Starting to get an itchy trigger finger in CT

[SUGARSMITH]

I looked at the long range forecast last night. For next week 40s with freezing nights. Luckilly I have plenty yet to do, put out 1000 feet of dryline, hook up releaser etc.

I think I will wait till the weekend of the 19 and see how things go.

When might the tapping by state topics be added ?

[mapleman3]

I think it may still drop down in temps ... but the 19th may be "THEE" weekend for many.. I think I'll be 100% ready by then!!

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

Ready-Whats that word?

[mapleman3]

Kevin.. pardon that expression :wink: I know we can never be "READY"

[ebourassa]

I been watching the weather too.. I was thinkin about tapping this weekend but I might wait til weds. or thurs. to see what the long range forcast is then. I will be mostly ready to boil after this weekend. Good luck to all.

[Seibold's Sugarhouse]

I'm nowhere near ready, still working on the sugarhouse and I haven't picked up the new arch yet from Bascom's. If I was ready I think I would be tapping this weekend. It getting pretty warm and sunny. Useless something changes I'm going to tap as soon as possible and Hope for the best. I should be ready by next weekend.
Good Luck

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Hey guys, like I said in the other post. I already have 25 taps in so far, they are bearly running. I got 7 gals of sap in about 5 days from 25 taps.
Hopefully it will improve this week. but Im betting that I should have waited on the 25 taps. O well, I still have 80 or so more to do. But I will just keep my Eye on things for now.

Best of luck
Charlie

[pegjam]

After much discussion with the "BOSS"(wife, just in case your wondering!!). We've decieded to start tapping this weekend. :D :D :D . Right or wrong, here we go. 8O 8O 8O !!!!!!!!!!! May everybodies storage tank over runnth!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: .

pegjam
"Hope it helps, can't hurt"

[Sweber]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I tap now (I usually tap around the end of Feb) won't my taps "dry up" by mid- late March. I am small enough I can be pretty mobile when I need to but..... It really gets running in mid march and I wouldn't want to miss out on the big runs. What is the consensus??

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Sweber,

I think you are right. It's too early and if it gets cold for 2 or 3 weeks after this warm spell, you will suffer a bunch in the long run! :D

[Parker]

I will be the first to admit that I am NO expert and I have really only been doing this for 3 years,,And have NEVER boiled on my own BUT looking back on the last 3 years when I was bringing sap to bob he always made most of his syrup towards the end of the season {late march, early april} one year most everyone had pulled their taps and were done////we got 4 runs that accounted for 1/2 the seasons production,,,my 2cents

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

As I stated before when I was in college, due to my schedule and going to school full time and working 25 to 30 hours a week, I could only make syrup for a week each year. I would tap around the 10th of March and make syrup until around the 15th, usually Monday through Saturday and with 100 taps, we always made around 15 gallon in 6 days and it was always at least a Medium Grade A. Usually the 15th of March is around the end of the season here. Looks like I tapped around the 6th of Feb last year and I never made much syrup at all until the last week of Feb. Got the 8 days of no freezing in a row the first of March with temps in the 60's most days. After the heat wave was over, I still made 18 gallons of syrup, but I would have made a lot more if I had waited a couple more weeks to tap. :?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Last year my dad was determined to get more sap as it was a bad year and he went out about a week after that extreme warm spell and tapped a few more trees most of which were sugars and some reds an the sap was a clear as a crystal, even when I pulled the taps a few days later and with extreme temps, it was still clear and the trees were running like crazy.

I know there was one member on here in Wisconsin that has a fairly good size operation and last year that waited until later in the season to tap and he made about 1 quart per tap in one week's time. If you can hit it right, you can't keep up! :D :D :D

[Seibold's Sugarhouse]

I just checked the accuweather.com forcast for western CT and it looks warm until thursday 2/10 and then turns cold until the end of the forcast, saturday 2/19. I hope its correct :roll: :?: :? I'm going to put one tap in on sunday just for fun, to see if there running.
Jason