2025 Sugaring Season

This year we are going to increase our taps to maybe 50. Going to experiment with tubing on the south side of the property where we have about 10 - 15 trees/taps on a small hill. Using 3/16th tubing as a mainline.

We are also adding another filter to our RO Bucket so we can process 16 gph (up from 8 gph). The RO saved us a bunch of time last year, even with the slow season. We don't live near our sugar bush so we only boil on the weekends.

Planning on entering our syrup from last year for judging in the Michigan Maple Syrup Association winter meeting on January 17th. We've never done this before. Maybe we will see you there.

Still trying to find a good inexpensive way to move the steam out of our small sugar shack. We use a small storage shed. we tried putting in roof vents, but it doesn't draw out enough. Might hook up some roof fans. We boil on two large pans 17 x 30 pans on 2-two burner propane grills. (When we put in the permanent hunting cottage this summer it may be time to consider moving to a wood evaporator).

If you move to the wood evaporator you may also want to consider a cupola above the pans with doors, you can open and close to vent the steam. It's the best way to do it if you don't have a steam hood on your pans and removes the steam well.

We're going to 150 taps. Still all buckets.

I can't help but ask, anyone looking at the forecast for the next week? I've got highs in the mid 30s.....

I have been watching accuweather and will follow that closely. I don't plan on tapping until at least mid-to later in February.

Our sugarbush is in The Thumb. At this point we won't be tapping till at least after February 14. The forecast for the next two weeks still shows cold temps and only two days barely over 32 degrees.

Need to have everything up and ready to tap. We missed 3 runs last year because we listened to the week-10 day forecast.

Ah, Thursday a high of 43 and sunny. :o

Not trying to say tap now but the weather is sure getting closer. Trying to get everything done by the end of this week.

I've been looking at my records and it has been interesting to compare. We've keep a log since we started in 2018.

2023 season: tapped 2/15 (could have tapped earlier but out of town), first sap collection 2/17-34 gal, first syrup bottling 2/24-3.58 gal

2024 season: tapped 2/11 (could have tapped earlier but not ready), first sap collection 2/14-124 gal, first syrup bottling 2/22-4.85 gal

How's everyone else doing?

We are ready, but waiting. Thumb Area seems to start a little later than SW Michigan typically. Getting the itch, but as of now I've tentatively set Feb 22 as the weekend we can tap. Nature has her own plans though... So we are ready.

Tapped 2/11 last year, but it was a strange year and was earlier than usual.

Lines almost all up and looking at adding some taps if time allows. Weather looks to be holding cold for another week but last week sure did temp me. I think it will be after valentine's day again according to the reports I'm seeing. Last year wasn't good by me in SW Mich as I had half the sap from the previous year. Best of luck to all and stay safe.

We really didn't have enough warm days to make it worth tapping, and I'm glad we didn't. It doesn't look good through February 19th over here in The Thumb area. Not sure when this current cold spell will break.