tapping time ?

[maplefarmer]

Crazy warm 60 deg. here today, rest of Jan. looks to be warm, even nights remaining above freezing. Looking to tap 1st week of Feb. still would be 3 wks before usually tap, we'll have to watch weather close or it seems we could miss the season.

[Tapping Wolf]

Im with you...first or second week of Feb this year.

[maplefarmer]

How far north are you Twolf ?

[Tapping Wolf]

About 15 miles south of the the Mich/Ind border

[the old guy]

This morning two flocks snow geese, several flocks Sandhills cranes--all flying north. 60 degrees today but no sapsuckers . Tap??? NExt week maybe but records show 2/18 has been our best bet. This year might be the exception?

[wlatrout]

T Wolf, We must be close, as I am 6 miles from the line. Does the name Essanhaus ring a bell?

[Tapping Wolf]

Can't say the name rings a bell, of course im not from around here originally...im located in Laporte county. I plan on tapping some time in the next 6 days, i think the end of next week looks good for the sap to start running, and it just gets better n better after that.

[DougM]

We have 40 taps out on the first two tubing lines we've ever put up, they were running like crazy yesterday & should be today, too. Now we just need to hang 175 bags...or find more sloping ground & switch to all tubing. :)

[Indiana-Jones]

Hello, checking in from West Terre Haute. I sat out the last two years and this year, with some encouragement from the family we are going to give it a go. The families "Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve" is near depletion.
Today I went through the woods clearing trials and cutting brush.
Tomorrow with some help, we will set the tanks, put the stack on the arch and see about tapping in. Planning on about 75 bags and buckets first and I might redo some tubing next week.

I'm happy that I made the decision to do it this year, sometimes there is mental relief after a decision is finale.

Good luck to all and may Mother Nature bless us with favorable weather.

[wlatrout]

Put in 35 taps on 3 1/6 gravity line today. Holding for a run the next couple of days to test out the new system. Also have a home built RO system to get running and tested.Two or 3 new gravity lines to install.

[Indiana-Jones]

Up date on our operation.
February 5, we got everything set and tapped 60 trees. About a third of them gave a little sap over the next two days. The 7th I gathered about 50 gallons. I'm freezing sap in 2.5 gal buckets and using the cubes to keep the sap chilled in a drum.
We have had a good temperature reset the last two nights, low teens one night. Tonight added 7 more taps. Tomorrow hoping to get some more taps in before the warm up Saturday. Planning to have boil Sunday.
With my 2X5 drop flue rig, I really would like to have 300 to 350 gallons of sap to start, 400 plus is better. I need more taps! My old tubing run had 50 trees, but it will need a total rehab, main line and all. We will see what I can do on Saturday. Should have worked on this a month ago.

Good tapping to all.

[maplefarmer]

Put in 200 taps yesterday on sap sacks, added 188 today on sacks and 5 gal buckets, holes were dripping little yesterday, nothing today, too cold. planning on tapping rest of maple tomorrow, and doing our walnut run on sunday. should start running tom. or sunday temps in mid 40s

[Indiana-Jones]

A real disappointing sap run here. Temps went from 15 on Wednesday 70 today and not the run I hoped for. Will up date is the morning when we gather

[blurr95]

we were in the woods today finishing up our tubing, and we had mosquitos.

[maplefarmer]

getting a good run today, but don't like seeing 60 deg days next week

[maplefarmer]

sap is testing 2% out of trees, and is making the lightest color syrup I have ever made.

[Indiana-Jones]

Monday evening we boiled what we had, maybe 90 gallons of sap. Been holding some for a week, it had to be cooked. We fired off at 4:00 and shut down at 6:30. Just as we started to draw syrup we were done. Plan to drain the pans and finish on gas this weekend.
I'm looking at the forecast and I'm thinking we are finished. A bust of a year here in West T. Some trees didn't give a drop. Maybe I need to move north.

[DougM]

Well, that's a bummer, we're not far from you. We didn't get a lot of sap through yesterday, but we're hoping for more after the warm spell next week. We added some trees to a tubing line yesterday, & the ones that had been tapped for a couple of weeks weren't running, but the new ones were pouring sap.

[maplefarmer]

hopefully forecasts will be wrong, won't get as warm or have so many days of warm they are predicting, I'm hoping for cold after this spell and getting more run, just don't know how many 60 deg. days in a row may start the trees budding. problem is there is a small amount of sap in the woods now [almost not enough to pick up ] but I don't think it will stay good thru several days of 60s, really in a predicament.

[Indiana-Jones]

Well, that's a bummer, we're not far from you. We didn't get a lot of sap through yesterday, but we're hoping for more after the warm spell next week. We added some trees to a tubing line yesterday, & the ones that had been tapped for a couple of weeks weren't running, but the new ones were pouring sap.

Sorry that it took me so long to get back to the thread. I held out hope for a little run middle of the week, but just got maybe 25 gallons. spent today draining the pans and boiling everything down on LP. I have 8 hours in and still time to go.

I was running around emptying buckets this morning and the thought popped in my head. "I ran more gallons of gas through the four wheeler than gallons of syrup made.

I still have buckets out maybe late next week.

[maplefarmer]

Well, was cold enough last night, 22 deg. We should know here today if there is still good sap to harvest. Looks excellent next week.

[Indiana-Jones]

I spent the weekend cleaning up and putting away. The season is behind me now. Right at 2 gallons of syrup for 75 taps.

I'm thinking that we had 3 good temperature swings that should have pumped some good runs, but it didn't. The only thing that I can come up with is that we are really dry here. No snow at all this year and only a few quick in and out rain events. I'm on clay and most of the trees are on the sides steep ravines. I just don't think the trees had any moisture to work with.

Anyway good luck to all.

[blurr95]

I am south of Terre Haute a bit and we are getting a decent sap run. Hopefully it stays for a while.

Jason

[maplefarmer]

Temps were right last couple nights, taps were not running, tried redrilling some of them and a few did drip and some remained dry, now temps not supossed to get below freezing for the next 3-5 days, season probably over.