put out fall taps today

[buckeye gold]

It looks like the next week is good sap weather, so I put out 40 fall taps on 3/16th today (12/16/17). I tapped this morning and had a few wet holes I left the lines out of the tanks to flush until about 3:30. Sap was running when I put the lines into the collection tanks at 3:30 PM and I looked at 5:00 PM and I'm guessing I had 8-10 gallons of sap between two tanks. So I should have my first boil tomorrow or Monday. Looks like it's syrup time in Southern Ohio.

[bmbmkr]

Good to hear Neighbor!

[buckeye gold]

Just took a look at the tanks, I'd guess I have about 50 gallons of sap from overnight. Not bad for the first fall run. with rain and a low coming in today and tonight ought to be good. Now I'm hoping for good sugar content. bmbmkr -I hope to be cooking everyday this week. If weather holds this tap set should keep me cooking until around the second week of January, if you want to come up some day.

7:00 PM -I actually had 40+ gallons of sap. It was enough to sweeten the pan. Sap was not running good this afternoon so I'm not sure I'll have enough to boil tomorrow or not. It's supposed to get pretty warm Tuesday so I may have to drain the pan and finish the near syrup and store the sweet. That is the down side of fall tapping, all the weather swings. I still think I'll have at least 2-3 boils this week. Sugar is low at 1.2%.

[MapleMark753]

great to hear you're tapped, collecting, and boiling for the late fall tapping season. We too have always had low sugar content for fall tapping, so don't feel left out on that regard, lol...
good luck, I'm sure you'll make some great syrup
Mark

[buckeye gold]

Thanks mapleMark, Sap flow picked back up overnight and I boiled again today. I finished my first syrup today and will probably boil again tomorrow. That fresh off the evaporator syrup tasted pretty good this evening. The next week looks good on the weather forecast. Tomorrow will get too warm, but the forecast is for a reset by wednesday. If the pattern hold this could be a really good fall season. What happens in the fall is usually a pretty good indicator for spring. We are due for a good year.

[bmbmkr]

I'm stuck behind that 8 ball- was down with sinus for 3 days last week, didn't get much done. We are goin to use this warm weather today to re hang about 800' of 3/4 mainline that I have had down for a month now - moved it down the hill about to pick up another hundred trees at the far end. If you get her tight when it's warm, she really tightens up when it get down to tapping weather. Still have to finish my shack and move my arch in- cut in 2 roof jacks and finish the steam hood and pre-heater- build a new head tank stand. On top of that my wife went and bought 3 calves Saturday. Have to have to finish their pen and pick them up in Jackson Friday. Worked some of my dad's cattle yesterday and hauled one to the butcher- I MAY make it up there to see you. Happy the weather is cooperating for your fall tap!

[buckeye gold]

So you got enough work to keep you busy today bmbmkr, what are you going to do tomorrow....:lol: I know there's a wise guy in every crowd. I agree on getting that tubing up warm, I got mine tight on a couple 60-70 degree days and she's good and tight now. Let me know if you find a day to come my way. Good luck getting set up for everything.

[esetter]

Thats awesome that you guys are tapping already. Im gonna five it a try at the end of this month. Ive got to get my stuff together and find a few more trees. Im going to try some of the check valve taps this year.

[buckeye gold]

I had a week solid where I boiled all but one day, but now I'm all froze up. Good news is this will most like swing the other way and warm up and when it does there will be some good runs

[esetter]

Likely so , we are going to have some single digit nights and low teens next week. Im thinking any warm up after that will be good.

[buckeye gold]

The sap is running good today, I'll be boiling tomorrow. I like this 3/16th, my fall taps on buckets and bags in the past would have been severely compromised sitting for 2 weeks like these taps have. One south facing run is running a full stream of sap from 24 taps.

[mapleguy]

Whats the sugar content? Thanks

[buckeye gold]

Sugar content is better than last fall at 1.4