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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    iowa
    Posts
    56

    Default sugaring in iowa

    I live in iowa, and since we don't have a space yet for tapping updates I was wondering if anyone on here is from Iowa and has tapped their trees yet? I tapped about 2 weeks ago and have only gotten about 15 gallons of sap so far. It turned off cold and snowy. I hope this won't hurt things later when it starts to flow. My taps are just gravity flow. Anyone else out there from iowa?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Iowa
    Posts
    70

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    upmep We too are in Iowa around Ames area- We tapped 3 weeks ago when we had several nice days in the 40's. We gathered around 50 gallons of sap on 90 taps. We cooked 2 different times and just got it down to about 3 gallon total. We will finish when we have more to add to it. We are shooting to put in another 30 taps on hard maples to be at 120 total. We do have the ability to tapped a lot of silvers but will see how our new arch works this year. Where are you located and how many taps do you have out? Great to know someone else is making syrup in Iowa!! Bill

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    iowa
    Posts
    56

    Default tapping iowa

    I live in southeast iowa. I tap silvers and box elders mainly. I don't have any sugar or black maples to tap. I've only gotten about 15 or 20 gallons of sap so far so I don't really have enough to start the evaporator. My trees have mainly stopped since this last cold snap. It looks like it should warm up toward the end of next week. How much sap have you gotten lately? This will be my 4th year. Last year I made a few gallons of syrup. I hope it doesn't go straight to being too warm this year. I put in about 50 taps usually.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Iowa
    Posts
    70

    Default

    The weather just will not cooperate!! We are cold again today with 4-8 inches of more snow on the way. They are saying to be in the 40's again by Wednesday. Upmep our trees are not even fully thawed yet. I would think we are just getting started. We have had some yellow but think it is from the rain running in from the tree and staining the sap? Good luck Bill

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Iowa
    Posts
    70

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    We had a little run yesterday. It looks like that later in the week it is really going to start running. we have 30 taps on silvers and they have been really sporadic. keep us informed with how it is going? Will post as things get going here. What are you boiling on? We have a flat pan that is 28" x 76" we built a new arch for it this year. We have been cooking woth it on a block arch. We are hoping for 20gph. Good Luck Bill

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Winfield, Iowa
    Posts
    397

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    Boiled my first 50 gals. today! Took awhile for everything to get running smoothly so my hourly rate was a little off but everything is up and running now. I think this will be our weekend! Emptied buckets this morning and they're already running over now. My grandson will be here tomorrow night and my son has volunteered to pull the first overnight boiling shift (if necessary). I'm pretty excited! Ted

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Iowa
    Posts
    70

    Default

    Boy are we slow and cold. We are getting some good snow again today. Boiled down 65 gallons that we collected since Wednesday. Just left the sweet in the pan as it is to be cold until Wednesday. They are calling for nice temps starting again on Wed. Hope it does not warm up too fast as we still need to make a lot of syrup to cover all the preorders!!!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Winfield, Iowa
    Posts
    397

    Default

    Okay, so I've got some "closure" to my off taste problem. Come to find out that I like the light amber but not the dark amber syrup. There wasn't an actual "off" taste involved merely the differance in taste between the two (light and dark). All I can say in my own defence is that Mrs. Butterworth ruined my taste buds! I think this is a perfect case of getting into something (that I know NOTHING about) because it sounds like fun. I know so very little that I couldn't even tell when I got it right! I guess I shouldn't have dumped that 2.25 gals. down the drain as others that I have given samples to (around here) prefer it. Wow! What a year. Oh, and Frank? I guess it wasn't the filter. And Bill? 715! Good on ya! I don't remember who started this thread but Thank You! It's been a nice way for us Iowans to keep in touch. Though my seasons done I'll be checking in on the forum for awhile yet so you folks have fun and good luck. Ted

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Winfield, Iowa
    Posts
    397

    Default

    Henry County checking in! I haven't tapped yet this year but I'll probably start next Friday(3/8). I usually tap in mid-February but I've decided that may be a little early for me. It seems as though the sap here doesn't really get going till the first week or so in March. It's nice to hear from other Iowans! Have fun!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Iowa
    Posts
    49

    Default We need an Iowa page!

    Hey there getting ready to put 100 in around the Eldora area, this weekend. Looks like the forcast is good. Of course we know how acurate those guys have been! Hey TBear good to see your back at it again! Im trying to get another arch made up in time for this season. I seem to put the pro in crastination! Tap on Iowans!!

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