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Thread: Tapping in Franklin Couuty

  1. #101
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Northfield Ma
    Posts
    69

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    Happy New Year 2021. The best thing about Maple Season to me is it gives me something to look forward to though January and February. Maple Trader forum gives me some historical references when planning the up coming season. Right now I'm looking prior year postings and trying to plan my March Vacation days. Good luck and a bountiful season to all.

  2. #102
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    905

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    Thanks, Russ. I have a bit of work to do before I tap, with a lot of new stuff for me this year:

    - New Mason 2x3 that I just did a couple boils on last season
    - Sugar shack now has a hole in roof with flaps, so all the steam from the new evaporator has somewhere to go!
    - New 55 gallon barrel I'm going to rig up to tow around for collection
    - More taps

    Here's hoping for a good season for you and for all of us!

    Gabe O
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps
    All on buckets

  3. #103
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Northfield Ma
    Posts
    69

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    Nice, sounds allot like my setup. Anticipation of Maple season always helps me chase away the winter blues.

  4. #104
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    905

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    Quote Originally Posted by Russ008 View Post
    Nice, sounds allot like my setup. Anticipation of Maple season always helps me chase away the winter blues.
    Thanks! I'm making a little progress every year. And yeah, likewise.

    GO
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps
    All on buckets

  5. #105
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Northfield Ma
    Posts
    69

    Default 10 day waeather

    https://weather.com
    Feburary

    When the winds from the North the sap comes forth,
    When the winds from the West the sap flows best,
    When the winds from the East the sap flow least,
    When the winds from the South you go without.
    I find that wind direction, Temperature and barometer reading have helped me predict sap flow.
    http://www.usairnet.com/weather/maps...on-forecast-1/
    Last edited by Russ008; 02-16-2021 at 04:38 PM.

  6. #106
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    905

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    Still way too cold/early for me. I looked through my last few years, and anytime I've ever tapped before 2/14 it has been a mistake. Perhaps if I were on lines rather than buckets things might be different. Last year was a good example - I tapped 2/10 and the last week of March should have been the best run of the season, but was a trickle from some trees, and nothing from others. Certainly if there hadn't been a few 60/70 degree days early in the season, my tap holes might not have dried out so fast.

    Long-range forecast is suggesting Feb will be roughly average to maybe a little warmer than average. So if you're tapping soon - good luck! I'm going to hold off.

    Cheers,

    GO
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps
    All on buckets

  7. #107
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Greenwood, Me
    Posts
    974

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    I think the sun has to be at a certain declination as well
    2024 - New Maine resident, 12X12 sugar shack under construction
    2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
    2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO

  8. #108
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Hopkinton, MA
    Posts
    1,778

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    I don't just look at the highs and lows, I look at the hourly trends that show up in the graph underneath the daily highs and lows. That shows me that maybe the thermometer might kiss 40 at some point in the day it might realistically only be above freezing for 4-5 hours. Given how deep the deep freeze has been, nothing is going to be thawed out on that first day touches 40. In a few weeks the sun is at a much higher angle and that will increase the length of time the temps are above freezing. So the graph is more of rolling hills than peaks and valleys.

    This is the first really cold/typical January in a long time around here and I'm loving the extra time I'm being given to get ready!

    Screen Shot 2021-01-26 at 7.22.48 PM.jpg
    Woodville Maples
    www.woodvillemaples.com
    www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
    Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
    Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
    2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
    Deer Run 250 RO
    Ford F350
    6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
    Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.

  9. #109
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    905

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    Quote Originally Posted by SeanD View Post
    I don't just look at the highs and lows, I look at the hourly trends that show up in the graph underneath the daily highs and lows. That shows me that maybe the thermometer might kiss 40 at some point in the day it might realistically only be above freezing for 4-5 hours.

    Attachment 21833
    Exactly. And if the lows the last few days have been in the teens and low 20s, no way in hell is 4-5 hrs in the 30s gonna defrost a big chunk of wood. Particularly when you look at that graph and you have much more time below freezing (longer nights) and less time above freezing (shorter days).

    I think that's probably a part of why maple production is so big further north (VT, Canada, etc), rather than in Missouri. When the trees really get going, it's March, April, even May - when you get much longer days, and really big temperature swings.

    Gabe
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps
    All on buckets

  10. #110
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    29

    Default

    Interesting point about northern areas having longer days when the weather is turning. Here in buzzards bay my trees are budding in early March. By the 15th I am getting cloudy sap and it’s time to get the boat ready. I tapped 6 of 30 trees last weekend and I am not getting any sap despite the temps hitting 40’s in the mid afternoon. We are getting 50’s end of next week. Probably going to tap another 15 trees Sunday or Monday. Then my remaining trees next weekend. Figure the 6 weeks my taps are flowing will get me into early/mid March. One of my trees got hit by some equipment 2 weeks ago and it was running like crazy on a warm afternoon.

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