2019 Tapping Season - Connecticut

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Originally Posted by Mike Van

A flitch is also a slab of lumber with bark on both edges.

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A flitch has bark on one side and lumber ( usually only sap wood on the other ) It has only two sides ( one arched with bark over it and the other flat with exposed lumber)and no edges. I.E. It is the first cut off the edge of a log and I use all of my flitches as fuel for the evaporator. A slab of lumber with bark on both edges is a live edged piece of lumber and not a flitch. It would have to be the second or greater cut off the edge of a log and almost always has some useful purpose as a piece of lumber rather then fuel for a fire. Many of my second cuts went into the construction of my rag tag sugar shack that does manage to keep the rain/snow and falling hemlock needles out. Third cuts or more end up on something more substantial and refined.

For what it's worth today my trees ar running as strong as they ever have. Temp is 45 and sunny sky's at noon. Still managed 80 gallons of sap thru this past week. Would have been more but there was two deer chews I found and repaired today.

I'm looking forward to it being well below freezing this week because I'm off on Vacation and won't be able to tend to any runs.

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Originally Posted by Sugar Bear

A flitch has bark on one side and lumber ( usually only sap wood on the other ) It has only two sides ( one arched with bark over it and the other flat with exposed lumber)and no edges. I.E. It is the first cut off the edge of a log and I use all of my flitches as fuel for the evaporator. A slab of lumber with bark on both edges is a live edged piece of lumber and not a flitch. It would have to be the second or greater cut off the edge of a log and almost always has some useful purpose as a piece of lumber rather then fuel for a fire. Many of my second cuts went into the construction of my rag tag sugar shack that does manage to keep the rain/snow and falling hemlock needles out. Third cuts or more end up on something more substantial and refined.

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Well, what you call a flitch has always been a slab here, the language varies I guess.

I picked up a hundred gal. yesterday, boiled off this AM, going back out now to dump again. The rest of the week off from the look of it.

Gathered anywhere from 2gal to 3 gal (overflowing) from each bucket today. Was still running an a few hours ago when I came in. Should have a little bit of chunky sap to collect in the morning. Then off until Friday by the looks of it.

I'm still keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the forecast come to fruition, but it looks like we are going to need our snorkels in the next couple of days!

Attachment 19617

Is everyone ready to go for what looks to be the run of the season?

Came back from vacation to find 110 gallons of crystal clear sweet tasting sap waiting for me in my barrles. Trees are running hard today gonna loose some sleep this week to boiling.

Finally got my hauler working to boot, and what a nice day to try it out.

Boiling this weeks run off today. Anyone else wrapping up the season this weekend? I’ve never gone much further into march than this. Sap is getting cloudy, yellow and sub 2% anyways. What everyone else thinkn’?

I had 5 trees [out of 150] stop, I put the buckets [with clean taps] on 5 new trees - I'm going to go another week at least. That dark yellow sap, just dump it, many times the next run will be o.k. again. That 70 degree day and 3 nights with no frost probably hurt all of us.

I'm going to try and go one more week and call it a season. Weather looks fairly good until Saturday.

Going to make less than half of what I made last year. Oh well, that's farming!