Over 900 gallons today. Temp hit 70 degrees today, still running.
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Over 900 gallons today. Temp hit 70 degrees today, still running.
First year tapping at the new house. 71 taps up on my property in NE Grand Rapids, near Meijer Gardens. Today was best haul yet of the season.
I'm back. I hope. Been having trouble posting. Two times I posted messages but they never came up. So anyway, I collected 130 gallons from 234 taps today. Seems like the 100+ taps on buckets have quit or slowed way down. The 100+ taps on tubing are still doing OK. The tubing is 3/16 with 12 to 20 per tube with some slope. Maybe the tubing is causing a vacuum? Maybe the spiles for the buckets are open to the air so bacteria is getting in and shutting them down? I don't know. Any thoughts? P.s., Sugar was 2.1 and it made dark syrup and plugged the filters often. Filtered some twice and didn't seem to make a difference.
Yes, tubing systems (as long as they're new or sanitized in some way) will tend to run longer than bucket systems that are open to the air. The vacuum you get on a 3/16" system running downhill will also help in that regard.
Good luck keeping things going. Almost 70 deg F over here in South Lyon today, but colder weather (mid-20s at night) is in the 10-day forecast several nights, so hopefully your taps will hang in a bit longer.
Thank you Dr. Perkins.I appreciate you expertise. I've read many of your post and they are very informative. I hope your enjoying our great state since your retirement. We checked the sap this morning and had very little and it was a little cloudy , even in the barrels. We took a close look at the buds and they are starting to swell up so I don't have much hope for another run but we will wait it out a couple of more days and see what happens. We really like the 3/16 tubing system we put up this year. We think we've found some new trees on a slope for next year and beyond to replace some trees that tubing would not work (no slope or can't get to with a pick-up). Short and fast season. Usually make 45 to 50 gallon. Only made 35 this year, from 234 taps. May Your Buckets Run Full
Still going here. We collected 159 gallons today, just about a gallon per tap. The 18th and 19th we collected 162 and 127 gallons, respectively. The maple closest to the house has buds which are noticeably swollen on part of the tree. That tree always seems to warm up and run earlier than the other yard trees. I'm thinking it has something to do with the proximity to the house.
It's looking like the next few days will be the last of the season for us. Hopeful to reach the 37.5 gallon mark. We're close. Just don't want to loose the contents of the evaporator from buddy sap.
Hope everyone else has been having a good time.
Would like to see the mid 20s they are predicting tonight.Sap getting a little cloudy. Probably last run.
Sap was flowing from our sugars in The Thumb today. Collected around 65 gallons. That was at noon. I'm sure more came through in the afternoon and maybe into tomorrow. Will be boiling on Saturday.