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Thread: Walk in the woods...

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Central Vt
    Posts
    402

    Default Walk in the woods...

    Beautiful day the other day, took a quick walk in my hillside sugarbush. Found at least 10 more nice trees ! Marked em and now I have increased my taps by a third ! I noticed the tapholes on some trees from last year have a vertical split in the middle of the hole, I am assuming this will heal. I use the smaller taps and try to be very gentle tapping them in, is this normal ?

    With 41 taps I need to get moving on my sugarshack expansion and "new" evaporator build.
    31 Taps in 2011 with buckets, Barrel evap
    45+ Taps for 2012 with buckets, 2x5 Dryer Arch with steel pans ! 8x11 Sugar Shack, Dump Stations,
    60 Taps for 2013- Insulated Dryer arch, AUF,
    2014 watched from sidelines...
    70 Taps for 2015 - dryer arch, new 2x5 divided pan from Smokey Lake with a float box !
    70 Taps for 2016 - added a preheater and new grates for the Dryerator.
    80 Taps for 2018 - Dryer arch got new front and door

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Barnes WI
    Posts
    762

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by smokeyamber View Post
    Beautiful day the other day, took a quick walk in my hillside sugarbush. Found at least 10 more nice trees ! Marked em and now I have increased my taps by a third ! I noticed the tapholes on some trees from last year have a vertical split in the middle of the hole, I am assuming this will heal. I use the smaller taps and try to be very gentle tapping them in, is this normal ?

    With 41 taps I need to get moving on my sugarshack expansion and "new" evaporator build.
    smokeyamber…don't "QUOTE" me but the vertical split may be do to tapping into a frozen tree. Tapping hard too. I am planning on tapping this year on a "WARM" afternoon, to avoid this.
    Last edited by GramaCindy; 10-03-2011 at 06:59 PM.
    10th year in….
    100 sap sacks...Actually, I hope to never have to use them again!
    1000' feet of 3/16th on gravity (not sure how many taps yet)
    14x14 sugar shack
    New 2x5 Hybrid Drop flue from Smoky Lake
    5" filter press from Daryl
    Sap Dog Chloe

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Central Vt
    Posts
    402

    Default

    Guess I am not as gentle as I thought I did tap during a cold time so maybe the frozen wood was the issue. I may invest in a nice bit this year to make cleaner holes as well.

    Thanks for the feedback...
    31 Taps in 2011 with buckets, Barrel evap
    45+ Taps for 2012 with buckets, 2x5 Dryer Arch with steel pans ! 8x11 Sugar Shack, Dump Stations,
    60 Taps for 2013- Insulated Dryer arch, AUF,
    2014 watched from sidelines...
    70 Taps for 2015 - dryer arch, new 2x5 divided pan from Smokey Lake with a float box !
    70 Taps for 2016 - added a preheater and new grates for the Dryerator.
    80 Taps for 2018 - Dryer arch got new front and door

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Middlesex Vermont
    Posts
    655

    Default

    Are you going to tube those trees this year? That bank is pretty steep must be rough collecting by the bucket.
    110 taps W.F Mason 2x3 and two turkey friers for finishing

    2011 expanding to a Mason 2x4 with a blower increasing taps to about 200
    2011 Hurricane Irene rips thru my small sugar bush cost me to lose 20% of taps
    2014 I have reworked my lines for 2014
    32 taps on 5/16 line with check valves
    57 taps on 3/16 line with check valves
    55 buckets with total tapped trees of 144

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Central Vt
    Posts
    402

    Default

    Nice steep slope, but I will likely still bucket it, I planned on setting up a few dump stations connected to some 3/4 tubing, we'll see if I get that setup. Still like the buckets and sometimes I even get some help collecting !
    31 Taps in 2011 with buckets, Barrel evap
    45+ Taps for 2012 with buckets, 2x5 Dryer Arch with steel pans ! 8x11 Sugar Shack, Dump Stations,
    60 Taps for 2013- Insulated Dryer arch, AUF,
    2014 watched from sidelines...
    70 Taps for 2015 - dryer arch, new 2x5 divided pan from Smokey Lake with a float box !
    70 Taps for 2016 - added a preheater and new grates for the Dryerator.
    80 Taps for 2018 - Dryer arch got new front and door

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