Red Roof Maples 2011

[SSFLLC]

Hi Russ, Did you run the vac yesterday and get anything? Kind of looking like being so far behind this year is turning out to be a good thing. Where up to the 200+- mark now.

[red maples]

That why I didn't say anything!!!

I had the vac on yeaterday got 30 gallons of sap about 1/2 gallon from 7 buckets, 2 gallons from 27 gravity on gravity lines. hit 41 or 42 here. but for the most part like I have been saying right along. I still have a pretty good Ice ring around the base of most trees that just won't melt!!! and it hindering sap flow!!! I was actually hoping this would be a somewhat warm rain to get things going but like always it changes and now for me anyway 3-6 inches and chilly this weekend!!! more for you guys seem to be in the 6-12 inch range.

very slow late start here!!!

I vary my boiling sodas...I perfer Bass, but like Reg Sam Adams lager, Sam cherry wheat, kilian's, sometime a New Castle and when I am feeling like going a tad healthier I go for the Sam light. But I bought a 12 pack of bass and a 12 pack Sam light yesterday so I too am ready!!! Hopefully I don't drink it all before my next boil!!!!

[SSFLLC]

Hi Brad, you talk about snow ring on the trees. We still have 3ft of snow in the woods and 6-12 for this one. 34 degrees here now. turning on the pump to see if its going to flow. Walking the neighbors 86 acres today for future expansion.

[gearpump]

Russ and Keith, I finally got the vacuum pump going. What a beast. I only have +100 taps hooked up at the moment, but I can tell that vacuum is the way to go. I have learned not to put a thermal protected starter switch over a running hot pump. It seemed like every time the releaser was going to dump the pump would kick out. Hopefully this long Winter will break and it will start getting warm. We are almost out of wood, only 2 to 3 cords left out of the 20 we put in. I might go back out and run some more tubing, hoping to get 200 to 300 taps on vacuum this year...

Marty

[SSFLLC]

Hi Marty, Glad its working for you. That pump you can add another 0 on the end of those numbers and still be good. Put the oil right to it. I should have stopped by I was just at the hardware store over there.

[Russell Lampron]

Kieth I did run the vacuum yesterday. Didn't get much though. My woods are cold and it was way too cold the night before to get them flowing. It was still 35 when I got home last night so I left the pump on. Hopefully I got some sap overnight.

Marty I knew you wold like the vacuum. I knew it was a good thing the first season that I had it. I have used a lot of wood too but still have plenty on hand. I still have about 5 or 6 cords left.

Brad only 2 12 packs? I bought 4 the other day and that may not be enough if it is a long season.

[red maples]

Hi Brad, you talk about snow ring on the trees. We still have 3ft of snow in the woods and 6-12 for this one. 34 degrees here now. turning on the pump to see if its going to flow. Walking the neighbors 86 acres today for future expansion.

Well someone had asked (forget what thread) Should you wait to tap until the snow ring melts away from the tree??? Well 2 years ago it didn't matter beacuse it was really only snow. and the sap still flowed pretty good. and Doc perkins said snow isn't really the problem. if you have a deep snow pack ,(which we do) then you get rain on top of it then you have ice adhearing to base of the tree keeping that section frozen. So the tree can't pull water up from the roots and we got that rain a few weeks ago I think I got more than you guys did. and it froze to the base of the tree and it goes through that 2-3 feet of snow all the way down to the ground right around the base of most of my trees. I nees a few warm days I think for that ice to separate form the tree and allow trees to suck up the water from the roots.


anyway 86 acres...thats great man happy to hear things are looking good for you guys. And that you got good neighbors now!!!

Russ...Well I go shopping every week so if I run out I can always pick up more!!! te thing is I seem to drink alot more when I am boiling because there really aren't too many breaks so before you know it 3-4 gone!!! "hmmm did I really drink 4 already??"

[SSFLLC]

Ya walked most of it this morning. Stopped counting at 700. Never made it to the other side of the brook. Where the ridge is. Thinking a possible 1400 if I want.

[Russell Lampron]

Kieth if you tap em all you'll be in the 2000 tap range. You're going to need an RO machine to keep up with that. All it takes is once and you will be hooked on boiling concentrate. Josh found that out last weekend.

[Russell Lampron]

Had the vacuum on for a little while today. The sap was trickling in slowly but I was getting a little. It has been a disappointing week. I've got about an 80 gallon block of frozen sap in the bottom of my woods tank. Looks like I won't be boiling that anytime soon.

The 10 day says that we are going to start getting some above freezing temps but they are going to be accompanied by storms.

I am headed to Buxton tomorrow to help Royalmaple get his trees tapped. Should be fun getting snowed on every time I tap a spout into a tree. Maybe there will be a little breeze to blow the snow out of the branches first.