Tapping in Alexandria

[ROBIEZ]

Started tapping today,getting ready for the weekend warmup.Got 228 taps put in on gravity tubing.Have about 250 more tubing taps to put out, plus 125 buckets.I have doubled my tap count from last year, hoping for BIGSAP.I got one test bucket out for over a week now,that has not even covered the bottom of bucket.It has been below freezing here for several days,-3 this morning,glad to see a warmup coming.

[Cardigan99]

Good luck to you Robiez. It certainly was a chilly week here in Alex-Siberia. We're gonna hit them all over the next few days. Maybe even get to sweeten the pans on Sunday.

Todd

[Parker]

I have almost a half an inch in my bucket tapped 3 weeks ago,,,think that will change by monday,,

[Cardigan99]

Parker, I'm sure hoping it does! This is the same weekend we hit them last year and we thought it was a week too early. Still winter. Close to four feet of snow on the ground still.

[Russell Lampron]

The mixed precipitation and higher temps should get the trees thawed out so that the BIGSAP will come fairly quickly. It worked that way for me last weekend. I got twice as much sap overnight Friday after the wind changed direction and the rain started than I did the whole week before.

[ROBIEZ]

Checked some barrels today,a few lines were dripping.Tapped another bush this afternoon with 65 taps and most of those were running ok.I got to the end of the mainline and there was a steady stream coming out,not bad for 65 taps on gravity at 5:30 and 35 degrees,and started this morning at -4 degrees.Getting out of work early tomorrow to finish getting everything tapped.Hoping to have enough sap to sweeten the pans on sunday.

[ROBIEZ]

Got another 100 taps out today.Some were dripping pretty good,and others were not dripping at all.I have about 150 taps left to get out,which should be no problem getting done tomorrow.Then it is just tying up some loose end in the sugarhouse.

[ROBIEZ]

Got the other 150 taps in today, that brings me up to 575 taps.I tapped a new bush today,it is a field side bush with good southern exposure,and the snow has pulled back away from the trees about a foot.When I tapped this new bush this afternoon sap was running good.I should be able to collect tomorrow and maybe even boil for the first this season.

[Cardigan99]

Robiez, get anything over there this weekend? not a whole bunch here. Weather definitely didn't cooperate today

[ROBIEZ]

cardigan99,things have let loose down here.I have been boiling two and three nights a week,and both days on the weekend,and not keeping up.If I am not boiling I am collecting.1200 gallons of sap this week though the 2x6,averaging around 40 gph,thats alot of boiling.I have made almost 30 gallons of syrup so far. I have been so busy sugaring this is the first time I have been on the Trader in over week and a half.Got to go more sap to collect,probably another 500 to 600 gallons tomorrow.

Brett

[Cardigan99]

Brett, glad to hear it's keeping you busy. We had some good runs this last week. Not much today as it didn't really warm up until about 2 (my road buckets were still mostly frozen then), but we've chewed thru nearly 1000 gallons of sap so far. We were pulling medium until today. 5 gallons of med-dark today but we ran out of sap around 4. Tomorrow is supposed to be pretty much like today so we'll probably hit it again monday nite.

Todd

(edit) Brett, where is your shack, out by the sawmill?

[PerryW]

I remember my 2x6 with 275 taps back in 1989. Busy, busy, busy.

Got rid of it and got a 3x10 the next year. I spend less time boiling 750 taps with my 3x10.

[Hop Kiln Road]

PerryW, that is exactly what I've been thinking a 3X10 for the last 60 hours of boiling! Any idea how much wood you use in comparison to your 2X6 days? Bruce

[PerryW]

Bruce,

I think a 2x6 (with a 2x4 raised 7" flue back pan) has about the same efficiency as my 3x10; so you will burn the same amount of wood with either one. You will just boil 2.5 times faster on mine.

I figure 9 cords of softwood slabs will make about 130-140 gallons of syrup on my rig. About 90 GPH with nice dry slabs.

[Hop Kiln Road]

PerryW - Right, 15 gal/cord is exactly what I get. I built my sugarhouse with a larger evaporator in mind...Thanks,Bruce

[Amber Gold]

How does 5 gal/chord sound? That's about what I'm getting this year. Going through sap like it's going out of style, but not producing much syrup.

Perry, do you burn just slab pine? How small do you split it and do you mix any hardwood in? I can get free slab pine, as much as I want, so would like to stick with that, but also want to maximize evap. rate.

[PerryW]

Perry, do you burn just slab pine?

Pretty much just pine slabs.


How small do you split it and do you mix any hardwood in?

If the slabs are wider than 10 or 12 inches, I split them.

I can get free slab pine, as much as I want, so would like to stick with that, but also want to maximize evap. rate.

Pine slabs will evaporate sap just as quick as hardwood, you just have to use more cords of it for the same number of gallons of syrup. And have a bigger woodshed.

[ROBIEZ]

I am still going here in Alexandria. I gathered 430 gallons Saturday and boiled a little over half of it sat. night.I am making a med.amber commercial,color of med and taste of comm.Weather looks right for a few more day,I will take it as long as it will run.I have made over 80 gallons of syrup so far,with more syrup to be made.

[Parker]

Glad to hear its still running for you,,stop by befor the seasons over!

[Cardigan99]

Wow Brett, glad to hear your still going! What a difference a few miles and a few hundred feet in elevation make. We pulled most of our taps on the 6th. I did boil off about 80 gallons on the 10th. The smell was off (not quite the pogie boat Parker was talking about) color med, taste was ok. We really didn't have a good year at all. Just a bit under 30 gallons. The eight slow days in march killed us. I pouted over it for a while, but it's time to think about next year and more taps.

[ROBIEZ]

Cardigan99 it is just trickling along but I am getting sap.I am going to gather tomorrow, probably have another 200 or 300 hundred gallons to go with the 200 gallons sitting at the saphouse now.Going to boil tomorrow after gathering,won't be able to boil all in one day, hope to finish up Sunday if all goes well.I am going to pull buckets down as I gather tomorrow and pull taps on the tubing when I go back to clean the lines.I should end up with about 90 gallons of syrup for this season.Sorry to here about your slow year,but glad to here you are thinking of next year and more taps.

Brett

[Parker]

Brett- YOUR HADRCORE!!!