Tapping the 2012 season

[Paddymountain]

Call me crazy ,but I put out 27 more buckets tonite. We gathered around 125 gallon of sap for the day and it was still running like mad!! This may be the tsunami.
We bottled up what I finished Sat & Sun on the turkey fryer. came to 4 gallon even. that puts our total at 33 gallon 1 1/2 pint. I'm not sure how much sap we boiled, I need to update that total.

Dennis H: sounds like (operation bucket relocation ) is a success! it might just get you another good week.

[Gary R]

I pulled in 202 gal. today. Should be shutting the lights out soon. Some good things have happened. Father & Son found my tapping bit I lost in the snow yesterday and I have a couple of half days this week. Maybe I'll boil in the daylight I'm over 2000 gal. for the season already.

Paddymountain, get all you can, while you can!

Where is everyone from NWPA?

[waysidemaple]

Brought in 1000 gallons of sap today. Got about 950 of it boiled and made 17ish gallons of medium amber. Had trouble this morning as one of my saddles came apart but after that it went well until tonight. Went up to shut the pumps off and found my hobby releaser had messed up. The bottom flap wouldn't reset so it sucked sap up the vac line, good thing I put in the moisture trap. Not sure why it did that but it did. Totals for the year so far, 7560 gallons of sap, 130 to 140 gallons of syrup made, testing at between 1.5 and 1.8, 9 cords of wood burned, cleaned the pans three times, lots of gas to run both generators!

Here's to hoping we go well into March! Gotta Wan IT!!

Scott

[KV Sappers]

Season over for me. Pulled all taps today, cleaned up holding tank, buckets, and pans. All and all not a bad season, ended with 3+ gals. from my 15 taps. Wish sugar in sap would have been higher but when your dealing with Red's you take what you get. Ratio of sap to syrup was 64 to 1. Already planning ahead for next year.

[Dennis H.]

Collected more sap from the buckets up at the cabin. Still running nice and clear. I now have maybe 125 gals of sap to boil down. Checked the sugar content in the milk tank and it is right at 1.9% That there makes me very happy.
I will have to boil that down tomorrow. I hate to go a day without collecting the sap because a few of the buckets were all but overflowing in a day but I have to get that sap I have boiled down.

It is kind of quiet here from PA so where is everyone? I guess they are all out boiling!

[Maplewalnut]

Someone throw me a life preserver!!!!

[Springfield Acer]

Yesterday, the trees brought me 74 gallons which is a great day for me and my 50 taps with tubing/buckets. Today was a disappointment with only 30 gallon. I scrounged up another 14 buckets and lids and made up 14 more taps to boost before the end of the week which will likely be the end here. I'd really like to have 200 gallon to boil this week and weekend if this is the end. I'm still running at or close to 2% on all sugar maples by the hydrometer but my 50:1 ratio suggests a little below 1.8% for the season average. Seven gallon finished so far and fearing the end is near.

[Paddymountain]

Just got done boiling 300 gallons of sap, after having the pans clean we were still able to draw off about 2 gallon of syrup.
firewood pile is looking a little small
hope everyone is still having fun!!!!

[waysidemaple]

Boiled 660 gallons in just over 4 hours tonight. Made another 11 gallons. Firewood pile is small here as well....started cutting more this past sunday!!!

Scott

[Gary R]

Maplewalnut, I'll send the life preserver if you send me the RO

KVsapper, That's good production from 15 taps.

Springfield Acer, It aint over yet! You'll get a freeze and be back in business. Stop over some time if your sapless.

Yesterday was slow. I only boiled 107 gal. However, I checked the tank this morning. I had over 150 in it. I filled the head tank so my bulk tank won't over flow. I will have a long boil tonight.

I checked in with Sugarmaker. Sounds like things are worked out and everythings going well. He was smart and took today off from work.