Maine Maple Season 2025

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

What's everyone in Maine up to besides trying to stay warm? We have set 2 stainless tanks to replace plastic totes in the woods and started working on lines. We should have half the taps ready after this weekend. Won't be tapping anytime right off, things are froze up. Would be great if we could wait until the end of February to tap. Trying the new Sapmaster spout on our 3/16" taps as a test. Good luck to everyone getting ready!

[Mvhomesteader]

Good evening Mainebackwoodsyrup and anyone else signing in!

February has not been like the past few years, probably more like February's past. I'm getting spoiled with the warmer February's of recent vintage where I can get a boil in before months end. Not this year.

Looking ahead I think I'll tap this weekend or into early next week to catch a hopeful run Tuesday thru Friday. I'm planning on a shorter season this year (I could absolutely be wrong) so I'm setting out extra taps early on. I'll probably do 68 or so including a new run of old large maples along a rock wall that I made a road to access with my tractor. Looks like the first week of March will be cold, but it HAS to ramp up the second week....right?

Good luck to all!

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Good luck to you! We’ll tapping some next week as the weather allows and be all in the following week. First week of March seems to always be cold. I don’t expect much next week with the cold we have had but when the March sun and March temps hit 40 degrees it won’t take long. Next weeks weather should help melt out around the tree bases some.

[abbott]

I'm planning on waiting it out, tempted as I have been. Tapping early usually isn't worth it, I've found. Sap won't be very sweet yet and the trees will be slow to run. I'll get them tapped next week and be ready for the next warm-up.

[maineboiler]

Started tapping today. Had to break out the snow shoes for a first time in a while. There’s a slight run going on but mostly the trees are quiet and cold. I got a feeling it could be a short season do I’m glad I’m collecting now——

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Started tapping here as well today. Only the large sugar maples gave a couple drips. Not running yet, maybe the next warm up.

[Mvhomesteader]

I set 74 taps last weekend and after the couple days of nice weather this past week put 40 gallons into the snowbank. The flow was mixed with some putting out 1/2 gallon a day and others a trickle, so its not consistent. I did a quick brix on three trees and got 2.0, 2.6 and 3.0 % sugar. My fear is to be too early and flame out due to bacteria, but I think I should be good till early April. A lot of my drain lines into buckets curl up inside the bucket which maintains a slug of sap all the time. I just read where air introduction into the tap promotes bacterial growth, so this sap slug cuts off air flow. I'll take some notes as the season progresses.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

3 of 4 bushes tapped. The last one to do is our cold bush. Looking at the weather it won’t run there next week. Maybe the other ones get going. Few drops from large sugar maples only while tapping, but most trees still froze up. Get the pumps set up Sunday and be all tapped in by end of day Tuesday. I think it’s going to come quick when it comes.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Sap is more of a dribble today than a run but it is going. We have the pumps on just to clean out lines. Been a few years since we had this much frost. Rain helped melt the snow away from the bases but ground is still very hard and still have a snowpack. I suspect we get going very quickly with next weeks' warm up. That will give us time to get everything in the shack ready this weekend. Good luck everyone!

[miner1]

Wish the wind would die down, tapped on Thursday then the wind kicked up, looks like great sap weather this week always looking forward to the first boil, took to years off and excited to be back in the shack with the peace and quiet and occasional visitor to get through the mud season enjoying the outdoors.

[Mvhomesteader]

First boil of the season today. I boiled 75 gallons and got 1.6+ gallons of syrup for a sugar content of 2.17%, so I'm pleased. I started at 10:30 and was jarred by 6.

It looks like the sap should flow nicely over the next 10 days or so, though I would like more sun. I can see the day coming soon where it will be boil, clean-up next day, rinse and repeat, to keep the sap fresh. I don't have a lot of snowbanks for storage this season.