Drilled too Deep? Pull and Re-tap Shallow?

[Twin_Maple]

Help? I am new to this and I am now figuring out that I may have drilled too deep into the trees this year. I am using 5/16 health spouts, I believe they are the Leader type from Bascom’s. I figured that I needed to drill ½ to 1” deeper than the spout length to allow for some place for the sap to gather since the taps have a solid shaft into the tree. So I marked 1” past the spout length on my bit and went a drillin’. Now I had no idea at the time that the spouts do not go all the way in and taper to create a seal. Anyway much like the rest of the folks here in southern NH and northern MA, the sap really has not run yet except for a short run in the middle of Feb. When was tapping the sap was slightly flowin’ on the sunnysides. I have some slightly brown sap in the bottom of some of my buckets, really just a trace. The trees that show this brown flow are my minimum 10” trees. Does this mean that I have tapped the darker heart wood? If this is true, would I be better off re-tapping a few that have this brown flow? It tasted very sweet in the bottom of the bucket. This is just my second season and I am just not sure. Thanks for the help.

[Mike]

Hi, Are your buckets galvanized? The brown could be rust...2" is all you need to go.....with a slight upward angle....How deep did you go???

[Twin_Maple]

I just measured the mark on my bit and it is at 2" so I guess I am OK. I had low flow today, like 2.5 gal Total for my 10 taps. The buckets are new 5 gal plastic. Lots of wet bark around the spouts though. Maybe I am over reacting, but I just expected more and clearer sap today. Thanks.

[forester1]

No need to re-tap. The way to tell if you hit rotten wood is if the shavings came out brown instead of white. Re-tapping would be like putting 2 taps in a 10 inch tree. That would be overtapping and you could harm the tree. Drilling a too deep hole won't do much harm, if any harm at all.

[katmike]

If your sap is anything other than clear and colorless (like water) , pitch it.

[Twin_Maple]

Thanks for the advice, I boiled the 2 Gallons I did get and it was a nice medium amber. I guess I'll just hang out until it warms up again.

[NH Maplemaker]

What I have done so that family & friends don't drill to deep is slid a pice of 15/16 tubing over drill bit ,then measure up 2" from cutting end. Cut it off there!That way the deepest you can drill is 2" before you come up against tubing! Works great. We have used tape, paint, file marks ,ect in the past , but this works the best yet.

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

For me,
I have hit dark spots in the tree's plenty of times. It must have had some damage in these spots on differnt tree's.
I normally just put the tap in and leave it. I havent had any problems with sap color on these tree's.

I mean once you drill into the tree its to late to stop once your in about 2" and then you see some dark shaving coming out.
so for me to drill another hole is just not my option.

If I would see some dis colored sap, Id just pull the tap in that case and not retap that tree till the following season and then try to find a better area on the tree to tap.

Just my thoughts.

Charlie