Get ready for the next run.

[sugar daddy 1]

Get ready for the next run. Those who waited to tap will be rewarded, those who tapped early might not have as good of a run. Things are setting up just like 2013. That year we froze up for 8 days, and had a 5 day run like I've never seen before. We tapped 2-25-17 . Lodged in over 20,000 gallons of sap, with over 600 gallons of syrup made. Looks like we could go until the first of March.


Sugar On my friends!!!

[madmapler]

Looks like we could go until the first of March.


Sugar On my friends!!!
I'm guessing we'll go longer than that:)

[Wanabe1972]

I hope you mean the begining​ of April lol. I got in late this year and maybe it will pay off.

[Ivyacres]

No, he's right. We're on Michigan savings time! We do everything one month after everybody else. That way we learn from their mistakes. It's called the Michigan Calendar.:lol:

[johnallin]

Get ready for the next run. Those who waited to tap will be rewarded, those who tapped early might not have as good of a run. Things are setting up just like 2013. That year we froze up for 8 days, and had a 5 day run like I've never seen before. We tapped 2-25-17 . Lodged in over 20,000 gallons of sap, with over 600 gallons of syrup made. Looks like we could go until the first of March.


Sugar On my friends!!!

Holy smokes...anyone who brings in 20,000 gallons has my vote for advice on maple!

[sugar daddy 1]

Yes I did mean April, sorry

[sugar daddy 1]

Thanks funny guy. I'm a little sap silly after last week.

[Wanabe1972]

That's funny. I bottled up 10 gallons of syrup today and I always put the bottling date on the price tag as a lot number. Today I did 40 quarts with 2016 on them.

[JBIV]

That's funny. I bottled up 10 gallons of syrup today and I always put the bottling date on the price tag as a lot number. Today I did 40 quarts with 2016 on them.

:lol::lol::lol:

[David in MI]

I'm not so sure I agree with that assessment but perhaps we could both be right. The trees we tap are mostly soft maples at least half of which already are showing large buds. We have two silver maples in our backyard that have served as a pretty good indicator the past three years since we've lived there. When the northern tree buds out, we're almost at the end. That tree isn't quite there yet but it's darn close. Conversely, we tap the sugar maples at a friend's home and those aren't showing much sign of budding out yet at all. If you are tapping primarily sugars, then maybe we are both right.

[Ed R]

Sugar daddy, What has your sugar content been like? We have been around 2 all year. We tapped the 25th and 26th as well.

[Snappyssweets]

after several days of cold temps. I walked the line and knocked all the ice out of the buckets and wiped them all with a damp cloth then a dry cloth before the sap began running. Will simply dump all the jugs I have as I do collection today to ensure the sap in them in this run will be fresh and not tainted.

Anyhow here we go for second half of 2017. This has been one really strange year so far.

[Cedar Eater]

My lines just started to run again about 20 minutes ago. I probably won't collect tonight since we are due for a freeze tonight and the barrels won't be half full. I hope I don't regret that.

[David in MI]

Our gravity lines looked like they were just opening up early this evening. Should be an interesting week.

[michael marrs]

here in Flint, I was hoping for a good sap day yesterday, but it didn't happen, maybe it takes more then one day to thaw a tree that has been frozen for 4 days, I hope, good luck to all

[sugar daddy 1]

Sugar daddy, What has your sugar content been like? We have been around 2 all year. We tapped the 25th and 26th as well.

All our sap has been above 2%, our highest was 2.75%.

[sugar daddy 1]

here in Flint, I was hoping for a good sap day yesterday, but it didn't happen, maybe it takes more then one day to thaw a tree that has been frozen for 4 days, I hope, good luck to all

Yes it does take a while for the trees to warm up and run. We won't get a good run until Sunday.

[michael marrs]

thank you S D 1 and good luck

[Lethalbowman]

I walked my sugar bush last night after dinner and a few of my taps were dripping again. The frozen sap in the bags was starting to thaw out so things are looking good for my next batch this weekend.

[Ed R]

Thanks for the info Sugar Daddy 1. 2 is low for us, usually we are at 2.5 or above. Good luck this week!

[Lethalbowman]

The sap I collected today ranged from 2.75-3.0% depending on how much ice still in the bags. The flow is not very strong but should pick up with tomorrow's temp's.

[DeciMaple]

I checked a few taps today, only a couple were barely dripping. It will be interesting to see what this run will bring. One Silver Maple that's on the North side and close to our house flowered and stopped flowing in the last run we had, but now that it has been frozen for a week it is starting to drip again!

Like David pointed out, I think the soft maples have about had it but the sugars will go a bit longer. I tapped on the 13th of February, normally my taps will stay open for only 6 weeks at best, so that gives me at least one more week!

[michael marrs]

okay, once again in Flint, I have 2 areas going, went to check one at about noon today. I have about 70 taps about 2/3 were dry, and then I would come up on one that was 2/3- 3/4 full. Is it at all possible that the dry ones could have healed up? or is it even possible to heal in the freeze we had? thanks

[Tweegs]

Running pretty good in the Lansing area right now.

Current conditions:
Temp is 47.5 *f
Barometer is 30.37 and falling
Sky is mostly cloudy, winds are calm.
About 2 drips per second on the buckets.
Moderate flow coming in on vac.
Sugar content is 2.2%

[Ivyacres]

Flowed pretty good most Sunday morning, but slowed down latter in the day. 3/16 lines doing best. Did have some slimy stuff come in the first collection of the day, but it cleared up and is looking good today. 300 gals on 230 taps. I think the heat today (Monday) here in the GR area will kill it for this year, but we will be testing and watching close as the middle part of the week could be good.

[sugar daddy 1]

We averaged over 2 gallons of sap per tap yesterday. Made 30 gallons of medium amber syrup. Probably get enough sap today for another 30. Still have frost in the woods.

[David in MI]

Over the past 24 hours we've had about 1/3-1/2 gallon per tap. Fat lady on deck. We have about 35 taps at the neighbors place and they weren't running much yesterday, either. All sugar maples

[billdean]

45 taps out and I collected a little over 20 gallons yesterday and 20 gallons today. Not much going on now. I have seen much better runs.

[Snappyssweets]

I have managed 108 gallons in the past 36 hours. I did put in some new holes though the other day. This has been all predominately off the new holes.
A few more days left and I guess we will pull the plug. Looks like 4-6 more days here in Mid Michigan is about all we will get.

[sugar daddy 1]

We took in over 4100, gallons of sap yesterday. Made over 60 gallons of syrup, dark amber good flavor. Still have 2300 to boil. Should have around 1000 gallons of sap to collect today.

[Cedar Eater]

I collected 80 gallons today from 58 taps. I did second collection as the lines froze. At another sugar bush, I got around 20 gallons from another 27 taps. We started boiling yesterday with over 90 gallons that were collected yesterday. It's gonna be a busy couple of cold days. I might pull my taps soon. It's getting to be time to finish and can it all.

[Tweegs]

Boiled late into the evening last night and got all caught up.
We started out very dark, but the last draw was right on the cusp of amber…I wouldn’t have thought we’d lighten up that much, not this late in the game.
We’ll drain the sweet and get the pans cleaned up tomorrow.

Decided to have a mini open house on Saturday for friends, family and a few loyal customers.
A little apprehensive about this gig as the shack is in a literal mud pit right now.
It’s hard enough keeping the floor cleaned up with just the two of us. A nightmare awaits with near 30 bipeds clamoring through for a look.
Probably ought to put the hose out there, give the boots a rinse first, eh?

We expect a little sap tomorrow and a bigger haul on Friday so we should have plenty to boil.
It’ll be a good time anyway, despite the mud.

[michael marrs]

I made 1 1/2 gal last night, from my one sugarbush, and have to do my second one today .( a lot smaller) , I am expecting maybe one more haul on fri., but we have about 4 days straight of no freezing weather. I would make a prediction, but have been wrong all year. I think she may be getting close to over for me

[Snappyssweets]

I decided yesterday Cedar Eater to pretty much do the same as you.

Finish out until Friday and then boil it down call it good for the year.
Boiling now, I have ice in storage tubs and I am sure ice in the buckets. Will collect later today. Tomorrow may or may not be a good collection. Friday should be decent. I have pulled lines on several of the smaller trees that were really slowing down or no longer giving. Pretty much collected this week on the newer holes I drilled last week in the trees I could still put a few into.

Everything is dark this year. Could be my batch boiling over fire for first time has it darker than the batch boiling over propane did previous. However its got a wonderful flavor and the chimney I built on the block arch cut the majority of the smoke from getting near the sap as it boiled.

[dlwithers]

Had a 90 gallon clean out from 68 taps, netted 2 gallons of syrup. So far for 2017 275 gallons of sap and 6 gallons of light amber syrup. Planning to call it a year Monday. Sap has been good quality, so far... Hale area.

[michael marrs]

I went to my archery club, ( where I run 70 taps) to get my bow to the shop for some minor repair. I looked at my taps, and decided I had to do a sap run. Got in 35 gals. This was at 12:30. to my bow to the shop got it fixed hung out a little, went back by the club, and from the lot I could see 2 gal jugs, just past the half mark, by a little after4 p:m. then came home emptied my taps here, ( only a dozen), but got 10 gals. and am going back to the club to do a 2nd, late afternoon pick-up on the rest of the sap. good day

[Lethalbowman]

Picked up 25 gallons of 2% sap from the 8 taps I have at my dad's house to add to the 20 gallons I had collected from the taps in my Sugarbush to get me started this morning. Just finished running the line and collected another 35 gallons of 1.5%!

[Cedar Eater]

I thought I was going to pull all my taps today, but my wife says no. I pulled about 22 as I collected a fresh 70 gallons of sap, but she thinks we should keep at least some going until the end. So we are boiling now. I brought an old refrigerator online so we can store the uncanned syrup for a while longer.

[sugar daddy 1]

The trees finely brook loose Thursday night we logged in over 6100 gallons of sap yesterday. As of this afternoon we have made over 1000 gallons of syrup. We might run out of wood before it's over.

[Lethalbowman]

Still getting good clear sap from several of my better producing trees. Looks like I might just have enough for 1 last batch this weekend before I wrap things up for the season.16280

[Cedar Eater]

I just pulled the taps on my last two lines here and started a boil with about 45 gallons of sap. I still have one more line running at my deer camp sugar bush.

[dlwithers]

Well, only pulled 6 buckets last Monday due to low yield. The other 63 buckets had over 80 gallons of clear sap. Processed the sap into 1.75 gallons of syrup. Total so far for 2017 - 355 sap 7.75 syrup. Looks like 1 more clean out Sunday. Thats Gold Rush speak. And maybe I will hit my goal of 8 gallons of syrup.