Fall tapping

[spud]

I was able to get one gallon of sap per tap in the last 24 hours. Because of freezing temps a week ago the sugar content has gone up to 2.4%. It had been 1.8 until now. So far Fall Tapping (the big trees is going real well). I still have 3 weeks to go before the Fall Tapping is over.

Spud

[unc23win]

That is awesome news Spud 2.4%. Are you past 10 gallons of sap per tap yet?

[pdr]

First, like all of us in this crazy business, my thoughts are with everyone adversely affected by the ice and floods - especially my fellow early tapper Spud. That said, I'm glad to report during the warm-up here, the sap ran well. Resumed tapping Thursday (12/19) as temp hit 40F in mid-afternoon. Maybe 100 gal. sap during those 4-5 hours. Temp. hit 32F at midnight but was up to low 40's by daybreak Friday. Vacuum pump back on at 6:30 am Friday and tapped another 250 or so in the deep snow and light rain. Sap flow steadily increased and the temp stayed in 40's Friday nite and headed into the 50's Saturday. In heavy rain, I tapped the final 150 or so Saturday am. Sap flow remained constant thru 9 am Sunday when I had to shut off the vacuum pump for good to run, rinse and wash the R.O. (Will finally have separate electrical service for the R.O. installed before the next run!). Boiled during the day Sunday and made approx 40 gal., (excellent flavor, but like all of us, I'm biased!) Lost a total of about 12 hours of vacuum time during the run - and during which the sap just drizzled vs. 50-100 gal. per hr. with the pump on. Sap began at 1.9 % and slowly decreased to 1.0% Saturday mid-day. It then increased to 1.2% thru Sunday am. Final check of the drizzle on Sunday evening was 0.8 %. Sap total was approx 36oo gal. and would have been about 4400 gal with continuous vacuum. My best estimate is that the total would have been 3.5 gal of sap per tap had we been fully tapped at the beginning of the run. Local D&G dealer Bob Beil and his step-son Bill got wind that we were boiling and stopped by for awhile. They helped Dad stoke the fire, sampled the brew and mumbled more than once "Boiling before Christmas ... it just ain't right ..." Until the next run, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

[pdr]

Eighth run 3/18 & 3/19, about 1.25 gpt, mostly on 3/19. Temp mostly in the 30's. Snow pack still 1 -1.5 ft. on 90% of trees. Sugar 2.2-2.1, syrup medium amber. After approx. 14 weeks, CV1's still performing well!

[220 maple]

pdr,
Will we see you at the State Fair? Jean wants us to be an established Maple Assoc. and expects us to have a much larger display promoting Maple

Mark 220 Maple

[GeneralStark]

Spud - Those are interesting numbers. You say you reamed the holes on Feb. 15th? Then used CV2s in those same tap holes? What did you use before? Was this with buckets or gravity tubing? If with buckets why CV2s?

Are these large trees open grown?

[spud]

Spud - Those are interesting numbers. You say you reamed the holes on Feb. 15th? Then used CV2s in those same tap holes? What did you use before? Was this with buckets or gravity tubing? If with buckets why CV2s?

Are these large trees open grown?

I started some big trees with 1/4 inch spouts and others with 5/16 smart spouts. I then switched to CV spouts on some and 5/16 spouts on others. I used tubing into a bucket on the trees with the CV spouts. Because I did not check trees everyday I did not want sap filling a bucket and then going back into the tap hole infecting it. If a person tapped large trees and had a South/East setting I think you would do well. Like I have said in past post I just do fall tapping for fun. I am still not sure if I would tap a whole woods in the fall but maybe just a section.

Spud

[buckeye gold]

Yeah I have thought about 3/16 th, westford. I just not pulled the trigger. I don't like the tubing in my woods and the maintenance, with 100 taps collection isn't that bad. When your small every dollar counts. I do have one really steep slope right behind my shack I don't tap because it's too steep to collect on. I could get 40 taps off that slope and tubing would make it work. I may try it there.

[spud]

Yeah I have thought about 3/16 th, westford. I just not pulled the trigger. I don't like the tubing in my woods and the maintenance, with 100 taps collection isn't that bad. When your small every dollar counts. I do have one really steep slope right behind my shack I don't tap because it's too steep to collect on. I could get 40 taps off that slope and tubing would make it work. I may try it there.

Those 40 taps would be great for Fall tapping. I kinda have the same situation in my woods but about 200 taps. WestfordSugarworks is right, you can just take the tubing down at the end of the season.

Hey WestfordSugarworks where about in Jericho are you? I grew up in Underhill and went to MMU.

Spud

[foxtailsugary]

i havent really been following this thread but i made a quart of syrup thanksgiving night. ate with family and outside i went. sugar content was 3.5% blew me away