mark

[cheesegenie]

Yes Mark, I know what you mean.Mice turds on any flat surface and squirrels, leave little nests all over. Was cleaning up yesterday, also
trying to make some trails around the bush with snowshoes, that heavy
snow crust breaks through about 16 inches to the ground. But it
still doesn't feel right, too cold. Last year I tapped on Mar.11, but Dad
always said Mar. 17 was the day.My mind will change fast if it goes to
+8. I predict a few warm days, kind of a late Janurary thaw, then a freeze
up for a while, then bang sap will pour. eh?

[cheesegenie]

That's what happened, after a week of freeze up, today sap is pouring out.
Should be a few busy days, at last.

[LittleGuy]

My test trees in the yard haven't let out a drop yet. I hope the bush trees are awake. The darn thing's never woke up yesterday until 2pm.

[cheesegenie]

Well, just got done gathering, buckets were half to three quarters full. Now
it is pouring rain, even with covers, rain makes sap yellow/brown.That is where the pipeline is good, because the sap is still running. It seems to
be a bit warmer here than even an hour away, too warm for me....buds.

[LittleGuy]

Just got back from my bush's.

Have 3 spots setup, 1 has 81, got 100 gallons there.
setup #3 had 9 pails, got 20 gallons there.
Had no more room for setup #2 that has 43.

I was begining to think I tapped a bunch of ash.:)

Time to get to boiling.

[ennismaple]

Sap ran great yesterday. Made a bunch of light syrup - which we'll save for maple sugar and maple butter. Unfortunately, we're only up to about 15% of a normal year. Today should be more of the same even if it didn't freeze really stiff overnight. The temps the next 5 days are a bit worrysome, especially not freezing overnight for a few days. Hopefully there's enough frost still in the ground to hold things off.

[cheesegenie]

Ennis, I hope you had better luck today than me.Just a light frost last night,
didn't get a drop of sap today. You are farther north and might of got
that much needed night freeze. The yeild today wasn't too good neither on
what I boiled.Saw two robins this afternoon.

[LittleGuy]

today I averaged about 1/2 gal a tap.

Some had nothing, some had a gal. I had 2 4 gal buckets overflow. For the most part it was a slow day, but enough to keep me and my little homemade evaporator job busy:)

[Jerome]

I have only got about 40 gals from 20 taps this year so far, it is to warm up during the next week to over freezing over night but cloudy and rain then back down the week after. I still have plenty of snow on the ground will my season be over tomorrow? or should I leave the taps for the week after?????

[LittleGuy]

I would leve them in, It will run when leat expected.

The test trees out back here are bleeding real good right now, don't know about the bush trees, but I suspect they are going also.

Still time for lots of syrup yet. I think.:)

[LittleGuy]

Yesterday's boil was all light, sugar was around 2.25%.

So far Today's boil was border line light fancy, but was ended being real light light. Seems the sugar is around 2.5%.

[LittleGuy]

Major sugar jump, was around 2.5%. The last 2 day's I've been getting 3.5%.

collected 100gal. today, and 60 yesterday.