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Thread: Saps runningl

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
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    Thornton, NH
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    Default Saps runningl

    Had to cut a maple down at work, boy she was wet. Looked at the stump a bit later and it was pooling up.
    Then I put the final nail in and gave it a taste.
    Weather for the week shows favorable conditions.
    My eye is doing that twitching thing and have plenty of wood....
    Made some in January and the regular season, might as well add a fall batch.
    That Sickness I tell ya.. got a pretty bad case over here.
    Last edited by Sinzibuckwud; 11-12-2017 at 03:48 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    Covington, New York
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    The freeze/thaw cycle of this upcoming week looks as good as anything we've had in the spring for the last couple years.
    Noel Good
    1998 to 2009: 15 taps on buckets, scavenged fire pit and pans
    2010: New 2x4 SS flat pan w/preheater
    2015: New to me Lapierre 18x60 raised flue, new shack, new everything!! 59 taps 23.75 gallons
    2016: 85 taps 19 gallons
    2017: Purchased 2.5 acres and tubed half with 3/16. 145 taps total 49.25 gallons
    2018: 200 taps (162 on 3/16ths 38 on buckets) New NextGen RO 63 gallons
    2019: 210 taps 73.5 gallons
    2023: 210 taps 89.75 gallons
    www.wnybass.com

  3. #3
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    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
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    Hey, go for it if you have some extra time and taps. Just be aware anything you tap now is not going to be available for spring use. I have fall tapped several years in a bush that I typically have a hard time getting into in the spring. Smaller runs and lower sugar is the norm, but you can make some great syrup. I don't know how your weather compares to mine, but if there are still leaves on any of your trees your probably too early. I jumped the gun too early one year and warm weather hit and all my taps quit. My fall tapping is roughly the last two weeks, maybe three just before I expect everything to freeze hard. For me in southern Ohio that is around Christmas until approximately January 10th. There has been a couple years that early syrup saved my butt. Keep in mind it's an extra set up and clean up. You end up doing everything twice.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by buckeye gold View Post
    You end up doing everything twice.
    Once is enough for me. lol I'll hold out for the spring season, which if anything like the last couple years, might be in 60 days or less from now.
    Noel Good
    1998 to 2009: 15 taps on buckets, scavenged fire pit and pans
    2010: New 2x4 SS flat pan w/preheater
    2015: New to me Lapierre 18x60 raised flue, new shack, new everything!! 59 taps 23.75 gallons
    2016: 85 taps 19 gallons
    2017: Purchased 2.5 acres and tubed half with 3/16. 145 taps total 49.25 gallons
    2018: 200 taps (162 on 3/16ths 38 on buckets) New NextGen RO 63 gallons
    2019: 210 taps 73.5 gallons
    2023: 210 taps 89.75 gallons
    www.wnybass.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Thornton, NH
    Posts
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    Tapped some nice sized trees down in a north facing hole that do not run during regular season. By the time they thaw out maple season is usually long over. Maple leaves here have been gone for 3 weeks only thing left are the beech and a stray oak but I didn't know the leaves had to be off, will it give an off flavor to the syrup if they are still on the tree? Technically this will be the third setup for this year, January had a two week run then shut it all down and set back up in March and now again in November.
    I'm a small operation (for now) so setup and cleanup is not too much work.
    Matt Durrell
    2012 - 12 Taps hand me down 2x2 and made a barrel stove
    2014 - 20 Taps 8x10 timber-frame shack
    2015 - 25 Taps
    2016 - 28 Taps new 110 acres
    2017 - 12 Taps january, 55 Taps spring and 15 Taps fall, same ol 2x2
    2018 - Helping another sugarmaker 5000 Taps, 57 at home

  6. #6
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    Southern Ohio
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    The leaves on the other trees won't really matter. It's just kind of a yardstick to be sure your maples are in dormancy

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
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    Thornton, NH
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    Quote Originally Posted by buckeye gold View Post
    The leaves on the other trees won't really matter. It's just kind of a yardstick to be sure your maples are in dormancy
    Dormancy gotcha!
    Yup good and dormant here, snow decided to hang around all day today, boy sure felt like sugar season cold and damp snow on everything even the woods had that smell to it. 5 gallons of sap today just got above freezing with lots of clouds. I think its gonna run good tommorow, 27f tonight with 33f at 6pm and high of 39f tommorow with a little sun.
    I'm mostly curious in the taste, lower sugar should give a nice dark syrup especially on the ol 2x2 flat pan. Never had fall syrup and never made it, good chance to get em both done I suppose.
    Last edited by Sinzibuckwud; 11-14-2017 at 04:54 PM.
    Matt Durrell
    2012 - 12 Taps hand me down 2x2 and made a barrel stove
    2014 - 20 Taps 8x10 timber-frame shack
    2015 - 25 Taps
    2016 - 28 Taps new 110 acres
    2017 - 12 Taps january, 55 Taps spring and 15 Taps fall, same ol 2x2
    2018 - Helping another sugarmaker 5000 Taps, 57 at home

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    1,349

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    Your syrup taste just like spring. typically it is a little darker

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Thornton, NH
    Posts
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    Default

    Had a decent run 7 gallons, was about noon before we broke the freezing mark and even longer down in the hole.
    Another inch of snow today, the forecast shows a decent week next week. Doubt it will go longer than that we're usually froze up solid by the end of November.
    Got my plan together for first trial of tubing, gonna put in 12 taps on 3/16. Built the shack is at the lowest point of the property not the easiest build site but will pay off once tubing starts going in. Eventually 2000+ taps straight to the sugar shack.... But that's a loooong ways away, 25-30 years lol
    Last edited by Sinzibuckwud; 11-16-2017 at 08:05 AM.
    Matt Durrell
    2012 - 12 Taps hand me down 2x2 and made a barrel stove
    2014 - 20 Taps 8x10 timber-frame shack
    2015 - 25 Taps
    2016 - 28 Taps new 110 acres
    2017 - 12 Taps january, 55 Taps spring and 15 Taps fall, same ol 2x2
    2018 - Helping another sugarmaker 5000 Taps, 57 at home

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