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Thread: Is it time to tap in central VA

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    west virginia
    Posts
    966

    Default

    Homer,
    the taps you opened Jan.1 if just dripping into a bucket could not possibly still be running with the heat we have had, I live in Harrisonburg but tap in Grant And Pendleton Counties, you off US 33? My friends that tap into buckets in the Mt. Storm area of WV tell me 32 days is the limit, I have tubing with vacuum pump and sometimes can get 6 weeks out of a tap before the heat shuts them down, the 70 degree days that we have had recently is hard on production!
    Mark 220 Maple
    1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
    900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
    35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
    80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
    http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    VA
    Posts
    15

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    I redrilled them two weeks ago. Same hole, just cleaned them out and went 1/4 inch deeper. Today I redrilled them for a third time another 1/4 inch deeper. They weren't as clogged on the third drill. They were running a bit today. I agree the weather has been terrible. I'm hoping for one more run. On a typical year with cold. I get 6 weeks before I redrill. Then maybe another two weeks. This year hasn't been typical at all.
    Last edited by Homer Allman; 02-11-2017 at 08:47 PM.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    VA
    Posts
    15

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    Mark I live in Briery Branch up near the mountains.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    VA
    Posts
    15

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    The trees I redrilled on Saturday did have a good run. The season is not quite over for us.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Virginia Beach
    Posts
    48

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    I'm thinking about getting 3/16 system next year to help lower bacteria and draw sap on marginal days.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    west virginia
    Posts
    966

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    Sweetgum whisper,
    Do you have a 30 foot of drop where you tap? or I should say 30 drop from last tree to the tank, if so 3/16 tubing will make you very happy I predict, contact the CDL rep for Virginia, he will look your woods over and actually show you how to set up the tubing if you decide to go that route, you only need to buy tubing from him, the bottom line it's good tubing and priced equal or cheaper than the other manufacturers of tubing. If you don't know him send me a private message I will give you his number, he helped me set up a 3/16 woods with 187 taps, first run this year in a day and a half I got 300 gallons of sap. Second year for the system!
    Mark 220 Maple
    1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
    900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
    35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
    80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
    http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    west virginia
    Posts
    966

    Default

    Homer,
    Do you use tubing, I have went thru the Briery Branch area before going across Reddish Knob to WV, 99% of the time I go via Rt. 33, Lots of Sugar Maples past Rawley Springs, mostly on land owned by the city of Harrisonburg, I believe they own everything from the water intake on Dry River to Switzer Dam, if your trees have the max drop of 30 feet from last tree to a catch tank, you should consider 3/16 tubing, cheapest way to hook maples up to a tubing system. I'll send you my cell number thru the private message system on this message board, give me a call sometime I will share some of the ways I survived the warm days in previous years.
    Mark 220 maple
    1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
    900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
    35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
    80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
    http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    VA
    Posts
    15

    Default

    I am running taps with tubes into 5 gallon buckets. My trees are on flat ground and scattered over 7 acres. I could hook a few together but most are just too far apart. I gathered my last sap Saturday morning. I had 200 gallons. My dad boiled it down Monday and today. I thought it didn't smell the best but tasted okay. It's was really a bad season this year. I live just above the store. Time to pull the taps and wash the buckets.

    How did your season go?

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Virginia Beach
    Posts
    48

    Default

    To anyone interested go to www.sugarbugva.com for gravity spile and line.

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