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Thread: 2015 tapping

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Rockford, IL
    Posts
    175

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    My buds are slowly opening on the silvers. I have been cooking the sap from them and not having a problem with taste. I'm guessing because they are not fully popped, is the reason the sap is still ok.

    My biggest run so far is only 54 gallons on 49 taps. Haven't reached 200 gallons sap yet for the season.
    I may keep cooking. One tree is giving me really woody smelling sap so we dump that one.
    I have a couple sugars I can continue with.
    2020
    8th year making sugar
    120 taps second year on vac

    2x4 Divided pan.
    Homemade RO 4x42XLE
    Shurflo 4048 pump

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Walnut,Il
    Posts
    101

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    M y last boil of the year was today. Double what I made last year. I still had a few trees still running but I am satisfied with my year. As I pulled my taps on 3/16 tubing they made a whoosh sound so I guess I had some good vac. I didn't have a gauge on them. Ended up with about 400 gal of sap.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Rockford, IL
    Posts
    175

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    How many taps, Dogpatch?
    2020
    8th year making sugar
    120 taps second year on vac

    2x4 Divided pan.
    Homemade RO 4x42XLE
    Shurflo 4048 pump

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Walnut,Il
    Posts
    101

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    Started with 50. Weeded out the non producers and ended up with around 30.I had 6 Walnut trees tapped also but didn't get 2 gal total. Probably a good thing as I had all the sap I could handle. I also gave 60 gal to a friend just getting started. I think know he is hooked now!

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Northern Illinois
    Posts
    93

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    Well trees ran the best they have all season the last 24 hours. Probably has something to do with the front moving in. Did notice a few silvers starting to bud at the tops on the south sides. Kept the sap separate and did a test boil on the stove. Tasted good, no after taste, sugar content was a little over 2%.

    Did stop Friday night at the park district's Sugarhouse down the road. They said they had just pulled all the taps and we're finishing what little sap they had. They said they made less than 25% of what they usually do. We have several nights forecasted in the mid 20's this week. We'll see if we can squeak another week or 10 days out of the season.

    Hope everyone else is at least having a decent season!
    New To Maple in 09'
    16' x 24' Sugarhouse
    Smoky Lakes Corsair Arch
    2' x4' Smoky Lakes Hybrid Drop Flue Pan
    200 Taps On Bags
    IH 806 Diesel & Allis WD
    2 Horses, Black cattle & Yes Chickens
    An Aussie Named Mable Sugar
    Wife, Kids And A Couple Of Friends To Help!

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Batavia, Illinois
    Posts
    5

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    Hi DK,

    I'm also on the east side of Batavia, near Kirk and Pine, in woodland hills. I have one sugar maple with one tap in the backyard. Typically enough syrup for a few pancake breakfasts for the kids. Fun learning experience for them (and me).

    But there are tons of huge sugar maples in this neighborhood... next season I'll see if neighbors will let me tap their trees and turn this into a larger operation...

    jamieson



    Quote Originally Posted by mathprofdk View Post
    Hey Jamieson, where in Batavia are you? We're over on the East side off Prairie Street. I haven't collected more than 2 gallons of sap from our monster silver maple. Luckily, we have some friends in St. Charles who let me tap theirs, and I've gotten about 60 gallons from three trees there.

    Our buds have popped, but if we can make it through the weekend, we might get some flow next week.

    *fingers crossed*

    ~DK

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Northern Illinois
    Posts
    93

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    Well trees are running like crazy today, collected a couple hundred gallons tonight about 5 and just checked some big sugars along the roadside and the bags are already half full. Nice to finally get a big run!
    New To Maple in 09'
    16' x 24' Sugarhouse
    Smoky Lakes Corsair Arch
    2' x4' Smoky Lakes Hybrid Drop Flue Pan
    200 Taps On Bags
    IH 806 Diesel & Allis WD
    2 Horses, Black cattle & Yes Chickens
    An Aussie Named Mable Sugar
    Wife, Kids And A Couple Of Friends To Help!

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Vermont, Illinois
    Posts
    80

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    I pulled a 100 gals of sap tonight. Sugar content is finally above 2. Finished off about 6 more gals of syrup from a batch the other day. Thunderstorms moving thru now. Hope we have a good run this weekend. Temps look good for a change!!!

    Good luck up north...
    Flatlander Sugar
    300+ taps on gravity
    Wood Fired 2X6 with piggy back
    Great family & friends to help
    One expensive hobby!

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Illinois
    Posts
    127

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jamieson View Post
    Hi DK,

    I'm also on the east side of Batavia, near Kirk and Pine, in woodland hills. I have one sugar maple with one tap in the backyard. Typically enough syrup for a few pancake breakfasts for the kids. Fun learning experience for them (and me).

    But there are tons of huge sugar maples in this neighborhood... next season I'll see if neighbors will let me tap their trees and turn this into a larger operation...

    jamieson
    Cool! If you're interested in checking out my operation or just chatting about syruping, just send me a PM. We got a lot of nice flow yesterday and today, and I'll be boiling all day tomorrow (Thursday).

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Northern Illinois
    Posts
    93

    Default

    Big run again yesterday, bulk tanks full, hard freeze last night and not above freezing today. Great day to get caught up on sap. Just got a good boil going on what will be an about 16 or so hour marathon. Not sure how much of the season is left, this weekend doesn't look bad but next week looks like it is going to get warm and stay that way. How is it looking elsewhere? Down south Flatlander?
    New To Maple in 09'
    16' x 24' Sugarhouse
    Smoky Lakes Corsair Arch
    2' x4' Smoky Lakes Hybrid Drop Flue Pan
    200 Taps On Bags
    IH 806 Diesel & Allis WD
    2 Horses, Black cattle & Yes Chickens
    An Aussie Named Mable Sugar
    Wife, Kids And A Couple Of Friends To Help!

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