Poconos 2017

[Cabin]

wow did not know about the 100 gallons for 1 gallon ratio. that is a lot. I tapped one sugar which is flowing about 1 gallon a day and one red which is flowing about two gallon yesterday. My neighbor my bee mentor, let me tap his one tree he said that he made syrup from it years ago and it is flowing about half gallon a day. my last two i tapped pretty sure are red as well but they haven't even dripped. they are huge trees about two ft diameter i still drilled south side same as other trees i did , do large trees flow later then small? i am a bit confused as to what would cause that there big healthy trees and getting sun.

My trees are 'wood lot' trees with long trunks and compact tops, sort of lollypop shape. So the sugar content is not real high but they do produce a lot of sap. I am still cleaning up blown down pines so I need to burn up the wood anyway. Larger trees take a little bit longer to thaw out IMO. When they start running so will you. I have a few that fill 5 gallon buckets in one day!

Starting beekeeping? I am on my second winter. Lost 2 of my four hives to starvation. I have mixed emotions, I want the trees to bud out for the bees but not to bud out because of maple sugaring!

[Maplewalnut]

Been a rough start to the season. Have had releaser problems, pump problems and now my RO has developed a leak at base of one canister. Evidently there is a ceramic seal down there that is suspect. Have to take the post apart and remove pump and bottom of tower to run back to Swanton for rebuild. Easier said then done when your 7+ hours away. Have been trying to get through this run and hopefully find a window if low sap to take it apart.

[carpenter#ryan]

yeah this will be my second year beekeeping, were going to split a couple hives this year of my neighbors so i can have more hives. gotta love all that honey. I guess thats why i wanted to try the maple syrup something new and interesting. I think i should have started a lot sooner this year with the tapping trees are budding down here.

[Maplewalnut]

With all due respect can you guys take your bee conversation to another thread.

[Cabin]

With all due respect can you guys take your bee conversation to another thread.

Just outsourcing part of the sugar production.

I hope this years syrup run doesn't end like last years! Trees that gave nothing last year are turning out 2 to 3 gallons a day this year, so far.

My son just made a small batch of beer using maple sap. Has one batch working that he use maple syrup in place of the usual honey.

[Maplewalnut]

Sap is still running but slowed down greatly overnight. Now the trick will be to keep pumps running and tap holes clean through this 3 day warm stretch. After that weather looks good for a few days but then cold again first week or March. Running RO pump to Swanton tomorrow for rebuild, hopefully that goes smoothly since they committed to doing it while I wait
Somehow barrels are being filled, not sure how but we stay the course!

[Cabin]

Sap is still running but slowed down greatly overnight. Now the trick will be to keep pumps running and tap holes clean through this 3 day warm stretch. After that weather looks good for a few days but then cold again first week or March. Running RO pump to Swanton tomorrow for rebuild, hopefully that goes smoothly since they committed to doing it while I wait
Somehow barrels are being filled, not sure how but we stay the course!

I don't know how long things will keep running here in Saylorsburg. Buds are already enlarging but we are still getting most nights in the upper 20s.

[Maplewalnut]

Got recirc pump fixed after a trip to VT and RO back and running only to now have releaser troubles. Both pumps sucked up sap on the same night. Got both back up and running after changing oil only to have the wind storm from hell wreak havoc on the sugarbush. What a trying season this has been. one equipment failure after another. Weather looks good for next ten days at least. hoping for a normal year crop wise when all is said and done. I earned it this year!

[Cabin]

Got recirc pump fixed after a trip to VT and RO back and running only to now have releaser troubles. Both pumps sucked up sap on the same night. Got both back up and running after changing oil only to have the wind storm from hell wreak havoc on the sugarbush. What a trying season this has been. one equipment failure after another. Weather looks good for next ten days at least. hoping for a normal year crop wise when all is said and done. I earned it this year!

I lucked out Saturday with no damage of any type but the sap is starting to change already. This looks to be a shorter season than last year for me. I hope the cold nights coming up will but the brakes on the budding out.

[Maplewalnut]

Still going but sugar is very low on average this year. We dipped below 1% twice this year already. Processing that is not possible without an RO. Couple good runs the last few days and now it looks like a stretch of below freezing days and No sap for a while. Interested to see if sugar rebounds after a longer span of freezing temps. Buds are not real swollen here yet and certainly not develop over the next week with temps projected. Sap is clear and baby 30 gallon barrels are being filled