Early Tapping

[SognSyrup]

Does anyone ever tap early during a January thaw to test things out before the big run starts? Temps by next weekend could have sap running.

Just curious. Anxious to try out our new gravity setup.

[motowbrowne]

3 out of the last 5 years I've tapped to early. It was the last couple of days in February each time. Forecast looked good. Last year, I brought in some good sap in the first few days. Then things got too cold for two weeks. Then too warm for ten days. Then syrup season started. I should have tapped then. Instead I had tap holes that were going on four weeks old.

I don't think tapping a few is a bad idea, but tapping out right now seems like a waste, especially if you're on buckets or bags. With vacuum, new check valve spouts and clean or new drops, maybe you can get away with it. I wouldn't risk it, though.

[jmayerl]

If you are on vacuum and can turn it on when ever temps are above freezing, then the gains of a few small early runs will negate any small drop off in sap at the end of season. This has been well documented over multiple years by proctor

[GoldyCon]

I'm eyeballing a week of upper 30's but since this is my first time harvesting I'm not sure if I should tap some trees now. Will the taps close up in 2 months when the season is supposed to start?

[spud]

I'm eyeballing a week of upper 30's but since this is my first time harvesting I'm not sure if I should tap some trees now. Will the taps close up in 2 months when the season is supposed to start?

I have found that CV2 spouts will give me good amounts of sap all the way to the 20th of April even when I tap in mid January.,

Spud

[markcasper]

I'm eyeballing a week of upper 30's but since this is my first time harvesting I'm not sure if I should tap some trees now. Will the taps close up in 2 months when the season is supposed to start?

I wouldn't tap any now. Don't know where you are in MN?, but this is not Vermont here. We have had way more colder weather to date than out east. Its nothing more than a January thaw going on and even though their forecasting 40 for a few days, its going to be rainy, cloudy, etc, not conducive to sap flow. If its mid February (another month) then that is another story.

[berkshires]

I have found that CV2 spouts will give me good amounts of sap all the way to the 20th of April even when I tap in mid January.,

Spud

On buckets, tubing, or tubing with vacuum?

[Jeff E]

I'm with Mr. Casper on this one. For the northern Midwest-I think tapping in January will be a loser on the 'cost-benefit' ratio.
I will be waiting until Feb 10 before I get the drill ready and start looking at forecasts.

[wbreitbarth]

Ughhh I have lost sleep this week about this. I live in southern MN and it has not got below freezing since 1-18-2017. They are not talking any below freezing temps until 1-26-2017 I just looked last years pictures and taps were put in 2-8-2016. My season was over by the 1st of March. Hopefully we get some really cold weather in the 1st week of Feb. or I might have missed the season :(

[markcasper]

Ughhh I have lost sleep this week about this. I live in southern MN and it has not got below freezing since 1-18-2017. They are not talking any below freezing temps until 1-26-2017 I just looked last years pictures and taps were put in 2-8-2016. My season was over by the 1st of March. Hopefully we get some really cold weather in the 1st week of Feb. or I might have missed the season :(

Hee-hee, I told my wife of your comments and she goes, "What, is this his 3rd year or what?" You have not missed a thing. You were done by March 1st last year? I didn't boil until like 3-6 or 3-7 and had good syrup til the end of March, then 10-12 days of off flavor stuff after that. I lost some last year and everyone should have been tapping by the middle of Feb last year, but I haven't even thought about tapping a sample tree yet. I guarantee you have not missed a drop yet. I'm actively going to use this warm spell to prepare, but I wouldn't lose sleep yet.

I looked back at a few of your posts and say you didn't boil until 2/28/16, but you tapped on 2/8/16??? And then you mention it was over on 3/1/16? WHAT????? Your only a few hours southwest of me and I went til 4/12/16, though the good syrup was over with about 10 days before that.

[SDdave]

March 5th is the "average" start time by Sioux Falls. I too was hit big by the bug with this thaw, but there is to much left to do before the season starts. Hopefully the FIL can help me out.


SDdave

[wbreitbarth]

I know it sounds crazy but no joke my last year finished before the 2015 season "2015 ended before St. Patrick's day". I just looked back at the temperatures for southern MN last Feb. and 16 days were above freezing. 8 days were over 40, and the last day of the month it was 57! I know its crazy to think only a few hours south makes a big difference.

[maplenutter butter]

I'm an hour northwest of you and i was collecting sap until about the 10th of April last year as well. Yes it warmed up around 70 around st pattys last year but froze shortly after. I also spoke to Herings a few days ago, who is the largest producer in MN, located in Waterville right next to you and they haven't even put a tap in yet as well.

[SDdave]

I know it sounds crazy but no joke my last year finished before the 2015 season "2015 ended before St. Patrick's day". I just looked back at the temperatures for southern MN last Feb. and 16 days were above freezing. 8 days were over 40, and the last day of the month it was 57! I know its crazy to think only a few hours south makes a big difference.

Actually the last two years have had a strong warm up in March, 70 degree weather the trees even budded out. But then less than a week after the "great buddening" solid freezing temps came back, freezing off the buds, and restarting the whole season.

Now what you do is up to you. If you want to tap then go for it. But for me who is a little further south and in sandy soil which heats up faster. I'm going to get my gear dusted off, and everything in order.

SDdave

[markcasper]

I know it sounds crazy but no joke my last year finished before the 2015 season "2015 ended before St. Patrick's day". I just looked back at the temperatures for southern MN last Feb. and 16 days were above freezing. 8 days were over 40, and the last day of the month it was 57! I know its crazy to think only a few hours south makes a big difference.


Season over :cry: I pulled my taps yesterday morning because I have 0 time to cook. Of course after I pulled them and it froze and they ran like crazy. I would have ended up with another 40 gallons but oh well. Ended the year with 4.50 gallons of syrup on 24 taps.

I don't know? Something isn't jiving, looks like you didn't have time to boil, it wasn't the weather.

[markcasper]

I'm an hour northwest of you and i was collecting sap until about the 10th of April last year as well. Yes it warmed up around 70 around st pattys last year but froze shortly after. I also spoke to Herings a few days ago, who is the largest producer in MN, located in Waterville right next to you and they haven't even put a tap in yet as well. I thought the largest producer was up by the northshore?

[Bombadil]

Does anyone ever tap early during a January thaw to test things out before the big run starts? Temps by next weekend could have sap running.

Just curious. Anxious to try out our new gravity setup.


I was also thinking about it but decided to not tap... warm spell is almost over and we are going to see colder temps in the next few days. Now if this was mid Feb... like last year. I would be taping some sample trees.

[maplenutter butter]

Mark-I'm not 100% but I know Herings has about 35,000 taps. I thought the northshore people have around 25,000. I'm not positive and things change. Either way, more than I will probably ever have.

[TooManyIrons...]

Checking in for the season! I survived another year and I am all prepped for the project. I put in my three test taps yesterday, a bit early but I don't care because now they are in and I no longer need to worry.

I ordered more taps/lines and they are on the way. I am expanding my production and if all goes well I will be processing most of my syrup into sugar. People can buy real maple syrup anywhere but it is hard to find maple sugar and people around here love it, I have had a lot more requests for sugar than for syrup. My goal this year is to produce 60-80 pounds of maple sugar and still put a couple gallons of syrup in inventory. :)

I shoveled out the arch area today. My reward for the effort was a bottle of homebrewed maple porter beer made using a quart of my maple syrup from last year. Good stuff. I would much rather use my syrup in a batch of homebrew than drizzling it over pancakes, I love alternative uses for this stuff. <grin>

Hoping for a great season for all!

[SDdave]

...I survived another year...

That's good to hear. Let us know when those test taps start drippin'! What are using for the agitation for the sugar? Not by hand I hope. I think I am going to make more sugar this season than last. How do you store it?

SDdave

[212Maple]

Anyone thinking about tapping for the coming warm-up this weekend?

[SilverLeaf]

I'm still of the opinion its way too early to be tapping. But the NOAA long-range forecast seems to be showing warmer than normal over the next two weeks, then something closer to average after that. So, given the minimal snowcover it sure looks like another early season is in the works. So maybe tapping is only 3 weeks or so away for SW MN...?

I've got a couple test holes drilled with a 3/16" bit. Will post when/if I see flow. TooManyIrons, SDDave, anyone else - do post the same! Good luck all!

[SilverLeaf]

I've got a couple test holes drilled with a 3/16" bit. Will post when/if I see flow.
Shoot. Now that I just said that, both my test holes are dripping today. Hole on north side of tree just a little bit; but the one on the south is wet all the way from the hole down to the ground. This is on a yard tree in the open with good sun exposure.

[SDdave]

I'm still of the opinion its way too early to be tapping. But the NOAA long-range forecast seems to be showing warmer than normal over the next two weeks, then something closer to average after that. So, given the minimal snowcover it sure looks like another early season is in the works. So maybe tapping is only 3 weeks or so away for SW MN...?

I've got a couple test holes drilled with a 3/16" bit. Will post when/if I see flow. TooManyIrons, SDDave, anyone else - do post the same! Good luck all!

I was thinking the same thing. Been tricked too many times, BUT a guy down the road decided to trim up a maple close to the road and it was GUSHING last Saturday. Looked at the 10, 15, extended, NOAA and it's all playing into warmer than average for the following 2 weeks, and then normal the last week. I am going to lose sleep on this, but will probably tap the trees that are consistently early this weekend. I may just do it all. I just don't know.

I just want a normal year/spring again.

SDdave

[maplenutter butter]

I was doing so good, thought I would get ahead of the game and get things up early this year and leave it to mother nature to throw a monkey wrench into that dream. Now I'm scrambling to be able to tap this Friday. I am 90% sure I will tap this weekend, I will post if that changes. I should be able to tap my big woods that has 650 plus taps in it and my small woods that has 150ish taps in it by the end of the weekend for sure (Hopefully by end of Saturday). I am hoping next week to install more tubing on the larger bush for an additional 400 plus taps. Man the work I have ahead of me! Good luck everyone!!

[GramaCindy]

Shoot. Now that I just said that, both my test holes are dripping today. Hole on north side of tree just a little bit; but the one on the south is wet all the way from the hole down to the ground. This is on a yard tree in the open with good sun exposure.
Hello SilverLeaf, I have searched high and low on the NOAA site and cannot find a long range forecast link...Could you help me find where to find that info?

[SilverLeaf]

Hello SilverLeaf, I have searched high and low on the NOAA site and cannot find a long range forecast link...Could you help me find where to find that info?
No prob!
http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/forecasts/
The ugly graphic on that page is clickable and will take you to maps that show different timeframes. One thing to understand though - the long range forecasts are not "this is the scenario that will happen" but instead are "this is the relative probability of the scenario happening". So next couple weeks have a high probability of above normal temps, after that it's "equal chances" of temps being higher or lower than normal.

[GramaCindy]

Thanks so much Silverleaf. I see that for February I have a 33% chance of above average Temps. I DO know that this is just a probability, not written in stone.

[TooManyIrons...]

That's good to hear. Let us know when those test taps start drippin'! What are using for the agitation for the sugar? Not by hand I hope. I think I am going to make more sugar this season than last. How do you store it?

SDdave

Hi Dave, hope the year went well for you. So your sugar making last year all went o.k.?

I take each batch of sugar to the consistency of wet sand by stirring by hand, very final finishing is done in a mixer so I don't overload and burn it out. I do not find it to be that difficult of a process anymore, I just do what needs to be done. It is surprising how quickly the sugar stock adds up once I dive into the project.

I store the bulk of the sugar in cool dark storage in two-quart canning jars, I also fill a few quarts and pints. The quarts and pints are given only to family and friends so I can get the jars back, when I can't expect to get the jars back then I fill ziploc freezer bags from the two-quart supply. The sugar always locks up in the jars but is very easy to break up, a quick run through a flour sifter then knocks down the chunks. It ain't the fault of the jars, the sugar also locks up in ziplocs and in vaccuum sealed bags, just seems to be the nature of the product. I have bulk anticlumping agent I could add which would solve the problem but nobody wants that stuff in their all natural maple sugar and I don't blame them one bit.

Update: A string of mid-40s for highs are in the forecast for here for this weekend, but then followed by very low 30s. I am going to tap more trees in anticipation of collecting early sap during that little string of warm days - this year I want to collect as much of that early sweet sap as possible. Based on winter weather trends I am now expecting a mid to late February sap run going into early March like last year. Aside from an early December arctic blast we have not been having a cold winter this year, don't see why it would trend differently from here on out. The big boys around here are just starting to tap their trees...

Of my three test taps one has not dripped at all, one produced around a quart, and one produced around a gallon. Nothing has been running since the day after I installed those test taps a week ago. A friend of mine collected 8 gallons off two taps/one tap per tree but lives in the metro/microclimate.

[wbreitbarth]

I am putting in all my taps tomorrow. 10 day forecast only looks like 1 day below freezing. Going to try and do 10 or 15 more taps then last year

[flyzone13]

Although the temps are going to be right for trees to start producing, it seems awfully early to get all excited. I think I will tap some this weekend in a few different areas and see what happens. I just hope its not a goofy season like last year was.

[TooManyIrons...]

Although the temps are going to be right for trees to start producing, it seems awfully early to get all excited. I think I will tap some this weekend in a few different areas and see what happens. I just hope its not a goofy season like last year was.

I fear it is going to be very similar to last year, only spottier and the season spread out even longer. I know it is going to run here this weekend and I am ready for it. Too early for my tastes, though. No way we get through the remainder of winter without a bunch more days with sub freezing highs. Oh well.

[Islander]

As much as a I prefer the early sap and the light syrup it produces my plan this morning is to wait to tap. Forecast looks like prime conditions for a week but then a month of cold again.

My yard trees tend to run fierce but for a short time so there is a chance waiting could be a poor choice. I plan to keep an eye on my neighbor's recently trimmed trees and see what happens. I'm not ruling out the possibility that the addiction will strike when i see sap flowing freely to the ground.

[SognSyrup]

Ugh. This is a crazy forecast. We decided to get started on some of the gravity/vacuum lines. Drilling some holes this weekend.

Good luck everyone

[Bombadil]

Going out to place a test tap now. I am in East Central MN.

Update: Tree is in the backyard... drilled the hole... it was running before I got the bit out. I also tapped 3 trees in my sugar bush, none are running yet. Looking at the long term not sure how to play this weather. Looks good for a week then way too cold again.

Thoughts?

[SDdave]

Hard to say for everyone. I know my local forecaster (I'll call him the local liar) is saying above average for the next two weeks following normal temps in March. Which leads to me going all in this weekend.

It's really hard to be at work today when it is in the 50's right now. Couple of extra breaks to catch some rays, then back to watching the clock I guess...

SDdave

[wbreitbarth]

24 taps put in this morning at 10am. 1pm 10 of 24 were running. Just checked and pry have about 2 gallons of sap.

[TooManyIrons...]

Yesterday's high was 14 degrees F. Today it reached 51, was out doing some wood splitting wearing just a t shirt and jeans, feels good to be outside in more reasonable temps. Messy sloppy outside. Approximately 10 percent of the tapped trees were running slowly, rest were dry. I expect much more next couple days, will hopefully be doing my first processing run on Monday. 52 taps installed in 25 trees, ordered 10 more tap/line sets today on top of the ten I just got last week. LOL Did a count today and I could use at least 30 more taps, plus a neighbor a quarter mile away said I could tap his trees if I wanted to. Very tempting, maybe next year. Gave him a pint of maple sugar to keep the wheels greased. <grin>

[MN Jake]

Man I don't know what do do either. I tapped a couple years back on an early warmup, likely very close to this date only to get a couple small runs. Thankfully only half were tapped because when the "good weather" came a month later the freshly tapped trees filled bags for two weeks. the others were maybe a quart a day and slowly petered out. I struggled very hard at that time to understand why, now i know!!!! Dang bacteria!! That was at a time when I had a couple hundred trees on bags. Now I have 500 on tubing to mess up.

Forecast looks good for a small amount of time then back to high 20's. I don't know about you guys but last year it seemed like my trees wouldn't wake up during that 60 degree weather that came out of nowhere. I think the roots were frozen solid and not giving it up. Just like last year I'm worried the combination of almost
no snow and the recent cold snaps caused a deep hard frost that won't let go right away. Really hoping for a normal spring for once

[Lano75]

Fellow Sappers!

Only my 4th year doing this, but here are my thoughts. My Neighbor has been tapping trees since the 40's and keeping a log. They have always cooked on Easter Sunday no matter when it falls. He generally taps when there is 1-2 feet of open water around the edges of lakes and ponds. I think we could get a decent run in the next 4-7 days but then it will more than likely shut off. My guess is I will tap around the 1st or 2nd week of March.

[flyzone13]

Man I don't know what do do either. I tapped a couple years back on an early warmup, likely very close to this date only to get a couple small runs. Thankfully only half were tapped because when the "good weather" came a month later the freshly tapped trees filled bags for two weeks. the others were maybe a quart a day and slowly petered out. I struggled very hard at that time to understand why, now i know!!!! Dang bacteria!! That was at a time when I had a couple hundred trees on bags. Now I have 500 on tubing to mess up.


Forecast looks good for a small amount of time then back to high 20's. I don't know about you guys but last year it seemed like my trees wouldn't wake up during that 60 degree weather that came out of nowhere. I think the roots were frozen solid and not giving it up. Just like last year I'm worried the combination of almost
no snow and the recent cold snaps caused a deep hard frost that won't let go right away. Really hoping for a normal spring for once

With the bacteria plugging you holes, do you think that drilling another hole in the same tree would have been a good idea or not? I am wondering the same thing with this warm up coming that if I tap now and get a good run and the holes stop running because of the bacteria growth, would it be a good idea to just drill another hole and start over?

[MN Jake]

Flyzone13, I have thought about it but haven't experimented yet. All my trees are fairly large silvers, all tap holes are fully sealed by the end of the year so I'm sure they'd be fine. But they are brittle and have enough problems so I try to be nice to them.

Lano75, I'm sure that's normal when it comes to hard maples but those of us with soft maples have a much smaller window. I have come to believe that silver maples have weather alerts built in. If the weather man mentions 60 degrees they'll flower the night before.

[Lano75]

MN Jake, I hear you on the soft maples. I have been just tapping my hard maples sugars and black. I do have two silvers and 5 reds. And about 100 Box Elder.

What are your guys thoughts on mixing all the softs and box elder in with the hard maple? I could double my number of taps easily.

[MN Jake]

Lano75, I'm in big lake. Our silvers here make top notch syrup. I wouldn't think twice about soft maple. Yes we have bad years here but when the seasons right were inundated with good sap. I have tasted box elder syrup and can say it tasted like molasses. Not that that bad and not sure of others experiences. Personally I like birch more than box elder syrup. I would try to seperate it if you're not boiling maple nonstop

[RileySugarbush]

Well with the 15 day guess, we put in about half our taps and will tap about forty on 3/16 and shurflo vacuum tomorrow. Just feels like the right thing to do.

[Lano75]

MN Jake, Thanks for reply. I am between Hanover and Buffalo.

[Suburban Maple Man]

I'm in Mexico reading all this and watching the forecast...it's crazy! With the 15 day forecast it looks like I'm gonna be tapping some on Sunday. I'm not ready but Mother Nature is boss. I thought last year was super early when I tapped feb 20th. See what happens on Sunday when I check some!

[SilverLeaf]

What are your guys thoughts on mixing all the softs and box elder in with the hard maple? I could double my number of taps easily.
Silver and red maple would be fine to mix in with hard as they make excellent syrup. Boxelder does have a slight different taste - like MN Jake said, more molasses-ey. So if you mix that it will affect the flavor of the batch. I always keep mine separate. Some people do actually prefer boxelder though so it wouldn't be a problem for them. It's all about whatyou like!

[Bombadil]

I see the accuweather extend has changed. Looks like good weather until the 19th. Then cold again; could be a bifurcated season again this year. I have all my taps in now... about 6 out of 22 are running.

[JimSeyMN]

Tapped today, none are dripping, southern Stearns County

[TooManyIrons...]

Collected 9 gallons today, not much activity. Temp reached 48, was cloudy and calm all day. Radar showing some rain might be coming my way.

[SDdave]

Rained all afternoon on me, froze me to the bone. Got all my taps in plus a few more. Half to 3/4 of them dripping. All soft maples.

SDdave

[Keitha333]

I just want to say I appreciate you guys posting about what you are seeing for sap runs. I am in Milaca and thought about tapping but realized I won't have time to boil next weekend so I am holding out on tapping. I just tap 30 trees and make a few gallons each year. All the talk sure gets the blood pumping and makes the day go by. For now just getting things ready for possibly tapping next week. Thanks again and best of luck and I will report happenings in the future!

[SDdave]

I just want to say I appreciate you guys posting about what you are seeing for sap runs. I am in Milaca and thought about tapping but realized I won't have time to boil next weekend so I am holding out on tapping. I just tap 30 trees and make a few gallons each year. All the talk sure gets the blood pumping and makes the day go by. For now just getting things ready for possibly tapping next week. Thanks again and best of luck and I will report happenings in the future!

Keith,

Good you are keeping your local forecast in mind. It really does get the blood pumping when some are tapping and some are not. Many factors involved with this current warm up. I have no snow, soft maples, and my local forecast (Sioux Falls ) has and tends to be warmer than even Marshall. (Only 90 miles away).

Do what is best for you and the sap will flow this spring.

Good luck and have a great season.

SDdave

[TooManyIrons...]

Glad to have you here Keitha333, always nice to see new people getting involved in this forum. I too enjoy reading the progress reports of other folks in this region. My entire project is a solo effort so it is nice to be able to read about how other people's syruping season is progressing and to be able to read about their experiences, makes me feel less isolated knowing there are kindred spirits out there. :)

[212Maple]

I am about an hour west of Minneapolis. I put out about 130 taps in a local golf course yesterday, about half were just starting to wake up (majority are silver maples). I will be putting out the remainder of my taps in the next day or so. Good Luck everyone!

[mnguy]

Put out 200 on 5/16 gravity line yesterday by Mora. Would say about 80% of them were running good. Good luck to everyone.

[4010]

Put taps in on Friday about 100 on silver maples only a few dripping and tonight collect 5 gallons of sap so far. I am in Renville county 1 1/2 hours west of the twin cities.

[maplenutter butter]

I tapped 660 taps on vacuum over the weekend end have collect 500 plus gallons of sap so far. This weather is awesome but, I like many others was not ready for this. I still have plenty to do and not enough time in the day! Our bush is located between Belle Plaine and Henderson. Its nice to see what others are doing!

[Suburban Maple Man]

Made it home from Mexico. Decided I better go check some trees...ended up tapping 19 today, all were running pretty good. Ran out of time today, hopefully get more tapped tomorrow after work. Between work and kids I'm not ready for this yet, but hey let the fun begin! Could be a good week of sapping!

[TooManyIrons...]

Today, Sunday, temp reached only 38 degrees, was a windy, sunny, chilly day here. 52 taps/22 silver maples. Collected 12 gallons today for 21 total so far. Again not a very active day, approximately 1/4 of the trees were running slowly today, two trees were running pretty decently.

[davewittwer]

I'm struggling here. This is my second year of tapping in my property. I only have a handful of trees on drip and want to get the most out of my season. I'm between Princeton and Milaca and can't decide weather to tap now or not. Any advise would be appreciated.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Bombadil]

I am just south of Princeton. I have 14 of 22 taps running... most slowly. Have some friends with test taps out north of Dalbo. He just started getting some trees running yesterday afternoon. If I were you I would get this taps out ASAP; the forecast keeps showing warm days up till the 22nd. I think we will have a bifurcated season this year.

[2stack]

Started Sat PM and Tapped about 240 on a south slope near Waterville, MN. Let the lines flush and put the pipe in the tank about 3 o'clock yesterday and had about 30 gallons by dark. I will tell you if we did the right thing April 1.

Update: have all taps in now (approx. 400) - have collected and boiled 3.2 ga/tap - 2.1%

[MNmapleboyz]

Put 50 taps in yesterday, had sap coming out on about half as soon as I drilled, going to add another 200 at the end of the week. West of Bemidji, about 18" of snow on the ground, had to plow a bit to get my trails open. Using 55 gallon barrels with 12-15 taps per on gravity.

[flyzone13]

Myself and my daughters went out and tapped near Hutchinson on Saturday, I just put out a dozen in various spots to see what happens and I did get a few gallons. I think this coming weekend I am going to try and get all the trees tapped. I should go with my gut and wait but it could payoff, only time will tell.

[TooManyIrons...]

Today, Sunday, temp reached only 38 degrees, was a windy, sunny, chilly day here. 52 taps/22 silver maples. Collected 12 gallons today for 21 total so far. Again not a very active day, approximately 1/4 of the trees were running slowly today, two trees were running pretty decently.

Today, Monday, temp reached 47 degrees, hazy sun with light breeze here. 52 taps/22 silver maples. Collected 18 gallons today for 39 gallons total so far. Every day the run is gradually improving, a little more than 1/2 of the trees running as of today, 5 trees the sap is running decently. I collected sap 10:00pm, taps were still dripping.

Frost is definitely deep here, which I find a bit surprising. The tapped trees deep in the woods are locked up, no sap running on them yet.

A bit of a cool down forecast for next two days, highs expected in upper 30s with lows in upper teens/lower twenties. That will slow things down again. I need 75 gallons to do a full processing run, I think I will process on Thursday regardless of the amount I have collected by that morning.

[North!]

Finished tapping yesterday. It took about 2 1/2 weeks to place 25,000 taps. Started with a nice crust on knee high snow, and finished in about a foot of loose snow over that crust so snowshoeing was quite easy. We have very little frost here and the 40 degree temperature got the trees dripping yesterday. I needed to get a couple pumps going to get the sap moving out of the lines and was pleased with the initial vacuum, but there will be some work to tighten it up. Looks like some warmer weather headed our way by the weekend, although I am unsure of its duration. We have had a similar winter about 10 years back where the sap ran well in February, which was a month ahead of normal, so we will be prepared if we have a early sap run. We are using cdl white seasonal spouts with 1-4 year old droplines so hopefully these early flows won't hurt us in the long run. Good luck to all, I will keep you updated with what's happening up here on the North Shore as the season progresses.

[Joeyhowe]

I put out my 25 taps in my 3 acre yard yesterday. Almost all my trees are dripping. My question to you seasoned veterans is what if the trees bud? Usually I'm not even concerned about this but with this long stretch of warm temps it seems like it won't take long for these buds to open. Now, if we have a re freeze will the process start over? I really like the light amber syrup from the early season. So I always tap as soon as the temps allow some flow. Any advice you guys can give me is greatly appreciated. This is my 3rd year sapping and we have had 3 completely different years so I don't really have a "normal" season to use as a guide line.

[Bombadil]

You will know when they bud... the sap tastes and smells nasty. If they do bud out then we get a good hard freeze it can kill the buds and start the season over again.

[SDdave]

I put out my 25 taps in my 3 acre yard yesterday. Almost all my trees are dripping. My question to you seasoned veterans is what if the trees bud? Usually I'm not even concerned about this but with this long stretch of warm temps it seems like it won't take long for these buds to open. Now, if we have a re freeze will the process start over? I really like the light amber syrup from the early season. So I always tap as soon as the temps allow some flow. Any advice you guys can give me is greatly appreciated. This is my 3rd year sapping and we have had 3 completely different years so I don't really have a "normal" season to use as a guide line.

I've lost the idea of a normal spring. But to your question. It'll take a bit for the trees to break bud. In a normal year you are done, in the last couple of years...it'll freeze them off and restart all over again. What and how you go about it will test the will of any person. I kick a bucket and scream obscentities about global warming, some hopefully take advantage of it and consider it a second season. If there is a warm spell I would take the time to clean and assess the weather for the upcoming weeks. Hope that helps.

SDdave

[lindnova]

I put out 34 taps since Saturday. Didn't get much until yesterday I collected 4 gallons. I am guessing the same today and should run better later this week. No pattern as to what is running and not. Some north slope trees running good and my big yard tree is dry.

I went with the plan of a lot of taps and get what I can this and into next week and be done if the weather cools down or buds who knows? If I end up with 2 gallons of syrup mission completed.

I should be able to finish my 2x3 stainless pan stand tonight. I had grand plans about building a great stand and ended up cobbling together some angle iron, rebar and sheet metal. Not too pretty but will serve the purpose better than concrete blocks have.

[Joeyhowe]

I know what bad sap is like. What I'm saying is I know this warm spell isn't gonna last and its gonna freeze up again. Will the bidding process start over is what I'm asking. With the budding starting over will the syrup start over with the light amber or will it just keep getting darker even if the budding process restarts.

[Jodiekauf7]

Hi, Looking for Big Pine...wondering if you have started tapping or if you are waiting it out until the first part of March...this will be our second year tapping in Crow Wing County.

[SDdave]

I know what bad sap is like. What I'm saying is I know this warm spell isn't gonna last and its gonna freeze up again. Will the bidding process start over is what I'm asking. With the budding starting over will the syrup start over with the light amber or will it just keep getting darker even if the budding process restarts.

Yes the budding will start over. Syrup may or may not start over with light amber, usually with a "double season" is no it will start dark amber and gradually progress darker. It is what it is. Or better it's kinda like a weather forecast...you can tell you for sure at the end of the season. Mother nature at its best to say the least. Hope that helps some.

Keep in mind the budding has to start. I really doubt if any budding will happen for a while. Back in '12 it was in the consistent 70's in March, the trees didn't bud 'til late March. Too much to tell so far with an early season.

Keep on keeping on,

SDdave

[4010]

I think it depends on how hard it freezes my silver maples had fully buddy actually starting to flower and after a low temp of 15° i was able to make good syrup. I was glad I had waited to see. Depends on how much time you want to invest in watching the weather forecast and doing small test boils.

[TooManyIrons...]

Things are loosening up here. Only four trees out of 25 are still locked up, the rest were running today. 8 or so trees the sap was running very nicely, best tree so far has produced 8 gallons. I should have enough sap collected by the end of the day tomorrow to do a full day processing run on Thursday.

[Joeyhowe]

I think it depends on how hard it freezes my silver maples had fully buddy actually starting to flower and after a low temp of 15° i was able to make good syrup. I was glad I had waited to see. Depends on how much time you want to invest in watching the weather forecast and doing small test boils.

I'm just a weekend warrior. Trying to make as much syrup as possible with the time I have. Work gets in the way of everything. I saw an opportunity to get sap so I'm taking full advantage. I only tap the trees in my yard and boil on the weekends. 2 gallons of syrup a year and I'm a happy camper!

[TooManyIrons...]

I'm just a weekend warrior. Trying to make as much syrup as possible with the time I have. Work gets in the way of everything. I saw an opportunity to get sap so I'm taking full advantage. I only tap the trees in my yard and boil on the weekends. 2 gallons of syrup a year and I'm a happy camper!

Two gallons of syrup ain't a small accomplishment in my book, represents a lot of effort that many/most non-syruping folks simply do not comprehend.

I say get the sap while you can, when the opportunity presents itself. Don't try to predict the future regarding delayed tapping for a future possible March run because if you guess wrong you will be buying syrup for your pancakes from Wallyworld for the rest of the year. :o

[BigPine]

Hello Jodiekauf7. Happy to hear you are back. I put out a test tap yesterday - south facing in the lake's edge - and it did run. Didn't bother with a line and bucket ... This AM, frozen. I am debating tapping - although most of mine are forest and take a while to warm up. This aft. I will probably distribute buckets and covers AND tap a few south slope facing. We have bare ground on these. Good luck!


Hi, Looking for Big Pine...wondering if you have started tapping or if you are waiting it out until the first part of March...this will be our second year tapping in Crow Wing County.

[BigPine]

Sounds like you are 'infected'. I started 20 years ago with an enamel baking pan. Now, after much angle iron and sheet metal I have 3 tiered wood cooker that is 13' long. Once I get everything heated up, I can get 15 gallons per off per hour. I do need at least 40 gallons to cook, and I've settled on about 110 taps (105 last year). This is about all I can handle alone - drop line and buckets.
Just a note, I lined most of my firebox (which is sheet metal) with fire brick I got at menards - nothing fancy, just stacked them up.

[Bombadil]

My test boil is ready for finishing.... Can't get to it until after work. It was about 20 gallons sap. So not alot of syrup. I am hoping the big warm snap this weekend will really push the trees on to a strong run.

[Gkecon]

I put in 6 taps on bags on Sunday. Sap was running then , slow but steady on 4/6 taps. Today got down there (the Mississippi river in dayton) to check. Maybe 2.5 gallons total. Nothing flowing today. Probably did not get above freezing down there. We'll see tomorrow should be a good run.

[Lano75]

Well Guys!

My neighbor tapped last weekend 650 trees and has collected around 650 gallons so far and a lot of people on the forum are tapping. I decided this morning to tap 2-silvers and 45 boxelder trees to take advantage of this warm up coming. I am going to leave my 80 sugars and blacks until March. I never have tapped the boxelders so we will see, if it makes good syrup I could tap 1-200 of them on my property. I would just as soon kill them to make room for more sugars.

[davewittwer]

Taps out tonight. Let the sap run!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[SilverLeaf]

So far I've been underwhelmed. Until today! All my taps here by Marshall are flowing now. Nothing record-setting, but a steady drip.

After this warm-up I like the extended forecast. Looks like we may be busy heading into March...

[TooManyIrons...]

Collected 25 gallons sap today, definitely picking up now. Was 46 degrees, hazy sun, light breeze. I was going to do a processing run today but the arch area was ponded with around 3-4 inches of melt water sitting on top of frozen ground. I did not feel like standing in water the whole day so I drained out the area, re-leveled the arch, got everything cleaned up and prepped, and stacked split firewood by the arch.Tomorrow morning I can go outside, light the fire, and come back in for morning coffee. Long day tomorrow and looking forward to it.

[212Maple]

Processed 120 gallons of sap last night about half of my 300 taps are still dry. I plan on putting out more taps this weekend.

[BigPine]

Just tapped 65 - all in the deep woods, most are dripping pretty good. I don't have my lines on yet.
NW corner of Lake Mille Lacs - on Big Pine Lake. About 25 miles straight east of Brainerd.

[wbreitbarth]

40 taps in and half of them had full 2 gallon buckets this morning on a 16 hour run. The other 20 have no started yet. I did cook today just so I could work on my tan. This weather a unreal!

[craig101]

Looks warmer than heck the next few days, might still tap to get it out of the way, but figure next wed/thur should be the start of a good run.

[SDdave]

Good news on my end. Friend of mine is helping this season. Trees have been running alright (still a handful of dry taps), but good enough for a test run on the new divided pan. Getting a lot of sugar sand on the bottom of the pan already. Looks like this warm up this week will entail some cleaning!

SDdave

[supersapper]

I put in 90 taps yesterday. Today some were 1/2 full,some1/4 full,some nothing. Temps don't look good now for a few days but we will see. I think the end of next week looks good.

[4010]

Had first boil today took all week to get 40 gallons of sap which produced 6.5 pints of syrup. Trees flowed a lot better today collected 42 gallons of sap.

[supersapper]

I have 70 taps out(yes I counted them instead of guessing). I thought that I would get more than the 35 gal but oh well. If I don't get another 35 tomorrow then I will just batch boil so I don't lose this.

[dlucas]

I put out 105 taps on silvers at 8 pm last night. 80% were dripping steady before I could put the taps in. Have 60 gallons in the tank this morning.

[GoldyCon]

I put 11 taps in my yard trees but I'm waiting on my forest trees until March. First time tapping so I'm nervous to put them all in now as some of my yard trees are still frozen. So far I've collected 10g over two days and it's running 2% sugar.

[TooManyIrons...]

Finished off two gallons of syrup on a two day split processing run. My guess is 38:1 but I will not have accurate numbers until I finish off today's processing. I am doing more of a continuous boil method this year to improve on efficiency. 38:1 would be the worst ratio I have ever had. Very dark syrup, tastes good.

Sap ran poorly yesterday, only collected 12 gallons from my 25 trees. High yesterday was 58F. I still have 3 trees that have not produced a single drop. I have only 30 gallons sap remaining in inventory to process if the run is poor again today. Not impressed with the season so far, I hope it improves or this is on track to be my second-worst season.

[lindnova]

I only have 20 gallons on 37 taps since last Saturday and nothing is flowing today. Most taps are producing some, but only a few are really giving much.

I boiled down the 20 gallons yesterday to try my new pan stand and chimney but haven't finshed it off yet. The pan with chimney and some air control did great! Did not smell as good as usual so hoping I don't have bad tasting syrup. I did have a small brown spot in a corner of the pan so hopefully it isn't scorched.

[North!]

The sap is flowing well enough to fire up the RO, and boil. All tanks were full of sap, and we processed about 10,000 gallons through the RO at about 2400 gallons per hour. The sugar content is 1.5 and we processed it to around 7% on a single pass. We had a good frost last night with temps dipping into the mid twenties so a decent sap flow is expected today. We started boiling for the first time this season at 9am this morning and expect to make a couple of barrels of syrup. Had a 11/2 inch mainline pull apart that hurt vacuum just a bit but problem was quickly remedied. We expect the sugar content to begin climbing as the roots begin to warm from the snow melt. 1.5 is a typical start with numbers reaching 2.6-3.2 as the season progresses. Good luck folks.

[Joeyhowe]

1550915510

Just finished processing all my sap from my 15 taps. Been collecting since last Monday. Ended up finishing up with 10.5 pints. No complaints about the start to my season.

[foxtail]

So what do you guys think? Should I hit the silvers as soon as it goes back to the F/T cycle, or hold off a few weeks?

Faribault
silvers
probably going to hit 200 trees

[SognSyrup]

We've pulled about 1000 gallons and are boiling now. Everything ROd two times and had about 250 gallons of concentrate to boil. Been going about 12 gal/hr on the boil. Syrup is drawing off and looking very light but tasty. Weather looks like a lull this week.

[foxtail]

And you are in Sogn?

[SognSyrup]

And you are in Sogn?

Right on. Where from Faribault are you? We've got a pile of silvers that I decided to wait on. We'll get them setup during this down time in the next couple weeks.

[Crystal]

Hey all!
Curious if anyone is tapping in Ottertail county area? Didn't get a chance with this warm weekend and the temps are going to drop again this week. Whatcha all think?

[foxtail]

Right on. Where from Faribault are you? We've got a pile of silvers that I decided to wait on. We'll get them setup during this down time in the next couple weeks.

Very north end, tapping off of HWY 3. Hundreds, easy access. Wish they were sugars.

[TooManyIrons...]

Four gallons of finished syrup so far, got a long way to go to get to my typical target goal of 10 gallons. Used up all my sap inventory so my project is idle. Sap is running slowly and sporadically, taking a long time to collect enough for another processing run. Hopefully I will have enough collected by the end of the week.

Sap to syrup ratio is around 33:1, not as bad as first thought but still the poorest ratio I have ever worked with.

[Gissert]

I'm sure there are a few. I'm near Underwood, and will be waiting to tap. I want to have fresh tap holes when the real run starts.

[4010]

It is flowing slow last 3 days produced 45 gallons of sap.I would sure like to have your ratio too many irons my is running 48 to 1. Hopefully we get some better weather in a couple of days.

[TooManyIrons...]

It is flowing slow last 3 days produced 45 gallons of sap.I would sure like to have your ratio too many irons my is running 48 to 1. Hopefully we get some better weather in a couple of days.

Wow, 48:1 is rough but I would still take that sap over my situation of just sitting here idle waiting to collect enough from my trees to do another processing run. :)

Update: As of today approximately half of my silver maple trees are flowering, I expect the rest to bloom in the next two days. Sap production has crashed, dumped bad sap collected from some of the trees so those trees are done. I will look at the long range forecast before I pull any taps but I think the season is winding down here. I have enough good sap collected for 1/2 processing run and then will probably call it quits for 2017.

[foxtail]

That is what I have been worried about. I planned on the easy silvers, but was afraid that they would bud out. Looks like I had better find some BE.

[SilverLeaf]

Doggone it if I don't have a couple trees with the feelers just starting to poke out too.

Given the forecast, I think there's a good chance the buds get knocked back a bit. I'm still holding out for a good week next week. But will need to watch closely!

[Newbie]

I am still pretty new (3rd year) and finished my first batch for the year. Only about a gallon of syrup so far. My syrup seems to look a little cloudy or like little clouds floating in it and I thought I filtered it well but guess not. I have just a small set up in my backyard and finish on the stove in the house. I then filter through an Orlon filter with a liner before bottling. Am I doing something wrong or anyone have any suggestions? Last year it seemed to be much more clear and did pretty much the same thing.

[Newbie]

I just finished my first batch of the year and had about a gallon of syrup. I don't know what I am doing wrong though because it always seems to have a cloudy look or like little clouds floating in it. I filter it through an Orlon filter with a liner before bottling and it's still cloudy. Any ideas or suggestions to try would be great!! Thanks in advance and happy syrup season!!

[TooManyIrons...]

I just finished my first batch of the year and had about a gallon of syrup. I don't know what I am doing wrong though because it always seems to have a cloudy look or like little clouds floating in it. I filter it through an Orlon filter with a liner before bottling and it's still cloudy. Any ideas or suggestions to try would be great!! Thanks in advance and happy syrup season!!

Did you wash/rinse the new orlon filter before the first use? Did you clean the filter using soap or detergent? If yes to the latter, avoid washing filter using soap or detergent in the future.

Did you by chance check to see if this same issue has already been asked and answered in the main forums? This is a very helpful website, more than likely any problem such as this has already been asked and addressed. :)

I googled the phrase "mapletrader.com: cloudy syrup" (without the quotes) and a bunch of results appeared...

[Newbie]

It was a used filter from last year and wasn't washed with anything but really hot water. Before I used it again this year I again rinsed it really well. I will do some searching on here for that topic. Thanks for the help!

[TooManyIrons...]

No matter what I do regarding filtering I always have wispy stuff settle at the bottom of the jars. I don't worry about it, ain't harmful just unsightly and if people I give syrup to don't like it I tell them they don't have to take the syrup, or they can pour out the good stuff into a syrup bottle and dump the stuff that settled out, or they can just ignore it. I have never had anyone refuse free real maple syrup for any reason. As for me, I just shake up the syrup jar and remix the stuff back in. A little bit of fine grit never hurt anyone. :)

If your intention is to sell syrup then you need to invest in a better filtration system...

[SDdave]

Checked the trees today. Sure enough flowers. I did gather the sap though but kept each farms separate. I now know what buddy sap smells like. Thankfully it wasn't that much sap.

Now hopefully a real hard freeze...

SDdave

[North!]

Well here comes the cold after a stretch of warmer days where even the nightime temperatures stayed above or slipped a degree or 2 below freezing. We got a good rain 2 days ago, and that helped loosen up the ground moisture allowing some of the trees to produce in greater quantity and quality. We've gone from 1.25 to 2.2 sugar content, and expect it to rise once this cold spell dissipates. We have boiled 4 times and have produced just short of 15% of our expected crop. This is quite good considering much of the sap collected required quite a bit of reducing at 60:1. The flavor has been very good and we finished yesterday with 4 drums of light golden delicate. Sap flow has been slow, but overnight runs filled our 10,000 gallon tank capacity to the max several times. Now we will see how much this early season run will effect what happens later in the season. I am hopeful for this stretch of warm days never got out of the 40's.

[SognSyrup]

Well here is our annual March wet, heavy snow. We got about 8-10" here. Heading out to the woods to see what the lines are doing.

[lindnova]

So my bags and buckets have been sitting in the woods for almost a week with nothing in them. I know I need to clean some that were not producing anything but some black drips. What does everyone think? Clean up or leave be? I was planning on dumping anything in them on Sunday and hoping to have sap run this week.

[TooManyIrons...]

Yesterday I processed 49 gallons of sap, all of my inventory that has been collected since Monday. I got 24:1 and the stuff tastes fantastic. What a goofy season. I have a little over 6 gallons of syrup processed.

Total sap harvest at this point is 179 gallons, much less than the 350 gallon target that I always shoot for. I am leaving taps in just to see what happens but I am cleaning up all the other equipment with the assumption that my 2017 season is over. Kinda strange how things are trending here. Every year I have been installing more taps and tapping more trees, with all the associated added labor, and collecting less sap for my effort. Mother Nature can have a wicked sense of humor sometimes. :)

[4010]

I just finished my first batch of the year and had about a gallon of syrup. I don't know what I am doing wrong though because it always seems to have a cloudy look or like little clouds floating in it. I filter it through an Orlon filter with a liner before bottling and it's still cloudy. Any ideas or suggestions to try would be great!! Thanks in advance and happy syrup season!!
Have you been able to get your filter to work better. With my syrup I can it with out filtering and let it sit until the syrup is clear and recan , I have notice this year it's taking a longer time to clear up and there is more sediment on the bottom. Has anyone else experience cloudier syrup this year?

[TooManyIrons...]

Have you been able to get your filter to work better. With my syrup I can it with out filtering and let it sit until the syrup is clear and recan , I have notice this year it's taking a longer time to clear up and there is more sediment on the bottom. Has anyone else experience cloudier syrup this year?

Mine seemed typical regarding amounts of sugar sand, have had no problems. I filter during the process, finish to temp, then gravity filter for a couple of days. Beautiful clear dark amber color in my jars, lighter in color than last year's syrup. Better flavor than last year.

[Joeyhowe]

The 15 day forecast looks awesome for Anoka county. My trees have some buds but there not even starting to swell yet. Have 10.5 pints of syrup made so far and in process of cooking down my next 40 gallons I have collected. I'd be happy to add another 40 gallons to my storage tank and end up with about 3 gallons this year. How's everyone else doing in Anoka county. I have 17 taps on drop lines and a 24x24 flat pan

[Lano75]

Taps are in 95 I think. 6 runs on 3/16s. Taps per run 14, 21, 4, 5, 14 and 11. The rest are on drops to buckets. All sugar and black maple. Had vacuum in the four lines that had Gage's today. 15Hg being the highest. Hoping for a good run tomorrow and Tuesday.

[Newbie]

[QUOTE=4010;323249]Have you been able to get your filter to work better. With my syrup I can it with out filtering and let it sit until the syrup is clear and recan , I have notice this year it's taking a longer time to clear up and there is more sediment on the bottom. Has anyone else experience cloudier syrup this year?[/QUOTE

I don't have enough sap to process again. Hopefully this week I get a good run and can try filtering it better. It's just for us at home and to give away to friends but I guess I am picky on the look when giving it away. Trees really got active today in the sun. I only got about a quart and half of finished syrup so far.

[TooManyIrons...]

I don't have enough sap to process again. Hopefully this week I get a good run and can try filtering it better. It's just for us at home and to give away to friends but I guess I am picky on the look when giving it away. Trees really got active today in the sun. I only got about a quart and half of finished syrup so far.

That is VERY pretty. Thanks for posting pic.

[SognSyrup]

[QUOTE=4010;323249]Have you been able to get your filter to work better. With my syrup I can it with out filtering and let it sit until the syrup is clear and recan , I have notice this year it's taking a longer time to clear up and there is more sediment on the bottom. Has anyone else experience cloudier syrup this year?[/QUOTE

I don't have enough sap to process again. Hopefully this week I get a good run and can try filtering it better. It's just for us at home and to give away to friends but I guess I am picky on the look when giving it away. Trees really got active today in the sun. I only got about a quart and half of finished syrup so far.

Looks awesome, Newbie!! Beautiful!!

[SilverLeaf]

Trees are running good here today. The suspense was killing me so I found a few of the most flowered out trees I've got and took some fresh sap off them and boiled down a test batch. Beautiful grade A light with excellent flavor! The freeze definitely nipped those buds, at least for now.

[Lano75]

collected 28 gallons yesterday, trees ran all night. I checked the 55 gallon drums at 4:30AM and they have another 30-40 gallons I would guess.

[SognSyrup]

Trees are running good here today. The suspense was killing me so I found a few of the most flowered out trees I've got and took some fresh sap off them and boiled down a test batch. Beautiful grade A light with excellent flavor! The freeze definitely nipped those buds, at least for now.

That's great news on the sap test from those trees. We've got some that were very swelled too, but cold got em to hold off. Hoping that we'll have some normal March run now!

[TooManyIrons...]

Sap is running here, fastest I have seen this year. I had six of my five gallon collecting jugs overflowing. Sap is clear and tastes good, even from the trees that are/were flowering before the cold snap.

The trees that never ran sap last week are now running. The trees that produced lightly last week are producing heavier now, the trees that produced heavy last week are producing heavy again. Collected 65 gallons this morning from 52 taps/25 trees, will have to collect this evening again. Wonderful to see, made my day. Firing up the arch tomorrow at 6:00am start for an all day run if I end up with 100 gallons of sap after collecting this evening.

Update: Collected 40 more gallons this evening for a total of 105 for the day. Long day of processing tomorrow. :-)

[SDdave]

That's great news on the sap test from those trees. We've got some that were very swelled too, but cold got em to hold off. Hoping that we'll have some normal March run now!

SognSyrup what is the picture of by your name? It's a really nice picture.

Trees running down here, crazy thing ever today one tap was actually filling over the bucket. It looked like someone left the spigot on. Awesomeness.

SDdave

[SognSyrup]

SognSyrup what is the picture of by your name? It's a really nice picture.

Trees running down here, crazy thing ever today one tap was actually filling over the bucket. It looked like someone left the spigot on. Awesomeness.

SDdave

Thanks SDdave. That's our sugar shack. Took that last year during one of the late night cooking sessions! I attached a couple larger versions here for you. Crazy flow here today again too. Our 3/16 vacuum lines are cranking it out!! We pulled about 600 gallons today.1580015801

[Run Forest Run!]

That's a stunning picture of a gorgeous sugar house. Sogn is a Scandinavian word. 'Parish' syrup. I like it!

[littleTapper]

That's a stunning picture of a gorgeous sugar house.

X2

Wow!!!

[SDdave]

Those are awesome. Love the uplighting and the stars in the sky. Definitely able to use as a label, or do a few prints and sell.

SDdave

[Gissert]

I could not take it anymore. Tapped 160 sugars today. 70 percent were dripping.

[Lano75]

105 gallons yesterday, cooked 132. Front pan should have syrup as soon as we draw next time we fire up!

[212Maple]

Collected over 500 gallons off 300 taps yesterday. Had some issues with squirrels chewing on the bags, but the trees were pouring like crazy yesterday had to empty some bags twice!

[Johnny t]

I tapped on Feb. 14th. Earliest ever. Actually missed 3 days of the initial run as I was out of town. Of course the brix was low early, but were steaming along now

[Lano75]

Another 80 gallons yesterday and got 4 draws off evaporator. About 2 gallons of syrup

[4010]

So far have made 7.5 gallons of syrup from 300 gallons of sap was happy to see the ratio improve from 48:1 at the start to a total average of 40:1. Trees are starting to send out some feelers not sure if I will get past the next 2 days of warm temp.

[lindnova]

Yep buds are getting pretty big here. I know the 10 degree low the other day stopped them, but it looks to be above freezing for a few days. Today is my last day.

Hopefully this batch tastes ok. The first batch I did got 2 quarts, but it doesn't taste very good. It is sweet, but not very flavorful. I did scorch it on one small corner of the pan at the end and hope that is what did it.

[mike103]

That's a stunning picture of a gorgeous sugar house. Sogn is a Scandinavian word. 'Parish' syrup. I like it!Ditto what Karen said, Spectactular!

[SDdave]

Not only a big flow today, but also big buds. Afraid this actually may be it. But I would be fine with it. Looking to get what was hoped for and maybe a little more. Country trees running 3%, with the city trees at 2%.

SDdave

[SognSyrup]

We have had an incredible couple days here. Tanks are full, RO going full time and cooking to keep up. We've finished about 35 gallons so far. Pumped out about another 1000 gallons just yesterday alone. Buds are swelling but nothing popped yet. The last two days of warmer temps have been cloudy and windy which has helped. Knock on wood, but forecast this week looks like we may stay busy!

[SognSyrup]

Country trees running 3%, with the city trees at 2%.

SDdave

Gotta love the country trees!

[wbreitbarth]

It is 68 degrees here today and I think I had some of my bud's pop on my sliver maples today. I'm not worried to much about it since it is going to get down in the teens later this week. I had a big run the last 24 hours collected 80 gallons on 40 taps. 6.5 gallons of syrup so far this season on 40 taps. I will have met my goal of 8 gallons of syrup after I cook again.

[Bombadil]

Buds on my silvers are getting a bit bigger. But later this week lows in the teens or lower. That should slow them a bit.

[SDdave]

Season recap:

Big debate lots of thinking about early tapping. Tap trees. Why won't they run? Frantically get everything in order. Why won't they run?

Getting sap, decent amount. Everything running smoothly. Trees flower Dang. Clean everything. True sap weather, trees restart. Longer boils, getting tired...

Monsoon season. Why won't they stop? Call out all shots run RO all night check periodically, long boils. Perfect. Repeat process. Crap there is sap everywhere. RO fouls up. Like a true man @3:15 am, screw it I'm going back to bed. Why won't they stop?

SDdave

[Keitha333]

27 gallons today with many of my jugs overflowing on 30 taps. Hoping the cold will get it until Friday when I can boil. Near Milaca MN

[TooManyIrons...]

Season recap:

Big debate lots of thinking about early tapping. Tap trees. Why won't they run? Frantically get everything in order. Why won't they run?

Getting sap, decent amount. Everything running smoothly. Trees flower Dang. Clean everything. True sap weather, trees restart. Longer boils, getting tired...

Monsoon season. Why won't they stop? Call out all shots run RO all night check periodically, long boils. Perfect. Repeat process. Crap there is sap everywhere. RO fouls up. Like a true man @3:15 am, screw it I'm going back to bed. Why won't they stop?

SDdave

That's pretty funny there Dave. Sounds awfully familiar...

I am freaking exhausted...pulling taps...enough inventory for three more days of processing, if I get to it before it spoils I will be at around 15 gallons of finished syrup. Whatever the total I know it is a personal best. Truth be told right now I don't really care, I am on autopilot and processing until barrels and carboys are empty.

I know I am in trouble when I need my "medicine" to dull the aches and keep me going.

Three days ago I was processing during heavy snowfall. Today it reached 72 degrees and I have been processing during a tornado watch and severe t-storm warning. Everything missed me but what a view - other people around me were getting hammered by hail and I hope there is not too much damage out there. Sunset now. Another crappy microwave meal is ready here, gotta grab it and get back to the boil.

[Islander]

Sugar shanty and enough sap to boil 2 days already but 3 days until I get a day off
15894

[wbreitbarth]

Sugar shanty and enough sap to boil 2 days already but 3 days until I get a day off1589415894

I've been thinking of building something similar for my cooker. Is that just free standing or it anchored to anything? Looks like some 2x2's and some tin? No problems with it tipping over in the wind?

[Islander]

I've been thinking of building something similar for my cooker. Is that just free standing or it anchored to anything? Looks like some 2x2's and some tin? No problems with it tipping over in the wind?

Yes 2x2s and tin, its fastened to the landscaping timbers of the side walk, the palet of wood on the right, and the wood approach on the left. It held up to tornado watch winds last night while I was running through the neighborhood setting buckets upright.

[SognSyrup]

Season recap:

Big debate lots of thinking about early tapping. Tap trees. Why won't they run? Frantically get everything in order. Why won't they run?



Getting sap, decent amount. Everything running smoothly. Trees flower Dang. Clean everything. True sap weather, trees restart. Longer boils, getting tired...

Monsoon season. Why won't they stop? Call out all shots run RO all night check periodically, long boils. Perfect. Repeat process. Crap there is sap everywhere. RO fouls up. Like a true man @3:15 am, screw it I'm going back to bed. Why won't they stop?

SDdave

Oh man, SDDave....so true. I thought a lot of the same things at 4:30 this morning when I decided to shut it down!! Each year things have gotten bigger (not necessarily better) but run into new system bottlenecks each year. This year it's pan size and evap rate. Back logged with RO'd sap concentrate. And another 1500 gallons of sap waiting to RO (and immediately cook).

I'm tired.

[Keitha333]

Another 28 gallons today on 30 taps. I wasn't expecting it just wanted to make sure the jugs didn't blow away. Hopefully these cold temps will allow it to make it until Friday when I can boil. I do not boil the ice usually...is that the common practice?

[Suburban Maple Man]

Another 28 gallons today on 30 taps. I wasn't expecting it just wanted to make sure the jugs didn't blow away. Hopefully these cold temps will allow it to make it until Friday when I can boil. I do not boil the ice usually...is that the common practice?Last Saturday I tested my unfrozen sap...it was at 3.7%. Then I melted enough ice to fill a five gallon bucket...it was at 1.5%. Definitely still worth boiling in my mind. Common practice? I guess it's hard for me to throw out ice that will give me syrup!

[Keitha333]

Last Saturday I tested my unfrozen sap...it was at 3.7%. Then I melted enough ice to fill a five gallon bucket...it was at 1.5%. Definitely still worth boiling in my mind. Common practice? I guess it's hard for me to throw out ice that will give me syrup!

I will be boiling ice it seems! Thanks!

[Joeyhowe]

1594415944tnLooking like things are about over for me in Anoka county. Working on my last boil of 45 gallons. Bottled 300 ounces of syrup so far this season. Also upgraded from my turkey fryer from last year to my homemade block arch. Attached pics of my syrup and arch from this season 1594315943

[4010]

Nice, how do you like your arch is it faster than the fryer? I am using a small ro with 2 fryers but am thing about building an arch.
Mike

[Joeyhowe]

Nice, how do you like your arch is it faster than the fryer? I am using a small ro with 2 fryers but am thing about building an arch.
Mike

I just threw the block arch together really quick and made a 24x24x8 flat pan at work outta stainless. It works great. Has a nice draw up the chimney so it don't smoke out the front. I have a pretty wooded lot with access to a lot of firewood so that's a plus for me. With a decent fire I can boil down 30-35 gallons a day that's not tending the fire 24/7 and not sun up to sun down so my numbers aren't all that accurate. It beats the heck out of paying for propane I know that much lol

[flyzone13]

1594415944tnLooking like things are about over for me in Anoka county. Working on my last boil of 45 gallons. Bottled 300 ounces of syrup so far this season. Also upgraded from my turkey fryer from last year to my homemade block arch. Attached pics of my syrup and arch from this season 1594315943

Why do you think its over? The trees will run again once it warms up, or have you had enough fun for a year?

[MN Jake]

That's pretty funny there Dave. Sounds awfully familiar...

I am freaking exhausted...pulling taps...enough inventory for three more days of processing, if I get to it before it spoils I will be at around 15 gallons of finished syrup. Whatever the total I know it is a personal best. Truth be told right now I don't really care, I am on autopilot and processing until barrels and carboys are empty.

I know I am in trouble when I need my "medicine" to dull the aches and keep me going.

Three days ago I was processing during heavy snowfall. Today it reached 72 degrees and I have been processing during a tornado watch and severe t-storm warning. Everything missed me but what a view - other people around me were getting hammered by hail and I hope there is not too much damage out there. Sunset now. Another crappy microwave meal is ready here, gotta grab it and get back to the boil.

We packed up because of the tornado watch. I had a funny feeling about it when one of the kids mentioned it at 2 or so. Glad I did, storm hit about 15 minutes after I was able to shut the doors and tidy everything up. The tornado started about 1 1/2 to 2 miles away and went north so maple land survived for me but some people got hit hard. It buzzed grandpas house As close as a block away on Ann Lake but thankfully no damage. Lots of roof, pole barn and tree damage here but haven't heard of any major injuries so that's good. We did make a record 312 12oz bottles though so pretty happy about that.

[BAP]

Wow, that has to be a ultimate sugaring experience having to shut down due to a tornado. I'm glad to hear that you, your family and sugar trees are ok and safe.

[MN Jake]

To be honest I was scared sapless!

[SYRUP FREAK]

Have only two days of sap running so far this year. Next run looks like next week on Thursday. So far boiled 100 gals. New homemade arch works good. First two pics last Saturday and 3rd. pic. Sunday. Typical Mn.
159571595815959

[buck3m]

On Monday the big run really surprised us. It hadn't frozen the night before and we ended up with what was probably our biggest run ever on a per-bucket basis: 2.6 gallons. Would have been more if some hadn't run over. And this crazy wind! I was boiling Tuesday and branches were raining down. A decent one hit the sugar shack and a big one hit the wood pile. A tree blew over and knocked a bucket off a tree Monday night. Because I live in Alaska I didn't tap until the 1st but we've gotten about 1 pint/per tree of syrup so far. Looks like a lull until next Wednesday or so. We are in East Central.

[SognSyrup]

We packed up because of the tornado watch. I had a funny feeling about it when one of the kids mentioned it at 2 or so. Glad I did, storm hit about 15 minutes after I was able to shut the doors and tidy everything up. The tornado started about 1 1/2 to 2 miles away and went north so maple land survived for me but some people got hit hard. It buzzed grandpas house As close as a block away on Ann Lake but thankfully no damage. Lots of roof, pole barn and tree damage here but haven't heard of any major injuries so that's good. We did make a record 312 12oz bottles though so pretty happy about that.

Crazy story!! Glad everyone's okay. It missed us too thankfully.

That day was 69°, sap running crazy, then cooking in a severe thunderstorm, then tornado warning, then hail and finally when I left the shack at 4:00am it was snowing!!! All in a days work!!!

[SDdave]

Crazy story!! Glad everyone's okay. It missed us too thankfully.

That day was 69°, sap running crazy, then cooking in a severe thunderstorm, then tornado warning, then hail and finally when I left the shack at 4:00am it was snowing!!! All in a days work!!!

Only those that live or have lived in MN see this as normal :lol:

SDdave

P.S. Boiled sap starting to smell less mapley and more like sweet corn. I think its the end.

[SognSyrup]

Only those that live or have lived in MN see this as normal :lol:

I guess we're the ones that chose to live here! Now windchills were -10 this AM. Pump lines froze before we could get sap out last night...kinda stuck here for a bit!

[212Maple]

Looks like the Silver Maples may be done here for me unless this cold snap will produce a few more days of better sap. Hard maples still going strong!

[flyzone13]

Looks like the Silver Maples may be done here for me unless this cold snap will produce a few more days of better sap. Hard maples still going strong!
I think the silvers will go again. With this hard freeze I would think the buds will freeze and the cycle will start again, but who really knows until it happens and with the year its been so far its hard to say.

[North!]

Oh boy, cold cold cold today. It has been chilly for the most part the past couple of weeks up here on the north shore. We did get a little break in that trend a few days back, with a foggy wet warmup ( coming from some very cold temps 2 nights before) and a 24 hour drip. It didn't run hard, but we were able to produce 5 drums of syrup over that short period. The winds picked up, and the cold has set in. We did not have any of the storm activity as the folks further south had, but lightening was seen at our location, which is always odd when there is calf deep snow still on the ground. We are closing in on 20% of a crop, which we are pleased with considering traditionally we do not make much syrup until the last week of March. I'd like to see a bit of snowfall, and would have had plenty but the heavy precipitation has come in the form of rain. The tap holes seem to be producing well yet, and the sap required minimal filtration because of its clarity. Hopefully the next warmup will be soon. Glad to read that no one on this site was severely impacted by those nasty storms. Minnesota can have its extremes happen in short order.

[MN Jake]

I think the silvers will go again. With this hard freeze I would think the buds will freeze and the cycle will start again, but who really knows until it happens and with the year its been so far its hard to say.

Our silvers flowered 2 weeks ago yesterday. Easy to tell here because the woods has a yellow color up in the branches. The sap is almost unbearable to even taste at that point. Then came the cold snap the following night of 14 degrees. Sap tasted better than ever. I personally never knew they would reset until this year so A good learning experience for me. With 2 degrees or so the last couple nights I'm curios to see what happens next. Looks like a good stretch of 40s coming

[TooManyIrons...]

At this point I have processed 580 gallons of sap. I have 30 gallons remaining in inventory. Cold day but I am going to bundle up and go out to process so I can reach at least 600, which would be double my typical season amount thus a good number in which to finish the season. I hope that sap is still good, not sure at this point but will find out soon enough. Snow storm coming in tomorrow, sounds like a good day to be inside doing final finishing.

Trees in woods are still tapped, many of them never reached full flower stage before this cold snap. I am expecting good sap from them once it warms up again. We'll see. I do not really want to process anymore but I am curious what the quality would be like. It would be an amazing end to this bumper season if I could harvest and process another 100 gallons of sap.

Ran low on firewood due to all the unexpected processing, thank goodness I had an emergency stash plus I have been able to "borrow" firewood from a neighbor by bribing him with some fresh maple syrup. It didn't take much convincing. <grin> Note to self: Always have that emergency stash of firewood, and make it a bit larger.

I have not completed all the final finishing but I think I will be at 20+ gallons of syrup from the 600 gallons of sap. That blows away my personal best of 12 gallons. I doubt I will ever see such a season like this again, or at least be able to physically work another season like this again. Been fun, though... :)

[flyzone13]

At this point I have processed 580 gallons of sap. I have 30 gallons remaining in inventory. Cold day but I am going to bundle up and go out to process so I can reach at least 600, which would be double my typical season amount thus a good number in which to finish the season. I hope that sap is still good, not sure at this point but will find out soon enough. Snow storm coming in tomorrow, sounds like a good day to be inside doing final finishing.

Trees in woods are still tapped, many of them never reached full flower stage before this cold snap. I am expecting good sap from them once it warms up again. We'll see. I do not really want to process anymore but I am curious what the quality would be like. It would be an amazing end to this bumper season if I could harvest and process another 100 gallons of sap.

Ran low on firewood due to all the unexpected processing, thank goodness I had an emergency stash plus I have been able to "borrow" firewood from a neighbor by bribing him with some fresh maple syrup. It didn't take much convincing. <grin> Note to self: Always have that emergency stash of firewood, and make it a bit larger.

I have not completed all the final finishing but I think I will be at 20+ gallons of syrup from the 600 gallons of sap. That blows away my personal best of 12 gallons. I doubt I will ever see such a season like this again, or at least be able to physically work another season like this again. Been fun, though... :)

I always seem to run short of firewood, I can never figure out how much I will need. It all depends on the weather and what the tree give. It's good to have the emergency stash when needed. Thankfully where I work the have an abundance of old pallets waiting to be destroyed, so I take the chainsaw to them and fill up my truck and trailer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MN Jake]

At this point I have processed 580 gallons of sap. I have 30 gallons remaining in inventory. Cold day but I am going to bundle up and go out to process so I can reach at least 600, which would be double my typical season amount thus a good number in which to finish the season. I hope that sap is still good, not sure at this point but will find out soon enough. Snow storm coming in tomorrow, sounds like a good day to be inside doing final finishing.

Trees in woods are still tapped, many of them never reached full flower stage before this cold snap. I am expecting good sap from them once it warms up again. We'll see. I do not really want to process anymore but I am curious what the quality would be like. It would be an amazing end to this bumper season if I could harvest and process another 100 gallons of sap.

Ran low on firewood due to all the unexpected processing, thank goodness I had an emergency stash plus I have been able to "borrow" firewood from a neighbor by bribing him with some fresh maple syrup. It didn't take much convincing. <grin> Note to self: Always have that emergency stash of firewood, and make it a bit larger.

I have not completed all the final finishing but I think I will be at 20+ gallons of syrup from the 600 gallons of sap. That blows away my personal best of 12 gallons. I doubt I will ever see such a season like this again, or at least be able to physically work another season like this again. Been fun, though... :)

Glad your season turned out good enough to be tired of it! Doesn't seem to happen very often with silvers. We had 4 cord split and stacked for this year not knowing what the new system would pull in. Made roughly 30 gallons on a cord so far and haven't started the RO yet. Runs have been too small to bother with it. Really hoping the next warmup holds to the forecast.

[Keitha333]

I took the day off Friday to do my first boil. I had 102 gallons and started Thursday after work then again early in the morning. I decided to gamble a little bit and not deal with the iced sap and it turns out it saved me a bunch of time as I think about 30 gallons were froze. I ended up with a little over 3 gallons of finished sap and my ratio was around 33:1 which I thought was fantastic! With that ratio I have to believe not much sugar was caught in the ice. The syrup was the darkest amber I have had in my 4 years and great flavor! The new hydrometer worked great! It looks like the last part of the week we can collect again!

[4010]

So far we have collected 622 gallons of sap and have made 15.5 gallons of syrup. The homemade ro has been doing great in 10 hours it can reduce 50 gallons of 40:1 sap to 10 gallons of concentrate. Can let ro run while I am at work and make little over a gallon of syrup after work.15.5 gallons is a new high but am hoping to get another run when it warms up just discovered how to make maple nuts so now i need more almonds and syrup!!
Mike

[jeffeich]

I am looking for a simple plan to make a RO, could you help me out. Do you have a design? Willing to share it

[SDdave]

I am looking for a simple plan to make a RO, could you help me out. Do you have a design? Willing to share it

https://sites.google.com/site/mattatuckmadnessmaplesyrup/home/homemade-reverse-osmosis-system

Take a look at this one. I built it and have used it for the last 4 to 5? seasons.

SDdave

[4010]

There is a lot of good info in the RO link from SDdave. Based my RO on the info from that site and this forum. Went with a vane type pump that's rated at 100 gph. I started with 2 100gpd filters and currently am using 5 ro filters I like the bigger pump and have been able to run 180 psi, so far the RO filters have handled it even only being rated at 125psi.

Jeffeich you can private message me for more info.

Mike

[TooManyIrons...]

For almost one full week now the night temps have gone into single digits, day temps have not climbed above mid 20s. What do you folks think is going to happen regarding another sap run? Any chance at decent sap? My woods trees are still tapped, I am wondering if I could re-install taps into holes in yard trees using the same holes they were originally installed in?

It is clear to me upon inspection that the tree flowers on trees that were in full bloom have all been frozen and therefore I assume destroyed. The leaf bud covers on those trees were also splitting open, so I assume leaf buds have been crippled as well. So what happens next when the final spring thaw/warmup occurs? The trees will of course leaf out but I assume any chance of blooming is over on trees that have already bloomed, they will not develop new flowers and repeat the process this year, correct? If nothing else it means I won't have to deal with as many helicopter seed pods this summer.

[4010]

For almost one full week now the night temps have gone into single digits, day temps have not climbed above mid 20s. What do you folks think is going to happen regarding another sap run? Any chance at decent sap? My woods trees are still tapped, I am wondering if I could re-install taps into holes in yard trees using the same holes they were originally installed in?

It is clear to me upon inspection that the tree flowers on trees that were in full bloom have all been frozen and therefore I assume destroyed. The leaf bud covers on those trees were also splitting open, so I assume leaf buds have been crippled as well. So what happens next when the final spring thaw/warmup occurs? The trees will of course leaf out but I assume any chance of blooming is over on trees that have already bloomed, they will not develop new flowers and repeat the process this year, correct? If nothing else it means I won't have to deal with as many helicopter seed pods this summer.
I am still hopeful for making more good syrup.Did make one batch that was not as good but my last boil before the cold was good, some of my larger trees had flowered 2 days before the cold temps. Did all your syrup turn out good? It looks like the week of cold temps have brought back your enthusiasm I say go put the taps back in, its easy for me to say I am not doing the work.

[flyzone13]

For almost one full week now the night temps have gone into single digits, day temps have not climbed above mid 20s. What do you folks think is going to happen regarding another sap run? Any chance at decent sap? My woods trees are still tapped, I am wondering if I could re-install taps into holes in yard trees using the same holes they were originally installed in?

It is clear to me upon inspection that the tree flowers on trees that were in full bloom have all been frozen and therefore I assume destroyed. The leaf bud covers on those trees were also splitting open, so I assume leaf buds have been crippled as well. So what happens next when the final spring thaw/warmup occurs? The trees will of course leaf out but I assume any chance of blooming is over on trees that have already bloomed, they will not develop new flowers and repeat the process this year, correct? If nothing else it means I won't have to deal with as many helicopter seed pods this summer.
Its my understanding that if the temps drop below freezing for an extended period of time the buds will freeze and the cycle will start again. I had the same thing happen last year when the temps got real warm for awhile and the trees started to bud and I figured it was over, then the freeze came and re-started the flow again. I am hopeful the same will hold true this year as well. Fingers crossed.

[Keitha333]

I say go for it...nothing to loose. If it turns out bad then your in the same spot you started! You also will be able to know for the future.

[foxtail]

I talked to the guys at Leader Evap yesterday and they said that if the buds have not shown green or yellow flowers that they should be good to go. He said that he had never heard of the cycle starting over. But he did say to give it a test run to see how the stuff tastes.

[TooManyIrons...]

Forties tomorrow after a cold night, will be first time above freezing here in a week. Warm days in forecast for the next five days at least. I had already sanitized the taps/lines I pulled so I will reinstall some in the best producing yard trees to see what happens. I will pull the collecting jugs from the trees still tapped in the woods and replace them with freshly sanitized ones.

Yeah, couple of days off and I am out of my brain fog from all the maple steam. A couple of decent balanced meals on a normal schedule have helped immensely as well, I am so weary of nuked junk food. I am all caught up and have been processing syrup into sugar. Physically I am pretty well conditioned for all the work at this point anyway so I am game to collect and process more. I have enough firewood for two more full days of processing, could scrounge up more, and can always go to propane backup but I think a two day run would be enough for me to get maple out of my system for this season. If it would turn out that any late run produces the best syrup of the season then I would go for broke and find a way to process as much as I can. Heck, I have already had two distinct seasons/runs already this year, why not get in one more?

4010: "Did all your syrup turn out good?" - Yes but some batches produced better quality and more concentrated flavor than others. There is no logic that I can discern about why which batch turned out the way it did but I know it had something to do with the sap from the specimen yard trees that went into full bloom. I should have quit collecting from them sooner once they were obviously in full bloom. My very last batch did not turn out that great because the sap was stored a bit too long. I almost dumped it mid-process but I stuck it out and it is palatable syrup but not something I am proud of nor will I give it away to anyone, will instead try to make sugar out of it and blend it in with all the other sugar I make. My brother says he would take that entire last two gallon batch because he feels it still tastes better than the faux maple flavored corn syrup at the grocery store. He has a point.

Oh, and after reading up on maple nuts I went and bought a pound each of almonds and walnut halves so I could try making some. Wanted to also do pecans but yikes the price was steep so I passed on them for now.

[SilverLeaf]

It is clear to me upon inspection that the tree flowers on trees that were in full bloom have all been frozen and therefore I assume destroyed. The leaf bud covers on those trees were also splitting open, so I assume leaf buds have been crippled as well. So what happens next when the final spring thaw/warmup occurs? The trees will of course leaf out but I assume any chance of blooming is over on trees that have already bloomed, they will not develop new flowers and repeat the process this year, correct? If nothing else it means I won't have to deal with as many helicopter seed pods this summer.

I think you are on to something, TooManyIrons. I wonder if this season is analogous to what sometimes happens in the apple industry in the midwest where the buds get nipped by a hard frost and it destroys the fruit crop. Fortunately for us, we aren't harvesting the maple "fruit"!

This is certainly uncharted territory though... And I'm ashamed to admit that after all these years this is the first year I realized that the flower buds and leaf buds are not the same thing.....! And that its the leaf buds that I really care about in terms of producing off-flavor, not the flower buds. :o Sheesh, I should've known that a long time ago.

[SDdave]

flower buds and leaf buds are not the same thing.....! And that its the leaf buds that I really care about in terms of producing off-flavor, not the flower buds.

Yes. There is still hope for those hoping. I will be doing the final boil tonight as I am exhausted. Not a bad year overall just a lot of ups and downs. Good luck to all on the final push!

SDdave

[TooManyIrons...]

Only reached 36 degrees here today, was cloudy all day with strong NW winds. A lot of the snow cover from last Sunday's storm melted away during the last two days, around 75% of the ground is showing again. Sap started running slowly late this afternoon, am getting sap from the trees in which I re-installed the taps. Will collect tomorrow sometime. Collection jugs I inspected closely have clear sap that smells good and tastes good. Interesting...

[RileySugarbush]

Sap started up again today. But I noticed an American Elder starting to leaf out, which often signals the end around here so we will need to keep an eye out for buddy smells. Boiling again on sunday. All ready at about a typical years production.

[markcasper]

Sap started up again today. But I noticed an American Elder starting to leaf out, which often signals the end around here so we will need to keep an eye out for buddy smells. Boiling again on sunday. All ready at about a typical years production.

Yeh, I seen one on the south warm side today with a leaf starting, but quite frankly, those things had big buds on already a month ago. We have not had any extreme heat, like 70's yet, and only one day before the cold snap over 60, so I'm optomistic that we will have alot to come. Am anxious to hear if you guys that tapped very early get good runs coming up here, or they start to shut down because they have been tapped so long.

[Keitha333]

My trees were hit and miss. Some had full jugs others had none. It was odd and seemingly not clear as to why. About 14 gallons in 30 taps.

[maplenutter butter]

Am anxious to hear if you guys that tapped very early get good runs coming up here, or they start to shut down because they have been tapped so long

I tapped early Mark and had about 700 gallons yesterday around 6pm on about 1000 taps. Im hopeful it will pick up again.

[davewittwer]

Finished my early sap off today. Ran my new evaporator last weekend and finished today.

What a crazy year. Waited until till last weekend for sap to thaw so I could process and now I'm making sap cubes to keep everything going cold.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170318/5d129c1758398fbfc49ae7722291f6df.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170318/6567b833dec8ffb0e25148963e8c73a2.jpg

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[TooManyIrons...]

davewittwer thanks for posting the photos! I really enjoy seeing other people's setup and final product. :)

41 degrees here at time of this post, light NW breeze, mostly cloudy with occasional sun. Sap is running, slowly on some and very good on others. All trees appear to be putting out decent sap, even the ones that went buddy on me at the end of the last run a week ago. I re-installed more taps because sap was flushing down the tree trunks where taps had been removed. All taps are dripping with the exception of three that have apparently closed up. Those three closed taps are on trees that are each tapped with two taps, the other tap is dripping on all three of those trees.

Again the weather not as good as was forecast but I just finished collecting 21 gallons of good sap. I will definitely have to collect tonight. I want 35 gallons to justify a processing run so if I have that total after collecting tonight then I will fire up the arch tomorrow.

For the record all of my initial test taps installed back on January 30 produced sap the entire season and are still producing sap right now.

I have been making maple sugar today. Also made my first successful batch of maple nuts/maple candied almonds. Folks aren't kidding when they talk about how delicious they are...

[SYRUP FREAK]

Collected 15 gals. two days ago, but weatherman was 10 degrees off yesterday with a few dripping yesterday and freezing. Hope today is actually 50 degrees as predicted so that I have enough to run a batch. Maybe this week will be the perfect storm.

[4010]

Syrup is the lightest i made all year after the week of cold temps taste is good more like honey not much maple flavor does have more sediment.The lighter jar is from what i collected friday and boiled yesterday and the darker was boiled on 3/9/17. Sap flow was better yesterday collected 80 gallons.

[wbreitbarth]

Most of my 40 taps went in on February 10th. In the last 24 hours I collected 25 gallons. I expect to collect 60 gallons by tomorrow morning again because they were dripping like crazy when I emptied them. I did have 4 taps go dry on me which I pulled. My sliver maples are very close to being done for the year. I will pry pull the taps later this week. I am sure glad it got cold again. I should hopefully end the season with over 12 gallons of syrup :)

[RileySugarbush]

Boiled about 375 gallons of 3% sap today. A great day with the new rig which is a tremendous improvement over last year.

The trees ran great today and are still going as the sun sets, but warm temp tonight may bring things to a stop. Watching for buddy characteristcs and hoping for a few more days of good sap.

[TooManyIrons...]

Collected 122 gallons sap over the last three days. Have 40 gallons left to process plus whatever I might collect tomorrow. Rain in forecast from Wed thru Sat so Tuesday is a good day to be done with the processing and be done with the season once and for all. Sap run is ending, taps are giving good sap right up to the end. May collect some sap tomorrow yet from the trees that are still running, who knows at this point.

Syrup from this third run of the season is very flavorful and similar color as the rest of the syrup I have gotten this year, perhaps a little bit lighter in color. Better quality than what I was getting towards the end of the second run two weeks ago. Sure has been smelling wonderfully mapley during the boiling process.

This third and final sap run of the season should give me another 4 gallons of syrup for a season total of approximately 24 gallons of syrup from approximately 730 gallons of sap collected from 25 trees using 52 taps. A season average sap to syrup ratio of approximately 30:1.

It has been quite an experience, never thought I would ever see a season like this especially the way it started. Never thought I would have the physical capability and equipment capacity to process that much sap into syrup. I am a small timer, my system is designed to comfortably handle and process 300-350 gallons of sap in a season. Collecting, processing, finishing, and bottling this much sap/syrup this year has been a challenge. For example, that entire 730 gallons of sap was collected and carried to the arch in 5 gallon carboys, one at a time because I can no longer physically handle carrying 2 full carboys at time. That means I walked 146 trips carrying a full carboy. I don't think I really want to know that sort of information. LOL

Out of firewood, I have had to resort to cutting up deadfall in the woods for fueling the arch. The stuff is working fine but I have to figure out where to get firewood for next season. If I cut something down I have to do it soon so the wood has a year to cure. Being that I got so much syrup this year I may just skip next season or only tap a few trees to make a little bit of fresh syrup. We'll see what happens.

ADD: I want to add that the trees I complained about in my posts way back in this thread that did not produce sap during the first run back in February are some of the last trees that are producing sap now. It is interesting how different the sap run is from tree to tree and even the tap location on the trunks, and it changes from year to year. There is no logic to it that I can discern and that is okay, Mother Nature should not give up all her mysteries.

[4010]

Finished making syrup for the year to day last 2 quarts of syrup does have some budding flavor.

Tapped trees Feb 10
Feb 10 to Feb 28 242 gallons sap 6.3 gallons syrup
Mar 1 to Mar 9 380 gallons sap 9.3 gallons syrup
Mar 18 to Mar 25 388 gallons sap 8.9 gallons syrup

Total 1010 gallons of sap 24.5 gallons of syrup

Very good year my previous high for syrup was 14 gallons.

[TooManyIrons...]

Very nice 4010. Thanks for posting your totals, always fun to see what people accomplished.

[Run Forest Run!]

TooManyIrons, I'm very impressed with what your trees have given you this year! Almost a half gallon of finished syrup per tap!!! That's incredible! You did really well to keep up with the pace.

[RileySugarbush]

We have finished up, draining the flue pan and finishing all in the syrup pan with water in the flue pan. Took it right to 68 brix over a wood fire, which was not the plan but all is well. Looks like we will have between 55-60 gallons, so about a quart per tap. Trees are still running slowly but the forecast is not good and buds are swelling. A great year with the new equipment. The 3/16 worked well and we will convert another section next year.

[Suburban Maple Man]

The season is over for us. We tapped about 25 trees on Feb 12, and another 25 about a week or two later. Boiled 865 gallons of sap. Made 25.5 gallons of syrup. I was a little worried we would have a short season the way things started but it turned out to be a pretty good year. The forecast doesn't look to good for sapping and it's time to move on. Not sure what makes this hobby so addicting, but I am already looking forward to next year!

[SognSyrup]

Yep. We cashed it all in this weekend too. Actually dumped about 600gal of sap tonight. 450 taps, mostly on 3/16 this year and finished about 110 gallons. In a business where there is never a "normal" season...this season was very abnormal! Thanks everyone for sharing here.

[Lano75]

I am still grinding it out! 100 gallons yesterday. Going to try and make it to Sunday and call it a season. Sitting at 36 gallons of syrup on 99 taps so far.

[Islander]

We pulled all the taps yesterday with the last boil. Sugar content was steadily dropping, we started the season about 3% and yesterday's batch boil was just barely over 2%. A few of the collection buckets were smelly and with a mid-season knee injury we called it quits. Thank goodness for a friend with a sweet tooth - may have created another addict. It was a record year for us as far as the hobby goes, more taps than ever, more finished product than ever. Not quite a record as far as average tap production but surely not bad.

Here's a to another great year, already looking forward to next year and how we'll implement the new efficiency ideas we came up with this year.

[Lano75]

67 gallons today, making dark syrup! Lots of flavor

[RileySugarbush]

We finished bottling tonight. about 54 gallons and it is all Amber. No light, no dark. It is the first year we have made only one grade, though we did have some variation in flavor. All good, but some buttery and some more mapley.

[maplenutter butter]

Still going in the Henderson area. Monday i had a suprise in my tank, 1200 gallons of sap! The only thing i can think of is half my woods faces north and there wass still some frost about a foot down. Today I had another 800 gallons. This is on just over 1,000 taps. I hope to keep pulling in sap for a week or better. Syrup taste awesome, color is only slight darker and will probably continue that direction. Im a little disappointed in the season, but one more week and it will be an okay year for me. Good luck to anyone still going!

[davewittwer]

Had nothing yesterday between Princeton and Milaca. Forcast looks a little warm. Might be done for the year.

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[lastwoodsman]

Good day on vacuum over here at Sandstone. One of the better we've had. I'll keep running the pumps until sap is bad.
Overall it has been slow this year. 90 gallons of 3% yesterday. A couple of hours of boiling took care of it. Nice looking syrup. Only a total of 1200 gallons of sap this year but all 2.5%.

[Lano75]

Just checked my 3/16 and I figure I have about 50 gallons to cook. Saving it for tomorrow hopefully it does not spoil. Sunday will be our last day!

[maplenutter butter]

Just checked my tank, about 700 gallons of 1.5 percent sap. Not bad considering the weather. A chance it might hit 31 tonight. Not sure if that's enough to really help. Planning on going until the sap stops coming in or goes bad.

[Shorty]

Yep. We cashed it all in this weekend too. Actually dumped about 600gal of sap tonight. 450 taps, mostly on 3/16 this year and finished about 110 gallons. In a business where there is never a "normal" season...this season was very abnormal! Thanks everyone for sharing here. We save enough cloudy sap to fill our cooker to the brim and then in July we drain it and that Stainless Steel is totally clean, no scrubbing, just hose it out.:cool:

[Tylorklein]

First year owning my land and first year doing syrup (on a whim). Pulled all the taps last weekend (Milaca mn) and collected around 120 gallons of 44 taps. That was my third collection of the year, somewhere in the low 200 gallon range total and we made just under 5 gallons of syrup using a wood fired evaporator i bought on CL. Lots of fun.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170401/3ed85fd0522af310ad4e005b20f3b9cf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170401/24484fe518426d1fc70723f3187105ae.jpg

[Tylorklein]

Forgot to add that we tapped the first two weekends in February based on the first warmup. Only got 40 gallons off that week of warm weather though.

[davewittwer]

First year owning my land and first year doing syrup (on a whim). Pulled all the taps last weekend (Milaca mn) and collected around 120 gallons of 44 taps. That was my third collection of the year, somewhere in the low 200 gallon range total and we made just under 5 gallons of syrup using a wood fired evaporator i bought on CL. Lots of fun.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170401/3ed85fd0522af310ad4e005b20f3b9cf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170401/24484fe518426d1fc70723f3187105ae.jpg
Very nice! Where in Milaca? I'm in the Pease area.

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[davewittwer]

Got a surprise in my buckets today.....didn't think I'd have have anything but got a half decent run between Milaca and Princeton

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[davewittwer]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170402/85915c4fc32cb240ac7647753ceca617.jpg

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[TooManyIrons...]

Update: Regarding the discussion earlier in this thread about open flower buds and tree flowers that froze during the run this last season - it did in fact happen here and there are no winged seed pods on any of my silver maple trees that I have been able to find. Leaf buds and resultant foliage were unaffected because those buds had not broken yet at the time of the last intense cold snap that destroyed the flowers.

Boxelders have all set seeds, trees are loaded as is typical - the boxelders bloom later than the silver maples and were not affected by any sub-freezing temperatures.

It sure will be nice not having all those winged seed pods everywhere, a pleasant break from the norm...