48 hours: 2 bags half full on shore; most under 3 inches; all still dead @11 am; overnight low was 34, 54 now in shade
48 hours: 2 bags half full on shore; most under 3 inches; all still dead @11 am; overnight low was 34, 54 now in shade
seem to have peaked @ 20 taps: bags on hangers
Homemade RO
2 or 3 gallons syrup per annum, formerly with wood fire arch and batch pans
then Dark Star 2.0 burner and 8 gal Megapot Brew Kettle with ball valve
transitioning now to 30x17x9 flat pan
rarely have so few toiled so much for so little
Sap Aussie Gidget,
and my one and only Jill
http://twodogsgonewild.blogspot.com/
Put in 24 taps yesterday and collected 15 gals of sap today. Today put in 76 taps. We will see what we get tomorrow.
Due to my work schedule, I can only boil on weekends this year. Ran 3/16" gravity lines last weekend, will dump into a 275 gal IBC tank. Looking like we may get a little run next week so will drill this weekend. Really looks good starting around Mar 17th.
My son and I gathered 10 gallons from 13 trees b4 the rain. 1 inch of rain on monday. Next weeks forecast looks promising. I will give an update for Hayward when the saps fires up again.
four days in fifties; overnight lows above freezing; long rain knocked down snow in woods to less than 6 inches
5 gal gathered on 10 taps, 4 of which came on three bags
barely wet
seem to have peaked @ 20 taps: bags on hangers
Homemade RO
2 or 3 gallons syrup per annum, formerly with wood fire arch and batch pans
then Dark Star 2.0 burner and 8 gal Megapot Brew Kettle with ball valve
transitioning now to 30x17x9 flat pan
rarely have so few toiled so much for so little
Sap Aussie Gidget,
and my one and only Jill
http://twodogsgonewild.blogspot.com/
Still wondering what to do. Snow coming on Friday. I've never set out much before 10 march. I've got 12 pails out around the sugarbush to get a feel for things. It ranges from 1 pail with over a gal to teaspoons in another. Sugar content ranged from .8 to 2.5. I always figured I wasn't the brightest bulb in the package, so now I need to find the brightest bulb to let me know what's happening.
400 pails
CDL RO machine
2x8 stainless Dallaire evaporator, wood fired
Filter press
Polaris 6x6 & 4x4
Allis Chalmers WD
Allis Chalmers G
Built new 24' x 40' shack in 2006
http://www.blsugarbush.com
What I'm hearing from other producers are some are starting to tap just now.... some are waiting. I'm waiting to see what happens and what the forecast are next week. I got everything washed and ready. A good tree my uncle tapped dripped hard at first then pretty much slowed to almost nothing. With no freezing nights that was no shocker.
I'm waiting for a better sap flow forecast considering its still February.
301 buckets
Rookies in the far north
My brother and I are pretty new to this. We put out 34 taps last weekend (2/18) in the far north snow belt, near the UP. Most of the taps were immediately wet, and some were dripping pretty well by morning. However, after 5 days, we have a total of maybe 30 gallons. We're wondering if the sap will not flow much with the ground still mostly frozen, even though the temps up here have been warm by day, dropping to around freezing at night. Any wisdom/science the shed light on this? I guess we'll take our 3 quarts of February syrup, if we don't screw up the cooking.
I would wait and see how your 34 taps do when/if we get back to a freeze thaw cycle as in a " normal " sap weather pattern. Take what you get this early tapping effort. If you guys have large trees and using smaller taps that you can retap those or more trees available to retap....you can always go that route later on. Your 3 quarts of syrup is alot more then most have that are rolling the dice by waiting. As in me....Good luck....
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