february Journal

Well, I am not tapping ;)
But I did get most of my stack up through tonight... I had a Pinewood Derby for the scouts today so that was most of the day. So finally when I got home around three, I got to working on the Barrel/roof jack. I have to admit it works and looks pretty good!!(pictures tomorrow) And for 24 bucks it was worth it. I only have a 4 foot section with the top on it to put up....then do some flashing work. it's supposed to be close to 50deg. no I'm not tapping! Spring comes once a year to Belchertown... And this aint it !!! ( Right Dave Y ? )

I should have the drops in the woods next weekend and tidy up any loose ends there

Maybe by tomorrow evening I will be plumbed up, wired up and almost ready to fire the evap for cleaning !!! OK I'M EXCITED!!!

No I'm NOT Tapping yet!! ;)

Hey everyone, I was too tired to post last night, so here's the update. When I left the woods at 6 pm tonight I was up to 659 taps in on tubing, about half yesterday and half today, most were running moderately this afternoon. Checked tanks at 7:30 and a steady stream was still running in. Tomorrow morning I'll get the evaporator shined up and hopefully we'll get enough sap to light a fire tomorrow night. I'm still finishing an 80 tap tubing expansion that should be online next weekend and hopefully 150 buckets will go out as well. With luck I'll close in on 900 taps before I'm done drilling this year. Good luck to everyone!

Holy cow is the sap ever running.

I just finished up doing the first boil of the season. I went out and collected around 5pm and went right to firing up the evap.

When I was collecting the trees were still running really good. It still is amazing how one tree will behave differently from another. the sugarbush that I am using the upper part is running like crazy and then the lower part is running but a good bit slower.

I am still in get ready mode. Not sure if it ran much here I need to check with others. We had a lot of wind and sometimes that holds the sap a little. A lot of the snow was gone at the tree bases. and the reds look like they are ready to pop already!

No I don't think I will tap tomorrow either, more tubing and containers to get out. Maybe Monday if the forecast looks good????

Regards,
Chris

We have two releasers dumping simultaneously at less than 3 minutes each.

Spluuushhhh, splusssshhh

Oh yeah baby. I should have waited!!!

the power of the sun today pulled me into the woods...spent 3 hrs setting up a new 50 tap roadside tubing run...nice 10-15in trees along a fence line, nice slope, etc...trying them all on 5/16 to see how it will run...main concern is there are goats and a llama in the field on the other side of the fence- hope the tubing is too far for them to reach..

spent a few hours this morning digging out galvanized stock tanks- the one I crunched last season with the loader leaks along one seam...will try some food grade silicone but TSC has 100 gal rubbermaid tanks for $75 so might get a few of them.

my metalsmith guy fixed the solder bubble in the syrup pan so I think the evap. is almost ready for a cleaning boil...

is 42deg out as I type but I still think I'll wait a couple more weeks...or not...

THE(THEEARLYBIRDGETSTHEWORM)RRROOONNNNN- How much have you made? Your sugaring brothers and sisters are going to need a littel more detailed update. How is the new bush running,,,is the old one running like last year? what are you holding for vac. DETAILS MAN!!! Got to feed that sugaring monkey on my back....
Eric- I like the "or not" I am thinking of tapping my southern bushes,,looks like monday will be the only cool day this week,,,,and with wood prices.....Do you have a drill bit for bucket spiles? I need to hang a bucket on the tree in my yard,(and mabey a few hundred up the road from me)

For those of you who couldn't control your selves and tapped I hope you do well. For those of us who are still getting ready pick up the pace. Time is a wasting. You would think I would be ready to tap, after all I did start in June!
And yes mapleman3 spring only comes once no matter where you are.

I have a new thermometer coming that has a remote probe. planning on using it in the evaporator to get me close to syrup temp.

I also bought a new sap refractometer. About $40 off of Ebay. I'm not to happy with it. I think I have pretty good eye's, but the scale is so small you can't see the .1 increments. I calibrated it with distilled water. I checked a couple reds, there running just over 1%:( I checked a couple sugars and they ran just over 2%. I'll try comparing the results with my long stem.

For those who did not tap. No need to rush. I just watched the local news. This week will be close to 50 every day. By next weekend it turns back cold and will remain cold all the way to the end of the month.

Thanks dave y. I'm at work right now, hoping that there's going to be big sap. temp is in the mid 40's right now. and your so right I just couldn't control myself. lol