Is it over in mid Maine

[efoyt]

It looks like it is going to be ok weather for the weekend but is it over after that? When are people pulling their taps?

[sap seeker]

I actually just tapped yesterday. My trees still looked tight and the forecast looks promising in central Maine for at least a week or I would not have bothered, I only make a couple of gallons, I think it will still work out.

[Jal-Bear]

Forecast looks good for the week. Let it flow!

[abbott]

We've had enough warmth this March that it could end any time now. Well, at least any time after it warms back up again. I would fully expect another week and if the temperatures are right, another week after that is possible. But if the cold nights disappear again for an extended stretch that would probably signal the end.

[Peeper]

13886

Taps it is my friends...

Just finished off the dregs of what was in the buckets & pan & boiled them down to a whopping 1 1/2 gallons of dark, bringing my season finale to 8 3/4 gallons. One quart shy of my last year of boiling in 2013 at 9 gallons. Good thing I tapped in January when I did. That week seemed to be the best sap flow of the season for me, even though I tapped more new trees as the season went on.

Yes we may get some more this week, but if it's anything like today's "perfect" sap flow type day with a freeze/thaw and pure sunshine with a high of 41 yielding a few pitiful drops, I'm done. I don't care for moths, yellow sap dribbles, cloudy sap, and leaf cutting bees all doing the back stroke in the warmer temps, only to yield some dark molasses.

Let TAPS begin. From the looks of things, Peeper's going to soon be hearing the real "Peepers". Hence, the name.

13885

[Mitchman]

Good year Peepers!! Anyway!! I don't think i'll hit my best but will be close with this week's forecast and luck!! I thought that's where the name came from, I have a pond and man do they sing around here, I just hope they wait a couple more weeks.

[abbott]

I have a small pond as well (just right for hockey) and its still solid. I was actually thinking about skating this morning. Peepers in two weeks here is possible, but that actually might be too soon.

[sap seeker]

Cold day yesterday in the Belgrades, high of 34 with a strong NW wind all day. Trees ran surprisingly well for a couple hours late afternoon, hoping things start a little earlier in the day today. Although off to a cold start, much less wind. The forecast for the week looks better and better, enough promise that the boy felt compelled to put three more taps in.:cool:

[Revi]

We have a nice week coming up. The temperature swing looks just right. It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing! We are going to have to see what happens the week after next, but we'll make some more syrup this week, and if it's good maybe we'll keep going.

[gmcooper]

We are still going here in windham. Had decent runs over the weekend. Would have run more but trees took till nearly noon to thaw.

[hambone]

We were disappointed here in Cornville, just a little sap all weekend, like the cold though. The trees didn't get going until late in the day and then it was over. We are hanging in there with hope for some decent runs.

[Mvhomesteader]

This is my first year at this location, tapping only 8 trees-many more to do next season. Started mid February and have collected an easy 11.5 gallons per tree so far. Sap ran yesterday for 5 gallons, woke to full jugs, and gathered another 8 gallons today. Looks like another boil this Saturday. Brics level has been steady lately around 2.5+. After 4 boils I've got almost 2 gallons so far...we actually boiled some sap for a few hours to concentrate the flavor and canned it as a summer drink!

8 milk jug taps
Hotel pan and old wood stove
Classic backyard operation

[hambone]

I would say yesterday was our best sap run of the season. The mainlines finally had steady streams and most taps were dripping nicely. I was hoping for this and it finally happened. Our forecast looks good to stay on the cool side too.

[Peeper]

Miracles do happen, and had I pulled my taps as I said in the last post, I'd have not gotten the 38 gallons from yesterday and the day before.

[Revi]

Saturday we thought we would get some sap, but the middle of the day we had nothing coming in. Some friends checked the lines, and there was nothing. Then late in the day it started trickling in, turned to a steady flow, took night off and Sunday was the best day all season. I started boiling at 10 am, and we barely kept up with the inflow all day while hordes of people visited. It got a little hectic around noon when I tried to finish syrup, talk to people and keep the evap going all at the same time. I decided to quit finishing and concentrate on the scene. My business partner showed up after church and it got a little less crazy! All in all it was a great weekend. We sold some syrup and had a good time!

[Atgreene]

Gathered 600 gallons yesterday and today. With cold weather forecast for next week, no buds in sight and clear sap still flowing we may add some 3/16 to 30-40 more we've never tapped before. The 40 buckets we added last Tuesday have given us almost 250 gallons of sap in a week.

[Revi]

What a three day run! We boiled last night in the pouring rain. Nice in the shack. It was amazing how much sap was in the buckets! One was spilling over and we collected it on Sunday afternoon. It took 5 trips to collect it all! Meanwhile sap was still coming in on the mainline. I think it must have stopped at some time last night, but that means that the sap poured in from late on Saturday, with a short break and then continuously from Sunday to early on Tuesday morning! What a run!

[boondocker]

I have collected almost 1000 gallons in two days. I'm out of storage and I had to shut the vac off because I can't burn it fast enough! It's not over by a long shot! Been boiling tonight since 7:00 and have already made 4.5 gallons of amber rich. Couldn't be happier. ....although I'm almost out of wood!! Scary low!!

[Atgreene]

Those are good problems to have. You can always sell some sap. No run here today, even with vacuum, no freeze last night. Tomorrow looks promising.

Spent all day trimming brush in the sugarbush. Sucks, but pays dividends years from now.

[sap seeker]

Big run coming today!:o:cool:

[Jal-Bear]

Big run over the past two days, nice to see many of the buckets full. Sugar content is fairly low but I'll take it. Looks like another good run today.

[gmcooper]

Have been making syrup and sap is still running well here today. Sugar content wasn't only 1.3 last night. Los like we might make it till the weekend or beyond.

[bees1st]

Picked up nicely here today . My sugar content went up after the last cold we had . I suspect it may be because some of the reds have slowed down . Where I pull sap from down the road its hovering around 1.8 , my woods are running 1.4

[Peeper]

Added 23 more gallons today to the 142 from the days before yesterday's dry non run. Sap remains at solid 2% with an occasional tree at 3% and a couple of reds at 1.5%. And so the record goes onward (and so does the boil). 60 degrees tomorrow could put a clamp on things though.

[boondocker]

The forecast for the weekend looks promising with cold temps and snow forecasted for my area. But unfortunately the weather can only play tricks on the trees for so long. We may get another week but I don't know.

[gmcooper]

Made syrup last night and will again tonight. Have to see what the weather brings for he weekend.

[RollinsOrchards]

We ran our evaporator every day for 7 days straight ahead first time ever. A lot of seasons we only boil every other day. Had every tank filled to capacity at one point but managed to fix the cracked evaporator door and make some steam before we lost any sap.

[Revi]

It's over for us! We pulled the last of the taps today and I boiled down some of the syrup from the front pan. There is still a lot to boil down, but the season is basically over now. I am stacking next year's wood while boiling down the last of it the next couple of days. It was a great season! I really like sugaring.

[bees1st]

I'm still hanging in there . Made 9 gallons today , still great flavor, saps is cloudy. Not much a run today . Sugar Maples are still tight . Should be over for me mid week .

[wurmdert]

I'm still hanging in there . Made 9 gallons today , still great flavor, saps is cloudy. Not much a run today . Sugar Maples are still tight . Should be over for me mid week .

Im still plugging along as well. Last barrel was extra dark and robust. Hopefully get few barrels of buddy before the sugar house cant push it through and shuts me down. Ben a great year, I have no complaints.

[abbott]

well I've concluded that my tap holes are 'bout dried up even with CV's. Looks like tonight will be the last good freeze. Buds are slightly swelled on the yard trees. Syrup tastes slightly off to me (my wife just sampled and said very dark is her new favorite...)

I'll probably run the pump for a couple more days assuming the syrup still tastes good, then call it a year.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We boiled our last batch yesterday. 2 collection points had good sap while the sap in 2 other spots was dumped because of an off flavor. Should be just over 27 gallons for the year which ties our best year.

[eagle lake sugar]

We still have 2 or 3 weeks left here. It's hard watching you guys making syrup in February and March while we're still frozen solid, but I guess this is when we get our revenge!

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Give her hell up there at Eagle Lake! Hope you guys do as well as we did.

[bees1st]

That's it for me . Last boil today . Chased the sweet finished another 14 gallons. What a long drawn out season . Turned out to be bout average for me . Once again vacuum saved my butt.

[hambone]

It's over in this central Maine sugarbush. We have some fairly cold nights but the sap just isn't running. Time to clean up, all in all it was an average season for us. We made around 30 gallons with 180 taps.

[Mitchman]

Yup hambone we are finished here in the W. Mts. There is barely any flow even with cold nights, and those are gone starting tonight. As bees1st said it's been a long drawn out season. My last boil is happening now, everything is about cleaned up. I went over my best so I'm happy.