Getting ready in MA

[berkshires]

Likely about one month from now my drill bit will touch wood.

I have a two hour drive to my sugarbush, so every year I have to make d@mned sure I have what I need all ready to go - there's no running back to the house if I forgot something (which has happened)! I think, aside from last-minute things like charging drill batteries, I have everything together to go tap.

No major changes for me this year, except for the fact that we got electricity to our cabin this year. I'm not really planning to do anything with it. Only thing that might change is depending on how boiling goes, now I could buy a blower and add AUF this season. I do plan to tap a few more trees than I have in the past, and I have plenty of well seasoned wood stocked up this year, so that should help. Unlike last year when I was frantically splitting partially-seasoned wood during boils, trying to keep up.

How about the rest of you - you getting ready? Anyone in southern/eastern MA starting to feel an itchy trigger finger yet?

Gabe O

[eustis22]

just finishing up replacing spiles and tees on my drops.....took some of the wide zig zags I had in two of my downhill lines and converted them to three new lines heading straighter downhill to hopefully increase vacuum/flow. Reengineered my blue barrels to empty from the bottom where they lie on their side rather than dealing with the leftover gallon the bunghole left in them.

I still need to put the drops into the lines and splice where the old drops were.

[Paul01036]

From Western MA, getting ready as well. Buckets/drops are cleaned and lined up ready to go. This will be my second year, so I have some pretty lofty goals. I'll take any advice that you want to throw out. Small operation, 2x4 propane fired smokey lake evaporator. I may convert to wood next year or so depending on how much sap I'm able to get.

really just something to do with my grandson, you know create those memories abd teach him a little about the outdoors.

Here's to a great season for all of us!

[Aaron Stack]

Hey Gabe.

Targeting Valentines day for a kick off, or at least to be ready to go. Continuing to plug away on getting the sugarhouse setup. The last couple months saw the windows painted to color match the roof and lights put in (still on a long ext cord from the garage, but there is LIGHT!). Productive day yesterday. Finished framing the pad built using some leftover tiles from my kitchen renovation, started the support frame for a cement board backstop, and built a roof support frame where the chimney will go through.

Supply chain delays are hitting hard with shipping delays I didn't expect so it's going to come down to the wire. Wonderfully though, yesterday as we were working the rest of the chimney, except the roof jack, came in so next weekend we break through the roof. Some temporary setup can be made with old metal roofing to act as the roof jack until it comes in.

Once the chimney is in it will be a mad two weeks of washing buckets, lids, and tanks.

22613
22614
22615
22616

-Aaron

[eustis22]

That's a nice shack.

[Pdiamond]

Aaron what is the size of your sugar house. Mine is somewhat similar however when it was built I only had a window on each side put in. I really like the style of the windows you selected for yours.

[Aaron Stack]

Morning PD. It's 8x14. I figure at best I could grow to a 2 x 4 evaporator in time, but not much bigger without expanding. I had them put in 6 total windows, but that side faces the sun so they are double the size of the other two sides.

Finished tacking up the wires, installing the cement board, and mountings for the chimney support. Ready to go up and through the roof this week. Weather says very cold after work each day so it might be bucket washing until the weekend.

[Biz]

I'm going to start tapping weekend of Feb 12-13 here in central MA like I have for the past few years. Will do 1/3 of my taps then finish up the next two weekends so everything is ready to go by March 1. An early run will be a bonus even if not everything is tapped out yet.

Dave

[DMF]

I usually tap around the weekend closest to Valentine's day so I will probably follow that same plan unless the weather looks real bad. Looking to maybe add another 60-100 trees this year. I've made another 100 drops and I'll probably make another 100 or so in anticipation of having to replace squirrel chews. I'm putting together a solar/Shurflo set-up for part of the sugarbush and a lunchbox style pump for another section. We rearranged our tanks at the sugar house so I need to do some re-plumbing. I also am almost finished with my re-built cordwood saw so I have a ton of wood to cut up and stack in the next week or so as well. Nothing like last minute! Hopefully we can break our 50.5 gallon record this year!

[berkshires]

That is a real beauty of a sugar shack Aaron! Is that one of those Jamaica ones? IIRC you were not happy with the performance of your red maples last year. I see your tap count is quite a bit higher than just the "producers" last year. Did you swap those red maples out for sugar maples, or are they still in the mix? Or did you find a way to put some vacuum on them?

Good luck everyone!

GO

[Aaron Stack]

Thank for the compliments. Yep a Jamacia Cottage. Real good quality workmanship to. On the tap count, I dropped the 12 reds right next to the shack and went further at my main site. Mostly sugars with a few reds mixed in. I have an extra helper this year and we think we might be able to boil every day when the sapageddon hits.

[Pdiamond]

Aaron,
My sugar house is 16 x 12 and I have a 2 x 4 raised flue evaporator in it, with a raised 50 gallon SS head tank.

[berkshires]

Thank for the compliments. Yep a Jamacia Cottage. Real good quality workmanship to. On the tap count, I dropped the 12 reds right next to the shack and went further at my main site. Mostly sugars with a few reds mixed in. I have an extra helper this year and we think we might be able to boil every day when the sapageddon hits.
Bummer about the trees right next to the shack being poor performers. I know how that goes. The slope right above my sugar shack has the highest density of sugar maples of anywhere on my property. Must be about twenty of them at least. Mature trees. But they are all crowded together, with very small crowns. The year I tapped a bunch of them, the best of them out put 1.3% sap, and some were more like 1%. Now I have to go a long ways from my sugar shack, but I only tap the less crowded sweeter trees.

Gabe

[eustis22]

well you convinced ME to go with the Jamaica when I relocate to Maine. The only question is do I want 8X14 or 8X16 and we all know bigger is always better, right?

[Aaron Stack]

Bummer about the trees right next to the shack being poor performers. I know how that goes. The slope right above my sugar shack has the highest density of sugar maples of anywhere on my property. Must be about twenty of them at least. Mature trees. But they are all crowded together, with very small crowns. The year I tapped a bunch of them, the best of them out put 1.3% sap, and some were more like 1%. Now I have to go a long ways from my sugar shack, but I only tap the less crowded sweeter trees.

Gabe


Another purchase this year was a sap hydrometer. I honestly had no idea what % it was last year but a general sap to syrup calculation says in the 1.6% range. Hoping to focus a lot more on the process this year.

[bigschuss]

I am always about 3 or 4 weeks behind the rest of Massachusetts as far as tapping. Shooting for the first week of March on average.

[Kamina]

I’m in central MA and thinking of putting in half of my taps (15/30) this weekend. We have some interesting weather coming up and this is only my second year. Being that I tap solely reds I want to get as much out of them as I can before they bud out. Might have to sit through a few days of freeze but it shouldn’t hurt anything. Testing and learning…

Going to save the remaining taps for the next weekend…or the weekend after…

[berkshires]

I’m in central MA and thinking of putting in half of my taps (15/30) this weekend. We have some interesting weather coming up and this is only my second year. Being that I tap solely reds I want to get as much out of them as I can before they bud out. Might have to sit through a few days of freeze but it shouldn’t hurt anything. Testing and learning…

Going to save the remaining taps for the next weekend…or the weekend after…Yeah, Tues, Weds, Thurs of next week definitely looks promising. I'm going to hold off for now but I wish you luck!

GO

[Aaron Stack]

Yeah, Tues, Weds, Thurs of next week definitely looks promising. I'm going to hold off for now but I wish you luck!

GO

According to Accuweather, Monday forward looks perfect... if I was ready!

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/westfield/01085/february-weather/333577?year=2022

[eustis22]

Thanks for that calendar...I looked up Haverhill and just want to tap NOW :)

Usually I wait until at least valentines.

Broke down and bought a CDL Vacuum filter, one of the small ones...in my homemade one the pots kept getting vacuume together and I would have to pump air in to separate them...which was....explosive in sound. I had this nightmare about getting hit with shrapnel at some point :)

All the drops are in the lines and the lines are tight. I just need to flush/wash/flush the RO. I bought a garden hose water filter so I could use city water as I have no access to well water. It will strain out the chlorine and metals (I hope) until I can generate some permeate. I may, in fact run the strained water thru the RO to make some permeate-in-waiting.

[berkshires]

Thanks for that calendar...I looked up Haverhill and just want to tap NOW :)

Usually I wait until at least valentines.

Broke down and bought a CDL Vacuum filter, one of the small ones...in my homemade one the pots kept getting vacuume together and I would have to pump air in to separate them...which was....explosive in sound. I had this nightmare about getting hit with shrapnel at some point :)

All the drops are in the lines and the lines are tight. I just need to flush/wash/flush the RO. I bought a garden hose water filter so I could use city water as I have no access to well water. It will strain out the chlorine and metals (I hope) until I can generate some permeate. I may, in fact run the strained water thru the RO to make some permeate-in-waiting.

Two years ago we had similar weather. I tapped on 2/10, and was very disappointed by the first few runs. Barely a drip in the bottom of many buckets. Days are too short, frost in the ground too thick, too much snow around the base of the trees. Then what should have been monster runs in late march was small or nothing in a number of taps that had dried up. Maybe I should just blame the long stretch of very warm days in March for the taps drying prematurely, but I can't also help but think that if I'd held off two weeks before tapping I'd have hit that big run in late march instead of that miniscule run at the beginning of Feb.

But my sugarbush is at almost 900 feet elevation, maybe you'll have better luck.

Cheers,

GO

[ecolbeck]

Two years ago we had similar weather. I tapped on 2/10, and was very disappointed by the first few runs. Barely a drip in the bottom of many buckets. Days are too short, frost in the ground too thick, too much snow around the base of the trees. Then what should have been monster runs in late march was small or nothing in a number of taps that had dried up. Maybe I should just blame the long stretch of very warm days in March for the taps drying prematurely, but I can't also help but think that if I'd held off two weeks before tapping I'd have hit that big run in late march instead of that miniscule run at the beginning of Feb.

But my sugarbush is at almost 900 feet elevation, maybe you'll have better luck.

Cheers,

GO

This is all very true. If you think of a tree as a giant block of ice (which it essentially is), it will take much more than a warm day or two to thaw it out. Sugaring is a game of patience. Don't let sap fever get the best of you!

[berkshires]

Exactly. I just checked my logs, and that year after tapping on 2/10, my first boil (with only a pitiful two gallons per tap) was 2/29 - almost three weeks after tapping! During that time period there were 11 days when the high temperature was 40 or above. (And also a number of lows in the teens or single digits).

My trigger finger is itchy too, but I'm gonna be patient.

Gabe O

[eustis22]

oh, FINE.

Killjoys.

[Kamina]

Exactly. I just checked my logs, and that year after tapping on 2/10, my first boil (with only a pitiful two gallons per tap) was 2/29 - almost three weeks after tapping! During that time period there were 11 days when the high temperature was 40 or above. (And also a number of lows in the teens or single digits).

My trigger finger is itchy too, but I'm gonna be patient.

Gabe O


You all have convinced me not to jump the gun on this. So tempting, but I am going to take the advice of those that know more than I do on the subject.

[berkshires]

You all have convinced me not to jump the gun on this. So tempting, but I am going to take the advice of those that know more than I do on the subject.

Please keep in mind that I'm just a little guy with a dozen taps, only been doing this a half dozen years. I am no expert, and I don't have a crystal ball. I do hope to learn from my mistakes, and share what I've learned, but I don't want to oversell my paltry expertise. For all I know, this year will be a repeat of a crazy year like 2012, where Feb was like March, and March was like April.

GO

[Biz]

I just looked up my first time boiling over the past 10 years and it is all over the map, although trending earlier. Start date is very weather dependent.
First boil dates:

2021 Feb 28
2020 Feb 24
2019 March 14
2018 Feb 12
2017 Jan 26
2016 Feb 21
2015 March 11
2014 March 20
2013 March 9 or maybe earlier
2012 March 4 (last day boiling was March 13!)

I was on buckets 2014 and before this so usually did not tap too early.

Dave

[Aaron Stack]

Finished up the chimney today. Putting the pan together tomorrow and will do a vinegar water soak for the week, testing the chimney at the same time when bringing up to almost boil. Then its wash wash wash.

[johnpjackson]

Hmm. Here in Western Mass - Montague. Forecast for the coming 8 days and nights is below freezing overnight lows, above freezing daytime highs. I was imagining the sap starting to run and having my taps and buckets deployed to catch it! Last year I put the taps out in early March sometime and thought I'd missed at least one good run by then. I was thinking I'd try to be in front of it this year. But I was just reading what others of you have been saying here. Makes me wonder if maybe it's still a little too early, despite the intriguing forecast!? ;)

[LMP Maple]

Was in the woods all day today. I was really thinking I would tap on Wednesday but seeing the condition of the woods with the snow going to hold off until next week if we get another warm up. I'm going to take Friday off and get all my lines in and ready. I think this three day stretch will get the trees ready and it should be go time for the next good warm up that we see. My traditional tap time is the 24th of February but I think it will be a little earlier. I would not trust it but the extended forecast looks very promising for a good year. Fingers crossed.

[SeanD]

Same here. Although the sun felt good today, it wasn't strong enough to melt any of the ice that encased all the lines. We had a deep, deep cold January, so I expect things to start slowly - which is the way I like it. I'll use the next warm up to tighten things up - not even worth doing it when it's 20 degrees. Maybe I'll wash tanks when it's 48 next Saturday. Still plenty of other things to do as usual, but it's really enjoyable when there's not as much rush.

[berkshires]

Hmm. Here in Western Mass - Montague. Forecast for the coming 8 days and nights is below freezing overnight lows, above freezing daytime highs. I was imagining the sap starting to run and having my taps and buckets deployed to catch it! Last year I put the taps out in early March sometime and thought I'd missed at least one good run by then. I was thinking I'd try to be in front of it this year. But I was just reading what others of you have been saying here. Makes me wonder if maybe it's still a little too early, despite the intriguing forecast!? ;)
If I were on tubing I would definitely do it. Heck, if I weren't a two hour drive from my sugarbush i'd probably tap a couple to see what happens. I'm still going to make the judgement call and hold off for at least one more week. But everyone should make their own decision on this one.

GO

[berkshires]

I think this three day stretch will get the trees ready

Exactly what I was thinking.

GO

[eustis22]

I will do a flush/wash/flush of the RO this week and turn my totes rightside* up to get ready. I will probably tap a week from today.

* I turn them on their sides for the offseason so that leaves and crud don't pile up around the top inlet hole.

[bill m]

We are going to start tapping tomorrow. Still have to finish plumbing the releaser in the pump house. Thats todays project.

[berkshires]

Finished up the chimney today. Putting the pan together tomorrow and will do a vinegar water soak for the week, testing the chimney at the same time when bringing up to almost boil. Then its wash wash wash.

Congrats on getting the chimney done. So the sugar shack and evaporator are all set now? With this warm-up, have you started tapping?

GO

[Aaron Stack]

Morning Gabe - Thanks! Not quite ready yet and it still looks like the 19th - 21st for tapping. The roof jack came in yesterday and I need to get the stack temp probe installed, but otherwise it's coming together nicely. Had a quick test boil last night to warm the vinegar/water so it will soak through the weekend.

I'll be cleaning and sanitizing buckets and tanks this weekend and finishing up on the build so down to the last couple things on the to-do list.

[berkshires]

We are going to start tapping tomorrow. Still have to finish plumbing the releaser in the pump house. Thats todays project.
Weather looks great for most of the state to hopefully have a good run today (Weds) through Saturday. Hope your sap starts running!

GO

[Paul01036]

Good afternoon all-

I put a few drop lines in yesterday so here is to a good season. As the weather gets more consistent I will install more.

Enjoy!

[berkshires]

Good luck Paul!

Gabe

[bill m]

Not even close yet. This sugarbush is a direct north face and it is COLD! We were tapping today and there is still 1/2 inch of ice on all the trees and my sap lines.

[eric12421]

In Easton MA, put up 45 taps (3 runs of 15 taps each) on 2/8, have another 60-70 to go that I am trying to get in during the next week or two.

This is my first year running on 3/16 tubing to a shurflo, no slope at all, and its working alot better than my setup last year (1" mainline with 5/16" laterals), I never got my pitch right and shurflo did not cooperate!

[eustis22]

be careful out there...i slipped on ice yesterday and fell and fractured my scapula. if i have any season at all its only going to be on for a few buckets

[Paul01036]

Good luck Paul!

Gabethank you Gabe, we should all report back and share our success stories.

[Aaron Stack]

be careful out there...i slipped on ice yesterday and fell and fractured my scapula. if i have any season at all its only going to be on for a few buckets

The 50' in front of my site is complete ice. Should be good and muddy by Sunday for my truck to sink into

[eric12421]

Ouch! Sorry to hear about that, can never be too safe!

Ended up getting another 45 taps in today, it’s a mix of hard crust and mud on my 5 acre property, 4 acres of swamp. Pulled about 20-25 gallons of sap between 11am-5pm, the weather looks pretty good for the next couple days, I will report back on my progress.

[SeanD]

be careful out there...i slipped on ice yesterday and fell and fractured my scapula. if i have any season at all its only going to be on for a few buckets

Man, I'm so sorry. Back in '11 I slipped on ice and broke my ankle the day before I was going to tap. Awful experience. I feel for you.

[berkshires]

Oh no, sorry Eustis! If the forecast holds true until then, I will take next Tuesday off and get my taps in then.

Fingers crossed.

Gabe O

[Kamina]

I just tapped 20 reds. 10 bags, and 20 drop lines into buckets. The sap is flowing really really well right now on the maples in my swamp and near the road. The ones in the woods seem to still be waking up...not a ton of sap in the buckets. I will collect it all tomorrow and see what I end up with before the temp drops again for a few days.

[bigschuss]

be careful out there...i slipped on ice yesterday and fell and fractured my scapula. if i have any season at all its only going to be on for a few buckets

Sorry to hear that eustis. Hoping for a speedy recovery for you.

[Aaron Stack]

Storm collar up, inside the sugarhouse cleared out and set up for the season. Helpers tomorrow and Monday. Tanks, buckets, and the pan after the week soak and dare I say I'll be on time for next weekend. Woot!

Have pictures been disabled?

[berkshires]

Have pictures been disabled?

Yeah, the photo process on the site is broken. Have you tapped anything yet?

GO

[Aaron Stack]

Yeah, the photo process on the site is broken. Have you tapped anything yet?

GO

Looks like Saturday. Tanks, buckets, lids washed & sanitized, and stack temp thermometer installed today. Just a few things to wash during the week like tools, filters and pan, plus a couple other things I am sure I am forgetting. But I am ready to tap on Saturday!

[bill m]

We finished tapping the larger sugarbush yesterday ( about 900 taps) and will be drilling the smaller (315 taps) one today. Tank will go in place tomorrow then on to the sugarhouse. About a days worth of things to do there, wash tanks, hook up vacuum pump, RO wash and rinse and tap the last 80 taps. Hope to be making syrup by this weekend.

[Kamina]

This warm weather we're experiencing has my trees gushing. Just pulled 15 gallons off from overnight. Going to have to make a couple of rounds emptying the bags and buckets today.

[DMF]

We are still behind. Hoping to get all tapped by the end of the weekend.

[berkshires]

This warm weather we're experiencing has my trees gushing. Just pulled 15 gallons off from overnight. Going to have to make a couple of rounds emptying the bags and buckets today.

That's great! You started boiling yet?

GO

[Paul01036]

Great to hear this, congrats. Here is to a very successful season!
This warm weather we're experiencing has my trees gushing. Just pulled 15 gallons off from overnight. Going to have to make a couple of rounds emptying the bags and buckets today.

[Kamina]

That's great! You started boiling yet?

GO

Thank you! Between what I pulled off this morning and the additional rounds this afternoon, I ended up with 24 gallons of sap today. I will boil this weekend. Won’t have time tomorrow.

[Kamina]

Thank you! You as well!

Pulled another 15 gallons off the trees today. The temp drop slowed them down…not much is dripping. A well needed freezing night is forecasted.

[johnpjackson]

I got 21 taps in this afternoon, here in Montague. Planning on 16 more tomorrow.

[Aaron Stack]

46 buckets out today in two snow squalls hah! Found some old taps holes in some of the new trees. No snow on the ground but going to be chilly tonight and tomorrow so not expecting much sap over the next 24 hours. Monday and Wednesday are looking nice though.

[eustis22]

Well, I found that my one barrel is too full of slush to pump out and possibly last years 1 HP pump may have given up the ghost

I have also lost my enthusiam for camlock fittings as the locks tend to be too stiff to lock down

[Biz]

Got 160 gallons and had first boil on Thursday. Going to put out another 50 or so taps on my new mainline in the next couple days.

That afternoon snow squall today was nasty! Inch or two in 15 minutes. White-outs.

Dave

[Aaron Stack]

Taped three more trees to make it an even 50 taps today. It just hit 33 degrees at 4pm so not a drop of sap as expected. Tomorrow through Friday look good though. Looking forward to using my sap hydrometer to see what sugar content I start with this year.

[Paul01036]

46 buckets out today in two snow squalls hah! Found some old taps holes in some of the new trees. No snow on the ground but going to be chilly tonight and tomorrow so not expecting much sap over the next 24 hours. Monday and Wednesday are looking nice though.

Funny you mentioned the snow squalls, I was out collecting sap buckets, my daughter staid I looked like the abominable snow man out in the woods. I collected 35-40 gallons that was produced a few days ago, pretty solid but managed to bring them up the hill to my house.

We have some pretty good weather coming in this week so I am expecting a good week for sap production with a boil next weekend.

[Aaron Stack]

About 17 gallons @ 2% yesterday. There was nothing when I checked at Noon but by 5 the flow was going strong. Collecting after work today and should have enough to get a couple hour boil going.

[berkshires]

Aaron: 50 taps and only 17 gallons after the run last week? I'm surprised to hear that! Nice though that the sap is coming in at 2%!

Edited to add - just noticed you only started tapping on Saturday. In that case I'm super impressed that you got 17 gallons really just from the one warmup yesterday! Bodes well for you for this week.

GO

[Kamina]

Got some weird weather coming. Going to be 65 tomorrow, and then it looks like a week of nothing above freezing. Will provide a break from daily collecting as nothing will be running. Hoping for a productive day tomorrow.

[Aaron Stack]

Aaron: 50 taps and only 17 gallons after the run last week? I'm surprised to hear that! Nice though that the sap is coming in at 2%!

Edited to add - just noticed you only started tapping on Saturday. In that case I'm super impressed that you got 17 gallons really just from the one warmup yesterday! Bodes well for you for this week.

GO

Yes sir. That was 17 gallons in about 3.5 hours yesterday.

Today took in another 36 gallons - first time collecting in the rain so that was new. Sugar content on my Norway at home was 3% just now - wow! - The main sight averaged 2 (I measure when it's in the truck buckets so 1 @1.5, a bunch of 2's, and two at 2.25%). 50 gallons in the tank and will be boiling that tomorrow afternoon.

[berkshires]

Nice! And we should get some more overnight and into tomorrow evening when the temps drop again. Hopefully enough to get to a first draw!

GO

[berkshires]

I am always about 3 or 4 weeks behind the rest of Massachusetts as far as tapping. Shooting for the first week of March on average.

Hey Bigschuss, you tapped yet? Looks like starting today will be the beginning of the real season, even up high in the Berkshires.

Gabe

[bigschuss]

Hey Bigschuss, you tapped yet? Looks like starting today will be the beginning of the real season, even up high in the Berkshires.

Gabe

Hey Gabe...tapped just this morning. I still have 100% snow coverage. Was able to get out on the snowmobile with my family and get our buckets up. I agree...this week looks great. March 7th is my average tapping date....so I am right on time this year.

Things must be flowing good in Chester.

Blair

[berkshires]

Hey Gabe...tapped just this morning. I still have 100% snow coverage. Was able to get out on the snowmobile with my family and get our buckets up. I agree...this week looks great. March 7th is my average tapping date....so I am right on time this year.

Things must be flowing good in Chester.

Blair

Nice. I'll know how things look when I drive out after putting my daughter to bed on Tuesday. But I'm pretty pleased with the 3 GPT I got in Feb. That's half a GPT more than I usually get in Feb, and more than any except my best year. And it looks like March is starting off with a bang, too.

Hope you have a great season!

GO

[Kamina]

Sap is still flowing strong in central MA. Pulled 25 gallons off of 30 taps today. Thinking about calling it quits this upcoming weekend, though I suspect we’ve got another couple weeks left. I tap all reds, and there are a couple of taps producing cloudy sap already…

Oh, also, I bit the bullet and bought a starcat evaporator from smoky lake yesterday. Will be a major upgrade from the cinderblocks. This hobby is so addicting….

[Aaron Stack]

Nice Kamina! Good luck with the new rig.

[Kamina]

I'm going to do one last collection and boil the last batch either tonight or tomorrow. Trees (reds) are budding, the sap is juuuust starting to get cloudy, and quite frankly I am tired of hauling buckets. Yielded about 2.5 gallons of syrup on ~30ish taps. I basically tripled my yield from last year (which was my first year) with the same # of taps. Looking forward to next year. New evaporator coming in, and I've honed in on the trees that are producing the most. Maybe an RO Bucket is in my future too....time will tell. Best of luck to those of you still going strong, and to those who's season is just starting up!

[Aaron Stack]

Collected 40 tonight that tested 2%, but left 2 buckets at the shack so missed 7 taps. Keeping them in the collection buckets tonight so I can clean the tank tomorrow and collect again Saturday morning. I'm in till the fat lady signs as I've hear on this sight lol. 3 gallons in 3 colors so far.

[berkshires]

Congrats on tripling your production Kamina!

I'm at a bit higher altitude than some here, so I'm still a bit behind. Did my second boil yesterday after collecting 42 gallons of sap. I wound up only boiling 35 of that. A full bucket from my best tree fell off the tree when I touched it. The hole was full of frozen sap- it must have heaved out, and was just hanging on by a thread. Bummer - that tree has come in over 3% before. On the other end of the spectrum, I have one tree I've never tapped before this year which I had high hopes for, and when I tested the sap today it came in at under 1%! So I just dumped the 2 galls I got from that one. The remaining 2 gallons I didn't boil was ice I discarded. Drew off about a gallon of nearup in a nice medium amber color.

Gabe

[bigschuss]

And I'm even higher in elevation and I haven't even started yet! It's crazy how Kamina can be done and I have yet to even fire up the evaporator.