Tapped in Hanson

[MikeR]

First timer here. I put 25 taps in (all Reds) back on 2/21 and collected about 7 gallons in about 3 or 4 days. Since then, everything has been really slow; I probably have only collected about 2.5 gallons in the last week or so. My first assumption was that I had done something wrong, but it seems like some other folks around this part of the state (SE) are having similar experiences.

[mike103]

Hi Mike, similar situation and results. After doing quite a bit of reading on this website I think a small vacuum pump will come in handy next season. For now, we got about 4 days of good weather ahead and after that it might be over from the long range forecast. Oh well, learning and having fun anyways.
Mike in Freetown.

[MikeR]

The worst (most embarrassing) part is that I couldn't even boil the original 7 gallons. I was storing it all in a Rubbermaid storage bin in the tiny creek behind my place to keep it cool. Well, the nearby bog dumped a ton of water into the creek and it all washed away. Devastating.

[NedL]

The worst (most embarrassing) part is that I couldn't even boil the original 7 gallons. I was storing it all in a Rubbermaid storage bin in the tiny creek behind my place to keep it cool. Well, the nearby bog dumped a ton of water into the creek and it all washed away. Devastating.

I don't boil every day either. I freeze a couple of block of sap and throw it in the container every morning to try and keep it fresh.

[MikeR]

I don't boil every day either. I freeze a couple of block of sap and throw it in the container every morning to try and keep it fresh.

Smart idea, I'll keep that in mind.

[MikeR]

FYI, things finally started picking up yesterday. I just took a walk around and noticed that the sap's already running this morning.

[mike103]

Good to hear your trees still running. Im down to about 7 trees left dripping out of 25,drying up quick. got about 10 gallons since Sunday. Hopefully 1 more boil.

[jrm]

this is my 3rd year, and I , too, feel it has been very slow. I boiled approx 30-35 gallons on the 28th. In the next week, I only collected another 6 gallons (from 12 taps.) I evaporated that plus, another 5 that I didn't do the prior week. Things were dry until yesterday... Collection from yesterday and today gave me another 10.7 gal. I figure there might be a bit more from today (I collected late afternoon) and possibly tomorrow. Then, I suspect these crazy warms temps will either stop the flow of turn it cloudy.

At some point, when I realized I keep increasing the number of taps, without much, if any, increase in production, that I wanted to give my trees a "kick in the pants." :lol:

For what it's worth, i have frozen sap in large ~3 gal rectangular Tupperware style containers, and when it was cold enough, kept sap in canon banks. Trick using the freezer is remembering to take it out early enough so your not boiling solid blocks.

I think, using NedL's comment, I might take those solid blocks into a 5gal bucket and surround with any new sap.