Anyone get much of a run the last two days?

[swierczt]

Has anyone had much sap Mon and Tues? I thought the weather was set for a good one here in central CT, but I checked my barrels and had only a few gallons in them? No signs of it leaking anywhere either. After what I saw this past weekend I thought I was going to have a flood on my hands this week!

[thewholesapworks]

We are in Northern Vermont with 650 taps. (On Buckets and a 4 X 12 Wood fired Waterloo.) We have made 36 gallons in the last 3 days. :)

[KenWP]

Monday and Tuesday were great. Today not a drop since it never froze last night. I had to boil what I had and hope for a freeze thursday night and then reset the trees here.

[Homestead Maple]

That's interesting Ken, your that much further north than here and the temp here this morning was 24. Are you near a river valley? When I went up to my sugar bush this morning around 10, things had started to thaw, so I started the vacuum. The last two days the taps here have run a gallon or more per tap.

[NedL]

got about a gallon a tap yesterday. Don't know, yet today.

[johnallin]

Got 14 gallons from 35 taps Tues, and 18 on Monday. No idea what today will bring, not home yet.

Not much for most of you big guys, but with the half pint I can get a small boil going and at least get it started.

[ebourassa]

i picked up 70 gal on mon. and i have maybe another 100 in the tanks from yesterday and today, i hope it will pick up this weekend suppose to be in the 20's at night and 40-50 in the day. i made a little over 40 gal now but i want more. my taps have been in alittle over 3 weeks now.

[Mike Van]

Really running here - Picked up 70+ gal on both Sat & Sun, 60+ on Mon & Tue, and 56 tonight. No frost tonight for the first time in awhile, tomorrow morning I'll pick up again & add to the 56 & boil. A few of my trees have slowed up a lot, but a few others that hadn't done much really took off since Sat. Frost comes back Thursday night........

[KenWP]

I am in a unique place. it's allways a bit warmer here then a couple miles down the road. stayed at 42 degrees all night and was 48 by 7 so I got a few dribbles. 50% of my trees haven't started yet even. I am looking foreward to friday.

[TapME]

3/4 of gallon a tap since Sunday. 150 gallons from 160 taps today. Can't wait for a 2 gallon a tap day.

[wcproctor]

30 gal on Sat , 53 gal on Sun, 15 on Mon, Drinking on Tes, 15 on wed and it looks like no flow today (I pick up in the morning) I looked in a couple buckets and dry. I'm finding a lot of my trees that did good in the past , they stink this year. Why? And the sugar level is very low. Why?

[markct]

yea i dont get it either, i thought for sure tuesday would be a great run, it got nice and sunny and warm after a night in the mid 20s, seemed like great sap weather, all day long at work i was expecting to come home to 100 gallons or better in my tank that has 175 or so taps on it, boy was i disapointed to find about 45 gal in it, i realy dont get what is wrong with the weather, and its not just that line, my other 2 have proportionaly simular amounts of sap its very frustrating

[40to1]

This year has been really spotty for me.
It's like the trees never found their groove. It was a slow start and when the trees finally started to open up, they shut down days later. The projected forecast for this week seem textbook, but yet the trees are dry. Very strange (and very discouraging)....

[swierczt]

I have to admit I haven't read "the bible" but from experence, 20s nights + 40s days = big sap in the tanks. I'm wondering if my taps holes are drying out? I've got all mine on tubing, and tapped in on the 2/21. I just seems strange that they ran great sat/sun and squat on mon/tues. We haven't had any precip. in a while...could that have something to do with it? I can't comment on sugar content....don't have a sap hydrometer, but seems to take about the usual time and volume to turn sap into syrup

[DaveB]

I collected less that I would have expected yesterday and Tuesday, but I think it just has not been cold enough. Just my thought, but the sun is strong this time of year and with the ground thawing and not covered by snow, you need temps in the LOW 20s to get a good flow with temps in the 50s during the day. My low was about 25 both days and I don't think it got down to that until late in the night. I think it needs to be cold for longer than that.

I have several different bushes and the flow has been good at some and worse in others. Yesterday I was shocked to find a nearly empty tank that has 67 taps on it! At the same time, I had 80 gallons on a tank that has only 25 taps on it, but that had been since Sunday. I collected about 60 gallons of sap while a guy I buy sap from to my north of me (Clan Delaney) did not have much that day.

Dave

[Mike Van]

With less than 60 taps, I get a little more time to 'fool around' with this stuff - I had 3 or 4 trees on buckets and 6 on tubing that ran well up until Monday, then really slacked off, no where near what they were doing. I pulled the taps & redrilled in the same holes, and got a lot of mushy goo out on the drill bit. The ones I did all took off running again. I tapped early Feb., so I'd guess some are starting to seal off. The bucket trees were no surprise, they usually stop first on me. The tubing ones though, don't let air back in, and usually mine run right up to the end. Frost coming tonight, we'll see - :confused:

[ctjim]

mon seemed a bit slow tues was better and wed was flowing well on some of my trees, but my other trees over in salem are starting to dry up, at least it seems it some buckets dry others pretty full, most of those trees are reds that are in a swampy area. i did pick up a bout 50 gal. wed and boiled it off and got a bit of dark syrup. hoepfully this weekend will pick up a bit.

[Mike Van]

30 gals today from the same taps that had 60 a few days ago. But, only down to 30 last night, barely up to 40 today with a north wind. Supposed to go down to 20 here tonight, 50 tomorrow, so we'll see.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Don't feel bad guys. I collected 170 gallons on sunday from 80 taps. I was stoked cause i thought for sure i was going to get that much the next few days as well. I sold the sap... because with work i didn't think i could keep up with it at all. Since sunday i have collected 65 gallons off of those same taps and its really cruddy looking sap. I'll bet its commercial syrup. Dont know if i want to boil that or not.

My thoughts are

the late start for most due to cold really hurt us. I tapped first week in march and march as a whole is generally a very hostile month temps are extreme and the sun is out for much longer. This makes the trees stressed as they hang in limbo of leafing. Some times this is great for sugaring other times not. The fact that we've had 3 separate days that hit mid to upper 60's and a handful of days in the 50's killed the season. Now the trees can sense spring. Take a way those and keep it in the upper 40's to maybe 52 and we would have been inundated. The warm weather confused the trees and its going to take a couple of teen's nights to get the sap going again

[jimandchuck]

There will be one more. Tonight will do it.

[ebourassa]

c'mon chuck there will be atleast another 2 weeks, THINK POSITIVE, if yo0u beleive it will come lol!!!!!!!!!

[markct]

well here in northfield the trees have budded out, so it looks like i have about 12 gal of syrup to show for this season. not too exciting since last year i made 8 gal off about 40 taps, this year i got 12 gal off a bit over 300 taps! im still hoping to get a few ok runs and make 5 gal or so of commercial, but who knows if that will come, i guess on the bright side i only gota split half as much firewood for next year since the woodshed barely got a dent in it!

[KenWP]

Tuesday was a good day and then it never froze untill thursday night so had two days of almost nothing. Friday never got warm enough so only a couple of trees dribbled. Saturday is suposed to be warmer and hopefully that will give me a bit of sap. At least the sap I have will keep its almost frozen solid. I have half my trees still haven't tried to give me anything.

[Mike Van]

16F here this morning, we'll see if that helps kick start 'em. Mark, I hope you get some more, 'cause thats a lot of work for 12 gal. of syrup.........:(

[DaveB]

Not much yesterday after a low of 27. I just don't think that is cold enough after the temp was up for a long period. 18 here in Stafford and I think that should help. Weather looks great over the next 4 days, let's hope the tap holes didn't dry up!

I had some flow yesterday, but most of it was left over from Wednesday. Picked up about 60 gallons at one bush, hardly anything at another.

Dave

[ebourassa]

well it was 22 last night and 47 today, my two bushes werent runnig at all and altiitle on the road trees, it hasnt rained here much this month i think i am near the end, made my normal 45 gal this year so cant complain to much, but my tap were only in for 4 weeks, i was hoping for 60-65 this year.

[TapME]

Still getting a gallon a tap here and more per day. Yesterday was the first break this week we had and it was deserved. Hope it picks up one more time for you guys.

[DaveB]

After a morning low of 17 we had about 1-1.5 gals per tap flow today in Stafford. Not great, but better than nothing. I'm seeing some budding action on some maples, let's hope most of mine hold out. I think the cooler weather is helping, but the clear blue skies are not.

Weather still looks good through Wednesday. I'm hoping things will hold out and I can get another 400 gallons or so at least.

Dave

[oakstreetsugarhouse]

I havent gotten much since Wed. I dont know why, seems like the conditions have been great. Any ideas anyone?

[MaplePancakeMan]

i emptied the sap from the last week yesterday. I boiled it and i got that metabolic smell. Gonna be off flavored thats for sure. I checked the taps today and they have the dried wood around them and thats one sign of a dried up hole They've only been in 3 weeks ! i think the warm weather sealed the holes up quicker. I popped them out bored them a hair deeper and sap was flowing again and quick. I'll check in the morning but the sap still might not be good syrup making sap. Could just be a year of a lot of commercial... at least it might pay for some supplies.

[markct]

yea about the same here maple pancake man, i redrilled some of mine a hair deeper and they seem to be flowing a little, im hoping to make some comercial, heck if i could fill one or two 5 gal containers i will put that towards some more tubing and fittings at bascoms so i can put in more taps this fall and maybe get something outa my sugaring season next year!

[ctjim]

most of my taps have dried up as they've been out for about a month and we've had some warm weather. the few good trees are still going but rather slow, they don't produce enough to fire up the evaporator w/ out burning the pans. a lot of my trees are budding out, seems abit early for that, but i think its due to the quick warm up we had. my season total is about 5gal or so, on close to 75 taps so not too bad, w/ all the budded trees i'm going to pull my taps this morning. hopeing next year to put in some more taps, and possibly start building my own sugar house.

[Mike Van]

Right around that little rain we had last week, the buds started, mine turned pretty dark too. I don't think it's commercial, but what a change from a few days ago. Usually the seasons over, I'm still making medium. The runs though, are wacky. Even the 6 trees I tapped on Mar 13 aren't doing much? The 16 yesterday AM was too cold, nothing even dripped until 11 or 12. I picked up 25 gal/sap at 5:00 & boiled it off.

[maple flats]

Mine ran good last weekend thru mid day monday. After that nothing much until 3/20, Friday, it started, Then good day yesterday. Should also be good today. The weather just was not yet right until then.

[ctjim]

hey maple flats is there a maple fest up there this coming weekend, in the syracuse area? we will be up visiting my gf's mom in baldwinsville and my grandma who happens to be in oneida. well i pulled and washed most of my buckets and a few gravity lines. still have about 20 trees still in, we'll see what happens these trees are closer to my house which is a bit colder at night than the ones in salem.

[Mike Van]

Pretty good here today, 21F this AM, about 50 later on. Even with the north wind, I got 40 gal by 5:00 PM. Not a bucket buster for sure, but better than another night off. One small 12" tree had nothing the last few days, so it's my first to lose it's bucket & tap.

[markct]

yea we had about the same temps here mike, looked like almost ideal weather today, i got about 45 gal off my 300 taps, interesting that you mention your small trees were the first to dry up, my woods have alot of small and medium size maples, not many giants at all, so maybe thats the reason for my lack of good sap amounts. next year im gona add about another 200 taps, i figure i got the trees, the tubing isnt too much money, and if i end up with too much sap i can always sell it, or just boil alot longer!

[ebourassa]

markct your thinking like me now, better too much sap than not enough.

[Mike Van]

As cold, windy & snotty as the weather was today. I still picked up 30 gal this afternoon. Surprised me, at noon, nothing was running [except my nose]

[markct]

im so envious of you mike, lately on a good day i get maybe 30 gallons of sap off my 300 taps, never mind a cold crappy day like this, today it didnt even drip, my tanks are iced over

[DaveB]

This cold weather is definitely doing something. I checked my buckets on Sunday morning and they had about a gallon each. Yesterday at 6pm, most had 3-4 gallons! I think most of that came on Sunday when it was in the mid 40s.

We should get some great final runs this week before it gets too warm. Late week into early next week doesn't feature too many nights far enough below freezing, but we shall see!

Dave

[Littlesap]

Someone here recommended going 1/4 inch or so deeper on dry holes... I did that this morning and had a nice run as a result - so thanks to whoever suggested it. This is my first year and can't wait to expand a bit next year.

Question for you all, is the first sign of buds time to pull the plug or do I have a couple of days?

[Mike Van]

We're still running here, just over 45 gal today even though I've knocked about 10 taps off. And, here's something I've never seen, the syrup has gone back to medium. :confused: Never had that before. Should be good tomorrow too, after that it's kind of sketchy. NOOA says it'll freeze Monday night, weather chanel says no. Long ways off so we'll see.

[KenWP]

Finally got sap today. Got about 18 gallons of sap from 106 taps. Tomorrow is supposed to be warm also so will see what happens.

[TapME]

got 200 gallons from 200 taps and I'm buried and loving it.

[markct]

i finaly got some sap, about 75 gal from 300 taps, and two of my 5 buckets overflowed, which is about 2 gal, the other 3 buckets only had a bit in them but atleast enough to do something with finaly!

[DaveB]

I emptied my buckets today and 2/3rds had a lot of sap and the other 1/3 had very little. I think it's going to be too warm over the next week to maintain anything, so I think this might be it. Good thing Friday is coming up and I can finish this off. It's going to be commercial for sure, but it's worth something!

Dave

[mapleman3]

Dave B good to meet you today, Keep at it, at least through the weekend ;)

[HHM-07]

when the weather seems to be just right for the sap to flow and will not take notice of the wind it will stop it from flowing in a heartbeat 35 degrees and no wind it will run 45 and a wind it most likely will not DONT TRY TO FIGURE IT OUT YOU WILL GO NUTS.
HANG IN THERE
DICK

[DaveB]

Dave B good to meet you today, Keep at it, at least through the weekend ;)

You too Jim...always nice to see another operation, especially one as nice as yours. I'm going to try and go as long as I can into the weekend. I'll be at it all day tomorrow and ?????.

I stopped at another bush with 43 taps in it and there was only 25 gallons there. Even some of my roadside sugars aren't putting out much but then others are almost gushing. We'll see!

Dave

[KenWP]

Was warm today but no sun so my woods trees just never got going. My yard trees really made up for it with the best day so far this year. I have lots of sap compared to a week ago and with what ever flows tonight and tomorrow should have enough for two days boiling.

[Mike Van]

Thu was great, over 50 gal from my now about 40 taps. Had to swap a few 16 qt pails at noon or they would have overflowed. Tail of the run coming today, then no frost till Mon night. Usually every year, last of March is it for me.

[KenWP]

I have few trees that produce a gallon of sap but of those some will give me 4 or 5 gallons and a the rest at least two so they sort of make up for the slackers. I have hundreds of trees to choose from and its hard to figure out which ones will produce the most sap. Seems they have to be in the open and have smooth bark and have a few branchs. And the trunks can't lean towards the south or east. My best tree leans North and really puts out.

[Mike Van]

I had almost 40 gal today as the tail end of yesterdays run. Got up to 93F inside the barn. That part stinks. 36 taps still in, I was all set to quit, but I think I'll wait a few days & see if Mon or Tue PM there's one more frost. I'm a little over 1000 gal. of sap for the season, second only to last years 1280.