We have not tapped yet maybe this next week. At least the vacuum woods. Still going around and fixing the tree rat damage to tubing.
We have not tapped yet maybe this next week. At least the vacuum woods. Still going around and fixing the tree rat damage to tubing.
Well maybe Wednesday on will be Maple season. Know we will be tapping this week after Tuesday. May the rain Tuesday wash away the snow!!!
I put some buckets out on Saturday after studying the forecast for this week. By the time I got home they dropped the high for Wednesday 5 degrees. Either way if they run at all today it will be that much sap I didn't have before. I will finish tapping on Saturday.
RC Maple
14X14 sugarhouse - new for 2012
RO Bucket - RB10 - New for 2019
2x3 barrel evaporator with continuous flow pan
55 taps - most on buckets
This is next year!
This thread seems to have died off a bit. I got my taps all done this past weekend (7 & 8 Mar), about 40 in all, as of yesterday had maybe 20 gal total. This year is getting a little depressing, but the long term weather looks somewhat promising so maybe it will end up being a decent harvest year. It finally got below freezing again last nite so maybe I will see a decent flow today. Interested to hear how others are doing in Logan/Hardin County areas.
2015 - 40 taps, decided not to do the woods this year, too swampy and the weather did not look like it was going to really make it worth the work. We built an evaporator from a 55 gal barrel and a couple of stainless pans from a steamer table, less surface area than our big kettle but hopefully is a little faster being able to control and concentrate our heat and able to be in a barn this year protecting us and our fire from rain/wind/cold, should make it easier all around.
2014 - 65 taps/5 gal syrup, cooking outside in a big stainless steel kettle on a rudimentary cinder block fire box and a tarp covering our head
2013 - 24 taps/1-1/2 gal syrup, our first year, started on a turkey fryer and ended up having an open fire pit built with rocks and a couple of steamer pans. This was our first year and were not very good but had a lot of fun with my sons and we figured a lot of things out. Literally burned our first batch up, we let it go too long without checking it often enough and the syrup caught fire. Was a sad event but we learned to watch things a little closer the rest of the season and we had a lot of fun and ended up with some good syrup in the end.
Gregg
Rushsylvania in northern Logan County
Well we got 30 gal of light amber so far and it was all from the woods with vacuum. From the first run last week. What we hauled in from the woods with buckets and vacuum this week so far is dark amber. Hopefully the freeze tonight will help out. We have only tapped part of two woods on buckets and all of the one on vacuum. For a total of 2,000 taps. So not a good season so far.
2,000 taps down from 4,500 taps.
700 up from 490 on vacuum.
I am one of the Addicted Helpers
We are going to finish tapping one of the bigger woods Sunday then collect two more times. Said to say that will be all for us. We had a decent run on Thursday and collected 2,500 gals. of sap.
2,000 taps down from 4,500 taps.
700 up from 490 on vacuum.
I am one of the Addicted Helpers
We do not have nearly that many taps, just 40. We have finally collected enough to make aboutc1-1/2 gallons, far from what we did last year but better thwn nothing.
I pulled spiles in the woods on vacuum 4/6/15. We had a decent year despite not tapping two of the woods we normally do. Made close to 350 gals.
2,000 taps down from 4,500 taps.
700 up from 490 on vacuum.
I am one of the Addicted Helpers
We tapped the woods on vacuum Sunday 2/05/17. Was not running much.
2,000 taps down from 4,500 taps.
700 up from 490 on vacuum.
I am one of the Addicted Helpers
William good to see you on the forum again. I used to buy syrup from Ron and so I guess you guys kinda of got we started making syrup a few years ago. Hope things are going well. Going to tap today and tomorrow. Looks like a great weekend coming up....but we'll see. Was down in Tennessee earlier this week so I delayed tapping until after that trip.
Leader 1/2 pint - Kawasaki Mule - Smoky Lake Filter Bottler
24 GPH RO, 2 1/2 x 40 NF3 (NF270), 140 GPH (Brass with no relief valve ) ProCon pump
2013 - 44 taps - 16 gallons syrup, 2014 - 109 taps - 26 gallons syrup
2015 - 71 taps - 13.5 gallons syrup, 2016 - 125 taps - 24.25 gallons syrup
2017 - 129 taps - 17.5 gallons syrup, 2018 - 128 taps- 18 gallons syrup
2019 -130 taps - 18.5 gallons syrup, 2020 ~125 taps-19.75 gallons syrup