Southern NH, To tap or not to tap
I was planning on tapping this weekend, but now I'm not sure what to do. Still lots of snow out there. Roots would still be frozen here I'm guessing. Today and tomorrow looks like warm weather but then it appears to be back to cold for a week or more. Looking at the long ranger report, maybe waiting to have taps in for March 3rd seems smart? What does everyone else think?
I am thinking the same thing as you. All my taps are on buckets and last year I think I missed out on some good late runs because I tapped 75% of my trees too early. Have one test tree tapped and I may tap a couple more but most of mine will be tapped in early March. Hopefully this works out.
2017 Upgrades (I hope): 150-200 Taps on Vacuum, 50 Buckets, Sugar Shack - 50+ Gals
2016 175-225 Taps on Buckets, Possibly 50 on Vacuum,2x4.5 Oil Fired Drop Flue Evaporator - Hoping for 20+ Gals
2015 140 Taps on Buckets, Smokey Lake Flat Filter/Bottler - 11 Gals
2014 75 Taps on Buckets - 7 Gals
2013 60 Taps on Buckets, 2x3 Evaporator Homemade Arch and Algier's Pan with Preheater (For Sale) - 4 Gals
I am holding off! If I had lots more taps and/or vac I may have tapped this weekend.
Good move. I am in southern Vermont, and tapped 60 two days ago, hoping for a test run, and haven't got a drop. All on tubing. My bucket taps I decided to wait on already. I will wait to do the other half. It is much colder where I am on a west facing mountainside. only 38 deg at noon today.Originally Posted by 325abn
Last edited by DoubleBrookMaple; 02-22-2014 at 12:13 PM.
Eric of the Greens... I Fly Solo...
2013-15 Block arch to having it all...
2016...320 on vacuum. 155 gravity, 90 buckets.
All homemade equipment except Smokey Lake pans.
2x6 arch, Electric releaser w/ Gast 1023 24" vacuum
2x4x40 RO w/ dual 265gph Procons
My PWS with webcam... https://www.wunderground.com/persona...READS2#history
I held off even though it was tempting. With snow so deep I don't think it will run much and I don't want to end up with blocks of ice in the tanks if there isn't enough to boil. I suspect that fresh tapped when it warms up again they will run good and last longer if the season is a late one.
Sugaring for 45+ years
New Sugarhouse 14'x32'
New to Me Algier 2'x8' wood fired evaporator
2022 added a used RB25 RO Bucket
250 mostly Sugar Maples, 15% Soft Maples. Currently,(110on 3/16" and 125 on Shurflo 4008 vacuum, 15 gravity), (16,000 before being disabled)
1947 Farmall H and Wagon with gathering tank
2012 Kubota with forks to move wood around
My taps are flowing, friends in Merrimack got 55 gallons yesterday on only 30 trees...I've got 5 gallons already this morning from mine....and my tress do not flow fast and furiously...I'm glad I got some early action.
2022 4x40" RO, Welch 1397 Vac Pump, 3 Guzzler Pumps, Lapierre Releaser, 1100 taps
2021 Twin Baby Boys, Close to 650 taps
2020 Upgraded RO to 2 post and 7GBS Pump. 265 taps
2019 Smoky Lake 2x6 raised flue, Autodraw system, Maple Jet Filter Press, a beautiful new bride to be my sugaring partner :-)
2017 Expanded Sugar Shack, new 2x6 with float box, NEXTgen Maple RO, 250+ taps, still on sap sacks
2016 Sugar Shack, 2x6 evaporator, 160 taps, all on Sap Sacks
2014 110 taps
2013 35 taps
I think I'm just a little too far North. I tapped 23 a couple days ago and it just started running a little yesterday afternoon. I've got about 10 gallons so far. Would really like another 5 or 10 to run the evaporator for the first time with the new upgrades. Seeing how unproductive this mini-season has been I'm glad I only tapped 1/3 of my trees early.
Pete Nightingale
Lisbon, NH
3 Teenage sap haulers & Plenty of friends and family to restock the beer fridge
2012 1 tap and a pot
2013 10 taps, oil tank evap, 2 gallons of slightly too thin syrup
2014 48 taps improved oil tank evap 3.5 gallons, ouch??
2015 88 taps 78 5/16" and 10 3/16" nat vac 40"x 48" Homemade Arch 13.25 Gallons
2016 100 taps 65 on 3/16 & 35 buckets 17 gallons + unknown amount of maple / Jack Daniels testers
Tapped out Monday and Tuesday. Pipeline not running and rest on buckets way out back nothing unless are in direct sun and just a little. Three stud trees in back yard on buckets very little with the others in back yard, one stud tree today buckets half full emptied them into others and buried them in the still deep snow to keep cold. Need at least fifty gallons to fire up to be safe.
10x21 sugar house
400 taps
227 gravity pipeline
Rest Buckets
The sap gods treated me well today! I got 10 gal on my 14 taps I have out so far! Should get more tomorrow. Hopefully will make a half gallon of syrup tomorrow
Started in 2013 with 15 taps on buckets and a turkey frier.
Now 2020, 250 taps, 3/16's with vac. 10x14 sugarhouse. 2x6 Leader raised flue. Homemade 50 gal per hour RO.
Munson's Maple’s
It took a while for the trees to thaw but full sun and 49* here got things running at 360 taps(so far still more line to run and buckets to tap) I probably have close to 275 gallons so far. since yesterday lunch time anyway that's when my lines were cleaned out enough that the sap was really saveable at that point hopefully boiling tomorrow. I will tap buckets and gravity next weekend to get ready for the next wave. Hopefully it keeps up straight well into April
may your sap be at 3%
Brad
www.willowcreeksugarhouse.com
585 or so on Vacuum, about 35 on buckets/sap sacs
Atlas Copco GVS 25A Rotary Vane vacuum pump
MES horizontal electric releaser
2x6 ss phaneuf Drop flue, Leader woodsaver blower, homemade hood
300gph H2O RO
husquvarna 562 XP
Its Here!!! 2024 season is here get busy!!!
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