Grand Rapids

[Urban Hillbilly]

Tapped on February 17 looking at a good weekend knowing it would stop for a week. Ran like crazy and stopped like predicted. Started running again on Sunday the 26th. All over the board with some buckets at an inch and some overflowing. Today should be great and the forecast looks decent for nice runs periodically over the coming couple of weeks.

[5 Oaks]

I am in Cedar Springs, Finished if 2.75 gals on Sunday. Hope this are dripping again.

[Ivyacres]

Tapped 15 more this morning and they weren't flowing at all. Sunday we did get some action in the afternoon and should do well today when it warms up.

[huntingken111]

Running really good in Middleville/Hastings area. Was going to tap some roadside trees but it looks like they budded. Have you guys noticed this at all or am I just nuts (ya I am nuts).

[Too Tall]

I'm in Sand Lake and got roughly 21 gallons on 70ish taps today. Looks like this weekend might be better for a run.

[BoarsNest]

We tapped 80 trees last week and so far have about 80 gallons of sap. We tapped 240 in the White Cloud area on Saturday and it was running today. This week looks like it could be a little hit or miss so we will see what we have to fire up the arch.

[Ivyacres]

Ended up with 285gals on 220 taps today. Was still running at 7 tonight.

[nidatz]

Running really good in Middleville/Hastings area. Was going to tap some roadside trees but it looks like they budded. Have you guys noticed this at all or am I just nuts (ya I am nuts).

My silvers budded about a week ago. Hard maples all still look good.

[Ed R]

Should be over a gallon a tap for this past run, if not your getting reduced flow due to microbial action in the taphole.

[BobMac]

collected 140 gallons on 50 taps was still dripping

[huntingken111]

340 tapped on Sunday and Monday morning with 4 shurflo pumps on batteries. Tonight collected 530 gallons of sap. Some still pulling sap. Not suppose to freeze till tomorrow night.

[Joel M]

200 on gravity lines and buckets tapped on Saturday, Monday collected 170 gallons. I'm realizing we made a mistake, we are really new at this and we bought our evaporator knowing that we are going to scale up fast but we probably wont even collect enough sap this year to sweeten our pans!!!

[Ivyacres]

Hey Middleville, I would love to come over and see your setup. I drive through town every day back and forth to Delton. I would like to add a shurflo.

[Ivyacres]

Byron Center, I would like to see your outfit as you must be close to me. 100th and 131

[Ed R]

Joel M , Your sap totals per tap seem really low for freshly tapped trees. Are these sugar maples or soft maples? We tapped on Saturday and pulled in approx. 2.5 gallons per tap over the 2 day run on buckets in mid Michigan. You are better off tapping latter this year than early. There is a lot of season left. BTW that is a sweet rig, you will get a lot of use out of it.

[huntingken111]

You can come look whenever you want. The weather is not looking good next week (no freeze). Should run Maybe Saturday for sure on Sunday and maybe Monday. Always a cold beer in the fridge or whiskey in freezer. Still no pan from Smokey Lake. For two weeks been saying working should ship next week but still no pan. I only went with them because of reviews on here and they told me I would have in four weeks (about Feb. 20). How hard is it to revise a 3x3 front pan for raised flues? I will never do business with them again. I asked for Jim to call and now a week later no call, very bad customer service.

[huntingken111]

Send me PM with your number and I can text you address

[Joel M]

Ed, 90% of the taps are on Sugar Maples. We have about 60 taps on 3/16 which we put in too early about 2 weeks ago, the rest are on buckets which we tapped on Saturday. Thanks! We got bit by the sugar bug hard last year and are really enjoying it, just wish the weather was a little better...

[mapledavefarm]

Still no pan from Smokey Lake. For two weeks been saying working should ship next week but still no pan. I only went with them because of reviews on here and they told me I would have in four weeks (about Feb. 20). How hard is it to revise a 3x3 front pan for raised flues? I will never do business with them again. I asked for Jim to call and now a week later no call, very bad customer service.

You didn't get that review from me..... Try sugarbush in mason they have a lot of used stuff, I bet they have the pan you need.

[Ed R]

Huntingken, Are you able to boil without a front pan? or are you having someone else boil it for you. I agree with mapledave call sugarbush to see what they have. Sunrise might be able to fab one up quick too.

[huntingken111]

I called sugar bush, they did not have one only a 20 by 36. I made one last attempt to Smokey lake. They are packaging my new pan and other bell and whistles now. Hopefully it will be by Monday. Since it just over lake Michigan maybe earlier. I put my old English tin warped pan on and will fill it with water to take up space. I will boil down in back pan till front pan arrives. I can not believe 500 gallons is enough to sweeten pan I think it is more like 1200 gallons to sweeten a 3 x 10

[Urban Hillbilly]

I've given up trying to figure out when my tress will run and when they won't. On a sunny 45 degree day after a modest freeze I get a scarce haul and then after a couple of days of high temps and no where near freezing, I get a bigger haul than I ever had before and then over night they fill up again... and they are still dripping. I'll take it... I just don't get it.