Tapping in Oswego

[Mulberryhillfarm]

Began tapping yesterday. Little flow...just enough to let you know spring is begining.

[sapman]

Hey Mullberryhill, where exactly are you? Not far from me, a little out of Fulton.

Tim

[The Sappy Steamer]

We tapped yesterday and today in the Southern Tier. Same deal, yesterday they were running as we were tapping, but today we were back to winter. Felt good to have a hint of Spring in the air anyways.

[3rdgen.maple]

3 inches an hour, snow that is, man we cannot get a break around here. Heading to florida for work be home thursday noonish, put the parts on the Junk deere i mean john deere and tap friday if I can get in the woods, If I was a betting man I would say we got 3 feet of fresh snow this weekend. Hopefully this weeks warm up will pack things down to get in the 3 bushes if not plow plow plow. Whats up with all the 3's? So I will open up the florida gates and send some sap weather up to central ny. Good luck all and hopefully I can join the maple madness soon.

[danno]

Man, when the snow melts off at the end of the season, you're going to need an extension ladder to pull out your taps.

[3rdgen.maple]

Danno tell me about it. It is kinda funny looking up the tree's in the summer and seeing tap holes above your head. Well maybe just a little exageration there but last year it sure looked funny when we had alot of late snow late in the season and when we pulled buckets you had to reach up to get them neighbors thought we were nuts. Good news is the ground did not freeze at all and the test taps run when the sun is shining on them so I don't have to worry about the thawing process when I tap this week.

[3rdgen.maple]

Well I made it back from Florida, Got the part in for the deere put it all back together, Dad already started tapping before I got home thursday. Tapped more today. Checked yesterdays taps and the buckets were overflowing. Slow going tapping the snow is so deep getting the tractor through is tough. Wish I had more time would have replowed the tractor paths. Good news we are tapping trees, Great news sap is running (WELL FOR NOW) Finish tapping tomorrow do a water boil to flush out evaporator Then boil baby boil. IT'S ABOUT TIME MAN AM I IMPATIENT.

[3rdgen.maple]

Check out the weather forcast gents. Saps on the way. If you have not tapped yet you better cause the big one is on its way.

[3rdgen.maple]

Gentlesapmen we are in trouble. MAN O MAN look at that weather report BIGSAP BIGSAP No rest for maple addicts for atleast2 weeks here. I should have not wished so hard.

[sapman]

I'm working like crazy to get things going! Had vacuum last night, started tapping today, gotta finish the hill tomorrow, then start the reds (install drops, saddles, then tap). Then hopefully start the roadside buckets Sunday. I've taken almost two weeks off now, and still stuff to do! Going to the hill right now to check on things.

Tim

[danno]

How are my CNY brothers? I tapped last Wednesday and picked up about 1200 gallons between Wed-Fri last week. I was away for a few days so the sap stayed frozen in the tanks. Had 1st boil last night - everything ran pretty smooth.

Sap started running about noon today, have picked up a couple hundred gallons and I can here the vacuum pump humming away as I type. Gonna be a crazy few days ... or more.

[3rdgen.maple]

Danno I don't think cazy is gonna be the word for it. Man the weather forecast looks awesome. We are almost all tapped just have 50 more to put in on saturday. Gotta save them for the kids to tap. Nephews, 2 sons, daughter, brothers and sister along with dad all tap the last 50 together. Just a little tradition we have. Other than that everything is buttoned up and waiting on nature to take over. Nice day today but No sap been pretty cold up till today so I will choke it up to a thaw day. Should be boiling Saturday. Test boiled the new evaporator today. I think I'm gonna have to pour concrete on the roof to keep it on there. Man does this thing rip. I was in awe. Good luck all be safe and happy boiling.

[danno]

Well, might be time for another holding tank - had to move sap around this morning so I would not lose any to the ground. I had both 600 gallon tanks to the brim and my 100 feed tank full as well.

Just finished boiling - emptied one of the big tanks and the feed tank - will wait for tomorrow for the other big tank. Just shut of the vacuum - too warm today and sap has slowed down.

[3rdgen.maple]

Well danno that is a nice problem to have isn't it. I am all tapped in except the 50 taps the kids do saturday. You said it was to warm and the sap shut down. 41 was the high here today. Drove to Syracuse 30 miles away and it was 62 there. I think my trees are still trying to thaw out. There is still a good 2 to 3 feet of snow pack here. Got a few trees that ran okay today maybe 1 1/2 gallons on each tap but nothing to write home about. Checked them just before dark and they are were just starting to drip for the most part. I'm thinking it will run all night as the temps are holding in the 30's. Let's hope so wanted to boil saturday but now Im thinking sunday.

[danno]

3rdgen -Amazing the differance in weather in the 45 minuted between Altmar and Syracuse. We have not had a snowpack here since mid Feb. People down her complain about the snow - they have no idea what it's like right up the road.

Have boiled about 1500 gallons down so far and have pretty much caught up. Sap ran slow last night and still running slow - have about 200 in the tank now. I'll tell ya - vacuum makes a huge differance. Been running for 24 hours now and our last freeze was Thursday night with highs in the 60's Friday.

Sugar content is coming up slowly.

[3rdgen.maple]

Well it ran alright last night thats for sure if you consider rainwater good. I will take that rain though helps get rid of that snow.. Walking in the stuff today was horrible, seems to be melting from the ground up. Take a step sink to your waste take a few more sink to your waist. Weather idiot says freezing overnight lets hope could realy use the sap.

[sapman]

Finally got a chance to check in here. Well, not really, I should have collected and be out boiling right now, but I need some rest.

Vacuum certainly does make a difference. On what finally became 577 taps, we got about 1600 gallons in a little over a day. Really slowed down by Friday night, though. Earlier in the day the releaser was dumping every 2-3 minutes, but that night only once in 8 minutes or so. Now that woods is on hold until the vacuum pump gets fixed, hopefully Tuesday, or tomorrow if Grainger has the part in stock.

We put out 200+ buckets today, and many were running well, surprisingly!

All the best to you CNY sugarmakers!
Tim

[3rdgen.maple]

Okay guys where are all the oswego county post? Would love to see some local updates. I know from my standpoint it has been a very very poor year. 100 more taps this year than the previous and still behind from last year. Looks to me that this week or by the 10th of april is it. Last 2 runs have produced B grade for me. Soft maples are budding. Plan on checking the sap on them if it runs tomorrow and if it is milky gonna pull the softs. I am dissapointed with the outcome this year. Sure hope to get atleast 1 more good run. So far we have gotten 2 good runs and a few poor ones. Snow is gone here as of sunday so we will have to see. On another note did you guys see the article in the adirondack magazine on Yancy's in lowville? Pretty nice writeup. The way I read it was that traditional tapping is not producing well and getting worse each season. Maybe vac is in the future.

[danno]

Hey 3rdgen (by the way, what's your name?), all done down here. I stopped collecting sap this past Saturday, but have not pulled taps yet. Final tally is about 80 gallons off of 400 taps on vacuum. That's down 20% from last year, but I think it would have been allot worse without vacuum.

Still a few gallons of commercial in the syrup pan to push through with water. I don't remember finishing so early in awhile - I usually make commercial right to the end to sell as bulk. But those 65-70 degree days with NO snow in March just killed us.

[Fred Henderson]

Hey 3rdgen (by the way, what's your name?), all done down here. I stopped collecting sap this past Saturday, but have not pulled taps yet. Final tally is about 80 gallons off of 400 taps on vacuum. That's down 20% from last year, but I think it would have been allot worse without vacuum.

Still a few gallons of commercial in the syrup pan to push through with water. I don't remember finishing so early in awhile - I usually make commercial right to the end to sell as bulk. But those 65-70 degree days with NO snow in March just killed us.

Same here, I started pulling taps today The ground is still froze in place and no snow . I am done.

[sapman]

I'm still holding out. Really need to make more, even "mersh", as Theron says, to help pay the bills. Held sap from last Thursday til Sunday for the open house. Boiled 2600gal. or so, and made all Med. and Dark. Couldn't believe that cloudy sap made decent med! Sap started running on the vacuum around noon or so, some buckets dripping about every 2-4 seconds. Will see what I have in the morning.

I'm overall disappointed with the season, too. But maybe we'll somehow make another 100 or so and end up pretty decent afterall.

Tim

[tuckermtn]

Tim- any sense how Harry K. is doing down the road from you?

your weather and sap flow sound almost identical to ours here...my vac. started a little earlier this morning but slowed when the releaser messed up and filled the moisture trap...time for a full sized releaser...

[3rdgen.maple]

Well I think we are done here also but I just gotta hold out a little longer. I think I will get a run tomorrow. Thought I would see atleast a couple more here but not sure with the weather in the 60 degree range but there are a few nights in the freezing yet so I guess we will see. I think Im thinking too much. I cannot believe the numbers this year what a joke.
Darrick

[sapman]

Eric, I stopped by Harry's Friday. I sensed he did OK, not far off his average, but mostly dark like most everyone.

Tim

[3rdgen.maple]

Just cannot figure this year out. I don't ever remember trees just giving up like they have here. 2 nights in a row with freezing temps. Snowed saturday we have had plenty of rain. Today was in the high 40's and sunny. But no sap. I even reamed some trees this morning to see if I could get them to run. Nothing. Usually get cloudy sap at the end of the season and the last run was clear and then they shut down. What is up with this. If they don't produce in a couple days I am giving in. The weather looks great for sap for awhile yet only the softs are starting to bud.

[danno]

Just cannot figure this year out. I don't ever remember trees just giving up like they have here. 2 nights in a row with freezing temps. Snowed saturday we have had plenty of rain. Today was in the high 40's and sunny. But no sap. I even reamed some trees this morning to see if I could get them to run. Nothing. Usually get cloudy sap at the end of the season and the last run was clear and then they shut down. What is up with this. If they don't produce in a couple days I am giving in. The weather looks great for sap for awhile yet only the softs are starting to bud.

You need a vacuum on those trees - then they would run!

[3rdgen.maple]

Yep I know Danno. Working on that for next year. Just walked the woods this morning in areas I have never tapped and was amazed at how many trees are big enough to tap now. My problem here is The trees we have been tapping for years are so far strung out I could not get them all on vac unless I had a half dozen vac pumps. Just not cost feasable. But I could get maybe two of the current bushes on vac and tap a new section that could be put on vac also. Rest on buckets. Well that means 3 vac pumps. Have you ever run natural vac.? Is it better than buckets. I gotta make a change for next year just not sure what is the best course to take. Would be no question about it if they were not so spread out.

[danno]

3rdgen - how far are they spread? As long as you have grade where can put one releaser lower then all your taps, 1" black poly pipe is alot cheaper and easier to keep an eye on than multiple pumps and releasers.

I've only got 400 taps and I have about 3500' of 1" pipe in the woods before I hit my first tap. That with vacuum is the best thing I ever did. About ready to throw out another 500' of pipe in a different direction to pick up another couple hundred taps for next year.

I got a great deal on pipe from a fellow trader a few years ago. If you go that way, you have time. Keep your eyes open on ebay or craigslist for pipe on sale.

I believe buckets run better than tubing without vacuum.

[3rdgen.maple]

well danno one bush has about 200 taps on it that vac would be easy. Another bush is uphill from that across a creek that has got to be 1500 plus feet away from the first 200 tap bush. Never tapped these trees before and most of them are reds but Im guessing i could pickup maybe 80 plus there. 3rd bush is opposite side of the road we call the old road bush. They are roadside trees that run along an old road. If you dig down a foot you will hit pavement. These are about 100 taps maybe more if I pick up some reds on this line. The old road bush can come right to the sugar house. Then there are about 130 taps on the trees around the house that are spread out in a large rectangle going around the house and driveway and are pretty much on an uphill grade. I would leave these on buckets. Then there is another section where there are 60 foot cliffs that surround a valley along the salmon river. Hill , cliff, hill, cliff type deal. these trees I have only tapped the easy to get to ones. Although there are tractor paths to get through the area. Some nice trees in that valley but problem there is if I had buckets hanging on them right now most would be floating down the salmon cause of the flooding. I bet if I tapped everything I could hit the 1500 mark. I just wish the woods were managed for tapping maples in the past. There are alot of small groups of trees in the 5 to 6 tree range scattered all over the place. Just gotta do some serious mapping out to figure the best way to go.