Saginaw

[TimUSA]

First timer, please help... When to stop? I put in 5 taps on Feb 21st. Thru March 9 I got 80 gallons which made 15 pints of syrup. From March 10 to March 16, basically nothing. March 17 morning got 10 gallons. This morning got 7 gallons. Trees are starting to bud. After nothing for a week I was going to quit, but now that it is flowing again how much longer can I or should I go? Thanks...

[maple flats]

Tim, What kind of maples are they? If silvers or Reds, are the flowers open yet? Basically reds will shut down sap flow so if you get sap, it should be good if kept fresh until boiling.

[TimUSA]

I'm gonna say they are Silver Maples... I was trimming last year about this time of year due to storm damage and the sap was pouring out so I thought I'd give it a try this year...

[michiganphil]

I am down by Kalamazoo.

A lot of the reds and silvers have completely flowered over the last week.
The buds on the sugars have not started to swell yet. The canopy is starting to change form the wintery gray to more brownish red, so the trees are waking up.
That said, as long as the sap is flowing and the buds are closed you can keep going.

All my taps are on buckets, and even during a long season I have always had my taps go dry because of unfavorable temps a couple weeks before the buds open.

I think this weekend will be the end for us... not getting cold enough.

[TimUSA]

Thanks for the feedback... Yes in looking this morning (basically no sap collected) buds are all flowered out. Looks like I'll boil this weekend and clean everything up and put away for next year.

[Pdiamond]

My sugar maples are still tight. We collected about 60 to 80 gallons today from 53 taps boil that tomorrow. I'll go through the weekend and see what happens, suppose to be cold into the first of next week, after that who knows.

[TimUSA]

Well my first year is over...Boiled down short of 20 gallons last Sunday and about another 15 gallons today that I got on Monday and Tuesday. Everything cleaned and put away for next year!

[Balrog006]

Well my first year is over...Boiled down 20 gallons last Sunday and another 15 gallons today that I got on Monday and Tuesday. Everything cleaned and put away for next year!

You seem to have had a good first years, congrats!

I too am pulling taps and gathering buckets to clean them-nothing since Monday and no freezing temps in the forecast-I pulled half of them today between the raindrops.

Near as I figure I collected 122 gallons of sap and made 20 pints-but on 26 taps so your 7 taps were stellar!

[TimUSA]

Thanks... I had to correct my "signature" numbers as I missed a row in my excel spread sheet. Also, basically only 5 taps produced, I put in 2 more late in the game and only got about 1.5 gallons from them... I'm very happy and LOVE the maple syrup I made. Can't wait for next year!

[Pdiamond]

Well I finished canning up the last of my syrup today. So here are my totals for the year. 53 taps produced 962 gallons of sap collected, of which I had to dump about 40 gallons that was really milky. My total syrup production ended up with 16.25 gallons of amber with only a very few that were dark amber. Getting started late didn't help but I don't believe it was a bad year either. The only thing I noticed this year was there was more nitre and the sugar content of the sap was lower than last year. Good luck to all in the off season and may all your future plans work out for you.

[TimUSA]

Well here we go for year 2... Put in 9 taps yesterday afternoon, only one showed signs of sap. Does that just mean that it is still too cold for sap to run? Temps look great for the next couple of weeks (right)?

[Pdiamond]

Tim - I may put some taps in this weekend we'll see. If you can believe Accuweather it looks as though we may be able to get thru all of March and 1/2 of April before the season ends, all depends on Ma Nature. Good luck to you. I am shooting for 100+ taps this year.

[TimUSA]

It finally started here today! As of yesterday at 6pm I had less than a half gallon across all 9 taps since Monday! Checked them today about 6pm and had 12.5 gallons! Will start first boil of the year tomorrow! Good Luck to everyone!

[TimUSA]

Things were really slow 2-27 thru 3-3 maybe about a half gallon, BUT then things have turned on!! The last 5 days (3-4 thru tonight 3-8) I've collected 65 gallons! I also added another tap to make it 10 taps.

[TimUSA]

Well, I've surpassed last year! Thru yesterday evening I've bottled 25 pints from 110 gallons. Got another 17.5 gallons today! I have to assume everyone else is as busy, that's why not a lot of posting going on! The next week looks to be great!

Is it just that the sap is more concentrated that I've gotten more syrup/gallons of sap than last year?

[Pdiamond]

Tim do you have a sap hydrometer to test the sugar content? My nephew just brought over a beautiful tubing reel he made for me. It looks exactly like the $140 jobs they sell in the catalogs only more heavy duty. I nave been busy the last couple of days at two different FFL dealers, one was to get my new 1911 45 and the other was to pick up my M-1 garand. it is a beautiful weapon. Can't wait to get it to the range.

[TimUSA]

Pdiamond, no I don't have a hydrometer... Heck I barely know what I'm doing! LOL BTW had another 15 gallons this morning!

I boil outside and just keep adding sap until my buckets are empty and then I just use a thermometer and when the temp hits 215 degrees, I take it inside to finish and boil until it hits 219-220. Then I let it cool down to 200 and filter thru orlon and put in mason jars and wait for the lids to pop! I'd certainly welcome any input on my process!

[Pdiamond]

Start your filtering process right away. don't wait for it to cool down. Use 3 or 4 pre filters on top of the felt or orlon final filter. Make sure that the final filter is marked in the corner with up or top. This way you will always know which side to use as up. Only rinse out with hot water and never wring them out just let them dry.

[TimUSA]

Pdiamond, so you're saying as soon as I hit my 219-220 temp, filter it right then without letting it cool down any? I guess I thought I read that you should let it cool some before filtering to allow the sugar sand to develop...

Yes, I have two pre filters then orlon. I put them together the same way each time and only clean with hot water and air dry.

Got another 20 gallons (Monday morning thru last night off 5 taps). The 5 taps that were running first have slowed way down and the 5 slow ones at first are now going!?!?!

[maple flats]

The sugar sand has already developed, it's in suspension. Filter as soon as it's drawn off or finished boiling and try to protect it from cooling as much as possible for the best filtering.

[TimUSA]

The sugar sand has already developed, it's in suspension. Filter as soon as it's drawn off or finished boiling and try to protect it from cooling as much as possible for the best filtering.

I will give that a try, thanks...

[TimUSA]

I'm finished! Boiled off last 20 gallons I got Friday and Saturday morning yesterday...
So year 2 is in the books with a total of 181 gallons of sap collected which made 40 pints!
I think I'm starting to figure this out!

[TimUSA]

Here we go for year 3! Put in 15 taps today, not a single one showed signs of sap... BUT temps look great for next week. Good Luck Everyone

[TimUSA]

I'm finished... I guess it was just a slow year. On 15 taps I only got 100 gal of sap that made 19 pints of syrup. See ya next year!

[TimUSA]

Got 15 taps in On Monday 2-6-23. Had 10 gallons sap this morning.

[TimUSA]

I'd say 2023 is going to be a good year. I'm over 75 gallons in just the first week! Some are gushers and some are dribblers.

[ScottT]

I'm tapping in The Thumb this weekend. Would have loved to have done it sooner but was out of town. The temperature fluctuation this year is crazy. Forecast calls for 40's this weekend, but then back down to high of 34 for a week. How do you think the upcoming cold spell will affect the flow? Should I wait till the temps get back up in the high 30s again?

[TimUSA]

I would tap NOW!!! The temps for the next week look excellent, below freezing at night and above freezing during the day, perfect for sap flow...

Was nice for it to get cold and snow yesterday, slowed the flow, giving me time to catch up boiling!

[ScottT]

Tapped today. 23 taps. Tried using tubes dropped down to a bucket at the base. Temps last night were cold and things didn't get warmed up till about 10:30 am in The Thumb. But by the early afternoon, sap was flowing well. Still having trouble with tubes. My hanging buckets with spikes seem to do much better.