Bigsap Warning 2009

[PATheron]

A Bigsap Warning Is Currently Being Declared For All Of The Maple Syruping Areas Of North America Including The Northeastern Us And Canada. A Combination Of Global Warming And Now Global Cooling And Heavy Snowpack Reducing Frost Levels In The Ground Have Made Conditions Very Favorable To Heavy Sap Flows In All Of These Areas In The Next Three Months. Be Sure To Have Extra Storage At The Ready. Tanks, 5 Gallon Buckets, Moms China, Kids Pool, Whatever. Do Not Let, I Repeat, Do Not Let Any Sap Get Wasted. This Stuff Is Currently Worth A Dollar A Gallon Once Its In A Drum To Density. Rethink Watching Watching Sports On Cold Days, Drinking Beer On Cold Evenings, B.s.ing With Your Friends On The Trader To Excess. Do The Right Thing And Tap Every Freakin Tree You Can Get Your Hands On Now, Its An Emergencey!!!!! More Updates Will Be Coming As Conditions Change. Thee(bigsapzar)roon

[Haynes Forest Products]

That $1.00 a gallon has me all worked up

[Dave Y]

Theron,
You are a nut!! But you are having fun. I would keep a look out over my left shoulder for the guys in the whites suits if I were you!

[Maple Restoration]

Theron I hope your wright about Big Sap coming, I Just went down south and picked up two 275 gal. tanks to feed the evaporator this year. Now we just need sap for them!

[Sugarmaker]

Now thats what its all about! We dont get quite that worked up here on the other side of the state. But it got a good smile out of me! Thanks BIG "T" Sap Alert man!

Chris :)

[Russell Lampron]

Being the BIGSAP allert guy is a BIG responsibility. Keeping the rest of us posted on the latest weather and sap flow trends is not something to be taken lightly! Keep up the good work Theron Tharian The(bigsapczar)ron!

[maplwrks]

Hurry up and get some sap in those tanks so that us Vermonters can come down to show you how to boil!!!!

[PATheron]

Mike- When the temp goes over 32 degrees and the sun comes out I think youll be happy with the results. As soon as I get everything done here at the sugar house were going after more. Ill call you when the tanks are full and you guys can come down and show me how to get it in the barrells the quickest way goin. You guys better get me trained becouse I might put a couple thousand more on next year. Well see how many taps we can run on a 3 by 10. Zar

[Sugarmaker]

Hey!!! You guys never told me I had to boil this stuff:)
Patiently waiting for the next BIG sap alert!

Chris

[Brian Ryther]

You must be slacking Theron. Friday January 23rd 34degrees with a low pressure system. Test buckets will be watched. What is your high temp for for Friday?

[dano2840]

stop it i dont want to hear that yet, ive got 63 taps up and ready and about 300 more to go, i still need an evap, and i dont have my tanks in place and still need a releaser, and i need to finish my tank shed, UHHHHHH

[Jeff E]

We in NW WIS got above 0 deg F for the first time in about a week a few days ago, and will be above freezing maybe tomorrow, for an hour. BUT, the time is near. I am tweeking the woods, making it just right...
YOU BETTER WATCH OUT, YOU BETTER NOT CRY, YOU BETTER NOT POUT I'M TELLIN YOU WHY, SAPPER TZAR IS TOUTIN HIS DRILL!

[PATheron]

Bigsap Warning For The Southern Regions Of The Maple Sugaring Areas Of The Continental United States!!! This Is A Code Blue Bigsap Warning, I Repeat, Code Blue Bigsap Warning. Imminent Warming Temperatures In This Part Of The Syruping Region Could Result In A Serious Sapflow Situation. Use Your Own Judjement On Tapping Dates But Do Not Take Warning Lightly. Have All Your Tanks Clean, Evap Ready, Drill Batteries Charged, Plenty Of Beer And Cigarettes For The Sugar House Whatever Just Get Ready!!! Remember, As Sugarmakers, We Were Put On This Earth To Bring Delicious Maple Products To The Masses (for A Fair Return On Our Investments) And We Need To Take This Responsability Seriously. Good Luck To All. Zar

[jrthe3]

the pump will be on it way to the big T today see how it goes mite have to hook the leaf blower up backwards to the releaser

[dano2840]

lol, let me know how your releaser works out, hey are you maybe interested in building another one???????

[Dave Y]

Theron,
I know you are a little high strung, but arent you getting a bit ahead of your self with the BIGSAP warnings? We have 2ft of snow and it was 0degs here this morning. and only one upper thirtys day in sight. go have your self some of what you relax with and make plans for more tubing!

[PATheron]

Your probly right Dave but I think Im smelling BIGSAP in the air. You know I always go a little haywire this time of year. You guys just have to humor me till I get myself tired out down the road a little bit. Ill give you guys a heads up when I cap the first drum. Im thinkin that its soon going to be running HARRRRRRD. Theron

[Amber Gold]

I'm all about having BIGSAP, but don't be calling for the sap gods too soon. I still have 200 more taps of tubing to run and an evaporator to brick and plumb up. And if it's going to be that good of a year I'll need to get more wood.

[3% Solution]

PA,
I don't think the BIIIGG SAAAAP is in our near future!!
It hasn't got above freezing here in more than ........... well I can't remember when, but it's been a while!!
Those trees are sooooo froze they won't be thawed out before July!!!
We're still getting below "0" at night!!!
I know what your smelling, it's the neighbor's pipe, any quesses what's in it!!!
Hey you just keep pumping us up!!!!
I figure another 21 days before we tap, if then!

Dave

[bobsklarz]

Hey Theron,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! You gave me the push I needed w/ your "bigsap" report! My neighbor has been wanting to sell me five adjoining acres for 30K. It only has ten Maples on it, but I figured w/ the "Bigsap" coming it would be well worth it. The "Bigsap" would probably pay off the land in no time. To make sure I got it I offered five thousand MORE!
As I gave him my check and walked away, I thought I heard him say "What a Big Sap" I turned and asked, "Oh, you heard about it too!?" and wondered as I walked away why he let it go so cheap!!

[danno]

Might be sooner for some than others ... go WVM go!!!

http://www.accuweather.com/us/wv/beckley/25801/forecast3.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipChg=1&metric=0

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Danno,

It looks encouraging but they have a problem with the next day, much less 2 weeks out. We'll see what happens but I would rather wait until about the 7th to 14th to tap. It's been a very cold winter here so far, so I am not holding my breath.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Here's more like what the next 10 days look like. My sugarhouse is aprox 30 minutes from where I live and weather is sometimes 10 degrees colder there. I have found Acuweather about as accurate as my 3 year old.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/tenday/25976?from=36hr_topnav_outdoors

[PATheron]

Brian- Theyre saying 39 here tomarrow but who knows wait and see. Main thing is just keep on getting ready. Theron

[Dennis H.]

Down my way they are calling for Mid to High 30's today and Friday being in the low 40's.
Theron is getting me wound up about tapping but I think I have to take a deep breath and relax. We've had 2 weeks of really cold weather, just like everyone else, and I think it will take more than 2 days to thaw the trees out.
Now if I was on vac I would be on board with Theron, **** THE TORPEDOS, FULL SPEED AHEAD.

But you have to Theron some credit, he sure does know how to get everyone chatting on here.

[Russell Lampron]

Brandon those temps look pretty promising. My drill finger is getting itchy looking at those. If your sugarbush was at those temps the sap would be flowing. Can you pull up a forecast for the area where you tap?

It's 19 degrees here this morning which is warm compared to what it has been and there are no above freezing days in the 10 day forecast. Because of this global warming we aren't going to have a January thaw this year.

[Jeff E]

You may get a kick out of our forecast for NW Wisconsin:
Friday, high of 17, low of minus 11
Saturday, high of 8, low of minus 11
Sunday, high of 8, low of minus 12

Then the long range for next week is highs in the teens, lows around 0

It will be a while, so I can keep on putting more trees on line.

Inspired by PATzunamiSapTzar, and going for BIIIIIGGGG SAAAAP (for me)
I cant wait to make it happen.

[PATheron]

Im definitely getting you guys excited at least. Thats half the fun all the anticipation. I dont know about buying ground on BIGSAP speculation though. I kind of did when I bought my place but Im a nut. Brandon- I wish I had my releaser hooked up in your neck of the woods. Do your vac guys make syrup now or do they wait? Taking off tomarrow. Getting stuff ready. Plumbed up the vac pump, hooking stuff up, Im gearing up for the big one. Plowing out a spot for the semi trailer saturday and I think Ill get it next week. Made a lot of changes again this year but should be pretty neat once things start. More reports to come. Theron

[sugarnut]

WVM...what's the elevation down there in beckley? i'm just wondering how my area west of gettysburg pa compares to your area. your target dates for tapping were about what i had in mind as well.

[Dennis H.]

Holy Cow Sugarnut, there is another sugarer here in south central PA!

How far west of Gettysburg are you? I am located about 20 min north of Carlisle.

Theron I forgot all about the Semi trailer that you are getting. I am assuming you have a way of moving that thing around?

[jrthe3]

it going to have to get pretty warm befor i can tap my big bush is on a hill side on the edge of a 100 acre field the snow drifts are 10 to 15 feet deep in places

[sugarnut]

i'm down here on the edge of the michaux forest in waynesboro. :)

[PATheron]

Dennis- Im hiring a guy to just bring it out and park it. I just want to use it for storage. Theron

[Dennis H.]

Sugarnut, that is only about an hour south of me. It is good to see someone else making syrup in this neck of the woods. There isn't many people around here that makes syrup tat I know of. I believe you are the closest one to me.

So I see you have around 70 taps, did you get more or are you waiting to see how this year goes for you before adding more?

So when were you looking to get going this year? I went out today and man am I thinking I might tap some trees Friday or sometime this weekend.

[sugarnut]

due to some major budget issues, i may not be able to get the entire 70 in this year. maybe so if i focus on buckets and jugs...i dread the thought as spread out as the trees are, lol. i wanted to run a few more sections of tube, but i will be lucky if i can afford the taps. i will still tap something for sure.

seeing the sap running from sapsucker damage today, i was really tempted to start drilling. i just hate to see them sit frozen with the next round of cold weather. i thought last year was terrible. after a little up and down weather, we had a big freeze at the beginning of march followed by 70 degree temps a week later. many of my trees seem to break bud early. i have no use for buddy syrup, although i was surprised to see folks mention it can be sold commercially. i am too small to worry with it.

so what do you think about the upcoming weather trends? it would be nice to see 10 solid days forecast favorably for tapping. i am just not sure we are there yet.

how big is your operation? it would be nice to see another tapper in action. i would love to see how real equipment is used. my only experience is with my flat pan and a gravity tube setup that only worked marginally at best due to dips from no wiring and a few snake turns, lol.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Russ,

The link I posted about 10 posts ago for Meadow Bridge, WV is real close to my sugarhouse temps. Tommorrow is 49 with lots of sun and it was the same today and close to 40, but then no sap weather for next 10 days. I doubt I would get much if any sap tomorrow as it has been cold for most part her since Nov 12th.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Sugarnut,

I am around 2,600 in elevation where I live and where I tap even though the temp is close to 10 degrees and sometimes 15 degrees colder at the sugarbush. Last Friday night is was 1 where I live and -14 at the sugarhouse, aprox 20 miles the way the bird flies.

[sugarnut]

my trees are at @ 820 to 870. i'm in zone 6, but really close to zone 7. i'm just "over the hill" from gettysburg and gettysburg seems to get some influence from milder "coastal" temps at times. it just seems that spring comes in spurts here and the changes are somewhat drastic. it's like it will hit the 40's for a 2 or three days, jump into the high 50's and low 60's and then fall back down to a high of 30 in just a week, lol. repeat the cycle a few times and suddenly its 70 degrees.

i get the feeling that it would actually be better to be further south than i am as i wonder if the changes are a bit more subtle.

[Dennis H.]

Sugarnut That is exactly how it is here also. Big Temp swings, Last year I tapped late and I think I missed the best run, I tapped the 2d week in Feb. This year I told myself that I was going to be tapped in by the end of Jan and I am still hoping I can do that. The time to do it isn't the problem, it is the weather.

This warm up that we just had kind of caught me off guard. It wasn't till the 1st day of the warm spell that I realized I should of tapped. Now it looks like Mon of Tues to tap for the next warmup coming Wed.

My OP is very small. Last year I started with 40 taps and with the wonderful weather we had last year I made just 2 1/2 gals.That was the most expensive syrup that I have ever owned. This year I amd adding 100 taps and figure I can deal with having too much sap it that happens.

[PATheron]

ALERT!!!! ALERT!!!! BIGSAP!!! BIGSAP!!! False alarm must have just been a dream. Ok guys this is my prediction for at least our general area down here. February and March are going to be cool months. Theres not a lot of frost in the ground to go away so I think there will be a lot of small runs on vac, but maybe a lot of them. The gravity guys will have to watch for the better days. Maybe it will be a bit for that. I have two points I want to make. If the frost isnt there on account of the snow I think they will run after a cold spell better than we think maybe. This is the other point. Last year on vac, and this is the truth, after the sap started running I never saw a time when it was over 32 degrees when it was not running to some extent. That includes three days without a freeze. I can honestly say I never saw it stop untill I shut the pump off at the end of the season becouse I was out of wood and generally sick of it. Just a little insight into my experiance. I know a lot of those days it wouldnt have run on gravity. I think the two are just two different ball games. I think on gravity its smart to wait till the big runs start but if your on vac it could be a little different. Just my two crazy cents. Theeron

[Amber Gold]

Extended forecast for NH shows Sunday through Tuesday above freezing with temps in the 20's following. Watch out guys its coming soon.

[Dave Y]

Hold onto your shorts Amber Gold. Take look at what is coming out of the gulf for Ground hogs day. I would say either get you boat shoveld out or go fuel up the snow plow! Again! Either way it ain't gonna be good.

[Jeff E]

Theron,
With those extended runs last year, what was your typical yield of sap/tap/day?

And how agressive did you tap? Did you go after the small cul trees?

[PATheron]

Jeff- Last year I had 1250 real nice taps and rougly 300 cull trees. The cull trees were real small and were not tubed in properly. I just went after them with scraps, etc, very long lats with lots of them on the lats. Id say that for the most part on a good run Id get gallon per tap to a gallon and a half per tap during the day and if it ran through the night it could be another gallon per tap that night too. Now lots of times I would have maybe two tanks with say 1200 gallons and sometimes less. Just depended when it thawed out that day. I had a lot of medium runs Id say and a couple humdingers. My best run was the first one in early february. Started running early in the am hours and run 2400 gallons by noon basically. That was my very first run. I think the reason I got so much even with the cull trees was the vac levels. I was always running right at 26 inches of vac. Other thing is like I said before if it was above freezing I never saw it not running even after a few days. Pretty neat. I dont know If I can get those levels again this year with all the new taps. I hope so. Theron

[Jeff E]

Boy, that first day must have had you thinking!!!

I have a new SIHI oil-bath liquid ring pump, 5 hp, so I am hoping for high vac as well. Getting the oil next Tuesday so I will soon see what it can do.

Made any syrup yet?

[PATheron]

I havent made any yet. Im real busy getting ready like everyone else. How many cfm's is the pump. If its 5 hp you probly have a serious pump for 1200 taps and thats good. Youll get a ton of sap. Itll be a blast. Im kind of worried I wont be able to get that big level again. I have a lot of line and connections now but well have to wait and see. Im going to try real hard. Your stuff looks super Jeff. Ill bet your going to be pretty happy. Theron

[Jeff E]

Thanks SapCsar,
It is a 50 CFM pump. I am up to 1400 taps now, and just finished thinning another part of the woods, so I can go after several hundred more. I am shooting for 1700 by March, 2500+ by next year.
Scary, already talking about next year....

[PATheron]

Jeff- Your going to get a lot of sap with that setup and that pump even this year on that many taps. Youve got a half gallon setup there if there ever was one. Just have to wait and see the temps now. Ill bet your dying to see it work. Theron

[danno]

"Other thing is like I said before if it was above freezing I never saw it not running even after a few days. Pretty neat. I dont know If I can get those levels again this year with all the new taps. I hope so. Theron[/QUOTE]"

I think that is the biggest differance I see with vacuum. Without vacuum, after 24 hours above freezing, sap run would stop. With vacuum, it just keeps coming ...

[Amber Gold]

Checked the weather again. It's going to be in the 40's over the weekend and into next week.

Who's gonna be the first?

[PATheron]

BIGSAP WARNING!!!!!, BIGSAP WARNING!!!!! CODE BLUE!!!! CODE BLUE!!!! A warming trend from Northeastern Pennsylvania to all points south is currently being issued do to several days of above normal temperatures. All people with heavy snow cover be warned the roots may not be frozen. This situation could trick even a seasoned sugarmaker. If the roots are not froze sap could come up those roots even with all the snow. This could lead to a lost sap opportunity and no one wants that to happen. You guys need to listen good becouse Im only going to tell you this twice. Im pretty sure it might run next week but I could be wrong. Good luck. Zar

[Dennis H.]

I agree with Theron, There is a BIGSAP Warning in effect for the next 7 days.

Well at least down in my neck of the woods.

My trees are starting to run, the big ones are producing the most while a few of my smaller ones haven't started yet. I got more sap today with the temps only in the mid 30's than I did the 2 day prior with the temps in the 40's.

I think the smaller ones the roots are shallow an are still frozen while the bigg'ins are a little deeper and not froozen, just my observastion.

So, it looks like I might be making more syrup in the next 7 days than I did all last year.

[Dennis H.]

Hey Theron are you ready for BIGSAP?

[PATheron]

Dennis- Ive got some test taps out, you know just so I know whats goin on. I keep working at it. Always seems to be more to do but I think things are coming along pretty good. Youll have to keep us posted on the BIGSAP down there. Theron

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Looks like sap weather down here starting Saturday and I hope to tap at least my largest south bush if not both of my south bushes on Sat. I can't say big sap weather like Theron since I can't suck it out of the trees like him. LOL! Here's the forecast:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/tenday/25976?from=36hr_fcst10DayLink_outdoors

[Sugarmaker]

We will be watching but will probably not tap yet. Need a day or more just to hang the tubing, and most of a day to tap and set the storage tanks.
Brandon hope the start of the season is good.

Regards,
Chris

[caseyssugarshack93]

tapping the 14-22 here sap prob wont run till first week in march

[Dave Y]

While we may have a few days of warmer weather coming , I am not tapping. I have tapped on Pressidents day every year and have bee froze up for two weeks after i tapped. If I have ever thing tapped bt March 1st i will be a happy tapper.

[PATheron]

Dave- How many buckets exactly do you think your going to run? I wish I had time to do the buckets too. I love the buckets. Maybe next year. Your going to be the one with the BIGSAP. Maybe Ill come over and help you boil this June. Theron

[Jim Brown]

I'm with you Dave!we are going to resist tapping until Valentines day(even with four days above freezing) makes more sence to have the holes open on the back end as to get a small run now and a freeze up for three weeks and then have the holes dry up too soon in March.It's going to take the trees a week to thaw out any way from that 20 below stuff we had just two weeks ago!

Jim

[Dave Y]

Theron,
I have 1800 taps on tubing and I hope to put out 1200 buckets. It will probably be more like 1000 though. What ever the case may be I probably wont be with out sap at anytime though out the season.

[caseyssugarshack93]

You must have a whole crew to collect all them ? do you collect them all in one day Dave ?

[PATheron]

Dave- I like your stategy. Id rather have to much to boil then nothing to boil. Can always tank it for a little bit. I cant imagine the sap off them on a good run day if they are the big trees like you usually tap. Theron

[Big maple]

We ran 500 buckets one year and it sucked. I said to myself one night in the lights of the tractor I'm not going to do this ever again. Ayear later I met a guy who has been doing TEN THOUSAND BUCKETS for about 40 years he said he doesn't like tubing andthe bucket collecting gives everyone something to do.

[caseyssugarshack93]

10 000 must be nuts , the guy must have tons of help i had 300 out and i got off the bus at 315 and i didnt get back till around 430 and tons of work but i love buckets probably gunna a run and the rest is on tubing for this year, should be tapping in the next two weeks

[Revi]

Is it going to be in the 40's here? In Maine? Really?

It would be awesome if the weather broke right during my February vacation.

[Big maple]

Crazy is the word for it. Could you imagine collecting 30,000 t0 50,000 gallons of sap out of buckets, boiling then starting over the next morning.I think that puts you in the "real go getter" catagory.

[Dave Y]

Most people who have large amounts of buckets also have road systems in their bushes and a good work force. I have a good work force, and the majority of the buckets are in a manageable distance from the road.

[Russell Lampron]

My parents used to put out 1300 buckets. It was no big deal. Dad and a couple of the farm hands would do the gathering while my mom and grandfather did the boiling. My grandmother made candy and cream and I was too young to much of anything.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Russ,
Taste testers are important!

[Dennis H.]

BIGSAP WARNING for south central PA. I would be really thinking about tapping in this weekend if I were you.

Just finished hanging the rest of my buckets and the sap is aready running at 11:30am this morning!!
If it keeps running the way it is right now I may be boiling this evening.

[PATheron]

Nice job Dennis! CODE RED!!!!! CODE RED!!! BIGSAP!!!!! BIGSAP!!!!! This is the highest of Bigsap alerts. Southern regions of the maple sugaring areas could experiance heavy runs do to these warming temps. Be on the ready. Get those tanks clean. Get that pump running. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dave Y]

Theron
What are you doing still in the house?
Why aren't you in the woods?

[PATheron]

Russ Lampron here and I am honored to sitting at the comand center of the BIGSAP ALERT SYSTEM where weather conditions are constantly monitored and BIGSAP ALERTS are posted. Boiling sodas and the Captain have been flowing as final preparations for the first boil of the season have been under way. It is getting close now and the list is getting smaller. Keep an eye on your computer screens to be up to date and prepared for the BIGSAP!

[PATheron]

You listen Dave Y and you listen good becouse Im only going to tell you this twice. This is a serious operation and constant monitoring of weather is no lie. I even check for changes when I get up to pee in the night. We KNOW whats goin on here. Ive got some serious individuals on this at every moment. Were a little slow in the morning but were hell on fire once we get goin, could be the KILLIANS. Well keep you guys posted but we are thinking BIGSAP is coming. Zar

[TapME]

well it good to see you have someone there who can bail you out Theron. LOL ... now the question is there a third musketeer there to help bail the sinking ship. Good job Russ keep him in line.

[PATheron]

Dave- Im going to Richards today Ill take your barrells over with me. Theron

[PATheron]

BIGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!! SAPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!- For the love of God people tap every freakin tree you can get your hands on BIGSAP next week! Buckets, natural vacuum, unnatural vacuum at least try to make it look like you WANNNNNNNN IT! Im going to try to have my sugar house all streamlinedby the end of the week and then Im going after more taps once I think I can actually process this stuff. Yesterday changed out the double bernard in the sugar house with a big belly releaser. Really neat to watch. Kind of like looking in fish tank. Need BIGSAP stories from you guys so I know whats goin on. Zar

[Jeff E]

Your killing me up here!!!

We have another cold front coming through, highs in the teens for the rest of the week. CODE BLUE!!!! CODE BLUE!!! Freezing fingers on the wire ties (as reported from my 10 yr old daughter.
Next 10 day forcast says 1 day next week may get to 33 deg.
BUT I know it is coming....

GO GET EM! Ride the Tsunami, we can sleep in the summer!

I am taking the afternoon off work and pulling tubing...

[PATheron]

Jeff- Thats the spirit. Wouldnt it be great if a guy could tube everyday? Theron

[Jeff E]

Absolutely, I would LOVE to get to the place of tapping everything around. I drive quite a bit with work, and 80 miles from home I go by a ridge full of maples, and in the 5 seconds I see it I start laying out the tubing set up, and get frustrated that there may be a wedge at the base I would have a hard time getting tubes too....

I GOT IT BAD

[PATheron]

Jeff- I feel the same way everyday too. Id love to do it for a living but boy I think it would be a hard way to make a living. I think I better keep going to work. Everyones allowed to dream. Theron

[KenWP]

I am pateintly waiting for any kind of sap. Another month to go they say.

[colt454]

6 weeks brings you to april I dont know about you but here by then we are all done. we will have 4500 taps in by sunday and the wait is over....
FULL STEAM AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jeff E]

You Go Colt!!!

[Dave Y]

Theron,
you think sugaring is a hard way to make a living? It is not that tuff. with the trees hooked to lines and vacuum pumps . Then there is the RO thing. That is easy all you need is some guts to take a chance. Hard way to make a living is crawling on your hands an knees with a 3ft ceiling mining coal during the great depression, like my Grandfather did. Thats a hard way to make a living! If you want to be a full time sugarmaker you will do it. If not you wont!

[maplwrks]

Theron,
With the amount of maple in your area, it would be easy to make a living!

[PATheron]

Your right about that being a hard way to make a living. A lot has changed in the last 100 years. What I meant was its easier to go to town and get a paycheck in some regards. Sugaring is expensive to get into, speculative, (vulnerable to the market in price, vulnerable to the weather for production), high tech with a lot to learn depending on the level of technology your running at, relatively tough to make a lot of money at in my opinion. I do think it could be done, and I believe I could do it, just a matter like you said of how bad you WANNNNN IT. Sure seems like it would be fun though. If Im ever out of work Ill definitely do it. Just add a few more bushes. Thats the nice thing about working your way up. Tough part is working full time and then trying to do a lot of sugaring too. Im not complaining though I love doing it it just is what it is. Stuff can go wrong and usually does. Im still just learning though. Theron

[Z/MAN]

Theron, Where are you located? I'm in Daleville, between Tobyhanna and Moscow. I have lots of maples around hear and don't see anyone else tapping them. What a shame!

[PATheron]

Zman- Im in Mansfield Pa in the northeast corner pretty close to the New York state line. We do have a lot of maple here too. Sounds like your the only one hitting them in your area. We have quite a few people around here that do it but not very many large producers. Theres a handfull but mostly its folks that have always done it on the farm, that kind of thing. Kind of a dying thing. Theron

[Dave Y]

Theron,
I hope to make it a full time occupation when I retire. which I hope is about 3yrs. I wont get enough from my retirement to live so I will have to do something else. That something else will be sugaring if all goes according to plan.

[PATheron]

Dave- Looks like your going to have a good fix for that. I think if anything get the vac then your more assured to have sap every year. Youll have a lot of time to boil with being retired. Lot more of a sure thing with the vac. Theron

[PATheron]

CODE RED!!!! CODE RED!!! A code red BIGSAP, SUNAMI SAP, sH#@ASROPHE SAP, alert is being issued for all mid to southern parts of the maple sugaring areas of North America. Be advised that perfect sap running temperatures will be coming your way. This is bucket fillin, line blowin, firewood depleten, temperatures that we as sugarmakers fantasize about all year long. BE READY! CLEAN TANKS, HIGH VAC, LOTS OF WOOD, RESTED UP, GAS FOR PUMPS, if your short on gas and money syphon it out of your kids minibikes whatever, just get it together and be ready. HERE IT COMES!!! Theron

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Theron,
Supposed to be zero here Friday night. Won't be doing anything here. Want some help this weekend:)

[PATheron]

Doug- Ive got high 40s days and 20s nights next 3 days and dad just had to go out of town on an emergency. Over 3500 taps right now on the big suck and Im cleaning buckets now too. I JUST DONT CARE, BRING IT ON LORD, BRING IT ON!!!!!! Thanks for the offer Doug but Ill be fine. Ill get it in the barrells. I know the tricks now. Theron

[Maplewalnut]

Worse thing is, I logged on this morning just to see Theron's sap forcast. He's dead on correct, weather the next four days looks perfect in Pa

[KenWP]

Theron why don't you come up here and bring the sap with you. We are looking at 3 more weeks they say.

[3% Solution]

PATheron,
Rub it in, rub it in.
We could use some of that up here.
But then again, when your at the end we're still going strong!!!!
Still cold up here.
Maybe Wednesday to Friday, trees have got to thaw out first!!
Have fun!!!

Dave

[KenWP]

Ah somebody from Newport thats close to home base finally. I am only 8 miles north of the border here. Just the wrong Newport I am lloking for Newport Vermont.

[Dave Y]

Theron,
It looks like the next three days for me. but i don't expect any thing to collect until Friday. 3% how late into april do you boil? I have boiled as late as april 21st

[3% Solution]

KenWP,
Yup wrong one, quite a ways from you.

Dave Y,
We are usually all done by the April 16th to the 20th, somewhere in there.
Don't usually get boiling till the first week in March, hey that's next week.

Dave

[Dave Y]

Your season seems to mirror mine. I dont normally boil till the first week of march either, and end around the same time as you. We are a 1600 ft here and folks around us are normally done two weeks before us.

[3% Solution]

Dave Y,
We're around 800' here, kinda in the Conn River Valley watershed.
Darn it hates to warm up!!!!
Where are you lacated in the Alleghany National Forest?
Soon it will start.

Dave

[Dave Y]

3%
I am at the southern end Out on the rim of the allegheny plateau.

[Revi]

I used to live near there, in New York State, in Allegany County. There were a lot of maple sugarers around there. It's a beautiful place. We went down to Potter County and camped out in the National Forest all the time.

[Dave Y]

Potter county is about an hour and half from me.

[PATheron]

MAYDAY!!!!! MAYDAY!!!! ITS GONNA RUN LIKE THE COW AND THE FLAT ROCK DEAL!!! DAVE Y- MORE BUCKETS, MORE BUCKETS!!! SUNAMI!! SUNAMI!!! Theron

[3% Solution]

PATheron,
I woke up this morning to 3 below zero.
So I'll tell you what, it's more like the bull and fly season thing here!!!!!
Keep up the reports, gets us northerners thinking!!!

Dave

[Sugarmaker]

Dave 3%,
It didn't loose till after lunch here and needs a day to thaw things out.
Spring will come it always has, well maybe it didn't during the ice age? Could that be what you are having?

Chris

[3% Solution]

Sugarmaker,
Yup that's about what I figure.
Tapping Saturday is close enough.
Give us another report on the little guy (up above).
One night when I get this rig going I'll give ya a call.
It's just around the corner.

Dave

[PATheron]

Ok you guys. Russ claims it March today. NO MORE EXCUSES. I EXPECT BIGSAP REPORTS FROM ALL OVER NOW. GOD PUT US ON THIS EARTH TO BRING DELICIOUS MAPLE PRODUCTS TO THE MASSES, for a fair return on our investment, AND WE NEED TO BE DOING IT. IVE BEEN DOWN HERE BUSTING MY HUMP, ME AND DAVE Y AND THE REST OF US PENNSYLVANIANS, AND WE COULD USE A LITTLE SUPPORT FROM UP NORTH. HOW ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO FEEL WHEN A LITTLE BOY AT CRACKERBARRELL ONLY HAS ENOUGH SYRUP TO COVER HALF A PANCAKE BECOUSE DAVE AND I ARE SO SHOT TRYING TO PROVIDE FOR THE ENTIRE NATION WE CAN HARDLY GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING. GO!!! GO!!! BIGGGGGGGGGG SAPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Theron,
I'd love to help out but the temp right now is -3 and the next 3 nights are to be similar. I hear your comments about frozen pump lines and worry what will happen here. I have over a mile of pump lines. Great when they work.... In the wait time until our Spring catches up with yours, I will be doing finishing touches and try to streamline things. Not real easy without sap but I'll try.
March is pretty much coming in like a very cold lamb. Ok by me. By the end of the month a real nice March snowstorm will really extend the maple season. I have an old neighbor who has records written on the sugar house walls for over 50 years of production. In all but 2 years he made more syrup in April than in March. That indicates you may have to wait another month for much help. In the meantime, you guys are doing a fine job of existing without sleep and keeping steam in the air. Keep up the good work!
Doug

[tessiersfarm]

Just think of us as the second shift. Let us know when yours is over.

[PATheron]

I know thats the deal with you guys. Just a difference in climate. Seems like you guys really are about a month behind us. Maybe Ill be done and I can have fun hearing your stories. Theron

[paul]

and as far as the poor kids in cracker barrel their not getting pure maple syrup any more their getting 50/50 maple/canesugar

[KenWP]

Well it was -3 F here this morning when I got up at 5 to put wood on the fire. I figure it will be May before sap flows around here at this rate.

[Dennis H.]

I got my speedo I just need some scuba gear, heck a snorkle would do to!

I just got done with another 6 hr boil and then went to collect the sap, I thought it wasn't supposed to run today! I am back to having 70 gals to boil once more.

I can safley say that it is go time down here if you haven't tapped already.

[3rdgen.maple]

Theron Hopefully and I mean hopefully bigsap weekend coming up. Until then keep putting syrup on half of the cracker barrell kids pancakes us northerners will get the rest covered for you.

[PATheron]

Dennis- Your making us proud down there. Your not afraid of some BIGSAP! Thirdgen- Looks like it comes on in stages. Kind of starts with Brandon and comes on up the line as you head north. Fun to watch with the website how the weather works during the season. Starting to get a little better handle on things now. Yesterday wasnt quite as bad. Had 2000 gallons of sap and started the R.O. at about 1230 by 8 oclock had around 200 gallons plus or minus of 19% in the head tank. Not bad to take 20 hours of boiling and turn it into 2. Really like that a lot. Watched episodes of ax men all afternoon with Booy While im chugging out 300 gallons per hour. Gotta love it. Got the R.O. figured out perfect now. Go half and half on the concentrate and perm and the thing performes like crazy. It never works hard. Just let it go till its putting out the number you like the looks of and hit the valve to the head tank. Last night when I got to where I could shoot it to the head tank I was getting 7 gallons conc, 2 gallons perm and 380 psi. The thing was idlings through the thick stuff. Dad says its pretty much syrup when it leaves the flue pan. Were getting no sugar sand. Usually a constant draw and it makes density a piece of cake. Say its 221 just open the valve and the syrup comes off and it just stays 221. Dont forget to swap out pails and your all set. Other day dad had a 10 gallon draw before it finally petered out and we were only doing 15 percent that day. Gonna keep playing with it maybe I can get it high enough to just draw off the flue and get rid of the syrup pans. When you can grade it in the float box coming off the flue you know your not messing around. Ill keep you guys posted. All cought up tonight. Looks like this last run basically got the equivalent of 6000 gallons of 2%. Something like that Ill know better tonight. Got a couple days off then next big run. So far big success becouse its all in the barrells. Theron

[maplwrks]

Theron---It's good to hear that you can RREEELLLAAAXXX and enjoy sugar season. Maybe you won't throw in the towel early this year!!!

[markcasper]

-15 BELOW here this morning! Think I'll go wash a few tanks.

[PATheron]

Mike- You and Jerry hooked me up bigtime. This is great. That R.O is usually performing way above rating now no prob. Biggest thing I really need is more press like you guys said but no prob Im getting along. Theron

[ennismaple]

Theron - We'll start pulling our weight up here when someone turns off the cold Alaskan air! At this rate you'll be golfing by the time we're boiling...

[3rdgen.maple]

just checked the weather update. starting thursday there is a 9 day stretch of perfect sap weather. BIG SAP COMING RIGHT UP Well not the big sap theron's got but BIG SAP FOR ME Should be getting around 600 gallons a day for 9 days puts me in the one day theron sap. Does that count?

[KenWP]

I would gladly give up sleep for a whole month if possible. So far only sleep I am looseing is because I figure its another ice age coming and there never will be sap running. I have been looking at that bag of pancake mix for two weeks now.

[PATheron]

Its all BIGSAP to me. I think syruping is a blast whether its 20 taps or 2000. Its just plain fun. Might be the fewer is actually more fun, thats how I did it for years. Having a lot of taps is pretty awesome but it can be kind of a burden till you get the bugs figured out. I think a guy wants to strive for efficiency no matter how big a sugarbush hes running and it makes it that much more fun. Takes a litte while to get everything finetuned then its really great. I think you guys are going to be coming on strong soon with the weather thats coming. Thats what I thought too about 9 days in a row or something. Im going to go home and boil tonight and try to finetune my filtering better. I think the sap is going to get really big soon. Theron

[Jeff E]

Csap Czar, what are you using for a filter....I think (actually I know) that will be my weak link. 7" short bank hand pump....Should I upgrade NOW?

My wife, bless her heart, who has no idea regarding the details what all this syrup stuff is about, looked at me and said "that hand press is going to kill your system" Shes probably right.

As of now, 1600 taps on High vac, new lines, 300 on buckets....Come on!

[802maple]

Theron has a short bank with a gear pump. In his case I would either have a double full bank seven inch or a 10inch. The bare minimum I would have is a single full bank seven incher. That Pennsylvannia Fancy likes to clog up a press. The reason I am saying he needs that much filtering capacity is he is always saying he isn't going to expand anymore, well we know how that works don' we.

I guess in your case are you going to be expanding anymore? If not just add a gearpump to your setup and you will be fine. Just remember that if you only concentrate to 8% percent or somewhere around there you will be making about 3 to 4 times as much syrup per hour then you did last year.

[PATheron]

Jeff- Im kind of thinking if theres anyway you can afford it maybe you should CHANGE IT NOW!!!, WHAT, ARE YOU CRAZY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF BIGSAP IS COMING YOUR WAY??? I think you better get the one with the gear pump at least like Jerry says. Im pretty busy with mine. I have to change it out every 20 gallons right now becouse this stuff is pretty clogy. Last year I would get 25 maybe or a scosh more. Had a great night tonight boiling. Had my last 2000 gallons worked up into the headtank last night waiting for dad. Boiled it tonight in two hours. All my numbers are approximate becouse I pumped the sap out of a semi trailer and then Im filling 55 gallon drums so who knows exact. Looked like it made 40 gallons of syrup and looks like Im settling into 20 gallons of syrup per hour off my rig which I dont think is too bad for a 3 by 10. Pretty funny, we had the line froze to the head tank and dad thawed it out and accicently ran the flue pan way high. Well, Jerry got my evap working so good I can boil it hard full or low dont matter much. By the time dad got ready to draw I figured it would be a humdinger becouse all of the concentrate I put in the tank till I rinsed the membrane was 19%. It was a big draw all right, dad opened up the valve full throttle and it didnt stop till we had 20 gallons in front of us. He didnt seem to phased, he doesnt like to stay up at night real late either so we were both happy although he was a little surprised. Looks like were bearing down on 300 gallons. I think were pretty close. Big Berthas going to start dumping in a day or two and then were going to get some real sap I think. Ive got to keep the cracker barrell kids happy till you guys kick in up north. Zar

[Revi]

We're ready for that bigsap, but it looks like it won't be here for a couple of weeks. Really cold here until Friday, and then maybe we'll be back into sugaring weather...

We've had some problems with vandalism lately, but I hope we get them worked out before the season.

It seems like people who are too lazy to do work like to make trouble.

[Sugarmaker]

BIG FROZEN SAP if you have any outside right now!

That big run coming: well, we should be ready for it now!

Go get um Theron

Chris

[PATheron]

Chris- Sounds like things are going real good for you so far this season. Im getting things more finetuned thanks to all my good friends on the trader. Dave Y- Hope your getting that sap in the barrells. I just looked at the forecast and HOLY BIGSAPSICKLES, YOU BETTER STOKE THAT THING AND STOKE IT GOOD!!!!, YOUVE GOT RECORD BOOK CATAGORY BIGSAP COMIN!!! 9 STRAIGHT DAYS OF BUCKET BUSTIN RUNS!!! Youll have crop end of next week. Have a happy. Theron

[Jeff E]

Thanks Jerry and Czar, I hope to be over 3000 next season on vac, all on my 40, plus what I buy from neighbors/friends, maybe 500 taps worth on Gravity.

I think full bank 7" is the ticket...I will start counting pennies and see where I am at....its a good thing we don't have business managers, they would kill us or have the board take away our cards and check books!!!

[PATheron]

Dont mention it Jeff. I can keep you in ideas to spend more money. Im sick of spending money too so thats why Im using my old press. Look guys this is the deal starting thursday of this week. Im not saying this is the best run of all time Im just saying its EVEN BETTER THAN THAT! WE ARE TALKING THIS ONE WILL BE TALKED ABOUT FOR GENERATIONS!!! GET YOUR REST THIS IS THE MOTHER LOAD OF ALL SAP RUNS!! MAYDAY!! MAYDAY!!! I was going to go string tube and put some gravity taps in tonight but man its cold. Had to take the night off. Got the chills, headache, feel kind of like dog crap so to speak. Gonna have to regain my strength tonight and tomarrow for the big one. So many trees so little time. All that R.O.ing this weekend must of wore me down. Only so many episodes of Ax-men Booy and I can watch in a 24 hour period. Gonna have to rest back up. Theron

[Parker]

A friend of mine tells a story of one year on Kearsage mountian where sap ran (HARD) night and day for a week straight,,then, ran during the day for 20 more days (HARD),,,cant remember the # of taps,,1500? or the gallons of product produced (750?)but they had the 4x12 going 24 hours a day---and were making trips to the sawmill for slabs,,The great sap gods were smiling down on their children,,,,,CAN YOU DIG IT??
Think it just might be one of those years my friends,,,just mabey,,,,
Gonna start here Sunday,,,,,,,

[PATheron]

Guys- Just checked the weather and all I have to say is GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Amber Gold]

Checked the extended forecast and looking at a week of 40's during the day and 20's at night. Get those pumps warmed up, tanks cleaned, and wood stacked. It's going to be a long week.

[Jeff E]

Parker, that would be AWESOME...in the true sense of the word. It seems we build systems and tap thinking of maximizing the piddles we have gotten used to over the last few years.

I had 4 days last year were it ran good, early April, during and after a spring snow storm. I WAS BURIED and EXAUSTED. We got about the same about of sap in those 4 days as the rest of the year combined. More sap at the end of 18 hour boils than when I started. Makes for good stories.

I cant imagine 20 days like that, with the old system. Tubes, RO's, no breakdowns, I would have a chance to actually enjoy a run like that.

[3rdgen.maple]

Just checked our local forcast here starting tomorrow there is 11 days out the next 14 that is great sapweather. I cannot recall ever having a stretch of weather like this. If it holds true man are we in for the motherload. Get lots of sleep sapmen we are gonna need it. Good boiling to all.

[PATheron]

BIGSAP UPDATE- HOLY SAPBUCKETS IS IT EVER GOING TO RUN! Put 60 more taps out last night in the dark kind of a vac gravity hybrid. Hitting the buckets today. Im sick and tired of hearing about all the bucket bigsap going on so Im hanging them myself. Cant wait to go back to drillin. MAKE ME PROUD MEN, GO GET THE BIGSAP. Theron

[maplecrest]

good thing you have youth behind you theron. i feeling the growing pains and i have not boiled yet. finishing in the sugar house today. water in the r/o , soak for 24 hours then rinse. new air pump on filter press replacing gear pump. welder comming to fix leak in 1500 perm tank. put my new draw off tank on cart next to other one and plumb them togather to filter press. ran other one over all the time last year and tended to make some heavy syrup. put my new pan washer togather and i will be ready for sap in the am friday. not going to freeze here for three days the way it looks. got 7200 tapped 4 vac stations and releasers.

[michelle32]

Just starting to drip here in the buckets by the house.

[PATheron]

Jeff- I got the youth but I think its on its last legs. Pretty sore. Started running yesterday but the ground is still rock hard. Ran though the night and Id say just guessing Ive got maybe 1500 gallons. I think the ground needs to thaw which it did last night some. I think today may be pretty good. Had awefull time with my vac yesterday. Couldnt get over 22 or 23". Tunked spiles. Made a better cooler setup for the pump lines. Finally found an open 3/4 mainline. Fixed it and now Im at 26 at the sugarhouse releaser and 25 across the road. Very happy with that. Hard to believe with the pump per tap ration. Now Im ready for a good hard run which looks to be coming. Started putting buckets out last night and hope to get maybe a 100 in this weekend and neighbor wants to run a 100 too. Basically any component laying around that will make a hole in a tree and hold some sap goes in the woods this weekend. Other night ran a 1000' lateral with roughly 60 taps on it and stuck it on the system. Ill tell you what Im sure the vac is terreble but boy the sap really runs in it. Basically now Im at the point where Im gonna just throw things at the woods and see what sticks. Hopin to make a little syrup this week. Hope everyones havin fun. Thats what its all about. Forgot to mention this, My coolant line was getting a little warm on the pump so Had a brainstorm and went downstairs and got my 14' rowboat and filled it with cold wanter and put some of the loops in it and went up to the pond and cut big blocks of ice with the chainsaw and threw them in it. Worked dang good. Gonna rig up a better system for next year but Ill tell you what the boat worked pretty good. Hopefully today Ill have good vac and can just go have fun stringin buckets. Theron

[PATheron]

SAPS RUNNIN HARRRRRRRRRRRRD!!! Stringin buckets and ro'in sap. Big boil tomarrow. Theron

[caseyssugarshack93]

saps running hard here, pumps still running, just got done filling the honda up with gas,

[PATheron]

Update from BIGSAP ZAR residence- Think dad and I have kind of found our groove finally. Had the normal setbacks and mess ups like everyone but things are starting to smooth out. Got quite a bit of sap so far but sugar has been light so its not making as much syrup as last year. R.O runs pretty steady. Weve kind of settled in to 20% concentrate and it seems to work good for us. Were making nice syrup, color and taste, and it comes off at around 20 gallons per hour which is pretty fast for a 3 by 10. Makes it nice. Im still tapping in. Put out 150 buckets this weekend and made a setup for the kids to collect. Should be pretty fun. Have good vac on the bush. Runs at right around 25" which Im very happy with. Hope everyone is having fun. Jeff E- Whats the latest? Is your stuff running like heck? Theron

[danno]

Update from BIGSAP ZAR residence- Think dad and I have kind of found our groove finally. Had the normal setbacks and mess ups like everyone but things are starting to smooth out. Got quite a bit of sap so far but sugar has been light so its not making as much syrup as last year. R.O runs pretty steady. Weve kind of settled in to 20% concentrate and it seems to work good for us. Were making nice syrup, color and taste, and it comes off at around 20 gallons per hour which is pretty fast for a 3 by 10. Makes it nice. Im still tapping in. Put out 150 buckets this weekend and made a setup for the kids to collect. Should be pretty fun. Have good vac on the bush. Runs at right around 25" which Im very happy with. Hope everyone is having fun. Jeff E- Whats the latest? Is your stuff running like heck? Theron


20 gph on a 3x10 - amazing.

I've heard a few talking about low sugar. I've been between 1.5 and 2, but closer to 1.5. Without an RO, that's allot of boiling for not so much syrup. Wondering what all this rain is gonna do - probably increase sap volume, decrease sugar? Our ground is just saturated - gotta figure 3" rain this weekend with more tomorrow.

[Parker]

TTHHHEEE(littelpress)RRROOONN-How much have you made-and where is Dave Y?

[PATheron]

Parr(so much wood even marvin cant eat it up)ker- Near as I can tell right now weve got with what Im concentrating right now close to 450 gallons maybe. I just cap em and see if I can wait dad out on moving them. Figure if he has to stumble over them maybe hell move them when Im gone. Those 55s are toughys. My sap has been low in sugar compared to last year so Ive tried to counter act it with more taps. Done a pretty good job on that front. Looks like two weeks of constant freeze thaw so Im going to be pretty tired but once its over itll have been worth it I think. Got a call from Dave Ys friend last night. Hes got bout the same taps I have I think and that big run last week in 24 hours I guess he got like 8000 gallons. Well they started boiling on friday and havent shut down since. Dave boils all day and his buddy boils at night. They figure they can boil 2000 gallons in 24 hours. He said itll take till this thursday to catch up on everything but I think its going to start running hard tomarrow so it might get ugly. Im roing nights and boiling days. If I run it to 20% I can keep up ok. Little hairy first draw. Kind of makes dad a little jumpy but hell get used to it. I asked him about 25% but hes apprehensive( a little chicken). Ill wait and surprise him one of these days when he gets this down. Only thing that sucks about the high concentrate theres always BIG MONEY in a small area. I fill the head tank theres several thousand dollars in there kind of makes a guy paranoid but I guess you gotta be tough. Oh well, keep us posted. Get Marvin something to boil. Theron

[Jeff E]

Well, we got sap in the sugar house...We started tapping on Thursday, and had trouble getting the pumps to perform, getting the sap up the hill to the sugar house. I resolved it by adding another pump station partway up the hill. The real solution may be putting in a larger transfer tube, so I have less line friction loss...$$$$

We have a big storm coming, going from 45 today to -6 tomorrow night, 10 to 15 inches of snow and 40 mph winds...a doozy.
Since this storm is coming, I shut down the vac tonight, with 450 gallons of sap in the tank. Drained the lines, opened valves at the ladders, etc and prepared for the big freeze.

Starting Friday, we will get into a spell of good sap weather.

I am learning a LOT about this now that I have the equipment running. Finding leaks, learning about hollow trees. I am still needing to resolve my sap transfer issues.
Here are the details. 1 pump has to move sap uphill 47', over about 500'.
I have a 1 horse pump into a 1" line for this, going up maybe 35', then a 3/4 horse to finish the lift, into another 1"

The other is a 1200' run, going up about 32'. This is a 3/4 horse into a 1" for the whole run. It is pretty slow, and will probably not keep up on a big day.

ANY thoughts or advice?

[markcasper]

Jeff, Maybe would have been ok to leave vacuum on til tomorow. Not really suppossed to freeze til later in the day.

[PATheron]

Jeff- I have the same pain with the pumping too. Ive thought before maybe it would be easier to just haul it if a guy had a way but I pump and its ok if things dont freeze up. What I do with my vac pump is usually just leave it run all the time unless its going to freeze up for several days. Everyone needs to do what works good for them. Mine is electric and I dont know what yours is but with the electric its easier to do that. Ive got runs by accident that will pay for a months electric. For instance last week the last freeze was maybe thursday then it was above freezing all that time. The sap never stopped and Ive never seen it ever stop if its above 32 degrees. Itll slow down at night but I still may have like 6 or 800 gallons drizzle in then the next day itll take right off and run fairly good. 25" of vac is an intirely different ball game. South wind and no freeze will slow it down but it wont stop. I try not to shut the pump off till the lats are well froze up too to minimize the sap going back to the holes. If your running gas it may not be possable to do that for sure but thats how I do it. Hope my experiances are of some help. Theron

[Jeff E]

Thanks Mark, Theron,

I agree, I should have WAAANNNTTED it more. Let the pump run through the night, and drain just prior to freeze up.

I had to go into work and travel to Superior this morning, 70 miles from home, so I was not going to be around to do the drain during the day today. Unless I did it this morning, early. Again, I need to WAAAAANT it! (That's PA-ese for strongly desire)

I am DEFINATELY going for it after this storm, set the pump to turn on at 33 let it go until the buds takes over.

Stick with me guys- I am learning! Don't give up on me yet!!! I will get some pics of the pump houses, Releasers and such.

Hey, I learned another thing. If you get a bunch of guys together to help you tap, PUT THEM THROUGH A TRAINING RUN, AND BABY SIT THEM AWHILE!!!

I had thought with the drops right there by the Maples, it would be a no brainer. In looking for leaks, I have found the drops stretched out to reach a nearby oak, the tap hole put in the middle of a split in the tree, One solid maple growing next to a dead, hollow maple, and yup, the tap in the dead one.

85% where done right, so it was still a big help, but again, I learned something!\

Jeff, waiting on the storm

[KenWP]

Big sap here in Quebec finally. I have 4 trees running now. Has to be a drop every 10 seconds on the best ones. The jury is still out on boxelder sap as it seems to have a funney taste compared to the real maples. If it does not improve will pull the taps and put them in out in the forest and haul good sap instead.

[markcasper]

Jeff, I had a guy helping me yesterday. I do the drilling, he put in adaptors and pound them in.

I needed more adaptors, said to him I will go to truck and get them, asked him to drill while I was gone. I came back and the holes were all pointed down into the tree, not down and away from the tree.

[Jeff E]

I think we need to produce the SAPPER HELPER TRAINING VIDEO. Post it online for all to see the basics.

My wife said, put together a cheater card for all the helpers to keep on hand.

OBSERVE tree for cracks, damaged areas. Only drill in sound wood.

1. Is depth stop installed on drill bit?
2. Drill in straight to insure round hole, not waivering, creating oblong hole.
3. Drill at slight angle up into tree so sap runs out.
4. Orient tap (and tube) so sap runs downhill into collection line/bucket
5. Seat tap into hole by tapping in only until seated. DO NOT DRIVE IN PAST TAPERED part of tap.

[mountainvan]

This is not a drill!! This is a sap tsunami warning for the Catskill Mountains. Tanks were empty at 12:00, tanks were full at 6:00!! Put on your life jackets and get ready to swim in sap!

[KenWP]

Rub it in guys. I thought I had a flood for about a hour. Half my trees actually started flowing and then stopped dead and dried up. At this rate I won't need to make my preheater work.

[Brian Ryther]

Tanks are overflowing every 4 hours. No time to sleep. must go back and collect.

[markcasper]

So...HOLY BIGSAP MOTHERLOAD, is that what you meant?

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Me Too, HEEEELLLLLPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Parker]

Alert Level Double Orange!!!!man Stations And Plan On Being There A While!!!!!!!!

[Russell Lampron]

Yeah BIGSAP coming out of our ears. The buckets didn't do much but the vacuum was pulling in the mother of all sap runs. Calling in sick today so I can stay home and play.

[tapper]

I have buckets running over and everything was empty 12 hours ago.

[PATheron]

BIGGGG SAPPPP!!!- Running good here too guys. Just froze the other night and I got home and had 3000 gallons plus at 4pm from just that day. Was running hard too and ran all night and still running hard now. Made 50 gallons syrup last night in about 2 and a half hours. That sap was from other day. Had to quit running new sap in my ro tanks this morning or I was afraid I wouldnt get a batch worked up for this afternoon. Ro been running 13 hours and last I checked the 1500 gal tank was mostly full and it was putting 11% stuff back in it so must be a pretty sweet tank. Hope to make 100 gallons this afternoon. Not much time for sleep either. Got done boiling and had to go help my local syrup buddy fix an electrical problem so he could keep plugging and only got maybe 3 hours. Gotta be tough. Looks like next two weeks are nonstop sunami. Thats good, gotta FILL SOME BARRELLS. Theron

[maplecrest]

theron i made 300 gallons last nite big sap r/o washing now for next big run that is thawing now

[danno]

Yupper - she's a runnin'. Had the tanks empty when I left for work yesterday morning. Temp was 32. By 5:00 tank was full - that's about a gallon and half per tap. Boiled that tank last night and she's close to full again.

[tapper]

I just gathered 610 gal 2 1/2 % sap from 245 roadside taps. I still have 400+ gallons to gather up from tubing taps.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Way to go Jon, sounds like you are having a good year.

[PATheron]

Sounds like things are coming alive all over now. How about the rest of you guys up north? Things starting to happen? Brandon- Is your season about over. Jeff- You got the idea with the bigger Ro. That would sure be nice. Were gettin it done but litte on the tough side. Thats Ok though gotta work within your means. Are you in full swing now Jeff? Theron

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Theron,

Appears that it is about done down here. Short and sweet season but that's the way it goes. Vacuum would have helped some this year, but hard to make a lot of syrup when you only get basically four runs the entire season. Still keeping the fingers crossed for another small run or two.

After 4 weeks, the trees can't take 50's to 70 degrees for 7 straight days with no freezing.

[PATheron]

Brandon- Thats sugaring Im afraid. Ive always thought that you take what you get with this stuff and be happy becouse really its totally out of your control. Your kind of at the southern outskirts of the sugaring area so I can see the warm weather doing that to you. We actually have the same problem here a lot of years. The vac does help but its expensive and somewhat problematic so what do you do. Right now, knock on wood, things are humming along properly here. I got 9 hours of sleep last night so I kind of recharged like the trees. Last two nights I got 4 and 3 hours sleep so it felt good. We got a freeze night before last and it barely hit 32 degrees and this was after several nights of warm and it was off to the races. Got enough sap off that run to make maybe 80 or 90 gallons then it ran all night no freeze yesterday it picked up and ran like heck and got another 4000 plus gallons of sap. Very amazing with the high vac. Definitely a whole different ball game. Here the gravity stuff has done very little. So now Im cought up except the 4000 plus or minus gallons. Doesnt look like it will run much today so I should be able to get back at it and get on that sap. Feel real lazy this morning. Hope everyone is having fun. Theron

[Russell Lampron]

Brandon vacuum would help you out alot. When you have those warm spells when it doesn't run on gravity you can still get sap with vacuum. It has saved my season many times since I have started using it. Like The(highvacuum)ron said it is kind of problematic but the extra sap more than makes up for the problems.

[maplecrest]

just finished a 48 hour marthon made 502 gallons. all with dairy pumps at 17 inches of vac. have not got l/r pumps out yet. r/o is a bit of a dissapointment. my 1200 i had last year would drink 1600 gallons of sap an hour and make 8 percent with nice clean early sap. this new on with 2 7.5 high pressere pumps and three membranes will not drink 1200 an hour and make 6 percent. go figure thats what i call progress? but after all that it is 16 degrees with a wind chill of 10 below here in i have sap to boil later.

[ennismaple]

We boiled for the first time yesterday. We had some sap from the weekend and it only got above freezing from supper time on Tuesday to supper time yesterday. It ran OK but the crazy winds (like 50mph crazy) kept it from going hard. It should be a good weekend.

[cncaboose]

We had a HUGE day yesterday getting 400 gallons from 235 buckets. Lost another 50+ to dropped buckets from the 50 mph winds and being too full. It started running Tues aft and went all night til quitting Wed evening. I'm bushed. Boiled til midnight, still leaving sap in the tank, and then one of my farm clients calls at 5 AM with a cow with her uterus out. What fun.

[KenWP]

Which is harder 15 hours of syrup or a prolapse. I might take the prolapse .

[Jeff E]

Awesome runs out there....sounds fun and exhausting.

We have been back in the deep freeze, minus 12 F this morning. Tomorrow afternoon it is to get back up to 35 and then next week looks like show time all week.

I am looking forward to it, as I hope to get the vac running tomorrow and get the final leak check done, and be set for the big week.

I believe we have to WAAANNNNTT it, and I do!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I agree that with vaccum, I could probably make 150 gallons or even 200 gallon of syrup per year, but living 30 minutes away and lots of days I don't get to the sugarhouse, vacuum would be a bad idea. My idea of vacuum is more taps and that is why I have as many as I do. I don't have the time or energy to make 150 gallon of syrup each year and my taps are scattered in 3 different locations well away from the sugarhouse, so that also kinda kills that notion. I could run aprox 250 taps on vacuum right to the sugarhouse, but not a good idea when sometimes I don't come over for 4 or 5 days if not much is happening.

I have the KISS idea of making syrup(keep it simple stupid) LOL!

I may add another 100 or so taps before next year as I had plenty of help this year and hopefully would again this year. Last Saturday when we boiled off 930 gallons was really the first time I had hardly done any boiling the entire season. I do all the maintenace, most of the collecting, cutting and hauling of the wood and all the other preparations and helpers do the boiling and help some with the collecting.

[PATheron]

Brandon- Dont blame you, if I was that far from the bush I dont think I would either. Be pretty tough anyway. Has to have pretty regular attention. If you were wanting to make a living at it youd have to do it in my opinion but thats not your end goal so might as well have fun and what you get you get. Kind of nice not worrying if something is broke and just go see if the sap ran. Boy, here the gravity guys are having a tough time of it too. I dont think anyone in this area has done much unless they have the vac. It amazes me the difference in the sap you get. When we were kids here you could do pretty good on gravity but anymore we dont seem to get the weather thats just right for it. Probly just trends in the weather. 30 years doesnt mean much to this earth. Could be some cycle. Theron

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It seems to do pretty good here year in and year out on gravity. 3600+ gallons of sap from only basically 4 runs is pretty good in my opinion. I am very far south, but in a good weather area to make syrup and the temps are normally right most years, just not this year. Either way, it has been fun and good sugar content. I was figuring last night I am averaging about 19.5 gallons of syrup per cord of wood and that is up from what I used to average with was always 15 to 1. I am boiling sap under 2% sugar and at a 46 to 1 sap to syrup ratio and with an 8' evaporator, 19.5 to 1 is tremendous in my opinion with that low sugar content. It appears I have enough wood to boil close to 7,000 gallon of sap in my shed, so that is good to know if we hit the motherload for a season in a couple of years. I have it stacked 6'+ high, so I guess I could stack a little higher.

Either way, it's been a very enjoyable year and has went smooth and quick with only 6 boils which helps the wood average some.

I keep changing the tubing setup some every year trying to perfect it and with almost everything on 5/16 and the changes, the sugar content seems to get a little better every year. I know some of it has to do with the prior growing season and the winter, but the less bacteria in the tubing and spouts and the better the design, the less chance for it to grow and the higher the sugar content and the more light syrup.

[Russell Lampron]

Brandon I can see where you are coming from. You've got to do what works best and keeps it fun for you.

[KenWP]

With vacuum what is the chances of looseing more trees. I could never do it here as its 500 ft between trees and over a half mile to the last tree. But there are trees running but so very little its not worth dumping the buckets. I actually have no idea what to expect as this is my first year in Quebec let alone tapping trees.

[PATheron]

Ken- The vac wont hurt the trees at all. Proctor research center says that drilling the hole is more damaging than any amount of sap you get. They claim that you are only getting a fraction even with the vac. Jeff- How many days run was the 500 gallons from? You do really good with the dairy vac once you get those ring pumps on line it should be something else. Looked like nothing was going to run today here like yesterday becouse of the cold but I just looked and it looks perfect this afternoon now. Im going to take a half day off I guess and come home and get to ro'ing. Ive still got over 4000 gallons of sap from the other day to do and lots of other work so better get back to it I guess. Two full nights sleep in a row sure felt good. Bought an electric hoist last night to move drums. The 55's are very heavy. Gonna have a nice fix on that today I think. Ennis- How you guys makin out boiling? Who's the draw off man? Are you managing ok? Other day I was over to Richards(sugarmaker) and checked out one of his bushes when it was running good. It was a 10,000 tap bush on high vac. Ill tell you what that was pretty spectacular. I was impressed to see such a good vac level on that many holes. It came in to a 15,000 tap releaser and then went to jet pumps right into a semi trailer. The sap was coming in so hard the mainlines were jumping up and down. All a guy can say is wow. It was a whole valley tapped. Ill tell you what if Im ever rich and famous Im going to tap a valley like that too. That was really something. Hope everyones havin fun. Theron

[PATheron]

Brandon- I forgot I was going to tell you with the high concentrate Im boiling Im guessing Im getting about 100 gallons of syrup per cord with my evap. I think its a little over that actually. Im going to figure it out exact. That is pretty cool for me with trying to do so much volume with such a little rig. I need every advantage I can get. Theron

[maplecrest]

theron i got that sap in 48 hours and finished boiling that run out yesterday. 536 was the total count. started on the l/r pumps yesterday putting on pallets so i can move with tractor loader. strapping cooling tanks and pumps so in the future i can move them out and go get them and store with out so much hassle. still working out the cooling loops ect.will be nice not to baby sit those dairy pumps

[tapper]

I have 330 woods tree taps on tubing for the 1st time this season. This last 24 hour run they averaged 1.5 gallons per tap giving me 485 gallons of sap.

200 of these taps are on red maples. I know it was more because one tank was running over before I could get to it.

I also have 265 buckets all on road trees. During the same 24 hr run the buckets averaged 2.5 gallon per tap with a total of 660 gallons of sap.

We gathered the buckets in the morning and they ran hard the rest of the day. I didnt have tank room to gather them that day so they are sitting froze up but I estimate another 200 gallons in the buckets yet from the same run.

This entire run the wind was out of the south but mostly from the east where sap is supposed to run the least. Would I be still boiling if it were out of the north or west??

The last time I remember a sap run like this was 11 years ago with somewhat the same weather conditions. Rainy and windy.

[PATheron]

Jeff- Keep those new pumps as cold as you can. You can chase leaks till your blue in the face and you wont do as much as you will cooling the pump off. If its steaming much its probly running at half the cfms. If your system is tight you better get the kinks out of that ro becouse your going to get sap like youve never seen at 17". I think you live in a particularly good spot to make sap anyway but at 25" all you need is 32 degrees and really not much else. The sap you get is going to be a lot, one %$#@ of a lot or holy #$!@ what am I going to do with all this stuff? You know all that youve been living next to Wheeler all these year. Theron

[KenWP]

My brilliant idea has been to increase my taps hopeing for a couple of good runs this year. I figure I will be swamped maybe a couple of days which will hopefully make up for the days nothing pours. If I disapear its because I am out watching sap boil.

[Dill]

Next week looks like big sap in NH, from Saturday on, high 40s during the day and 20 at night. Bring it on.

[Amber Gold]

I agree, but let me get my evaporator fixed first. Hope to have it completed tonight and boiling tomorrow. Can't find arch board anywhere close by. I could use a few sheets to do it right.

[ennismaple]

Theron - My brother and uncle did a lot of the firing on Day 1 while I worked out the RO. We were very focussed on getting it running while managing our sap levels so we didn't try too hard to get our sugar perfect. The colour was so good we packed it all in 10 L jugs for use as sugar or maple butter so if we're over 66.5 Brix it doesn't matter. Tomorrow we'll get the refractometer working properly and our sugar perfect so we can package for retail.

The weather looks great for the weekend - I expect MONSOOOOOON SAAAAAAP in Lanark County over the next 5 days!!!!!

[KenWP]

Almost warm enough today for sap tp run. If the wind would stop it would be pretty nice out. It's a wait and see thing as far as I can tell.

[802maple]

I agree, but let me get my evaporator fixed first. Hope to have it completed tonight and boiling tomorrow. Can't find arch board anywhere close by. I could use a few sheets to do it right.

You can get arch board at SALEM REFRACTORIES in Londonderry New Hampshire. 603 434 4455.

[Amber Gold]

Thanks Jerry...much appreciated. Just found out they work 8-3. No dice today.

I'm going to take out some of my wall today and open the front up some more. I opened the back up using the cleanout on the back of the arch and there was a difference in the amount of steam generated. If I open that back up and it runs good, I'll leave it as is until the sap flow slows down, if not I'll tear it apart tomorrow morning and rebrick.

[Father & Son]

Disappointing in N W Pa today. Rushed home from work to find 0, zip, zilch, nadda in the buckets. At 4 pm it must have just started. A few taps dripping, but only a few drops in the bottom of the buckets.

Jim

[Jim Brown]

Father& Son-Jim we had our pumps on for 4 hours today and did not pull 2 GALLON!!

Well I hope tomorrow is better:(

Jim

[gator330]

I have two tanks set for the great big run That was promised to take place today!!! It just started to drip. Still looks good for Saturday and Sunday.

[KenWP]

I had one boxelder thats out in the sun start to run and then freeze up today. I can only hope that 45 degrees tomorrow will get things moving.

[mountainvan]

Get ready for blurred vision, wobbly knees, seeing steam coming off the evaporator when you close your eyes, and the sound of the sap flowing into the tanks when, and if, you drift off to sleep. This is the big sap big money week coming up.

[KenWP]

I would be so amazed if I ever got a bucket of syrup. The forecast here is for maybe 45 by 5 in the afternoon. Takes that temperature for things to start moving. I have found that if the snow dosn't get slushy here the trees just sit there. I have my fingers crossed anyways.

[PATheron]

Bigsapzar report- Yesterday pretty much everything went wrong that could but Im happy to report that the sap is currently headed for the barrells. Working down 4000 plus and I think mostly plus into something I can boil. Just went out and rinsed the R.O. Had to buy another honda sap pump last night becouse of an older pump seizing up. Gonna boil this morning and clean the R.O. and off to the races again. Ive never seen weather coming at us like this. Pretty much feel on the crappy side with never getting decent sleep but only two more weeks and its all over. PARRRRRRRRKER- next two weeks were going to "MAKE HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I think this is going to be one of those runs like grandpa sugarmaker tells stories of for decades. Theron

[Russell Lampron]

Theron I hope that you can survive the #%$*astrophy sap that is coming our way. The weather looks perfect for the next 10 days here. Stock up on Boiling Sodas and evaporator fuel everyone the BIGSAP is coming.

[maple flats]

I don't put much trust in the 10 day, but the 5 day sure looks promising. Expected to start today early afternoon, and again mid morning tomorrow. In the meantime I am re cleaning the front pan to be ready. Get that wood ready, here it comes!

[KenWP]

Everyday that its warm enough for sap to drip another couple of trees start dripping so I expect that this next week will tell the story. St. Pats day looks really good here.

[Revi]

We are getting perfect weather here again. Last night was cold, but now it's flowing big time again. We are going to have to boil tomorrow and some time early next week for sure.

The bigsap warning is up for Central Maine.

Get your boots on and get ready for the flood!

Keep some dry wood and easily burned furniture around.

We're going to need it!

[Parker]

A SAPTASTROPHE!!! Love it-just in from hanging 100 buckets (there iare some BIG trees on my road)-I was feeling a littel cockey today-wanted to get more taps out-pipe in the air-did not boil the 1400 gallons on hand- got the vac. pumps running around 11AM-ran pretty good- supposed to be good weather right along,,,,1995 taps sunk.( another 250 buckets in the pickup to clean tonight).should have a good long boil tommrow.I want the bigsap!!!!

[PATheron]

PARRRRRRKER- I wish you could have been down here yesterday to see the sap run. I want you to focus real hard becouse Im only going to tell you this twice. ITS THE MOTHER RUN BROTHER!! We were definitely making history last night. I try not to shoot it to the tanker trailer becouse then I have to pump it back up but it ran so hard yesterday I had to becouse it was coming in faster than the R.O. could get rid of it. The belley releaser was dumping every couple minutes. Looked like the lines were clearing out in the morning but this was an actuall run. Coming cloudy from the trees though. Been warmer but I think it will straighten back out. Hope everyone is having fun. Bet even you northerers get a hard run today. Theron:lol:

[maplecrest]

spent last 2 days getting l/r pumps going. one bush at 26 inches, one at 24 and hope to get the last one working today. sap has been slow to get this done. found 30 adapters that leak have holes in them from when made. that was a pain now i have to check all 7000. more progress

[Russell Lampron]

What brand of adapters are you using Jeff?

[maplecrest]

cdl they have a small hole in the molding. found more this am arrrh.

[PATheron]

:lol: Weve been getting an awefull lot of sap here last two days. Day before yesterday it was coming just off my hill faster than the R.O. could get rid of it which is over 300 gallons per hour. Im about 3000 gallons behind right now. Its in one section of the semi trailer. If I didnt have the trailer that 3000 would be on the ground no question. I just keep working up a batch and then cleaning the R.O. and repeat. Im actually getting a lot of things plumbed up better with the pumps and thats nice. Just trying to keep up and we are, Hope everyong is getting CRAZY, INSANE, BUCKETBLASTIN SAP!!! If you guys up north arent you should be soon. Theron

[KenWP]

Sap Sunday just started to flow like it wants to show me what is got. If the weather forcast is correct I can expect sap like yesterday for the next two weeks. I haven't got enough to boil yet but if today and tuesday is as good as sunday I am boiling wensday as I can not let it get to far ahead of me. Things are goingto get intresting to say the least.

[gmcooper]

The BIGSAP started to show up finally. Best day Sunday in years. Finally got the vacuum system up to par. Running at 25" and holding! Replaced my CDL releaser with a new Laperier unit. Gained 4" vacuum with just that change. The old unit certainly had more leaks than I thought.
Now i've got to keep up with the sap. Already have a tank full at the woods and still have a few hundred gallons at home at the sugar house.


Theron hows it feel to get the big sap??? Nothing bettter than getting swamped!
Mark

[Jeff E]

Question for all of you.
What is the relationship between frost in the ground and BIG SAP.
Tell us if you have frost and if you are into BIG SAP

We have had sap running a bit for about a week, no big days yet. We still have frost in the ground though, and snow in the woods. Today it will get to 60, and stay above freezing for about 72 hours. That might do in the frost here.

[markcasper]

Jeff, From my experience, frost plays a BIG role. We won't get any BIGSAP until that frost is nearly gone. I have a neighbor who does 1600 bags and he has a gently sloping north woods. I talked to him this morning and is holding off on tapping for a few more days, he says with no freezing at night and 60's, they'll just dry up early. Have you checked out the 2 week ? Weather doesn't bode well for a good year.

[KenWP]

The old timers here figure that a year with too many thaws in the ealy months of winter affects the sap when this time of year comes around. They figure a good hard winter then spring is the best to have. Last winter it thawed once a week here and the harvest sucked so could be true.

[gmcooper]

Jeff,
We've still got frost in the ground here in the open and in the woods. Still have a good amount of snow. 18" in the woods 12" in the fields but we have some bare ground in the sunny and windswept locations. Our worst seasons since 1989 have been the years with 36"+ frost (took forever to thaw) and the years with no frost. Providing there were decent days weather wise for sap to run.
Once the frost is gone and the snow is gone we seem to end fairly quickly most years.
Just my opinion
Mark

[TapME]

plenty of frost in the ground here also and the sap is flowing at about a gallon a tap here. 150 gallons from 160 taps and no vac. I would say that is good for us here.

[KenWP]

The trees out in the open seem to do the best. I have one tree starts up first and then the others follow. need to get rid of the snow around the trees in the woods to getthem moving.

[3rdgen.maple]

For a lack of coming up wth my own words ( sorry patheron) I finally got BUCKETBLASTIN TSUNAMI BIGSAP. Holding tank is full gathering tanks are full could not keep up with it today. Finally got the holding tank boiled off enough to empty the last holding tank just to fill it up again. If it runs tomorrow which it will I'm in BIGSAP trouble. Gotta take 3 service calls and finish a 4 color press install tomorrow before I can get back to boiling. I guess I will be making a stop at TSC for another tank.

[PATheron]

Jeff- I dont think that down here it runs very good till most of the frost is gone just like you said. Once the ground thaws out and then you get the temps it should run like heck. Youve got the power of high vac on your side so as soon as its thawed all you need is 33 degrees. We were getting unreal sap here to the point I was calling around for more tanks then yesterday it started slowing down. Its pretty warm and didnt freeze last night so its slowing down. Im working a batch up now and with the slow down I think I can get caught up tomarrow. It was cool to see the sap run like that. Been an exciting year so far thats for sure. You guys keep me posted on the BIG RUNS. Theron:) :)

[KenWP]

I even had a tree that amazed me yesterday. Froze good last night again so I expect today will be good also. I expect some extra sap today again. Hopefully boil Wensday so that I can go to Lodge Thurs. night.

[Revi]

Here's the graph from Proctor Maple Research Center. You can see that the sap is ratcheting up every day. It will be off the charts today and tomorrow!

http://users.gmavt.net/perkins/pressure.jpg

[Jeff E]

Interesting research from Proctor.

One good thing with this warm up and slow sap: It motivates me to tap more trees. Then when does start to run, I get buried!!!! I do it like this every year.

With the much improved processing equipment, I should be able to handle it this year.

Sunday we took 1400 gal of 1.85% sap, RO'ed it to 10%, and ran it through the 3x12. No blower, no preheater. Did it all in 2.5 hours. Smiles at the Emerson house!!! With working out the bugs in the pumping system last week, I was expecting similar troubles in the sugar house. I was very pleasantly surprised that there were no big issues, just a very busy filter.

[PATheron]

Jeff- Nice job on the BIGSAP!! Im very happy to hear that your wanting to tap more. Little update from the Zar. Ive really givin it my all. Been crankin out 80 gallons a day for a while now and right now Im 6000 gallons behind. Releasers both running 25 inches plus or minus a little. Havent had time to even look at the woods in about a week. I look like sh$#. Both elbows have severe tendinitus, havent had more than 4 hours sleep in several weeks, sugarshed looks like a syrup explosion, basically my health is in the toilet and just let me tell you BRING IT ON LORD, BRING IT ON!!!! Gonna take tomarrow off and do a marathon everything. R.O., boil, whatever. Pullin all the stops. If I can Im going to try to hit 1000 gallons tomarrow. Im sick of you guys pickin on me, runnin me down, sayin I dont WANNNNN ITTT bad enough, Im puttin this sap in the barrells if it kills me, I JUST DONT CARE!!! If I die before the season is out Ill be RUNNIN TUBE FORE JESUS!!!! Ill give you sugarmakers an update tomarrow night. Gonna drink some more boilin sodas. Theee(so much sap line you can see it from outer space)rooon.

[KenWP]

I have a tree that gave me 5 US gallons today. I could not believe a tree of mine could actually pour sap out that fast. If the rest start up I will be swamped. Not supposed to freeze tonight will that affect the run any.

[fred]

I have a tree that gave me 5 US gallons today. I could not believe a tree of mine could actually pour sap out that fast. If the rest start up I will be swamped. Not supposed to freeze tonight will that affect the run any.

i cant believe it gave you US gals.:)

[KenWP]

Trying to make it easyier on you guys and my one pail is in US gallons instead of liters.

[Jeff E]

Ken,

STOP TAKING OUR U.S. GALLONS!!!! We need them all down here! :D

TheCzarron, you go man. Jesus is pulling for you to make it down here so you can tap the heavenly Maples, Moses wants to try and part the sap in your big tank!!!

I am hoping to hear good reports on the barrel filling, and pint filling, and give a few of those myself soon.

[danno]

Looks like the big run is over - for now. Although the temps stayed in the 40's last night, sap undeer vacuum stopped at around 9:00 last night and did not start up this morning. First time sap has stopped while the temps were above freezing this season. Looks like we wait until the next frreze.

I have boiled 8 out of the last 10 days and the wood pile is hurting. Sugar content has stunk - but season will probably deliver about average due to the sap sunami.

[KenWP]

Not a drop here today either. Has to freeze thursday night and away we go again. My first boil today but am about 5 to 10 gallons short.

[PATheron]

BIGSAPZAR UPDATE- Started today with 7000 gallons made 50 gallons of nice syrup and going to end the day with 7000 gallons. R.O. needs a real good bath. Going to try throwing everything against the wall again tomarrow and see if anything sticks. All the vaca I can take will be used up this week. Looks like some of the bushes down here are shutting down maybe. Not sure about mine it keeps on running and it doesnt look like its budding out and the syrup tastes real good. See what happens. Hope everyone is getting there fill of maple for the year. Theron

[sapman]

Though not much was happening Tues. night, I left the vacuum going, and Wed. am had about 300 gal from 700 taps. By this evening probably about 600 total. Buckets have finally slowed or stopped, so it feels good to bring sap home anyway, not that I'm boiling tonight. 3 or 4 nights till 4 am is getting old. So here I am at the computer at 1:30 when I should be in bed 3 hours ago, but I needed to get more drops made.

Tim

[Russell Lampron]

The sap has been running every day since 3/10. I even got a little bit on the 12th and 13th when the temps struggled to get above freezing. The extended forecast looks like sap weather until the end of the month. Now I know what Theron feels like and I too say BRING IT ON!

[KenWP]

Not much going on here untill tomorrow. Never went below 40 again last night. The end of the month looks bad as they are forecasting above freezing temps at night for days at a time. Owell such is life. At least this temp should thaw out the other half of my trees not produceing sap yet.

[Parker]

I have a genuine SAPTASTROPHE on my hands,,tommrow will make 1/2 of my total for last year (in seven days) Got the blower working right on the evaporator-now I need to find alot more wood,,,

[PATheron]

Parkkkkk(so much wood you could stand it back up and have a whole forest)eeer- WERE MAKIN HISTORY BROTHER, MAKIN HISTORY!!! Saptastrophe down here too. Things are looking up this morning here in Northeastern Pa. Almost cought up only 6000 gallons behind this morning and the R.O. is down. Looks like a good run day too. May hit a new record of 10,000 gallons behind, a personal best for me. Must be Ive had to do too much with too little. I think the membrane must be packed full even though Ive tried not to let that happen. Got a new one should be here this morning UPS. No prob they said they have pallets of them and overnight delivery guess Im all set. Keep up the good work. Im TRYING to pull my weight down here. I tapped in January youd think theyed slow down some time. Keep Marvin smokin! Theeeeron:lol:

[KenWP]

Not supposed to go above freezeing today here. Quebec weather returned. But at least it froze I can hear those trees sucking sap up into those branches waiting for a warm day to pour them down into my buckets.

[gmcooper]

Finally got the sap tanks at the sugar house down to near empty. That was the good news. Tanks are full at the trees again and the wood shed is getting way down. Had to buy a couple pallets of kd pine to mix in to help stretch the rest of the wood. Also have my eye on the oak kitchen table (it's a bit to big for the room anyways!). Sugar content is still lower than I would like but need to make all the syrup I can.

Mark

[Jeff E]

You guys are cranking!!!

Here is Wisc. we piddling away...we are doing are part to keep the prices high by not producing much...YET

Our days of sapastrophe are ahead of us. I Have only had the evap running for maybe 6 hours total...this is not good.
On the brightside, I got another 60 trees on line with all my spare time after work!

Jeff in NW Wisc

[PATheron]

Par(so much smoke the astronauts think its a volcanic eruption)keeer- Got my new membrane today and things are starting to come together I think. Im hoping if I pump through the night I should have most of the sap out of the semi trailer by morning and the sugarhouse tanks pretty sweet by morning also. Gonna have to work till 3am and then Im shutting the R.O. down for a clean and getting some rest and tomarrow were going to be making some product. As for the product that will be I have only one thing to say. WERE MAKING MERSH HISTORY DOWN HERE BROTHER!! THIS IS MERSH OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY. Cant hardly keep it in the pans! Comin that way right out of the trees. Got bushes shutting down in the area but my january taps are still crankin out the product. Running 27 honest inches at the sugarhouse bush and 25 across the road. Sugarhouse bush is slowing down but across the road on the north bush ran a gallon per tap from noon to six today so those babys may hang in there a while. Pretty excited to see the end in sight. Been a rough year down here for the gravity guys. Basically theyve only had two runs. Looks like the vac and the early tapping is going to pay off for me this time around. You guys are just getting started so youll have to keep me updated on the BIGSAP. I may be bowing out soon. Hope everyone is having fun. Thee(concentrate so high were drawing off the flue pan)roon. :lol:

[3rdgen.maple]

Pat(so much steam it looks like a nuclear plant)heron a disappointment for us bucket guys to. Nothing like last year. Had one tsunami run and 4 little runs. Temps are either too high or way too low. Go figure. Nothing like having a tough time keeping up and then having to wait and wait and wait till it is worth boiling. What are you gonna do when the season ends for you? Probably take you atleast 10 months to clean all that equipment out just in time to start again There is no end in sight you got too much equipment to see that far. Not a bad problem to have though.

[Russell Lampron]

The buckets have been a disappointment here so far too. I am glad that most of my taps, about 550, are on vacuum. I have collected over 4500 gallons of sap here so far and last season I only got 4800 for the whole season. The weather looks good for the next ten days too. The six reds that have buckets on them haven't produced enough sap combined to fill one bucket so far while the 77 buckets on sugars have produced 400 gallons.

Theeee(it'sbeenalongseason)rooon you can hang those buckets if you want to but the more you can get on vacuum the better. Vacuum has saved my season more than once and this year is no exception.

[KenWP]

I am watching that temp gauge right now. Still at 20 degrees but has climbed in the last few minutes. Supposed to be warmerer then yesterday. Went to 42 yesterday but the wind.

[PATheron]

Ken- Hope it warms up for you today. Seems like its got to warm up up there sometime. Does it look like overall you guys may have a pretty good season? Theron

[maplecrest]

theron what did you get for a membrane?

[KenWP]

I would suppose that the guys with vacaum did well on those days it just barely run for me. There is a lot of snow in the woods still. I have watched the papers here but not much being said about maple. My mom lives in Alberta and their news has stuff about maple and our's dosn't go figure.

[gmcooper]

Finally got a small break in the sap flow. Emptied the tank at the sugar house last night and had everything picked up except the tank with vacuum. That one was full again about 8:30 last night. Looks like a good day again once it warms up today. Next week is looking very good. Wood pile is taking a huge hit. VAcuum system still hanging in at 23-25" and cranking out sap. Buckets and gravity tubing doing ok but less than last year.

Getting ready foir Maine Maple Sunday tommorrow. Should be a nice day and hopefully huge crowds that need syrup!

Mark

[PATheron]

Jeff- I did get the mark one. I was told the other one would pass sugar over 15% so wasnt sure what to do. I hadnt heard at that time that they were slow. Seems to be working real good. Gonna keep both and run a second membrane next year. Was pretty under equiped this year but have managed to get every thing in the barrel so pretty happy about that. Should be a lot easier next year. Hope you guys are making out good. Does it look like a good season for you guys? Theron