This is my first year i was wondering if anyone could tell me why my taps are not flowing today it should be a perfict day could the holes have dryed up taps have been in around a month or so
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This is my first year i was wondering if anyone could tell me why my taps are not flowing today it should be a perfict day could the holes have dryed up taps have been in around a month or so
Just when you think you have it figured out Mother Nature throws a curve at you. 2nd year newbie that is still learning something new just about every other day. My sister reports that her taps (Old Mission Peninsula traverse City) are flowing good today. I won't check mine until this evening but I bet they will be doing well. It went down to low 20 last night and is a sunny mid 30's now. I have had my taps in for about a month also, they do shut down from time to time but will come back when everything is right. be patient.
I'm in Columbus not far from you at all...mine did squat also. It went down to 27 F last night too. I've I've tapped in January before and my holes never dried up.
I'm worried...I've been doing this for 3-4 years now and it's has either been done by now or winding down...but this year I didn't get anywhere near the sap I got in previous years. I'm at only 130 gallons of sap and it just started cause my 1st boil was this past Saturday.
Judging by the buds on the Silver Maple out my door wall we have some time but if the temp doesn't go below 32 or less at night it could be done... I hope not but it could be...
Some years are great and a long Season and others short and quick. I have to say though if it is done then it's the worst season I've ever had and I'll be lucky to have 2 gallons of syrup and last year I made 13 gallons...
Zip. Squat. Zero. Nada. Zilch. Nothin'.
This is getting downright irritating.
Dislike! :confused:
Thanks for the input guys me and my son have been havein alot of fun this year doin this hes 3 but he is as hooked as i am i just hope its not over yet i have made about 3/4 a gallon so far but would love to make more
I have ants and more ants. I think its over..... Bummer
I only got 40 gallons from 250 taps today it didn't go below freezing last night till after 3 am. I think after looking at intellicast forcast for next 8 days we might be done nothing really below freezing. I thought if I built it sap would come. Last year I made about 45 gallons with almost 150 taps now I have only made 14 gallons.
The Atmospheric Pressure has been climbing since Midnight and still climbing...30.12 to 30.36 when it falls maybe it will flow...
Ours poured yesterday. We measured our largest mainline on Sunday and it was coming in at 40 gal an hour. Yesterday was better than that. A lot of Our woods is a north slope that still has a heavy snow pack.
I'm starting to get a bit of buddy/metabolic flavor in some of the taps. What I do is taste the sap from a tap, and if it tastes buddy I pull that tap and dump the bucket. Over time, all the taps get pulled... and I get to squeeze out the last bits of syrup of the season.
Sap runs best under high pressure, boiling sap is better under high pressure. We boiled till 3 am Wed. Hadn't froze yet. To get a good run it needs to be frozen for about 10 hrs. Sunday was a big run for us took in over 3000 gal of sap. Some loads over 3.5 % sugar.Quote:
Originally Posted by DonMcJr
Sunday was my best day so far. And then I had to dump my sap due to stupidity. I used a piece of painted steel to cover a gap in my block arch. Ended up with a bad smell and paint chips in my sap. :o:mad::o
Sap did run for me yesterday. Not my best day, but it ran. Not even a hint of buds on my black and sugar maples yet.
My 7 trees all quit flowing Tuesday. Monday was good, but that night the low was in the 40's F, and the next day only a little sap flowed, and Wednesday despite birght sun and 50'sF nothing. I pulled all the taps. I'm near Ann Arbor.
When did you tap ? With a freeze coming Friday night and Saturday night and high pressure should have a good run this weekend. The sugar is still high trees not ready to but yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by bradbrews
Cadillac area, A gallon per tap today, Some were higher
I got nothing again today from my 9 taps im startin to think its over for me but i will leave them in for a few more days just to see
Very little flow here today. Milk jugs maybe a 1/4 full. Hoping for one last good flow this weekend to close out this my first season.
Same here. Not too far from you though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowdog64
Austin I had only about 2 gallons from my 15 taps if that today again. Keep the taps in! it's either gonna let loose again or stay done and leaving the taps in isn't gonna hurt. This season has been my absolute worst sap wise and I can't believe it's over yet.
My buds on my silvers are still tight and it's not usually done until just after the buds open...
Don you are right it cant hurt to leave em in so thats what i will do hopefully we both get a good run soon
How's it going Sugar Daddy? This year is weird for sure. In all your records did you have any years where it stayed bitter cold like this year and the 1st run wasn't until March 14th then cold again for a week straight then warmed up to just above freezing and stayed there? Can it really only be a 2 week season with very little flow? I can't believe it would be done yet. Buds aren't opening cause it's not warm enough but sap isn't flowing cause we're not getting below 32 F temps for 10 hours to freeze and make it flow...Quote:
Originally Posted by sugar daddy 1
thoughts ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by DonMcJr
This year was our latest start ever the sap was running just couldn't get all tapped. This year every warm up was with rain and low pressure. This happens a lot. Last weekend it broke loose for us.(high pressure good freeze Sat.night) Sugar is still so that means its not over, haven't heard the frogs yet. The trees haven't started to bud yet, the silvers don't have buds yet. Get ready for this weekend should be a good one. Into next week another freeze on tues. So it will be an average season. In 1963 we went till April 17. So be patient it's not over.
Sugar Daddy just woke up and took dogs out here on the SW side if Michigan I am hearing my first frogs. Hope it freezes good this weekend only made just under 15 gallons and I have people wanting syrup.
Yep just let my dogs out and heard frogs too...bah!!!
Well I am thinking the Barometric pressure has a lot to do with the flow too and that would probally follow high and low temps.
It's been over 30.1 and pretty much steady there except for a few drops but not huge drops and today it dropped down to 29.5 and it's starting to flow a little more...below 30 tonight and tomorrow night so I hope my FLOODS coming! :cool:
So Steady Barometric pressures no flow...huge drop some flow...now I am hoping tomorrow after this freezing night the pressure give a huge SPIKE and FLOOD!!!
No flow the last couple of days. Buds look they are begginning to open -
red and furry . Once I can see green it is over . Temops below freezing
the next couple of days so we'll see . I've got about 175 in the tank and
looking to boil it down this weekend . Just over 10 gal so far this season
and will probably end up with about 15 total . Probably pull my taps
Sun or Mon - I'm really tired !!!!!
well still nothing for me
no flow here either. Kind of ironic just took dogs out and my lawn turned white again and there is still peepers singing.
Just got back from the bush. Put bags on after this high wind yesterday only 4 fell. A lot were starting to drip saps looks clear but when I looked up some of the buds are starting to open but most are not even big yet. Question I have is it taste like sap no funny taste not really sure what I am looking for in buddy sap though. Will I be okay you think because most of the tree don't even look like they are ready to open just the ones that are way up there maybe 10% of the tree buds are huge and look like they are open or real close (Looked with binoculars to see buds).
Ken...I been doing syrup for 4 years now and have never had buddy sap. My experience it the taps just stop flowing. I think we warm up and stay warm before the sap gets buddy or at least we have the past 4 years...
If you have buddy sap I have been told you will know by the smell especially when you start to boil. So if you suspect it I'd boil some in a separate pan than in your evap pan if you have sweet already that you want to add to...
Down here in the southeast lower I have not been below freezing for almost a week. No flow since Monday 3-31. It doesn't look like it will get below freezing again for another 5-6 days. I hate to throw in the towel, but if I listen real close, I can hear that fat lady starting to sing off in the distance...
Wow up by Port Huron we got down to 22.8 F last night...it's flowing like crazy today already 52.2 F. Them City Folks must really hold the heat eh?
I should not have spoke so soon. Must have dipped below 32 last night here in the city, because I was pleasantly surprised to go out and see 1/4 to 1/3 of a gallon on each tap by noon. I might get lucky and get another boil in.
The SE corner of the state has a lower elevation, which probably doesn't help either. Dearborn is at less than 600 feet. Go straight west to Jackson and you're at 930 feet. I'm at a little over 900 feet here. That plays a role in this stuff too, although I'm not smart enough to give you all of the details on that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jonnyp390