Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

After floundering a few days on the decision, with the forecast staying, and becoming more favorable, I started getting ready. This could be a very good run for me here. All the forecasts call for Sunday and Monday 41-45, a reset of 28 Monday night, and Tuesday and Wednesday 45-50...
Cleaned out and organized my little sugarhouse yesterday, broke out my vacuum system, and tested good after replacing the vacuum gauge. All my mainlines hooked up. Ready for sap!
Tomorrow I tap, Saturday to Bellows Falls VMSMA conf, and more tapping Sunday.
Should be ready to test my Home built Pro RO!

Update...
1/29
130 taps put in today, with 30 drops added.
1/31
140 more tapped for 270 on vacuum. sap is running.

I repaired one sugarbush yesterday and will do my second one today. I'm thinking about going for it too. Have you guys started drilling holes? I'm just worried about the holes drying up too soon. I'm not on Vacuum so my holes probably don't stay quite as clean. Sap probably kind of sits there.

Though I put a bucket in one year in early January for a photo shoot and that seemed to run good when sugaring finally rolled around. (I think they might stay cleaner than a tap on tubing though.)

Who ended up tapping?

You know what? I just opened the dining room curtains and was struck by the lack of snow cover out there. I'm going to go for it. I need conditions that promote natural flow of tree sap. Unlike last year.....I fear those conditions might not last long this year.

I decided to sit this thaw out. I generally prefer to tap frozen trees and I have a few other projects I would rather get done during the warmer weather this week. Going to get tanks cleaned, organize sugarhouse, and get some other equipment ready and will then start tapping next weekend. It looks like we will have about a two week stretch of winter at the least and my plan is to have all my taps in by mid February.

Justin - It is a bit risky tapping this early with gravity tubing and buckets. If you are using new spouts then you may be alright. If we do end up going until April, two months may be pushing it with old spouts.

I'm waiting another two weeks before I hope too start tapping. I'm strickly on buckets.

Steve

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Justin Turco

I repaired one sugarbush yesterday and will do my second one today. I'm thinking about going for it too. Have you guys started drilling holes? I'm just worried about the holes drying up too soon. I'm not on Vacuum so my holes probably don't stay quite as clean. Sap probably kind of sits there.

Though I put a bucket in one year in early January for a photo shoot and that seemed to run good when sugaring finally rolled around. (I think they might stay cleaner than a tap on tubing though.)

Who ended up tapping?

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I started taping yesterday, I was only able to install 250 or so. Every hole I drilled sap ran out very well. I'm going back in woods today to continue. I'm hoping to have our first boil sometime this week.

Just finished up taping for today, I'm just shy of 800. Every tap is running well and I'm getting lines all good and tight. No leaks. This weather is kinda of great. I don't really ever get a chance to tap and check leaks before a good run. This year seams the weather is helping me. I will keep the pump on all day and night starting tomorrow. Hoping to get the new membranes in the ro tomorrow as well.

I got 330 tapped and wound up with 240 gal of 1.5 and the sap tastes OK, so I may boil it after putting it through my test run of my newly built RO. I can boil with my anticipated Wednesday run. It is freezing up here for a day.
I usually get 1.7 here, so this isn't all that bad for me.
Like Parker Maple said, the weather was good for tapping, and it was nice not going out this year on 3 feet of snow.

You folks are inspiring, but looks like I'm going to miss this early start. Just wasn't in the cards to be able to drop everything at the end of January to jump into sugaring.

I am going to start working on tubing repairs and setting tanks today. Also hope to have the sugarhouse ready to go by the end of the week.

Good luck all!

This weather is definitely getting me worked up! However I'm committed to finishing my last expansion for this woods we're putting in drops now, Hope to have 1200 or so new taps. The weather has been awesome for working in the woods this year!
I'm planning to start punching holes this weekend. looks like a couple of weeks of colder weather starting after this week hopefully that's the case so can be all tapped and ready when it warms up again!