Closet MapleTrader now out!

[Daren]

I have been looking at posts to this site all spring and have been sucking up as much information as possible. My wife made the mistake of getting the Backyard Sugarin' book for me this spring after I said I wanted to try to boil down a little sap. I am sooooooo hooked!. I even keep a boil / sugaring journal so I can remember everything. I dont plan on getting a big operation going (most of my maples are red maples), but I do plan on getting to the 5 gallon mark next year. This year I made 3 gallons with 8 taps on 6 trees. I never got any B (wife likes to cook with that), but I guess thats ok too. I had about 1 gallon of light amber (almost fancy but not quite), the rest was all medium amber except for 2 quarts of dark amber on the last boil of the year. I have to admit that I dont understand much of the big time talk, but I am learning all the time and look foreward to boiling on my soon to be built homemade arch. (great summer project). I cant wait until I smell the fragrant steam as it billows from a hot pan again.....are you sure we cant tap in the fall too? :D

[Russell Lampron]

Daren,

Welcome aboard, with 78 acres it sounds like you may have more than 6 trees. If this maple bug bites you as hard as it has bitten most of us you will be boiling on a 2x6 or larger before you know it. Sap will run in the fall and you could tap then if you wanted to. The main reason it is done in the spring is because the freeze thaw cycle is more consistent then. Also you don't want to tap your trees more than once a year so that they have time to heal before you tap them again. Keep us posted. 8) :D :wink:

Russ

Times of sap and no wood are better than times of wood and no sap

[Al]

Hi Darren and welcome to the club. Your in a good area for sugaring especially with all the dealers around us. I'm over in Fairfield and just had my first season with a evaporator. What fun! :D
Keep the questions coming. The only problem I have is remembering all the answers. :lol:
Take care

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Daren,

Welcome to the trader and I will have to admit that I and probably a lot of others would love to have 78 acres too.

Do you have any idea how many taps you could possibly tap if you tapped everything. All the rest of us said we were staying small and look where it got us. With 78 acres, you won't be able to resist, guaranteed! :D :D :D :D As you are learning, enjoy it and absorb as much as possible. Soon you will have the urge to look for a nice small evaporator such as a 2x6 and build a sugarhouse.

Wish you all the best and welcome! :D :D :D

[MaineMapleDave]

"1 wife that tolerates it all!"

Daren, welcome aboard!! I am a total newbie here, but have learned so much. However, you have very clearly identified the key ingredient to maintaining our hobby/obsession/sickness: family support.

Take care, have fun, and sit back and learn from these fine people............

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have to agree that the wife is the key ingredient. By next sugar season, I will have spent around 12 grand in the last 3 years getting everything setup and she has been very encouraging. Of course, here favorite motto is "live life, we can't take it with you". She says that all the time since I am very "tight"! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[mapleman3]

Hi Darren

you have come to the best maple site around !! welcome !!
not only are all these guys here full of great info just spilling out but full of good laughs and stories too, we all have a good time and like it has been said before ... ask anything or answer anything or just browse for info, were all in it together.... Have a Ball !!!