to early to tap ??????
This is my first season tapping trees and was wondering if it was to early to start in western mass (westfield). My plan was to start this weekend when the temps are above 40. I've read alot of great info on this site and was hoping to have some ma guys give any pointers.
Thanks in advance
Last edited by mikelafond126; 02-13-2017 at 07:45 PM.
I'm in northeast mass and I'm tapped. I anticipate first boil to sweeten Sunday.
2024 - New Maine resident, 12X12 sugar shack under construction
2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO
A big producer has started tapping in West Granville (not far from Westfield). I am also in W Granville and plan to tap this weekend. We are a lot higher than you, so the spell of 40s next week may take a while to thaw trees up here. I am sure you would get sap next week.
Bright moon this week. Tap at night after work so you get the weekend run.......
1st Year Turkey Fryer Guru-10 taps and No Clue
2nd Year Warming Pans on a Barrel Unit-25 taps Still No Clue
3rd Year 2 X 3 Divided Pan on a NEW Homemade Barrel Unit-45 taps Starting To Learn
4th year (2017) Mason 2 X 3 Inside Small Shack-85 Taps I Think I'm Addicted!!
I'm about 20 minutes west of Westfield (Chester) and I plan to tap this weekend. You guys are typically around 2 or 3 degrees warmer than I am (I'm up in the hills), so I think the time is right for you too. Good luck!
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
2024: 17 taps, 5.3 gals
All on buckets
its prefect time to tap ..... im in westfield also and today is my normal day to tap every year , as for the `big producer in west gville` ripley`s has a few more taps than most of us in the area, 14 years ago i would work day and night with them to setup just there meadow slope and now they have expand there operation to twice the size it was then, so naturally they tap early to finish before good runs come. mike are you using buckets or tubing ??
2x6 leader WSE with AUF, hood,preheater
waterguy RO
leader 16 gal custom water jacketed canner
10 in short stack wes fab filter press
540 taps on tubing with vac & always adding
2- benders running 25" hg from GAST vac pumps
few stainless bulk tanks
1978 chevy 1 ton 4x4 dually
IH T340 dozer with 6-way blade
I am using buckets this season. Don't want to get to deep my first year lol. Thanks everyone for the input looks like I'll be putting some work in tapping this weekend.
oh i hear ya..... yesterday i was out running the dozer cutting as many paths in and around my sugarbush to make it a bit easier to travel from point A to B without walking in the deep snow everytime, but the deep snow is on heck of a workout that all of us pay to do .... and its more rewarding that the gym .... lol
2x6 leader WSE with AUF, hood,preheater
waterguy RO
leader 16 gal custom water jacketed canner
10 in short stack wes fab filter press
540 taps on tubing with vac & always adding
2- benders running 25" hg from GAST vac pumps
few stainless bulk tanks
1978 chevy 1 ton 4x4 dually
IH T340 dozer with 6-way blade
We put our lines up before this mess. I put buckets out around the house for "Nostalgia" I tried to make it out back on the ATV Sunday and got half way there......time for snow shoes LOLOriginally Posted by WESTMAPLES
Have a couple spots to dig out because "we weren't suppose to get snow"
This is going to be fun
1st Year Turkey Fryer Guru-10 taps and No Clue
2nd Year Warming Pans on a Barrel Unit-25 taps Still No Clue
3rd Year 2 X 3 Divided Pan on a NEW Homemade Barrel Unit-45 taps Starting To Learn
4th year (2017) Mason 2 X 3 Inside Small Shack-85 Taps I Think I'm Addicted!!
It's crazy how different things can be even in western Mass. I'm in Savoy at 2,000 ft. elevation and I am still 3 weeks away from tapping. Things won't get real good until mid-March.
16x24 Timber Frame Sugar House
Mason 2x4 Evaporator
90 trees on buckets
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