Belchertown 2010

[mapleman3]

Well tonight finished putting up the tubing in quabbin, Saturday will go tighten everything up do any repairs needed and set tanks. Will tap there by next weekend. My wife was a great help thats for sure, and thank god she did a pretty good detailed set of drawings for the 5000 feet of 5/16 and 1400 ft of main line or it would have taken forever to reinstall...

The sugarhouse will get a full day of attention on Sunday, get everything situated , hopefully next week get the evap cleaned up... so tapping next weekend both buckets and woods.

Visited Clan Delaney tonight on our way back, he's more ready than me.. looking good Pat!!! your gonna have a blast!

[mapleman3]

Nope... not yet, Friday for me.. hmmmph. just behind the eight ball this year!

[Clan Delaney]

Lit the arch at 2:45 this afternoon, and I'm still here. My storage tank is empty, my pre-heater is about to drip dry and I'm running a little under 2" in a 5.5 sq.ft. pan. Right now I'm getting a respectable 3.7 GPH evaporation rate. :cool:

I'm just gonna burn the rest of my chopped wood, or get the pan level down to 1.5 inches, and call it a day.

In the meantime, my fancy nancy electronic thermometer can't decide if the pan is 190 degrees or 226 degrees. Time to go back to analog. :(

[mapleman3]

Pat I have a large gauge pan thermometer for draw off, 0-50deg, woud be perfect, just have to see how to mount it. I'm going up to the woods early in the morning, I will write myself a note to throw it in the truck, maybe drop it by on my way back and see if you want it.

[mapleman3]

Remember, 0deg is set for the boiling temp of water so when the gauge hits 7 it's draw off temp.

[Clan Delaney]

I'll be here. Just stop in.

I'm calling it at 9:15. For record keeping anyway. I just dug a shower vent fan out of the garage and set it up in front of the open damper on the door. I want to get the most oomph out of those remaining coals!

[KenWP]

I am trying to figure out how come you boil rate is so low. Unless i am missing something as usual.

[Clan Delaney]

According to what I've been told, the maximum unaided evaporation rate of a pan equals 75% of it's total heating surface area in square feet. I've got a flat pan, no flues, 5.5 sg.ft. The max I should expect then is 4.1 GPH. 3.6 GPH is 88% of potential. Pretty good, I think.

And don't forget, Ken, the best I ever did on my old propane burners was 1 GPH. I'm freakin' ecstatic.

That blower I used in the last half hour... holy funk! That pan couldn't throw steam fast enough! I'l be using that tomorrow for sure.

[KenWP]

I am really wondering where you get these figures from. All the books and such state that you should be able to get 1.5 gallons British for every square foot of pan space with out to much trouble. So your getting a fraction of that. I can get that easy with a flat pan and I measured it constantly all season to make sure. Thats why I question why it's so low.

[Maplesedge]

More heat. Make it leap in the pan. My pan's 4 1/2 sq ft and last year boiled off 7 gph over open flame in loose flat fieldstone arch. Made a new enclosed arch of block and brick for 2010 and will start using it today. Hope to get to 10 gph evap. Let you know later.

Went to Devon Lane Farm Supply for a fllter. You guys must be near there. Who's at the sugarhouse across that road (202) with the Devon cattle?

[Clan Delaney]

I am really wondering where you get these figures from. All the books and such state that you should be able to get 1.5 gallons British for every square foot of pan space with out to much trouble. So your getting a fraction of that. I can get that easy with a flat pan and I measured it constantly all season to make sure. Thats why I question why it's so low.

I'm going to guess that those extra GPH's are radiating out the front and around the top edges of my arch. The bricking is okay, but nothing to write home about. And my firing practices need polishing. We'll see where I end up today with the addition of the blower.

[vtsnowedin]

In my 1965 Leader instruction book there is a table for figureing out what size evaporator to buy. It goes by buckets and a nine hour boiling day but it has this quote.
"Under average conditions, it takes about 50 sq. ft. of heating surface to boil 32 gallons of sap per hour,..."

That works out to 0.64 gallons per hour per square foot. It agrees pretty well to the gallons per hour listed in leaders catalog for the steam away but I think they are trash talking the bare evaporators a bit. If you add up all the surface area on my 3x8 raised flue you get 110.9 sq. ft. so should be able to get 71 gallons per hour but that's just a starting point before considering wood quality and operator head space and timing. :lol:

Trivia question?? Do you know why the call it a rule of thumb.

[KenWP]

Something to do with the English law you could only beat your wife with a stick no thicker then your thumb. So guys with fat hands had better wives then thin handed guys. It also means a rough estimite of what things should be. It's almost as old as the term cubit and hand for a measurement. A cubit being 18 inches and a hand 4 inches and a thumb being a inch. So guys with long arms and big hands made bigger stuff then guys with puny bodys. Sort of like asking for two fingers of scotch. You hope the guy is missing the two middle fingers when he measures.

[vtsnowedin]

Yup. That's what I was taught way back when . They attributed it to Henry the VIII Ironically considering his history with wives. Apparently that reference is discredited now as all the Viking countries had a rule of thumb long before Henry as well as many other countries. Here in the US in colonial times there was this in Mass.
"The Body of Liberties adopted in 1641 by the Massachusetts Bay colonists states, “Every married woman shall be free from bodily correction or stripes by her husband, unless it be in his own defense from her assault.”[9] From Wiki'
The fact that they had to put it into law means the subject came up more then a few times.
She who must be obeyed believes that god made man and woman and Sam Colt made them equal.

[Clan Delaney]

More heat. Make it leap in the pan. My pan's 4 1/2 sq ft and last year boiled off 7 gph over open flame in loose flat fieldstone arch. Made a new enclosed arch of block and brick for 2010 and will start using it today. Hope to get to 10 gph evap. Let you know later.

Went to Devon Lane Farm Supply for a fllter. You guys must be near there. Who's at the sugarhouse across that road (202) with the Devon cattle?

Jerry-

I'm about a quarter mile down the road from Devon Lane. The sugarhouse across the street from Devon Lane is theirs. Will and Judi Shattuck.

Will's running low on maple supplies. I had to get my taps and tees from the Maple Guys this year. BUt will did gift me a bunch of aluminum air ducting that allowed me to throw up a stack for the evap this year!

Looking at a max 4 hour boil today, based on what i just went and collected. BUT! I'm making a trip to the hardware store first to get some dryer vent for the blower! 5? 6 GPH in my future? I think one of my biggest obstacles yesterday was losing that rolling boil when I opened to fire. Not today, mate.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

After scorching a couple of spots in my front pan last week when I had my stupid sign on, I was amazed at how fast the front pan was evaporating after I had it blocked off from the back pan. All the condensation coming off the hood couldn't even think about keeping up with it. I would guess I am getting at least 10gph off of just my syrup pan and it is 2x3. I do have a supercharged firebox and running stack temps of 1400 to 1700 degrees and I don't lose any heat anywhere except out the stack. I also burn mainly locust which is the highest rated btu wood. Trial and error and experience, you will get the gph rate up.

[Mike]

Hi Jim, Long time no hear from.....Glad to see you've started. We finished taping yesterday. 1209 taps on vaccum....We replaced a lot of the taps and ran a dry line which looks like its going to make a difference. We added a oil reclaimer as well......Ill keep ya posted...Say hi to the family for me....Mike

[KenWP]

Jerry-

I'm about a quarter mile down the road from Devon Lane. The sugarhouse across the street from Devon Lane is theirs. Will and Judi Shattuck.

Will's running low on maple supplies. I had to get my taps and tees from the Maple Guys this year. BUt will did gift me a bunch of aluminum air ducting that allowed me to throw up a stack for the evap this year!

Looking at a max 4 hour boil today, based on what i just went and collected. BUT! I'm making a trip to the hardware store first to get some dryer vent for the blower! 5? 6 GPH in my future? I think one of my biggest obstacles yesterday was losing that rolling boil when I opened to fire. Not today, mate.

If your looseing the boil from just opeing the door try fireing more often with less wood so you can keep the door closed more. I hope that makes sense. But it works.

[Clan Delaney]

God help me I just drilled a hole in my pan so i could get the thermometer in better contact with the boiling sap.

Upside - I'll know right away if the level in the pans gets to 3".

Downside - I'll know right away if the level in the pans gets to 3".

I'm so close to the first drawoff.........

[Clan Delaney]

If your looseing the boil from just opeing the door try fireing more often with less wood so you can keep the door closed more. I hope that makes sense. But it works.

Makes perfect sense. I'm on a timer now, firing every 5 minutes. I'm splitting the wood pretty thin when I can, but some is just too knotty. So, every other firing a large piece goes in.

I also put some extra bricks in my "flue space" to force more hot gasses up against the pan. It seems to be working. There's a much better visible full pan boil tonite. The numbers at the end will tell.


Soooooo clooooooose........

[maple marc]

I do have a supercharged firebox and running stack temps of 1400 to 1700 degrees and I don't lose any heat anywhere except out the stack. I also burn mainly locust which is the highest rated btu wood.

Hey Brandon,

Around here we have Osage Orange, which is actually rated higher in BTUs than locust. It's almost like coal--but it's better for burning longer than hotter. That's an impressive stack temperature. Is it glowing?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Stack is fairly heavy gauge stainless, so it shows no changing of color. I have had it as high as 1800 degrees.

[mapleman3]

Yesterday was real warm. got to the woods early, pumped 350 gallons of sap into the truck. tapped the last 100 and the woods are all set now...BUT not happy with the sugar content up there .. ONLY 1.8% that just doesn't seem right. My roadsides down in Belchertown are at 2.5 I have 1 more year on that lease. if they don't produce more than that I may have to go elsewhere.

I'll be boiling tonigh. have about 600 in the tanks and more to collect tonight. I think we will just do the buckets in town tonight, the woods will be only around 34 with snow and a bit of a breeze, I don't think I will get much to collect.

The evap is about all set to run, I'm looking forward to the first auto draw off. I sure hope I built the thing right and set the parameters correctly. with nothing to go by but my HVAC and controls knowledge, I'm shooting from the hip.

[Sugarmaker]

Jim,
Hope the draw off works. I am not electrical at All! I like my factory built one a lot! You have a hour or two of boiling with 600 gal.
Give that woods time it may come on strong as the temps come up? And hope the sap % goes up too.


Regards,
Chris

[Clan Delaney]

You think you'll be out there late? I've done my boiling for the day, but I'm out of work at 10PM. I'll stop by.

[mapleman3]

poor collection today! only a couple hundred gallons. but have 500 to boil... mostly medium, I cant seem to make a real light on this rig... I'm cranking it up but who knows.

[Clan Delaney]

poor collection today! only a couple hundred gallons. but have 500 to boil... mostly medium, I cant seem to make a real light on this rig... I'm cranking it up but who knows.

No go tonite Jim... got the okay from the neighbors so I was out running line in the dark. Gettin' up early to get the right slope and tap it before work. 7 day forecast looks terrible. 2-3 more days of good runs and then, who knows? I want sap in the tank to boil for when there's nothing running.

[mapleman3]

it's not going to be a banner year thats for sure.... hey no problem on stopping by.. I'm shutting dow soon.. Getting tired

[Farmboy]

Down in eastlongmeadow its looking good on weather you should have a good week. My taps produced almost a gallon each today. Hope it stays like today for another month.

[PapaSmiff]

I had a good weekend, but not much sap yesterday. It all came out Medium Amber (on a Turkey Fryer).

Perhaps it would have been lighter after an RO process and boiled on a real evaporator. Oh well, I can dream.

[mapleman3]

Getting dry on sap again??? This year is not looking good here

[wcproctor]

OK This sucks. I doubled my taps and I made less than last year. I got a little light but more medium. The sap was going good Fri. into sat. then sat. into sun. AND THEN it all shut off :o what a rude awakening that was and a slap in the face. I hate to say it but it may be over here in the east. But I have to say one thing, you know when it is spring is when you see robins and I have not seen them yet so there my be hope. :cry:

[sapbrush]

im up in higher country in belchertown still plenty of snow on the ground, had a couple of good days i think thurs and fri of last week, i only put out 30 taps cause my lil half pint is not doing its job, ill figure it out someday, its a ball anyways, gets in the blood, this week about one gallon of sap out of 30 taps, but i guess no one else is doing much beter around here, hopefully the weather changes for the beter, my pan is sweet maybe boiled down 20 gallons so far, but havent made any syrup yet, color looks realy good, good luck

[softmaple]

I have seen robins in early February here in agawam. i guess that was a sign i should have tapped then.

[ejmaple]

i think it should run a little better today, it hit 32 by 7pm last night and was at 24 by 6am, and the high yesterday was 45 instead of 54+ as it was the last few days. so hopefully the trees froze up early last night.

[mapleman3]

I know for one thing, I'll be ready 2 weeks earlier next year.. if this is the trend where the season starts a bit earlier... I'll be there.

Not sure what to think, have talked with a few other larger producers in the area and they are saying the same thing.. medium grade at best and not a whole lot of sugar. seems to be a repeat sugar wise for me from last year.

Whats everyone(around Ma.)sugar been? Softmaple, your probably good since yours are all roadsides? but hows the yeild?

[sapbrush]

just finished looking at the buckets, nothing some are starting to drip a lil ill bet not more than a half gallon of sap out of 30 someing taps, i re tapped some and still nothing, this isnt good at all

[softmaple]

when i started i was around 2.5 but the ro pushed it to around 7 we are around 10 to 12 gallons this year with 7 gallons of light and 3 gallons i think light to medium i have not bottled it yet and this last load got to be dark its sap from sunday that will be boilid on saturday so i think thats it for us this year i may just pull the taps no good freeze in site. on to the bees they are already bringing in pollen. dang

just checked the sap from the weekend it says 2 percent and the stuff we collected today (17 gallons) was 2 also. i need some dark syrup

[Maplesedge]

The silver in my yard is sapless, but the 7 trees in Cherry Valley are still flowing. Sunday they gave 10 gal., Monday 5, Tuesday 2 1/2, and today 10 again, so who knows? We've made almost 2 gal from 2 boils so far, of fairly light to med. Best we've ever had actually. But these are roadsides in town, so maybe they're just juicier than forest trees? It's supposed to get warmer still, and it'll be interesting to see how long they run.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Across the border, in NY not too far away and my season is the same. Granted i set my taps out saturday and i have only got 60 gallons max on70 taps since then. its not enough to even fire the evaporator. its so frustrating.

My test tap that i put out on a warm day in Jan gave me a high sugar ratio. From jan-now on that tree i collected 9 gallons of and made 35 oz of syrup. on the stove and it was exceptionally light in color.

Now when i tapped the sugar is mediocre at best and sap volume is low.

Atleast if its gonna be poor sugar make it high volume.

7 days look to have no freeze... i'm positive the trees will bud out.

Should have tapped earlier.

[SeanD]

The temp. dropped to 26 here last night and it was below freezing for most of the night. It seemed to do some good. I collected 15.5 gallons off of 22 taps, though three never recovered and were still bone dry. Not an amazing haul, but better than the trace amounts I was recording for the previous couple of days.

I'm watching the thermometer like a hawk now. It's better than TV. I'm actually watching it move by tenths. It's about four degrees higher than it was last night at this time, but at least it's still moving the right direction. They changed the forecast to push the rain out a few days, so maybe these colder nights will stick around a bit.

I'll try to stay hopeful tonight. It felt good this afternoon to get to my first bucket and feel the weight of sap in it. I'd almost forgotten.

Sean

[Clan Delaney]

im up in higher country in belchertown still plenty of snow on the ground, had a couple of good days i think thurs and fri of last week, i only put out 30 taps cause my lil half pint is not doing its job, ill figure it out someday, its a ball anyways, gets in the blood, this week about one gallon of sap out of 30 taps, but i guess no one else is doing much beter around here, hopefully the weather changes for the beter, my pan is sweet maybe boiled down 20 gallons so far, but havent made any syrup yet, color looks realy good, good luck

Where the heck in town are you? There aren't a lot of places in town higher than I am, and I've got zero snow left. Munsell? Gold? This is killing me. Sheffield? Kopec?

[sapbrush]

yes gold st and i still have snow here and the sap is not running , go figure,

[sapbrush]

Where the heck in town are you? There aren't a lot of places in town higher than I am, and I've got zero snow left. Munsell? Gold? This is killing me. Sheffield? Kopec?

hey gold st no sap here, maybe you will know how long can i leave the sap syrup in the pan its been there a few days now maybe a half gallon of syrup in the pan, its a half pint so it is a flat pan , i was thinking maybe fill the holding pan with water get the evaporaor hot then slowly drikel the water in to force the syup down to one of the draw offs, i just dont want my years hard work go down the drain, if theres no more sap.

[Clan Delaney]

I'm optimistic, and I believe the sap will run again before the end of March, even in the next 7 days. Based on what I've seen so far, and compared to last year, I do think it's looking to be a down year overall.

This is my first season boiling on a true channel pan and so far, I haven't gone more than 2 days without boiling something. Personally, I loathe the idea of chasing all the syrup out of my pans before the end of the season, just because sweetening them took so **** long. Even with the dry spell we're looking at in the next 4-5 days, I plan on firing up and at least bringing everything to a good boil every couple days just to kill anything that might have floated into the pan.

[ejmaple]

boiled yesterdays run today, 185 gal of some kinda cloudy sap that was 2.3%. made some nice tasting dark grade. no run at all today. hopeing for a run early next week. if it does run it will probley be really dark or grade b. not going to hit my goal of 50 gal. this year. i have made 29 gal so far, 8 gal of light, 16 gal of medium and 5 gal of dark so far.

[mapleman3]

Sapbrush and Clan, I'm boiling now until maybe 9 ish didnt get any sap today this is what I collected last night . may be the last boil for a while.. Hope things change mighty soon. stop in if ya want tonight.

[wcproctor]

So it is over here in Uxbridge if I did this rite look at my pic that I took today :cry: And I went to collect stopped at 80 taps of my 125 and got about 15 gal WOW we are breaking all kinds of records

[MaplePancakeMan]

So it is over here in Uxbridge if I did this rite look at my pic that I took today :cry: And I went to collect stopped at 80 taps of my 125 and got about 15 gal WOW we are breaking all kinds of records


Was that picture of buds on a sugar maple or a red?

[wcproctor]

Sugar maple

[MaplePancakeMan]

Not good... not good at all... well ill take my sap and boil it and chase it out to make a few gallons of syrup then. If you have a budded tree... no way i'll last the next 8 days with out a freeze

[mapleman3]

Boiling quick tonight almost 100 gph. using mix of pine and hardwood... whew got stack to 1400 deg constant. I like it when its wet outside I don't feel so likely to start a fire outside from the shower of sparks out the 14" stack .. yowsa!

Just about 40 gallons left, just did last fire.

Guess I'll chase with water saturday if no sap, clean it real good then wait for next hopeful run!!

[KenWP]

Okay for a evaporator 5 feet long how tall a stack would a guy need. I have about 8 feet right now and wonder if I need a bit more.

[Clan Delaney]

Sapbrush and Clan, I'm boiling now until maybe 9 ish didnt get any sap today this is what I collected last night . may be the last boil for a while.. Hope things change mighty soon. stop in if ya want tonight.

I was gonna wait and boil Sat/Sun., till I looked in the tank today and couldn't se to the bottom. So I'm out here boiling - who knows how long? The level of cloudy isn't all that bad, as it turns out, but it's magnified when looking through 20 inches of sap. Just don't want it to get any worse.

Good news is I'll have enough syrup to fill all the pre-orders I took. If it ends now, I'll be disappointed, but I'll be okay.

[mapleman3]

The saying goes boil the day you get it ...for a reason... although I am not adhering to it this year either. A will be buying a UV light to run sap through next year. I hope your boil is going well Pat.

[Maplesedge]

Did my third boil today due to predicted rain this weekend. The 7 trees in Cherry Valley still running (8 gal sap today) and clear too. No sign of budding. The syrup today was darker though, probably dark amber. Supposed to turn cold again week after next so hang in there.

[Clan Delaney]

Boiling like Lionel Richie - All Night Long.

Just shut down.

[Maplesedge]

Hey Patrick, at least you're still boiling. Like your cooker, and the shack. Wish I had a shack yesterday. was supposed to be sunny and I got light bands of snow, sleet, and drizzle half the day.

Love doing it. Here's the difference from my first to third batch.

[mapleman3]

Just posted a mid season state crop report in the Mass Assoc. forum below.

not good !!

[sapbrush]

Boiling like Lionel Richie - All Night Long.

Just shut down.

you all done for the weekend now, maybe ill swing by sat if your going to be around jim

[mapleman3]

Well the trees are budding fast in West Springfield, gonna see whats in store for the New Salem Bush later on. Hoping Hoping !! Gimme some sap to boil with tomorrow!!!

[Clan Delaney]

Well the trees are budding fast in West Springfield, gonna see whats in store for the New Salem Bush later on. Hoping Hoping !! Gimme some sap to boil with tomorrow!!!

No buds here! (looks sternly at his trees....)

[mapleman3]

and there shouldn't be... belchertown is usualy 5 or more degrees colder, but we'll see after this weekend. pray the cold weather comes before that!! I just want sap for next saturdays scout pancake breakfast

[mapleman3]

so as I got NO sap yesterday again I'm boiling the sweet out today so I'll be able to clean the evap... whats nice is it still is making syrup.. DARK but smells good in here and customers dont know any better that it's not sap going in.

[sapbrush]

so as I got NO sap yesterday again I'm boiling the sweet out today so I'll be able to clean the evap... whats nice is it still is making syrup.. DARK but smells good in here and customers dont know any better that it's not sap going in.

just got done boiling the pan off dark but full of mapel flavor, pans cleaned firewoods all stacked now just waiting for the cold weather again, or shorts and suntan weather, just looked out side lol its spitting snow here unreal, well made a gallon so far not bad for me and my lil evaporator. JIM

[sapbrush]

No buds here! (looks sternly at his trees....)

i checked buckets today, of course nothing the wind has blown some covers off and i assume its rain in the buckets anyways, but i also noticed a couple of the sugar mapels starting to bud, and a couple red mapels that i dont tap doing the same, so maybe this is the sign of things jim

[mapleman3]

Yeah the end is near... I will see IF we get anything in the next few days with this cold front.. well not so cold front, but at least the night will dip a bit. I really don't think the temps will be low enough long enough. in the 11 years I have been doing this , when we are at these temps this long.. I get NO more sap

What I can't believe is I boiled for 1 week.... 1 week !!!!

[Haynes Forest Products]

Whats worse is I only got to read about you boiling for one week:mad:

[sapbrush]

wierd all my buckets on the north side of the trees are running today 3/17, anthing faceing south is dry, what the hecks up with that, most of the ones running are in a shaded part of the woods, just looked and some of the buckets are half full, anyone got any ideas Jim

[Maplesedge]

I'm still getting sap too. Thought I was done when I only got about a quart out of 7 trees over 2 days. Then Monday they gave 1/3 gal each, and today about 1/2 gal each. Not much, but better than nothing. Still clear too, and no budding on these trees yet. They're all in a valley, partly shaded, but all the taps are on the south side.

I may only have 10 gal to boil by Sat., but that'll give me another quart.

And it may still frost next week.

Guess I wont pull the taps just yet.

May be good it's not too much, I have to keep my sap bags in coolers with ice packs now, there's no more snow to bury them in anymore.

65 degrees all week, 70 on Sat!

[cabinetcap]

I collected today, me trees are running more on the north side also. I guess thats typical, I allways make sure I put a tap on the north side for this reason. Some buckets were clear, most were getting that cloudy look. I droped two, 2 gallon sap ice cubes into the holding tank. last boil this weekend:cry:

[mapleman3]

Well 275 gallons of sap maybe avg 2% ... I started boiling around 8:30 and hope to get it all in the evap. we shall see. at least I will have something to chase come saturday for the scout breakfast.

[jrbridges]

We had a very nice little run today after a spotty week. The season appeared over, especially with the other reports that were posted. But then this. My northern taps were good and a few southern were running. We will hope for more tomorrow....

[SeanD]

Yeah, I'm back in business, too. A little yellowish, but almost 2.5%, and 21 gallons off 22 taps. Many dry taps, so really I got way more than a gallon per active tap today. Go figure.

The big 3' and 4' trees are really the ones putting out. It passes the sniff test and the sugar content is good, so I'll throw it in the evap. and see what happens. I guess at the very least it's better than chasing out what's in there with water.

Sean

[sapbrush]

well looks like ill pull the taps that are not running and put them back further in the woods on the north side of the trees there running good

[Mike Van]

wierd all my buckets on the north side of the trees are running today 3/17, anthing faceing south is dry, what the hecks up with that, most of the ones running are in a shaded part of the woods, just looked and some of the buckets are half full, anyone got any ideas Jim

Jim, from what I've seen, the bacteria that closes the holes off is quicker to grow on the warmer south side of the tree. I always tap a bunch 'where the sun don't shine' they will start to run later, but run longer.

[mapleman3]

Boiled until 12:30 last night, got to draw some off sinse I had boiled out a lot on the weekend and chased with water. so some of the sweet that was left in the front pan I used to sweeten the back a little bit but still had plenty for the front pan. I think its a dark and who knows if I'll get any more sap. good thing is the rig has something in it to boil on Saturday even if I chase with water again... it will smell good!!

[Clan Delaney]

Good run here yesterday as well, and this morning's temp was 28. Maybe one last day. Looks like I'll be pouring the sweet back into the pan and boiling. Might squeak two more gallons out of the season!

[Maplesedge]

Still flowing in Cherry Valley. About 1/2 gal per tap today.

[sapbrush]

moved 10 buckets from trees that havent been doing sqat, tapped on the north side. these trees are still half asleep not evan a sign of buds, the others where budding out so i have my fingers crossed and see what happens, see if i can outsmart a mapel tree. ( what are my odds ) i think i have a better chance at hitting the lotery Jim

[sapbrush]

anyone still hanging in there supose to get cold again a few nites this week

[brookledge]

I'm hoping to make some more, my last boil was Sat. the 20th
Keith

[MapLewis]

Pulled all 150+ taps last night... I surrender.

100 gallons left to boil tonight and we are dunzo.

Looking like we are down 50% in production from '09 .

But hey... we didn't run out wood this year!

[mcsap]

I'm keeping my buckets out hoping for one more run the end of the week and this weekend. Looks promising...maybe?

[Clan Delaney]

I just can't fire up that evaporator again this year. Cleaning up this weekend. Making plans for next year.

[mapleman3]

Done! next year

[sfsshadow]

1050 taps on non vac. did about 20% of normal.buckets(3) did o.k. still getting sap from 2500 on vac. about 500gals. a day.supposed to freeze the next few nights.going to ream the rest of the holes,today.see what happens.have to keep my hired man busy.

[DaveB]

I don't understand why some of you guys are giving up. Sure it's been warm for like two weeks but any other year we'd still be boiling now. It's only the end of March. This is typically the end of my season and the weather for the next few days looks pretty good. I'm going to ream about 100 of my taps since it has been dry but we'll see what we get. I'll be happy with a couple hundred gallons just make another 4-5 gallons. For me, 15 gallons on 550-600 taps is too sad...I need to up my ratio a bit.

Dave
(a brother just over the line in CT)

[NedL]

Just washed my buckets last night and was out there at 5:30 this morning reaming some of the holes and rehanging the buckets. I NEED more syrup. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[MapLewis]

one word: buds

my last 3 gallons tastes just slightly "off" w/ a butterscotch smell. My sign to stop.

Good luck to all who are keeping the faith.

[sapbrush]

one word: buds

my last 3 gallons tastes just slightly "off" w/ a butterscotch smell. My sign to stop.

Good luck to all who are keeping the faith.

I SEE THE BOYS DOWN THE ROAD ARE OUT HANGING BUCKETS, HE DOES ALOT OF SYRUP, HM WONDER WHY NOW, MINE ARE STILL UP JIM

[sapbrush]

went ot today to pull my buckets there were all full and not of water the trees where running beter than they have been, maybe the cold nites we had then the cold days it was warmer last nite and agin today with rain, i pulled in about 60 gallons of sap, still clear, so tommorow ill boil it up and see what i get out of it, went out about 9 to check a couple buckets by the house they are half full again, wierd, im glad i didnt give up yet, but us marines never give up or never give in jim

[sfsshadow]

gathered over 4000gals. of sap, since we rebored 2500 holes,last week.sap was fairly clear,but only 1.2 sugar.i think reaming the holes was worth the effort. today(tuesday) will be our last boil

[sapbrush]

boiled today agin made 2 more gallons nice clean stuff, it may be the last time chased the suryp out with water and flooded the evaporator, im sure thats it for me, but one never knows. have 5 trees that just keep filling the buckets, all sugars, just running out of them.

[sapbrush]

well i boiled again last nite 4 hrs went well i was just flooding my pan with water andkicked the bucket of almost made stuff over , wasnt anything left, so the ghost of the sugar house was licking his lips, im done been fun, thank everyone for all there tips and tricks jim