When to pull taps?

[ChaskaSap]

This is my 1st year and I put taps in 2 weeks ago. They were flowing well until the cold snap now with the warmer weather they're kicking in quite nicely. So I feel pretty good on my timing to put them in, but unsure on how long to leave them going. I read somewhere the later you go in the season the syrup taste can become "woody". Just trying to determine what people do. Do they try to get every drop out or is there rule of thumb on when to walk away?

[littleTapper]

When either the temps climb too much for sap to run or it starts to get buddy is when I hang it up. Near the end of the season I start testing small amounts of sap in a pot on the stove to check smell and taste. If you've got sugars, then you could potentially go until April. My silvers are usually done near the end of March but the sugars will keep going for a week or two longer. (and I'm a good ways south and east of you)

If you've got all the syrup you need and don't feel like working any more then that's also a fine reason to call it good.

[DrTimPerkins]

Season end is determined in many different ways:

1. You've made as much syrup as you want.
2. You don't have time to continue boiling
3. Tapholes dry out
4. Sap turns buddy.

The latter 2 won't happen for a while longer. On buckets you can expect them to run for 4-6+ weeks, weather dependent of course. When it turns buddy (probably mid-April in your neck of the woods, but depends upon weather), you'll know when you're making syrup by the smell and taste as it gets about half way to syrup (sweaty sock odor, off-flavor...tootsie roll, chocolate, bad). Keep the sap from near the end when you suspect buddy separate to not contaminate anything you made earlier. When you no longer like the taste, stop making syrup.

[ChaskaSap]

Appreciate it Gents!

I'm committed to boil and tap as long as it makes sense. I'll take your advice and do smell and taste testing when April rolls around.

[DrTimPerkins]

...and there is always (at least for some of us) ...

5. The wife says you're done!

[berkshires]

...and there is always (at least for some of us) ...

5. The wife says you're done!

Ha! That's usually a big part of it for me!

GO

[Keitha333]

I like number 5 as well! To be honest I have never tapped until it went buddy. I always stopped before that because of having enough syrup. Usually two or three good weekend boils 5-8 gallons of syrup. Now this year with the RO who knows!