Tapped in Hopkinton!

[sappytapper]

During a break for lunch today while I took the dog out, I put in my first 3 of what will be 12 - 15 taps for this season. Have seen a few "neighbors" with lines up while out and about recently, and the weather looks decent over the next week, so I figured why not? Might be a week or so early, perhaps, but the three holes were immediately running, so away we go!

Second year doing this after only really catching the last run last season with 5 taps to yield about 3 quarts of syrup. Boiled it off over my firepit on a cooking grate welded together out of rebar, and a few big stock pots. Here's to a good season for all :-)

[eustis22]

good job. I have a boiling party coming up in a couple of weeks and it strick me JUST THIS MORNING :-s that I might need so, you know, whatchamacallit, oh yeah, SAP to boil so I moved my tapping date up to this w/e.

[sappytapper]

Hehe. Yeah I'm hoping to yield enough to do a second test boil on my new barrel evaporator with actual sap instead of water this time.

Good luck!

[eustis22]

same to you.

I am also curious to see the results from my low-slope 5/16 runs.

[sappytapper]

Great weekend getting my first batch of syrup. Made about 2/3 - 3/4 gallon from 30 - 32 gallons of sap after ruining the first 10-12 gallons the previous weekend. Got 4 more taps in, to boot.

Hope everyones' season is going well!

[mike103]

Glad to see somebody having luck out here in MA, Ive been shut down for almost a week. I went for a walk today to assess the heat wave impact on my woods and I can say that 1/3 of my taps buds are swollen pretty good, 1/3 have buds in upper canopy, and 1/3 still look good and Im leaving these ones in for cautious optimism this weekend getting another run. This weather is crazy! Wish I had Sugar Maples to have a longer season... Good Luck next week!

[sappytapper]

Yeah, the buckets in my yard ran real well after the couple colder nights we had a few days ago, and I saw a couple of pretty full collection tanks on the lines in the neighborhood where I walk my dog every day, so it's definitely running!

I'm expecting another decent run this coming weekend, looking at the temp forecasts after the warm spell yesterday and today.

[Bernie/MA]

Hi, where are you? I'm just north of Quabbin Res. I built a little rig for my grandson a few years ago for about 10-15 taps. Worked good. I'm working on an idea for a preheater off the stack. What size is yours?

[sappytapper]

In Hopkinton.

Mine's a barrel evaporator that I'm still working out the kinks with, currently just running 2 steam pans and pre-heating in a pot on my firepit. Averaged about 5gph with the barrel and two preheat/boil pots on my firepit this past weekend.

[sappytapper]

Not a bad night to be out boiling

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