How is eveyone doing so far

[wcproctor]

Well I started off OK I have 111 taps in, this is my all time high. I have boiled about 150 gal. and made about 2 3/4 gal, it is a nice light amber,with the pans still sweet. So hoping for a good run this weekend for all. The sugar has been a average about 2.5%, alot better than last year. So good luck to all and let the sugar be with you.

[foursapssyrup]

the runs have been slow to say the best. we have 100 taps this year (up from 35 last year) and so far have boiled roughly 175-200 gallons. we should have about 3-4 gallons of finished product. this year we upgraded from the home built 2x4 brick boiler to a WF Mason 2x6 and flat pans. Boy what a difference!! hoping that this week brings some better runs, we have not been able to boil for more than 7 hours so far without running out of sap!!!

WCProctor, where are you in uxbridge? i am always interested in seeing others setups, and of course, learning from a fellow sugarer!!

happy boiling!!

[mcsap]

Getting a late start, got about 25 buckets out today, hopefully 30-35 more tomorrow and then see what happens. Sap was running! Just before dark a light snow started falling, should be good again tomorrow. Maybe get enough for the first short boil by Saturday PM or Sunday. Next week looks good up here in the hills, too, at least early. Snow is still deep and I didn't put my snowshoes on, lots of postholing trying to get to the trees.

[SV Sugarer]

The season has been OK for us so far. The past couple nights have seemed cold, but just not cold enough to freeze the trees. We've had some slow runs the past couple days. Hopefully this weekend and next week will keep us busy. We've bottled about 10.5 gallons so far - all very light medium. The sugar content is much better this year compared to last year. Good luck to all this season.

[wcproctor]

Went out to collect and ..................... holy crap 5 gal from 60 taps :cry: the north/east wind is killing me. We need a west breeze

[5poorsaps]

The sap sure has been screwy this year. Even on vacuum it almost stopped for 4 days. Yesterday (Friday) it finally started to run fairly good. Even so we only got 1200 gallons of sap where we would usuallly get around 2500 this time of year. The color started off awesom for the first two weeks but due to the warm spell the sap sat in the trees too long and it has already darkend to Medium Amber. Hopefully last nights cold snap will get the trees pumpin and will lighten things up. On a side note: If you guys are looking for equipment let me know because I come across a lot of stuff during the year that is really inexpensive and is great for anyone that is a backyard or growing sapper.

[Ausable]

Went out to collect and ..................... holy crap 5 gal from 60 taps :cry: the north/east wind is killing me. We need a west breeze

Having the same problem here in North East Michigan - been getting a N.E. wind off Lake Huron and is really messing up the sap flow so far --- I have 55 taps in and a whole 5 gallons today - The last two days have been in the low fortys and about 10 to 15F at night. Usually I would get about 30 gallons a day - but - slow here.... I know it can suddenly change and it will - but - getting impatient for a first boil -- Mike

[red maples]

not doing too bad first "real year" so still working out the bugs here and there but getting there...

lost track of how much sap I got:confused: but I would guess it is around 1700-2000 gallons that including today. Sap was running like crazy today WOW little hobby releaser was dumping every 2-3 minutes!!! . have about 25-28 gallons so far no light just medium and dark. sugar content didn't start out to bad but it is now...suck longer boils yeah:rolleyes: but all is well as long as the temp goes below freezing every night and the sap keeps running we'll be good!!!

[gator330]

Ok sap run, fighting to keep syrup from turning dark. Not that dark is bad but didn't get a lot of medium. Got a case of gout in my left foot and no cartalige in my right knee. Line is running slow but the pals are full. Pal 25 out ran the line with 75 yesterday. Good start of doing it again today. So far a normal season. Little rig 10 hr boil today and i'm off to work now, normal season.

[Low budget maple]

UGH !! Lost the tractor in the snowy woods yesterday. Had to dump 100 gall to get unstuck. Stuck again and it's finaly out today. The bush is gunna have to wait a bit. Gunna collect my west 100 buckets and try to get this season underway

[Fishgill]

We had our best one day run on Saturday. We boiled down 77 gallons on Sat. & 66 gallons today for a total of 143. We finished with 2 3/4 gallons. Our new rig was doing 7 gallons/ hr. We were hoping for more but after doing less than 2/hr last season we're not complaining. We didn't collect todays run, hopefully it was as good as yesterday. The weather for this coming week doesn't look to good :mad: . The nights may be staying to warm for good runs.

[Wanabe1972]

First boil today finally got the pans sugared up. I collected about 125 gallons this morning and after a dreadful first couple of hours i got my rythem and boiled 55 gallons in hour on the 2x8. My new preheater worked great but had a little trouble getting float set. New grates are working good I can load the fire without killing the blower which seems to keep the boil going better. Just collected another 130 gallons but noticed one main line was gulping a bit so I followed the line about 2/3 way up the hill to see mainline was pulled apart. Sombody forgot to clamp a connector. I had a hole in the snow about a foot across and a foot deep. lost 40 taps worth on the ground but got it fixed up. I will start again in the morn auto was about to pop some off when I ran out of sap so Ill be making syrup tomarrow. When I run out of sap Ill run 20 buckets here around the shack. Good luck to all.

[5poorsaps]

Sunday we boiled down 1300 gallons of sap, Today (Monday) we boiled down 1200 gallons and have 800 collected for a start for tomorrows boil. Sugar content is still low around 1.5%, color is dark amber heading toward B quick. Had problem with vac pump last week but its working well now. Filter press is giving us a headache but we are learning how it works better each day....this one takes a ton of filter aid. Temps look like they will cooperate for the next few days and hopefully we will be getting our 2500 gallons per day. We're holding our breathe.

[5poorsaps]

On another note: We are going to be on WMUR Chronicle all next week for the start of the show with a full interview airing Tuesday at 7:30PM. Hopefully we wont make fools of ourselves. The TV crew was awesome and really did their best to get most of the information right. Hope it all turns out well! Tiffany is one cute lady!

[PapaSmiff]

I've had a good run of sap this weekend, but rather low sugar content. I don't have a sap hydrometer, but based on the volume of finished product, the sugar content was a bit low.

Two runs
9 gallons sap = 1 1/2 pints syrup
13 gallons sap = 2 pints syrup

I'll do the math later.

[sapbrush]

it hasnt been to good here in belchertown, to warm i think at nite, i have boiled down a bit, hopefully next week will bring some cooler weather, cant seem to get my leader half pint going full boil

[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 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.
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[foursapssyrup]

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 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.
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sadly we have seen some robbins here. and we are experiencing the same thing with the sap. (i hate to say it) but thank god it isn't just us, i thought we were the only ones not getting sap!!! pulled a couple taps out of the trees today to see whats what and they were dry, absolutely nothing. i am not taking them out untill the trees bud, so there is still hope!!!

[5poorsaps]

Talked to one of my best friends in Loudon who has been doing this for over 25 years and he says it's the worst year he has ever had. We were hoping to make1000 gallons this year but will be lucky to get 400 from the looks of it. Nights are finally getting colder but I fear the damage is done, we are already at dark amber and in and out of Grade B. Well, there's always next year. Trees are budding in Nashua at my friends house...not a good sign!

[morningstarfarm]

some trees budding here as well..my kids school in Amesbury has 30 taps out and got a grand total of 1.25 gallons the last 2 days..Tonight is below freezing so there is slim hope in the short term..long term looks grim at best. Right now I just hope I have enough for them to boil next friday at the school...

[sfsshadow]

Starting tapping on March 1st. Finished Wednesday, two crews and three feet of snow. Ran good Thursday - Sunday. Sugar content averaging 1.7, made nice light syrup until today, made medium. Saps not running well now even on vacuum. Even though it froze last night??? Doesn't look good.

[5poorsaps]

Ran good today....not great....just good. 1800 gallons of sap still low sugar content. In Milford the sap is starting to show up as cloudy, not soured just cloudy....season looks like it is ending there. Deerfield NH is still clear, but after the next two days it looks like the season is going to be wrapping up. Hoping for the all nighter on Thursday into Friday with the Low pressure coming in. Hope for the best....plan for the rest!

[wcproctor]

So it is over here in Uxbridge if I did this rite look at my pic that I took today 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

[brookledge]

How disapointing!!!
I made grade B today and know others around me are in the same boat. Even as bad as it is I'm at .2 gal per tap. Sugar content is bad, color is bad, not the season I was hoping for. While I have been getting good temps at night it has been to warm in the day.
Keith

[NedL]

Not giving up yet in Foxboro. Had a decent run on Weds. Hoping for cooler nights starting Monday.(Did I mention "hoping")

Hasn't been even a good season. Maybe 3 runs total.

[David531]

We're just barely running our half pint, we've drawn off 3 times, put up about 7 gallons so far. The long range forecast on weather.com doesn't look good.
We're going to try doing birch syrup again. With a large double boiler for finishing, we hope to avoid burning it, again. Our black birch run after the maples. Tricky stuff that birch. It'll no way make up for a slow maple season, but we'll have some fun with it.

[40to1]

I'm done.
Took the taps out today.

Kind of bittersweet. I think I am the only one in town who's glum about the continuing warm forecast. But it was a good year for me. I accomplished what I wanted.

I tapped many of the neighbors' trees. I made great syrup and will be able to repay them for the use of their trees (and I made plenty for myself). I kept things fun and I didn't fall on my face. And at least four additional neighbors want to sign up for next year.

And most surprising of all - I didn't go through all my firewood!

[NedL]

Somehow, my trees ran sometime over the last couple of days. Lost some of it because I was travelling, but I have 15 gallons in the fridge to boil this weekend. It was the best run of the season for my big trees. Very strange because I don't think it got below freezing. This happen to anyone else in the area?

[mapleman3]

I'm done, Tanks will be off the trucks tommorrow, Buckets will be pulled on sunday and the lines will start coming down next week.

I got about .075 gal syrup per tap. worst ever for me.

Hoping to add another 2-300 on gravity for next year, FOR INSURANCE!! if I get too much sap I will sell what I can't handle.

[Maplewalnut]

Jim-

I was thnking the same thing about adding taps. Hell, I was worried about 350+ on a 2x6. This year I could have done double that!

[Fishgill]

All done. Today I pulled all of my taps and cleaned all the buckets. Hopefully next year will be better. We made just under 6 gallons. It's time to focus on the upcoming fishing season.:D

[Beans Maple]

Not sure how or why but the season made a bit of a comeback for me this week. Vacuum pulled real good sap Wed, okay on Thursday, and is actually still running in a bit today. I can't believe it but the grade is better now than last week. Almost Grade A Dark. Pump has been on 24/7 since Wed a.m. and I think I'll leave it on. Hoping for another "phantom freeze" next week. So far about half the normal crop....not giving up yet!

[ejmaple]

pulled all my taps and cleaned the tanks today, afew north facing taps were weeping this morning. made 27 gal. total a far cry from the 50 i was shooting for. well theres always next year, already scouting out a new main line that should be around 120 taps. so it looks like i'll be around 350 taps next year if all goes as planed. i posted my rig for sale on the classifieds, i have had 4 calls with some intrest. looking for a 2 x 6 or 2 x 8 if anyone knows of one let me know.
ed