The 2009 Maplecreek Experiance

sap has slowed down today getting 100 gallons per hour at each station instead of 300 plus average. made 103 gallons today light b. hit 3700 mark three more boiling days would put me at 4000. got to believe it will happen

Parker,

I agree with you on the spout adapters and extensions. I used on the same bush side by side. The bush has about 45% of all my taps and it is split in the center with a fence and about 70% of the trees on one side of the fence had the spout adapters and the other side did not and they both quit running about the same time. I did freshen the holes and it seemed the ones that had the spout adapters in them ran better after freshing the holes, but as far as sap quality and production, I couldn't see enough difference to bother with the aggrevation and the cost.

The section of my woods that has all new taps and extensions has continued to run without being reamed. The other section with old taps and no extensions quit over a week ago. Reaming them got them running again but I've got to wonder how much sap I left in the woods because of the old taps.

Russ-are you useing the Leader extensions or the Lapeire stubbies? Cold now, should get a run today...

I am using the Lapierre Stubbies and adapters. The adapters stay in the tree good, I didn't have to tunk them in mid season and the stubbies fit nice and tight into the adapters. Matt tried a different brand 2 years ago and I don't remember if they were the Leader spouts or CDL but he didn't like them and changed over to the Lapierre which he does like. The ones he had tried in the past were the ones that had locking tabs on them where you put the spout into the adapter and twisted it to lock it.

Brandon with a gravity system the 2 piece spouts aren't as necessary as they are with vacuum. With vacuum there is usually enough vacuum in the tree to pull the sap that is in the spout, with microorganisms that make the hole dry up, back into the tree. With gravity the sap drains far enough down the drop so that that doesn't happen.

i started with lappierre adapters. went too cdl lockers, those leaked. cdl changed the design. those are great. BUTTT there was a problem with the mold and there were pin holes in the side of more then 50 of 7000 that i have found so far. i found one yesterday. will be taking those to open house. made it very trying to walk over every tap to find them. but i feel the return has been worth it.wont make .6 but will end up at .57 gallons per tap

Russ,

Thanks for clarifying that up. I had read what you were saying before on vaccum, but thought they would make some difference on gravity, but that wasn't the case.

I wanted them to help but I hated dealing with them, so it was bittersweet for me when I found out they didn't work. Either way, good experience and 250 of them only cost $ 37.50 and they probably produced at least 3 extra quarts of syrup which paid for at least the cost of them.

Parker,
Did you atleast give the salamander a spoon taste of syrup. He may have been looking for a little sweet shot to get his season started. You probably woke him up at that hr. Hope all is running well up your way. I got freezing temps here right now and may try reaming my sugars that have no buds yet, believe it or not. This will more than likely be my last opportunity for the season. I have been waiting 3 wks or more for this cold. Persistance is what I am going on, like you.

Made another barrell tonight, Eric I REALLY appricate you letting me use your releaser for a week,,lost the pump on Hoit road-Laperrie hobby releaser is not a Giles-Bernard,,,gaged up and sent sap into the SP-22,,,my fault for not having a ball in line to shut the vacuum down when it dosent dump,,Think It will still pull,,will find something tommrow,,weather looking too good to be true,,,gotto sleep fast so I can BOILHARD........600INSALISBURY,,,,,,,,,,