Tapping new york 2017

[Chickenman]

Ok, I maybe jumping the gun here but I looked at the extended for cast for the next 90 days from several different weather forecasting sources, and they all showed above 32F day highs and below 28F nights. Most folks around these parts (CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY) do not tap until Valentines Day, I however just came in from putting out 4 taps as a trial. Got good sap flow. One sugar and 3 big leaf. Will see what happens. Unless these pails really fill up, I will most likely wait a few weeks to put out the rest.

[maple flats]

The last few years I've been tapping in Jan and have finished tapping on or before 1/20.
While I seldom get much flow that early, I like being ready in case it flows. I use CV2's on my 5/16 lines but just use standard angle taps on the 3/16 because they always have vacuum on them.
Good luck! And keep it fun!

[Urban Sugarmaker]

I also do buckets and tapped January 27 last year. Things turned out okay but I really could have waited a few more weeks and probably made the same amount or more syrup. The earliest taps shut down a while before the others as they were exposed to unusually warm temps. I also had a 2 week stretch with no sap due to cold weather. Overall it was a 8 week season for me. Personally, I don't think you will go wrong by waiting a few more weeks. Also, I have never seen a 90 day forecast turn out to be accurate. My thing now is to not really look beyond 2 weeks. Like Maple Flats says, he has check valves and tubing set up which will last a lot longer than bucket taps exposed to air.

I think testing a few taps here and there to see what's happening is always a good idea. But, in my limited experience, the best, biggest and most consistent sap flows all came in March, pretty much when you would have expected it. Both seasons so far had a peak sap flow, and I think that's what you don't want to miss. Good luck

[Wanabe1972]

I usually tap during the kids winter break which falls on my birthday of Feb 21. Most years here that is still early and very seldom do I miss much of a run. My main bush is a little sheltered so a couple day early run doesn't really get it going much anyway. Jeff

[Wanabe1972]

Chickenman How many taps do you put out? One of the nice things of being small is I can wash my tanks and set them and the vacuum one day and tap them all in the next.

[Chickenman]

The most I could handle with the rig I had and time constraints was 16. Now that I have a better set up I am thinking 20 to 30. using blue square 5 gal pails that I got from previous job (enzyme containers- food grade for grape industry) and have check valve taps on tubing running into those. I only have 64 of these so I would limit myself to max of 32. If all were full at same time that's 160 gallons of sap for me to process. Old rig would not handle that much at one time. I'm happy making 3 to 6 gallons for self and family.

[barnbc76]

I tapped last year Jan 30 I think, got some SAP but then when the real runs came they shut down early. I had metal spiles, then I tapped the same number using plastic 4 weeks later and I would guess I got 2/3 total SAP from them, much better.

[wnybassman]

I also do buckets and tapped January 27 last year. Things turned out okay but I really could have waited a few more weeks and probably made the same amount or more syrup. The earliest taps shut down a while before the others as they were exposed to unusually warm temps. I also had a 2 week stretch with no sap due to cold weather. Overall it was a 8 week season for me. Personally, I don't think you will go wrong by waiting a few more weeks. Also, I have never seen a 90 day forecast turn out to be accurate. My thing now is to not really look beyond 2 weeks. Like Maple Flats says, he has check valves and tubing set up which will last a lot longer than bucket taps exposed to air.

I think testing a few taps here and there to see what's happening is always a good idea. But, in my limited experience, the best, biggest and most consistent sap flows all came in March, pretty much when you would have expected it. Both seasons so far had a peak sap flow, and I think that's what you don't want to miss. Good luck

BUT!! What was it, 2012 when there was only two nights the entire month of March it dropped below freezing? I've been a little gun shy since that year.

I'm really hoping to make it until the second week of February before I tap. The next bunch of days look really good and cold, but already seeing a 40+ day in the long range forecast. I HATE the rollercoaster ride!!

[barnbc76]

I will also try and wait till mid Feb, but I guess if you want to gamble and your setup is capable of running on half of your taps then I say go for it if you are itching that bad, I think most of us keep upgrading ourselves out of that ability but hey Its exciting. I would be lieing if I said I hadn't considered tapping some at Christmas as we had some few day stretch with good weather. I am just hoping I can finish all the maple syrup projects in time. I cut and bent my pan partially at work today, 2 out 4 sides done other 2 are 1/3 bent as our break would allow.

[Urban Sugarmaker]

BUT!! What was it, 2012 when there was only two nights the entire month of March it dropped below freezing? I've been a little gun shy since that year.

I'm really hoping to make it until the second week of February before I tap. The next bunch of days look really good and cold, but already seeing a 40+ day in the long range forecast. I HATE the rollercoaster ride!!

I hear you loud and clear. All I'm saying is last season I really think I started about 2 weeks too soon. I know the modern thing is to tap the weather, not the calendar. I guess it's always a little bit of a gamble, and as a hobbyist that is okay with me.

How long will it take me as a beginner to set up one mainline and a dozen or so laterals on a slight slope? Assume 25-30 degree temps and a few inches of snow.

[Flatpan1]

I have 105 taps on tubing if I could get an early run and make ten gallons of syrup over the next warm up that would be great. But just wondering if my taps would make it to March. Only make about 20 gal a year. Any opinions?

[Wanabe1972]

Where in new yorkare you? The south and west usually get started pretty early while most in my area are a bit later. I try to wait until the end of Feb here. Last year a kid tapped trees across from me with buckets and did it about the 2 week of Feb. He had roughly the same number of taps as me and I tapped the first of march. When he pulled his taps I had barely made any syrup. When I talked to him later he said he made 9 gallons and I went on to make 31. If you are a small producer you can wait for the best weather cause you can be tapped and ready in a short period of time. When you have a 5 10 or15 thousand tap bush as some people on here do its more of a gamble. This winter is far from over in my opinion and January is going test the will power of many.

[Flatpan1]

I'm south of Albany last year I tapped the 25 of January and made 20 gallons of syrup. Pulled my taps on the 3 of March. Just like everyone else wondering what the February weather will be like. The unknown is what is bugging me.

[adk1]

I target Valentine's Day but usually sap doesn't start flowing good till end of February into early march

[Wanabe1972]

Flatpan That makes sense that late January would be the right time for you south of Albany. I'm 50 miles north of Albany and in this state 50 miles can be like another world. A few years back some guys in Penn and Conn were getting sap and we had not been out of the teens in like a week and not above freezing in some 19 days. I think Adk is even further north me so his tapping time maybe even later. If you go by the historic average rather than what the weather man says its still going to be cold. We maybe above average right now but who knows what will happen.

[Sunday Rock Maple]

We are about an hour north of Lake Placid. Last year we tapped on February 20th but didn't boil until March which is normal. That being said, the weather for the next 10 days look like sap but I think it's too early for us.

[sugarman3]

Do you use the check valves,if not highly unlikely they won't make it into March,unless it gets cold and stays that way for a couple weeks.

[maple flats]

We worked the woods yesterday, mostly cutting up larger limbs and trees that had fallen in the lines. We start tapping on Monday, Plan to finish this week. I am replacing about 1/2 my drops this year, the rest are only 1 season old, they will be changed for the 2019 season. If I decide I want to reopen the bush next year that I quit last year, we will have about 700 new drops there for 2018.

[strikeee]

made or 1st 1-3/4 gallons yesterday had 85 gallons of sap, put the 30 taps and 20 buckets in on the 18th collected 35 gallons on the 23rd and 30 gallons on the 26th and 20 gallons on the 27th boiled till 10:30 and finished and bottled on the 28th ! looks like that will be it for awhile now with the normal cold weather back ! it was fun for January !!!

[maple flats]

We are continuing to tap this week. Seem to have way more repairs than in years past. Late last week we finally got 100 gal of sap, not enough to fire up the arch yet. I was going to try, but then decided to wait because I need at least 250 to sweeten the pans enough to protect them. It will now be a 100 gal block of ice to keep my tank cold when the flow starts again. The 10 day forecast shows too cold for the next 10. Time will tell.