Tapping 2021

[njwoodsman]

Still early but anyone thinking about tapping yet? This is a good three weeks earlier than I've ever tapped but these temperatures we've been having coupled with a pretty stable extended forecast has got me thinking about it. I think I'm gonna wait it out still but I've been itching to run my line, especially after last year's non-winter.

[5050racing]

Well I hear ya it’s been a great run of weather got me looking at my stuff since I’ve not spent winter in nj the past two seasons,I’m sure it would be running but think it’s early but never know how the rest of winter goes but I like it for working around the farm splitting wood milling lumber and the other things I enjoy doing can’t beat 20s to 40s every day glad it started to dry up or freeze a bit it’s been messy!

[dcast99]

I just finished running a bunch of new lines and fixing old ones. The sugar maple that I cut down last Sunday was running a little bit.Will probably wait another month to tap. Have to get the sugar house updated to handle the new equipment. Need to run a water line and dedicated electric to it. About a 125-150 foot run. Will need it for the RO and filter press.

[sugarwoodacres]

Why are you you back?
I thought you moved on to warmer weather living.
Welcome back !


Well I hear ya it’s been a great run of weather got me looking at my stuff since I’ve not spent winter in nj the past two seasons,I’m sure it would be running but think it’s early but never know how the rest of winter goes but I like it for working around the farm splitting wood milling lumber and the other things I enjoy doing can’t beat 20s to 40s every day glad it started to dry up or freeze a bit it’s been messy!

[5050racing]

Didn’t move just have places other then my farm in NJ should I leave this over taxed state?

[georgelineman]

Hey! how you doing you old busted up lineman you , thought you left this maple nonsense behind.

[5050racing]

Nope reinstalled some of my 3/16 runs just before the snow!! Will give it a shot glade we’re getting this cold then it’s probably time to tap!! Week or so

[sugarwoodacres]

I would've tapped on Monday and Tuesday had we not got 30". Today and next 2 days would be a nice run. I'll post pics of my vacuum setup. I still don't have an RO.

[5050racing]

I have to bring mine out n flush n get ready just been working on other stuff

[dcast99]

Got the new RO room powered. Need to run the air line into the sugar house. Need to re-arrange the sugar house for the filter press. Just got all the hose and tank fittings from ProFlow. Had to up-size everything due to the RO. Still need to do a final flush on all of my tanks.Still trying to figure out how and when my buddy can plow the property out. I don't think my Cub lo-boy will be able to handle the 30" of snow.

[5050racing]

Plan to finish my 3/16 natural gravity runs making them longer so i can recover the sap easier from tote tanks with all this snow this year and my bulldozer i have at my other location i would clear the path so my utv could get there it still might but it will be a task,I remove most of my lines due to all the animal damage easier to remove 700-800' runs then to repair all the down chewed up lines, tapping this weekend for sure IT"S TIME !! Set the evaporator up today better then usually the day i need it great to be retired have a little more time not much though!

[dcast99]

The temps this week look good but I'm wondering if the ground is too frozen to give us sap. Cleaned my collection tanks this week and will put them in place this weekend. Still have to clean the transport tanks and head tank. Still have to do a final cleaning of the evap. Waiting for hoses for the press and RO. As usual this year will plow out access to the property on Saturday and then figure out a game plan to get to the other areas that I need to get to. May have to have my buddy with a blower on his tractor come up. Will wait to see what Mondays weather gives us.

[sugarwoodacres]

I went for it yesterday, we got 165 done and will finish the rest by Monday. It's going to run this week in Northwest NJ.
I did pull the trigger on a nice used Leader Micro 2 RO last week after a few years of being on the fence. Good luck everyone! The last 3 years I have made a few gallons by now, later this year than average last 3 years.

[5050racing]

Well I’m tapped few more on one run to
Be all tapped,had my son n daughter boyfriend help me run 3 runs of 3/16 500’ down hill further that’s 1500’ plus so maybe be able to collect it with so much snow will be a task as it warms up this week it’s going to rip !! Good luck to all it’s going to get real busy!!!

[dcast99]

Collection tanks in place. Will start tapping on Tuesday. Ground under the snow is thawed so it should run good. A later start than the last few years. By this time last year I all ready made more than 10 gallons. Sugarwoods - I guess we will both be learning how to run the ROs. Picked up a new Micro 1

[5050racing]

I built my RO 3 years ago used it one season now have to remember?? It makes it fun now to try n handle lots of sap for me. In years past president’s weekend I’m normally looking at 400 gallons burning 4 days straight now the RO makes it manageable

[Goodale Maples]

New to forum and syrup world, located in Sussex County NJ. Tapped 5 trees Saturday. Weather looks good, collected about 3 gallons of sap today.

[5050racing]

Welcome to the site!! Great place to teach us or learn fun time here everyone's probably busy but people will add to this welcome aboard to the worst addition you will have I mean the greatest you will see how the trees get ya doing things you won't believe spending time outside spending money n meeting great people !!!

[Run Forest Run!]

Didn’t move just have places other then my farm in NJ should I leave this over taxed state?

Welcome back to the syrup fun for this year!:)

[5050racing]

Yes for sure I was going to see what you were up to,should have first batch going Saturday!

[matt151617]

Put my taps in Sunday the 21st- late, but it's been so cold and there's been no sun. So far 12" maple with full southern exposure has put out 2 1/2 gallons, 28" maple with some southern exposure has put out 4 gallons, and a 22" maple in a shaded spot hasn't put out anything at all. Should be some nice runs ahead 20s at night and sunny days in the 40s/50s.

[sugarwoodacres]

I finished tapping 210 trees on 2/21. It just started flowing a little in last couple days, only about 60 gallons. I'm thinking it will break loose soon. Good luck everyone!

[NJ'S#1]

Finished tapping 2-21, 1,000 taps. 580 on vac facing south, ran 3700 gal. 400 taps on gravity in colder locations, have only run 440 gal. Started 1.7 % sugar , quickly went down to 1.3%. Up until a few years ago, always started about 2%. After first run averaged 1.7 to 1.9. strange start to the season.

[5050racing]

Big day after yesterdays run looking at least 200 plus going out now that's its frozen to retrieve it with utv 2 trips max about 125 gallons due to weight,washed RO yesterday n flushed not used last 2 years hope it works!

[5050racing]

220882208922090 This is so cool that in 3.5 hrs turn almost 200 gallons of sap to 30 gallons of concentrate,what a time saver on wood splitting and for me lets me enjoy this hobby so much more,I was able to reinstall the transmission in my backhoe while the RO was running,Just take a peek at it now n then turn pressure valve a bit and this is how i like to do it,Thanks to John my buddy that helped me build this magic machine!!!! If i can help anyone i would don't know it all but can do it.

[dcast99]

The trees are finally giving some sap. Taped my trees on 2/28 and on 3/7 only had about 300 gal in the tanks. Half of that was ice so really didn't have enough to sweeten the pans. Collected 800 gals of sap last night. Along with the other trees we have, got 950 gals to put thru the Micro1 RO today. Normally it would be 2 10 hours days of boiling. We'll see how much time it saves. Got to start ROing now.

[dcast99]

Well the Micro1 turned 2 - 12 hour days into 1 of boiling. Was able to get the 1.5% sap up to 5%. The Leader 5 frame clear filter press made filtering the 12.5 gals of syrup effort less compared to our old gravity filtering setup. Probably also saved 1/2 gal of syrup not being stuck in the filters only to be washed out. We commented that the press sounds like a hit an miss motor when running. I does make some weird noises when running near sweet thru it. I guess it really only likes the sweet gold.

[5050racing]

Well it was a great season tapped on 2/28 pulled taps flushed line 3/27 collected 1680 gallons of sap made little over 25 gallons of nice syrup maybe more,I know the ratio not great but that's what it is about here the RO keeps it fun.So done with all the clean up I think.Finally counted my taps I have 95 this year.Now time to use it and we do!It was fun talking with a couple friends on here all season !