Anybody tapping around the Traverse City are this weekend? Seems a little early.... but weather looks good.
Anybody tapping around the Traverse City are this weekend? Seems a little early.... but weather looks good.
I'm at roughly the same latitude as TC, but the eastern side of the state. I tapped a few trees on the 11th, but nothing's flowing yet. The weather is right, but the trees haven't thawed.
CE
44° 41′ 3″ N
2019 -- 44 Red Maples - My home and sugarbush are for sale.
2018 -- 48 Red Maples, 7 gallons
2017 -- 84 Red Maples, 1 Sugar Maple, and 1 Silver Maple , 13 gallons
2016 -- 55 Red Maples, 8 gallons
2015 -- 15 Red Maples, 6 Birches - 3+ gallons maple syrup
An awning over my deck is my sugar shack.
An electrified kitchen sink and an electrified steam table pan are my evaporators.
Looking at the weather i think friday thru tuesday there should be a good run of sap. I am in the gaylord area and plan on tapping some or all my trees this friday or saturday.
Tim Schmidt
2013 13 Taps 4 Gallons Syrup, Drum evap.
2014 50 Taps 14 Gallons Syrup, Drum evap.
2015 60 Taps on 3/16 gravity, 40 Taps on buckets, 42 Gallons Syrup, Home built 30 x 60 arch and flat pan
2016 125 Taps all on 3/16 gravity average 18 in. vacuum, 43 Gallons Syrup, Same Arch and Pan
2017 125 Taps all on 3/16 gravity average 18 in. vacuum, 44 Gallons Syrup, Same Arch and Pan
2018 155 Taps all on 3/16 gravity average 18 in. vacuum, Same Arch and Pan, home built 100 gph ro unit
I plan to get most of if not all of my 50 bag holders installed by Thursday evening. The weather forecast going into next week is calling me. Hope to have my 1st boil on Saturday. Hi
Latitude:N 44° 50' 25.0463"
Longitude:W 85° 38' 57.8906"
New for 2022 (My 10th year) a 9" CDL Vacuum Filter Press
2016/2017 12' X 16' Sugar Shack 6/12 pitch roof W/ 3' X 4' Cupola.
John Deere HPX 4X4 Gator (Pop's left it to me when he died)
New for 2020 HB10 RO In A Bucket, a game changer.
2015 Purchased 50 used Bag holders.
2016 Purchased a home made evaporator and "everything" that went with it.
20 acre Sugar Bush
I plan to hang 50 bags near Fife Lake Saturday morning.
I was able to get 23 of my 50 bag holder hung after work yesterday. I should get the rest hung tonight so I am ready for the weekend warm-up. Let the fun begin.
Latitude:N 44° 50' 25.0463"
Longitude:W 85° 38' 57.8906"
New for 2022 (My 10th year) a 9" CDL Vacuum Filter Press
2016/2017 12' X 16' Sugar Shack 6/12 pitch roof W/ 3' X 4' Cupola.
John Deere HPX 4X4 Gator (Pop's left it to me when he died)
New for 2020 HB10 RO In A Bucket, a game changer.
2015 Purchased 50 used Bag holders.
2016 Purchased a home made evaporator and "everything" that went with it.
20 acre Sugar Bush
It is 3 deg. here now and supposed to be 40 tomorrow, but the trees will not thaw here till Sat. I am not tapping as the overnight temps are going to be high also. Overnight temps in the low to mid 30's for the first 3-4 nights. I do not think that the sap would flow well over the time span. It is going to be above freezing during the day for 7-8 days straight and 5 of those 8 will be above freezing at night. I wish there was a magical crystal ball that we could shake and tell us (Tap Now), but alas there is not. Here's to hoping this is some strange weather anomaly that is not a sign of our season to come. We are in Petoskey
Were not going to tap until the first week of March.
New for 2016 Mason 2x4 XL with AUF blower. No more boiling in stainless steam table trays or pots for me.
IMG_20170219_103049588.jpgIMG_20170219_103049588.jpgIMG_20170219_102829372.jpg
I didn't get as much sap as I had hoped for but I decided to start my 1st batch for 2017 rather than see it spoil. I have about 5 more gallons to collect in the woods for a total of approx 30 gallons total. The sap has been running 1.5% so it's a 57/1 ratio but I am making syrup again! Yahoo.
Latitude:N 44° 50' 25.0463"
Longitude:W 85° 38' 57.8906"
New for 2022 (My 10th year) a 9" CDL Vacuum Filter Press
2016/2017 12' X 16' Sugar Shack 6/12 pitch roof W/ 3' X 4' Cupola.
John Deere HPX 4X4 Gator (Pop's left it to me when he died)
New for 2020 HB10 RO In A Bucket, a game changer.
2015 Purchased 50 used Bag holders.
2016 Purchased a home made evaporator and "everything" that went with it.
20 acre Sugar Bush
IMG_20170219_102850773.jpg
The pre-heater is doing it's job as the previous picture shows. 150's going into the 1st pan 210 coming out. Keeping the front pan at a raging boil. I am boiling at a rate of about 10 gallons an hour. It's going to be a quick batch.
Latitude:N 44° 50' 25.0463"
Longitude:W 85° 38' 57.8906"
New for 2022 (My 10th year) a 9" CDL Vacuum Filter Press
2016/2017 12' X 16' Sugar Shack 6/12 pitch roof W/ 3' X 4' Cupola.
John Deere HPX 4X4 Gator (Pop's left it to me when he died)
New for 2020 HB10 RO In A Bucket, a game changer.
2015 Purchased 50 used Bag holders.
2016 Purchased a home made evaporator and "everything" that went with it.
20 acre Sugar Bush