We've been getting about .75 gallon of sap a tap last week without the freezes and the sugar is low. Hopefully this week is better.
A few reds are swelling but we definitely have a week more.
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We've been getting about .75 gallon of sap a tap last week without the freezes and the sugar is low. Hopefully this week is better.
A few reds are swelling but we definitely have a week more.
Oh, interesting...that is good to know. I figured it probably wasn't ideal but had read recently in Maple News of a guy in NH who does it as a "season extender."Quote:
Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins
Given our sugar bush is our own 30 acres of forest I will probably NOT take that approach for the future.
Only collected 40 gallons today around 5:30 PM, trees were still dripping though. Boiled the 40 and got a decent draw off. Hoping tomorrow is a little better after two consecutive freezes at night.
Another 50 gallons today and another decent draw off. Chipping away and hoping to at least match last year total. Very interesting to see how the trees are reacting to the season!
I collected this evening. Have not made the rounds since the weekend and many buckets were full and some overflowing. Collected a solid 75 gallons from my 48 taps. I need to restock my wood supplies and boil away. We've beaten the weather forecast the last couple of nights- getting some solid frosts and I'm hopeful that has reset the sugar a bit, I was 50:1 on my last boil and that is not normal for me.
Pete
Holy smokes, this is what I've been holding out for - sap was running strong by mid-day yesterday after I re-hung my (freshly sanitized) buckets and power-washed our collection tank for the 3/16 tubing laterals.
We went out to the woods in the early evening tonight and EVERY SINGLE BUCKET was full or overflowing (have barely had a full bucket yet this season) and we had 100 gallons in the tubing tanks, each line was still running steadily.
I only managed to gather the buckets with some "help" from my kids and hoping I'll capture the entire run by early AM from the collection tank off the tubing. It's going to be a bit sloppy out there with all the rain we're supposed to get tonight...
Hey everyone, just south of most of you. We pulled some taps early this week and have about half to go. It slowed way down and the reds are popping. We did have 2 55 gallon barrels on their side connected together sitting on a rickidy stand, fall over. It had about 80 gallons of sap in it. Lost it all. Other tanks were running ok after the cold came back but we reached our goal of ~20 gallons and said we've had enough. Did not use much wood either, ran the RO more. I do a lessons learned at the end of every season and this year was (1) no plastic valves, (2) build stronger tank holders, (3) enclose head tank so it doesn't freeze, (4) make a vacuum filter set up, cone filters are a pain... I'm sure there will be more as we continue clean up. :) Hope ya'll end strong!
Oh man, that is a bummer. I always worry about stuff like that since I have little ones running around distracting me. I have ratchet-strapped my collection tank (a 100 gallon vertical poly tank) to a tree for that very reason.Quote:
Originally Posted by red/one
20 gallons is our goal, too, but we won't hit it this year. Things have really picked up again but it's going to be short-lived and won't make up for the crappy runs earlier in the season. Still, I'm appreciative for what we got!
I am wondering if this polar vortex induced cold snap coming our way may further extend the season...can't hurt and our sugar maples are still producing clear sap, especially from the tubing lines. The reds have all popped buds and I pulled any buckets on red.
So strange, collected some today and saw clearer sap from reds than sugars!Quote:
Originally Posted by ADK_XJ