+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 12

Thread: To Tap..... or Not to Tap, Central Wisconsin 2017

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    wisconsin
    Posts
    1

    Default To Tap..... or Not to Tap, Central Wisconsin 2017

    That Is the question!
    This is my first thread in any kind of forum, so I'll see how it goes.

    I am torn since the local weather man is leaning towards mild weather through the rest of the month. Can anyone who is making that decision let all us in the area know what your doing? I pull vacuum to 600 taps and I am almost ready.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Green Bay
    Posts
    4

    Default

    I was just debating this issue myself🤔

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Denmark, WI
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Might be a gamble but we are holding off... warm streak is too warm and doesn't look like it'll freeze at night anyhow. If we tapped now I think the only big day we'd miss is Friday. The rest of the week looks to be too warm at night for the sap to flow. If we tap now our taps with sap sacks may dry up too early in the season and what we'd make on Friday we'd miss out later in the season. You might be ok with tuning/vacuum lines. From what I hear they won't dry up as much as open air taps. I'm thinking we will tap in another week or so or until Mother Nature brings us some colder nights after the warm streak.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Knapp, Wis
    Posts
    1,872

    Default

    I'll chime in here....I have vacuum, use checkvalves and only have about half my lines fixed. My plan last night was to tap these half and get going, and hold off on the rest. With several 50 degree days and a 60 on Monday, I'm leaning now to just say to heck tapping anything yet and just continue getting everything ready. My aim is not to make tons of dark syrup and thats what we're gonna get with 60 degrees. On top of that, I work full time and have no vacation until March. If your on bags, I absolutely would not hang them now. I'm sure it will get cold and being this unrealistically warm this early in February is not going to do any bargains to tapholes people have already drilled.
    Last edited by markcasper; 02-16-2017 at 07:09 AM.
    Mark

    Where we made syrup long before the trendies made it popular, now its just another commodity.

    John Deere 4000, 830, and 420 crawler
    1400 taps, 600 gph CDL RO, 4x12 wood-fired Leader, forced air and preheater. 400 gallon Sap-O-Matic vacuum gathering tank, PTO powered. 2500 gallon X truck tank, 17 bulk tanks.
    No cage tanks allowed on this farm!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    11

    Default

    I am in the same quandry. I have about 8 3/16 lines up (first time) with drops, but not tapped. I am afraid of the warm weather coming. Night temps above 40 and day temps above 50. The rest will be pails up to a little over 100 taps total. Last year tapped early and got some good runs especially after 5'' of wet snow. Then weather turned warm and everything stopped. Moldy pails and drops so I pulled everything and cleaned up. Then cold snap and everyone said it was running great, but I was done. According to weather forecast are we better off to wait for a while? Just made a new parrallel flow preheater and hood and am anxious to get going. La Crosse County
    Last edited by Clem3; 02-16-2017 at 09:31 AM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Tomahawk WI.
    Posts
    502

    Default

    Also going to wait to tap. Our local weatherman is leaning toward a cool down the following weekend. Will be beautiful temps to wash every thing though. If weatherman is wrong and warm temps continue like in 2012.... I won't tap like I did in that season. Hard to do but was the right decision.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Wausau
    Posts
    33

    Default

    I have 600 taps on high vac. and we made the decision to go for it. We will have everything tapped by 10 am on Saturday. I hope we are making the right decision. Good luck
    2017:
    600 taps on vacuum
    4 x 8 flat pan
    2 x 4 finish pan
    Nights and weekends after my real job

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Knapp, Wis
    Posts
    1,872

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ScottP View Post
    I have 600 taps on high vac. and we made the decision to go for it. We will have everything tapped by 10 am on Saturday. I hope we are making the right decision. Good luck
    Will be waiting to here how things turn out. Rhino is right, will be great for washing things up.
    Mark

    Where we made syrup long before the trendies made it popular, now its just another commodity.

    John Deere 4000, 830, and 420 crawler
    1400 taps, 600 gph CDL RO, 4x12 wood-fired Leader, forced air and preheater. 400 gallon Sap-O-Matic vacuum gathering tank, PTO powered. 2500 gallon X truck tank, 17 bulk tanks.
    No cage tanks allowed on this farm!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    WISCONSIN
    Posts
    4

    Default

    Its still only the middle of February...we are tapping all our tubing this weekend, but that was planned weeks ago...tapping the buckets in 2 weeks or so...We still have lots of Winter yet to go...
    Andy
    Bear Paw Sugar Bush
    Bear Paw Scout Camp
    Mountain, WI 54149

    950 taps, (450 on buckets, 500 on gravity tubing) running a high efficient 3x12 wood burner...Making Scouting sweeter one bottle at a time...

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Plover, Wi
    Posts
    13

    Default

    My rule of thumb is second Saturday in March, and it hasn't let us down yet. I've seen lots of people chase these early warm ups, only to end up retapping in March after they dried up.

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts