Tapped in Dover, NH

[redbuc1]

Hi, I actually have been tapped since middle of Feb. I probably have about 30 taps out mostly on buckets. I am just getting into it. A friend gave me a home made arch with a 2x4 pan. I have the sapping bug now and really enjoy it!. I made 9 quarts and 2 pints last weekend. Sap has been a little slow this week I have about 55 gals. collected so far. I was hoping to get at least 100 gals. by the weekend so I can boil both days, but I don't know if the weather will cooperate. I hope so. Well have fun boiling!!!

[Amber Gold]

Glad to see there's someone else in the Seacoast. Yeah it's been a slow week and have only collected about 20 gallons. I tapped on February 29th and have processed about 79 gallons into just shy of 2 gallons of syrup and have another 20 gallons ready for tomorrow.

Good luck

[redbuc1]

Hi, Yeah it is good to see that there is someone else nearby also sugaring. Well I gathered only about 7 gallons last night. I hope it will be running this weekend. I have enough to boil saturday and hopefully it will run enough so I can collect some saturday night and boil sunday too!. Well good luck!

[Amber Gold]

I ended up boiling 22 gallons on Saturday to 1/2 gallon of syrup. I've managed to collect about 8 gallons of sap since, which isn't bad considering 2 of my 4 taps have been dry. Not sure what happened. Hopefully they pick back up. It looks like it's going warm up a bit this week and not get so cold at night. Hopefully it helps.

[Dill]

Since we are in the same basic area. When are you guys planning on pulling taps? Its awful warm today, but looks like it will cool back down in the next couple days. I figure we should get a run through friday. I really didn't get much of anything this weekend even with the warmth of sunday even in full southern exposure. And I decided not to check them last night with the rain. Hopefully the buckets will be full at lunchtime.

[Amber Gold]

Glad to see there's someone else in the area. Welcome to the forum. I found it in the beginning of March and there is a wealth of information here. It's a valuable resource for maple producers of all levels.

Two of my taps quit after the cold snap we had almost two weeks ago. My remaining two were producing 1-2 gallons a day until the end of last week. I haven't gotten more than a gallon total from of them since then. I'm hoping this warm spell will bring them back, but I think I'm done for the season. I have managed to produce about 3 gallons of syrup this season. I'll give them another day or two and if I don't get anything worth while I'm going to pull them.

Getting all that for $100 is a smoking deal. I'm in the same position looking for a flue pan. I've called around and it seems that a raised 2x4 is about $2650. Ouch! I'm going to keep looking and hopefully find something used.

[Dill]

Well it was 100 bucks, 2 pickup loads of pine to be delivered next summer, and 20 bales of 1st cut. Yup I like to deal in non-monetary items.

It was running like mad at lunch time I got 60+ gallons of sap off of 25 taps granted I didn't gather yesterday, but that means I will have to boil tomorrow night cause the collection barrels are about full. Its good to have the wicked snow banks this year, I have 2 barrels dug right into them. Keeps it nice and cold.

As for the pan I go to a lot of farm auctions all year and they pop up every now and again.

[Amber Gold]

Good deal. I think that's the best way to get into something trade or buy stuff used and upgrade from there as needed.

I checked my taps last night and they were bone dry. I'm going to pull them when I get home. Even though it ended early for me I still ended up with 0.75 gal/tap so I can't really complain. I was able to make everything that I needed for personal use and to be able to give some away for Christmas.

Now it's time to clean up and get things ready for next year.

If you need equipment Stewert, the owner of Moonlight Maple Farm in Northwood, is pretty fair to deal with. I've gotten all of my equipment from him.

[Dill]

What did you end up buying off him?
It looks like he didn't have nearly as many taps out this year as last since some of his gathering tanks are still just sitting there.

He also got Locke's "Sugar Momma's Maple" off the ground last year. She has gotten quite large in a year running 500+ taps, with a bunch of candy sales and a booth at 2 fairs.
There are actually quite a few medium size maple operations in town and a number of smaller guys.

[Amber Gold]

I bought an old 2x6 arch from him a couple of weeks ago. I went to Coe-Brown from '94-'98 back when they had a sugaring program. The arch is from the evaporator that I used back then. Stewert bought the sugar shack from CBNA shortly after I graduated and moved it down the street. I think it was 4 years ago I bought my 2x2 syrup pan and I've also bought some spiles, buckets, coverts, filters, hydrometer, and much advice. He taps the trees I used to tap at CBNA and the church. The last time I talked to him he had almost 2000 taps, which I think is more than he usually does, but don't quote me on that.

I didn't realize there were so many operations in Northwood. I lived there through high school and college and my parents still live and work in town. I've never heard of Sugar Momma's Maple, but that's a great name. My goal is to get that big, hopefully in my second season with the 2x6 and the purchase of an RO, most likely. I'd like to start off that big, but I think it'll take me another year to get the funds to build a real sugar shack and the RO. I also need to find the taps close by to do this. Unfortunately my property doesn't have any sugars, so I need to find them around town. I've currently got permission for about 60-70 taps and have located about two other locations in town with approximately 40-50 taps each. I have not spoken to the property owners about those yet.

Do you know of a place to get galv. or stainless sheet metal for a reasonable price. I need 2 sheets 2.5'x7' and another 2'x5'. I'm going to do a full restoration on my arch and want to replace all of the sheet metal.

[Dill]

This is funny we probably know the same people. And might even have met someplace.
I went to Oyster River and graduated in 97. But had friends up at CBNA, I work with the Robertson's now, and I'm willing to bet you knew Ethan back there.
Sugar Momma's is on Ridge Road and she hits up most of that side of the ridge.
She is also doing the patch behind the elementary school.
I'm over on Bow St, and am looking down the road for a few taps, I'm lucky on my 7 acres to have a pretty high number of older maples on the property lines. And I have a bunch to tap down at my folks.
You might want to talk to Glenn and Glade campground. Stewart used to tap there for years and they kicked him out last year. As far as I know its open probably 200+ taps.
Basically just start talking to the Old timers there are plenty of good spots around.

[Amber Gold]

My cousin, Joe Bouchard, was on the Oyster River hockey team and I dated a girl, Mickey Mills, from Oyster River. They both graduated in 2000 Not sure if you know them. Ethan doesn't ring a bell, but I'm sure if I saw him I'd know who he was.

Glen and Glad sounds nice, but Pittsfield's about 1/2 hour from my house and I work in Portsmouth.

As of now I've got permission for my neighbor's house which has about 50-70 taps. There's a house down the street and another location close by with about 40-60 each. There's also another house a bit further away with about another 30. So that gets me between 160-220, which will be more than enough unless I get an RO or a bigger evaporator. These last three I still need to talk to the property owners about. I'm on the Fire Department and started asking around and have been told of some possibles on the other side of town that I'll need to check out. There's still big chunks of town that I haven't covered yet.

Josh

[Dill]

Made 2 gallons last night. Need to screw with the rig more, front's boiling hard rear pan is just steaming now. Probably more stack.

My brother graduated OR in 01 so he would probably know those people.

Where you in the FFA at CBNA? Jason Decota or his buddy Terry ring a bell?

As for tapping I think I pull the taps on sunday, last nights batch was light but I don't think it will stay cold enough to keep the buds away.

[Amber Gold]

I'm done for the season and pulled my taps tuesday night. Still ended up with 3 gallons out of 4 taps, not bad.

I wasn't in FFA, but took a few of the voc classes. Jason Decota does sound familiar, not sure about Terry.