No Sap running around here this morning.... -30C deg this morning... (that's -22 F) :o
Bit of a shock after this mild winter.
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No Sap running around here this morning.... -30C deg this morning... (that's -22 F) :o
Bit of a shock after this mild winter.
With 5-6 degrees and lot of sun , we got all are 250 ish taps in place and all the lines tighten up . By mid afternoon the trees were running well and did a good job of flushing out all the sap lines. Probably a short lived start of the season but it’s finally starting to look more like syrup season every day . Good luck to everyone this spring!!!
Yup I also got my 60 taps in Saturday afternoon and boiled down over 60 gallons last night just enough to sweeten my pans. Hopefully it runs well today and I'll get syrup off.
We went through a 3-4 day stint of favourable temperatures here... Sap was running for those that have their taps in... I'm not one of them.. and I haven't seen much activity from the local guys, yet... I didn't see any smoke in the Elmira area yesterday either... Turning cold again for a few days, now... I will get tapping this weekend... Not sure how many... Thinking about 150ish to start.
I did, however, start a little experiment that I've been thinking about for some time, now.. I tapped 8 large old maples on my road.. They sit at the top of a decent hill with maybe 20-30 ft of fall...
I set up a 3/16" gravity line from 25 taps, to a barrel at the bottom of the hill... I'm really excited to see how the combination of full-sun roadside trees and gravity work out.
The trees along my road are typically tapped with buckets by other neighbourhood folk... (first come, first served).... I finally beat them to it this year... I only took 8 trees though.... Lots more to go around, if they tap this year.
Well I have collected 180 gallons from 60 taps. Boiled enough to sweeten my pans but still have another 110 gallons to boil down. So far sugar is at 2%. That's a 1.5% drop from last year :(
Bit of a late winter storm going on here... Blew snow last night and had to do it again this morning. A couple more cold days to come, but looks like things are going to start to swing on Sunday...
It doesn't look like ideal conditions by any means, but the forecast is calling for 9 days out of the next 14 that will have positive daytime temps, after freezing nights... I guess I better get tapping.
Attachment 21064
You will have a hard going back to Pails after you see just how well 3/16 line going into drum works. Sure doesn’t look like syrup season this morning with all this snow blowing around.
FYI, if that's Crown land be careful, I had tapped trees on the side of a road before and a conservation officer came along and said I need an L.U.P.(Land Use Permit) to tap trees on Crown land.Quote:
Originally Posted by wmick
What a tax grab that is. Had to pull my taps right then. 10 taps
this is Northern Ontario though:mad::mad:
Hmm??... That sucks... I never really gave that much thought as the trees down my road have been tapped by someone or other for years... They are on what I would consider the Road Allowance... between the ditch and the farmers fence.. I've never heard of problems arising, but you never know? We dont really have "crown" land around here, but these particular 8 trees that I tapped happen to be adjacent to Grand River Conservation land and not a farm. I put my name and phone number on the barrel... I guess we'll see what happens... fingers crossed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Someclown
Thanks for the heads up..
It's comin.... As usual, I'm not quite ready for it... but the forecast is looking like syrup...
Attachment 21093
Took Friday off work to tap trees, but spent most of the day blowing snow, instead.... Same on Saturday... Bad timing for a blizzard... Managed to get out Sunday and get taps in.. Very deep fresh snow in the bush.. My old joints and muscles are not happy... The younger trees were bleeding sap pretty good, while I was tapping at +1degC. Still a few odds and ends to finish it up... Sap will be running today. It's +4 this morning.
I will try to remember this next year, and get things done earlier, when weather permits.
(I will try to remember this next year, and get things done earlier, ) That's funny right there! this is maple syrup. it seems that it doesnt matter how prepared you think you are, usually you aren't. lol
Right you are.... You caught me believing my own BS again...Quote:
Originally Posted by whatever
. Thought I had got a jump on things this year... but you are correct. I will never be "ready"
A public ROW is not the same as Crown Land. Only the township/county that owns from fence to fence could demand a permit to tap roadside trees. The CO who told you that was overstepping - I'd have politely told him to go away and check the laws again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Someclown
Got my collection system in place last night... I lost out on a good day's run yesterday... but the tote should be filling today.
Next 14 days are still looking promising... but those "perfect" swings are forecasted for late next week...
Attachment 21114
What’s up peeps?
Tapped 80 trees on Sunday. All on buckets and they produced 150 litres in a little over 36 hours. Haven’t checked brix yet. Fingers crossed it’s close to 2%
I got 67 on lines put in on Monday up on the Bruce peninsula. Was slowly dripping the past few days. Going to be tapping more this am and looking forward to my first boil of 2020. Got a new 4x2 pan and 1x2 preheating pan on a new arch. Should speed my rates up over previous years. Bring it on 2020. Anybody else on the peninsula getting good runs yet?
Ughh :(- Just looked at the 14 day forecast again and the night time temperatures have all jumped up by 2 or 3 degrees.... Those perfect -5s are now at -1 and -2... In my experience that is not really cold enough... Fingers crossed that things change back.
I missed Monday's run... Tuesday netted about 250L now, from 165 taps.... Didn't check the sugar level yet.
Attachment 21120
Well let’s just hope this maple season is better then my snowmobile season was this year. Mother Nature is really making it hard on us this winter to have fun outside.
Well I'm swamped just collected 160 gals from 60taps 100 tested at 1.5% I think some rain got in it... And the other 60 at 2.2% so hoping it freezes a bit tonight so I can Chuck ice.
Mark. Where are you located and how much time between collecting?Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkReynolds
I have around 90-100g from 67 on 5/16 lines. That’s Tuesday and today. Not bad considering the weather was not ideal at all. Glad your trees are flowing mark.
You fellas are certainly outperforming me... 165 taps 450L over 2 days... =1.4L or .36Gal/tap/day These are on a little 12v pump, 3/4" mainline with 3/16" laterals... I checked around last night and my system is pretty tight.... Just need the trees to wake up a little better yet, I guess..
I also have 25 taps on some big old roadside trees on 3/16 gravity.... they produced .88Gal/ tap yesterday...
Fingers Crossed... gonna fire up the RO this weekend and see what happens. Supposed to go from 0 to +4 this afternoon (after being down to -7 last night) Could be a decent afternoon.
Wmick hope it picks up for you. This start for me is exceptional. My 80 taps / bucket combs yielded 2.475 L per tap in exactly 24 hours. Pretty solid!
My taps right now are averaging 3.75 liters each in 24 hours. Not bad so far. First boil last weekend was Grade A Golden. The picture attached shows the amber colour of my 2019 syrup on the left and my first batch of 2020 syrup.
Attachment 21131
Hope so too..... I increased my taps by about 75% this year (good thing) Because based on performance so far and the forecast, I could very likely end up with less sap than last year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Smokeshow
My wife says Id make a terrible farmer.... Driving myself nuts, watching the forecast.
Speaking of which.... 0 deg right now... Thats the high for today... Very cold tonight and back up to 0 deg tomorrow... Sunday should be a Hum-Dinger.... with a high of +9... :cool:
I'm close to thamesford just east of London. Time between collecting was just over 24 hours. I'm swimming in sap.
Living in The Sunny South...:DQuote:
Originally Posted by MarkReynolds
Been fighting with cold weather, frozen totes / lines / broken pumps. Gathered just shy of 1000l of sap but unfortunately most of it is locked up tight in ice . Looking up weather forecasts is driving me nuts come on Mother Nature I want to try out the new hobby sized ro unit .
I was a little shocked that Sunday was not a better running day for me, getting so warm.. Up to about +9, I think...(going to 13 today) Couple hundred Litres off 165 taps... bringing me to about 1100 total. Its not just me.... The neighborhood roadside buckets didn't seem to have a great day either.... Couple warm nights to come and then back to some decent ones, according to the forecast... We'll keep the batteries charged and the pump running... and see what happens.
I have to agree with you, I was expecting Sunday to swamp us in sap . Do you check your sap sugar % ??? Although it didn’t run crazy hard this past weekend the sap we collected was fantastic 3-3.25 % sugar wooohooo .
I checked it last night... reading 2.4... (2.7 from a few road side trees.) Had another 150L in the tote last night.... Not bad, I guess, considering it didn't freeze at night.. My little 12v vac pump will still be running all night as it didn't freeze again... Calling for -5 tonight.
Lots of rain this morning.. Creeks are coming up quick. This will make for a muddy mess hauling sap around the bush. Insane hobby...
Just looking back at last years temperatures, out of curiosity... On this day, 2019 we had just our first positive temperature day... coming out of a deep freeze.... The season was just starting... (Although there was a short teaser back in February as well)
Attachment 21195
most of are trees are on road sides or fence rows and still had snow packed all around the base of the trees . Looks like the rain today has fixed that problem. Fingers crossed with a good rain and some nice looking sap weather coming up for the next week we might get a couple good gusher days . I did finally get to fire up my 3x 400gpd ro unit I made up and have to say I’m impressed 10 hour run time and push out almost 300 l of water from what sap we had.
I had one of my better days yesterday with 250 L.... and this after a previous warm day and night... Starting to wonder about this freeze-thaw theory??
Finally a good freeze. First good one for me since Friday March 6. Had a small freeze on Tuesday the 10th with a very small run. Very light morning freeze on the 14th resulting in nothing and a light freeze on the 15th. Frustrating year. Lots of rain and too warm. More rain to come 4 days this week. Next freeze is Tuesday and then again Friday. Hopefully the trees still wanna run.
Not seeing much in my bush this season but was starting to drip by around 12-1 this afternoon. Been a slow year so far for me at least.
Unfortunately I don't keep very good records from year to year for comparisons.... and I keep changing things up... But I think I have about the same sap now, as I did all last season, but with 65% more taps... Forecast shows some freezing nights over the coming weekend... but that.s about it for the year, I think ?? Hope you get another good run yet..
Just received a text from my Dad, checking our sap-tote.... Best day so far, for us, by far.. 600L since I was there at 6pm yesterday.... on 165 taps...
Disappointing run on Monday. Thought it was a good freeze. Was freezing around dark on Sunday. Was -4 Monday morning. Friend said that it was only -1 at 4:30 when he went to work. Maybe that was why it didn't run much. Got to at least +8. My good shanty, drinking bucket tree only ran 5 inches in a 13 litre blue bucket and that was by Tuesday morning. Definitely some trees or certain sides of trees have slowed way down. Oldest buckets were 20 days old and newest 9. Didn't matter where in the bush you were. All new 5/16 blue eco spiles and new 5/16 Lapierre clear straight disposable spiles which I use on lines and buckets. Also new Embee 7/16 to 5/16 reducer spiles I use on drop lines into buckets.
I let everything run over night and gathered Tuesday. +13 tomorrow and +16 on Friday. Oh joy!
Finally got caught up boiling Thursday night, collected a bit yesterday, almost nothing today. Tomorrow looks like another dry day, but next week looks ok, maybe a few days the following week as well.
2x6 Waterloo pan on an antique Piette & Fils arch
2019 - 60 buckets, 85L of syrup, 2x4 pan outside
2020 - 100 buckets, 80L of syrup, 2x6 pan in a Redi Rack Shack
2021 - proper sugar shack and and RO maybe...
So what are the rest of you folks up to? Anyone shut down? Anyone still collecting?
I boiled up pretty much everything I had for sap on the weekend. Approx 500L in the bush yet.... Sap might run again this afternoon... and tomorrow?? but according to the forecast, that about it for night freezing, here...