Oh, ok. It just seems like guys talk about a stream coming out of trees but I guess that's on a line system where I'm using buckets. Is that a good assumption?
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Oh, ok. It just seems like guys talk about a stream coming out of trees but I guess that's on a line system where I'm using buckets. Is that a good assumption?
I think I may have a problem. All my taps are leaking. Not sure if I drilled too deep into the tree or not. Had some sap collection today, but not a lot. The trees are soaked underneath the tap.
Will the trees heal around the tap? Just the sight of it makes me worried that I’m wasting so much and not collecting what i should be.
Thoughts?
I’ll upload pics in the morning.
When I was doing buckets I was thrilled with a 10 gallon day on 25 taps.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kjsdime
If you see people with high gallons per tap per day they are on vacuum. Either they have a vacuum pump or are running a 3/16 tubing with excellent slope. Or possibly it's a "fish story."
I'm running 3/16 tubing on about 75 feet of elevation drop. I have two top to bottom runs and each run has 25-30 taps. My property is ideal for maximizing natural gravity.
You may have driven them in to far, too hard & split the tree? Or, they are not in tight enough, you can try to wiggle a few, if they pull right out, they were too loose and need just a bit more on the hammer. Or lastly, if you holes are egg shape from not holding the drill steady, they will leak longer. Most all will stop leaking in time, unless they are too loose.Quote:
Originally Posted by aviboy97
I'd give the taps a few days before worrying. It might be some sap from the tree around the tap, which you wouldn't capture anyway with a tap .Quote:
Originally Posted by aviboy97
What a nice way to spend a 60 degree February afternoon.
very nice!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cjadamec
Good advice. From the Dec 2017 "Ask Proctor" article in the Maple Digest about leaking tapholes....Quote:
Originally Posted by markgm
When tapping a tree, producers are creating a wound. During subsequent thaws, the natural process of sap exudation results in pressure building up in the wood tissue around the wound, and sap flows out. Typically, such flow will occur through a spout that has been inserted in the taphole because it is the path of least resistance. However, for a brief period of time after tapping producers may notice a disconcerting wetness on the bark around the wound and sap running down the stem of trees from the area around the outside of the taphole. While producers may feel the desire to take immediate corrective action, it is actually a very normal wound response. The injured area of wood on the outside of the spout barrel will naturally weep sap. Since this sap cannot move into the taphole due to the blockage of the spout body, it migrates to the wounded surface of the taphole along the wound edge and comes out. If the temperature is cold or windy, the wetness might dry out quickly and go unnoticed. If the sap is running well during or soon after tapping, this wetness will be more prominent. Often if let alone, within a few days the wood tissue in this area along the outer edge of the spout/taphole interface will dry out and the seepage will cease.
In short, leave them alone for a few days. If they're still leaking after that, then look for other causes/solutions. Anything you do now has the potential to just make any problem (real or imagined) worse.
The two Maple Digest "Ask Proctor" articles about leaking tapholes can be found at: https://mapleresearch.org/search/?_s...ing%20tapholes
Thanks for the input about leaking taps. I’ll let them be. It much I could do anyway.
Today I collected a good amount. Currently have 9 gallons of sap. Again, being a very small operation, I usually boil when I have 15-18 gallons. I have two propane burners and two stainless steel “lobster” pots I boil in and then transfer to my cook top inside.
Tomorrow’s forecast is similar to today. I expect a good amount collected when I get home from work.
As long as we get another freeze tonight, and it looks like we should, tomorrow will be another good day. I got about 100 gallons of sap in the last 2 days.
Love the nighttime ambiance the new shed gives.
I collect 105 gallons of sap from the last 2 today’s and started to boil tonight almost made my firat syrup of the year! Hope to draw off a little tomorrow. Attachment 19358
If it does not dry up within a few days then you are not drilling the hole straight enough. Make certain to go straight in and straight out. The more yaw you have on your drill motion, either vertically or horizontally, the more of an oval shaped hole you will have and the barrel of your spout will not seal it off very well.Quote:
Originally Posted by aviboy97
Been there done that, but I am good now.
I noticed you have 48 taps on tubing and 30 on buckets. Can you break down the 105 gallons between the 48 tubings and 30 buckets? Or was that not kept track of?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tobey802
Unfortunately I didn’t keep track of that. The lot I am on hardly has any grade change to it so my yield is most likely down a little untill I get a vacuum some dayQuote:
Originally Posted by Sugar Bear
It's been a nice run this week I'm at 180 gallons this afternoon. Even on marginal days the 3/16 tubing keeps running once it's primed up and going.
Almost about 180 gallons of sap in the last 3 days. Putting the Spurs to the evaporator today to try and catch up. Tubing is still running but mercifully it has slowed down today.
Going to slow things down this year, i made so much syrup last year there is no need (hard to say that!) to make as much as possible this year. I'm going back down to only one wood lot where i am fortunate enough to leave the tubing up all season. I finally got in the game yesterday and the 3/16 is cranking like always. started collecting yesterday around 3pm and it ran overnight. and pulled 350L (92gal) off about 85 taps. I'm curious just how much they would have pushed out if it was a full day's capture. It looks like it's cranking again today when i walked out of the woods at noon. I did get another string up, should be up to around 105 taps now i believe.
how many taps do you have?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cjadamec
Well I guess I was starving my arch for air a bit. I just threw a blower I salvaged from an inflatable Xmas decoration in line with my current blowe. My stack temp shot up about 150 degrees and the sap almost jumped out of the pan. I guess this means my wood pile is going to shrink faster.
Collected 65 gallons from yesterday early this morning, boiling now! Really need a shurflo and a s3 control system from mountain maple. My woods is so flat
boiled 130 gallons and drew off a quart....the pan is sweet and I'm out of sap!
That math doesn’t add up. Maybe 13 gallons and your yield was a qt??Quote:
Originally Posted by lafite
Anyone here have their syrup have a butterscotch taste? VT syrup doesn’t have that aftertaste, yet mine always does, especially early season syrup.
My pots are stainless steel and I boil over propane. All sanitary and sap is refrigerated and never keep more than a week.
My wife likes it but it’s not what I’m looking for. Also has a tangy nite too. Attachment 19450
Aviboy, lots of factors affect the flavor, starting with the tree. I would bet that since you are boiling over propane, you probably are tapping a very limited selection of trees. Sugar maples, Silvers, reds, all make good syrup. Time of year matters, but if you are Always getting the same result, that would not matter.
Anyway, I got my first taps in this year. Will add more tomorrow if it warms enough, otherwise next week.
I have 13 taps right now. All sugar maples. This is my third year making syrup. Taste has been consistent all three years, especially early on. My first few runs look like the photo I posted. Amber color. My yield gets darker as the season progresses.Quote:
Originally Posted by Helicopter Seeds
I’m boiling again tomorrow. Hopefully I get some darker syrup. I like that better.
I didn’t know if this was common or not.
You won't get dark syrup until the season progresses. It will turn medium as the days warm & the nights less cold. Really dark won't come until near the end, when the buds are almost out on the trees. Hang in there!Quote:
Originally Posted by aviboy97
It was the first boil of the season so I had to get the pans sweet. my float box was set too high with my 2x4 hybrid pan. I just started to draw after my pan was sweet when I ran out of sap. I have 7 gallons of very concentrated sap currently in my pan. If I were to batch finish I'm sure I could get just under 3 gallons of finished syrup. I had 40 gallons of 1.5% sugar the rest was 2%Quote:
Originally Posted by aviboy97
Almost all tapped in North Guilford. Just one more mainline to go. Ran alright this weekend boiled almost 2700 gallons of sap.
How many taps?Quote:
Originally Posted by MonasteryMaple
right now about 765
Put in my first 25 taps (buckets) to test the waters Sunday afternoon in Middlefield/Durham. Waiting a bit longer for my trees in Somers to warm up before going all in. All southern facing taps were running even at freezing, collected 30 gallons Monday. Probably add a few more to catch the next run. Time to clean up the shack and get ready for the weekend fun of boiling. here we go again... Waiting on a new hydrometer and refractometer to come in the mail to see what is flowing this year for sugar...... hopefully its better than the sub 1%s of last year.
This may sound like a silly question but what’s the best way to store syrup once it’s made?
The most common ways for your average backyard operation is either in glass canning jars, or in glass or plastic syrup bottles purchase from an online or local supplier.Quote:
Originally Posted by ltgferg
If the syrup is finished and packed up hot (~180F) into clean containers with air tight lids it is safe to store and shelf stable. If it's not packed hot or it has not been thru a canning process you will need to store the syrup in the refrigerator.
Agree with the answer given already. For me, an average backyarder, Quart Ball Jars are the best. Visit the 'bottling/ section of the forum for more how toos, theres plenty of info there.Quote:
Originally Posted by ltgferg
Seems like the weather is in a very kind pattern these last couple weeks. It's the start of another great run. Just in time to boil on the weekend. I'm up to 4.5 gallons finished so far. Hoping to get another 2 by the end of this run.
I just got in from checking all my 58 taps. All are running. Pan is already sweeten' so I'm hoping to finish some out this weekend too.
I'm a little disappointed with my flow. I have a total of 32 taps with buckets. Was expecting to come home today to a good flow day but if I'm lucky I've got 10 gallons in total. I have a buddy with 7 trees tapped and he gets way more than I do. Feel like I'm doing something wrong maybe not deep enough with the drill? 1.5" deep? Does it matter if they are silver, red or sugar? Most are siver with a few sugar mixed in. Any advice would be appreciated.
I had poor flow today too, though all were flowing, 35 taps, all south facing that gave me 30 gals of sap on sunday, gave me 12 gallons today. (Trees in Middlefield/Durham) I was disappointed with that, I expected more, but the sun wasn't very strong today, Ive always found daily runs to be better (as long as the temp swings are right) on days where the tree trucks warm from solar heat. Were in for a good run by the looks of the next few days forecast… so I wouldn't worry yet. On the down side, I noticed one of my sugar maples has gone yellow already.
I just keep telling myself that the trees are still coming out of a week-long freeze so today's poor showing shouldn't be something to dwell on! Heck, my vacuum system turned on, sap was collected, and now the RO is running so it was a good day!