Very nice picture. Looks great.
Very nice picture. Looks great.
Sugaring for 45+ years
New Sugarhouse 14'x32'
New to Me Algier 2'x8' wood fired evaporator
2022 added a used RB25 RO Bucket
250 mostly Sugar Maples, 15% Soft Maples. Currently,(110on 3/16" and 125 on Shurflo 4008 vacuum, 15 gravity), (16,000 before being disabled)
1947 Farmall H and Wagon with gathering tank
2012 Kubota with forks to move wood around
That looks fantastic, has me itching to get home from Ottawa today to start tappingOriginally Posted by Big_Eddy
We put 160 buckets out today. Dripping a bit.
2018 28 tree's, 32 taps... 1206 L collected, 19.6 L Finished
2017 14 trees, 16 taps... for now465.5 L collected, 10.5 L Finished
2016 26 trees, 38 taps... for now
2015 7 Trees, 7 Buckets
2014 13 Trees,9 Buckets,5 Water Cooler Bottles,1 Turkey Fryer,ended up with 12 L syrup,light to very dark color
2013 9 Trees ,13 taps and buckets,1 Turkey Deep Fryer,Close to 15 L of syrup , light to dark color
Drip, drip, drip already....windy, but nothing gorilla tape and hockey pucks can't cure...
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Last edited by TurkeyJohn; 02-20-2018 at 11:45 AM.
and sooooo it begins.... got home from Ottawa at 130 this afternoon, by 2 pm I was in the forest tapping trees, it was running really well, only got 26 in but it's a start
2018 28 tree's, 32 taps... 1206 L collected, 19.6 L Finished
2017 14 trees, 16 taps... for now
2016 26 trees, 38 taps... for now
2015 7 Trees, 7 Buckets
2014 13 Trees,9 Buckets,5 Water Cooler Bottles,1 Turkey Fryer,ended up with 12 L syrup,light to very dark color
2013 9 Trees ,13 taps and buckets,1 Turkey Deep Fryer,Close to 15 L of syrup , light to dark color
Right on Al, get that new rig ready Bud....
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Hey all, what exactly is the advantage of a tapping bit over a regular drill bit of the same size? Do they come in different sizes? Isn't how you use the drill (or brace and bit, as I do) that matters? I am trying to justify spending $35 or so on a drilling bit and don't really want to if I don't have to.
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
Checking buckets this morning and find this. May have to keep a hockey stick handy at minimum this season. Either a big dog, big coyote or some FB friends are suggesting even a wolf...
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Tapping bit is only used for a (cordless) drill. It is designed with a sharper point than a typical "universal" drill bit, and the flutes are sharp as well to allow it to cut well in hard (and frozen) wood. Run it on your high speed setting and a quick in and out.
With a brace - you can't get up enough speed to take advantage of a tapping bit. Use an auger bit. Try to hold your brace consistently level to avoid making an oval hole.
As a side note - the 5/16" plastic (blue) bucket taps are more sensitive to an oval hole than the old metal taps. Plastic bucket taps need to be close to level (5 degree slope max) or the weight of a full bucket will tend to pull them out of the tree. Unlike the typical older metal spile, there is very little taper to them, so not much "wedging" into the hole to seal it and hold them tight.
Big_Eddy
Eastern Ontario (Quinte)
20+ years on a 2x3 block arch,
Homemade 20"x64" drop flue since 2011
Build a Block Arch
Build a Flat Pan
Build a Flue Pan
Sweetening the Pans
Build a Bending Brake
Using a Hydrotherm
How much Sap to Sweeten?
Thanks Big_Eddy, makes sense. A friend of mine does have bits for a brace so I'll get them from him.
As for that track...well, doesn't look fresh in pic though maybe it is...but I'd say a largeish dog or coyote whose track has melted and re-frozen. Much the same way my own bootprints grow from a Men's size 8 to size 11 :-)
But still probably wouldn't hurt to at least carry pepper spray and/or a big stick. I do when I go rambling over the 200 acre property across the way, as there are resident coyotes over there.
ETA: SOOOOO glad I haven't tapped yet, today is cold, wet, miserable and a punky +2....far off the projected high of +11. However it's going to get warmer this evening, think about +9, so tonight I may for the first time ever go out and set my spiles by flashlight.
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
We tapped today...
33 buckets! Couldn't wait one day longer. Every tap was dripping.. oh I'm excited!
2 acres of sugar maples. Woodburning arch with small evaporator and propane burners with steamer pans Year 5.
2015 - 35 taps on 30 trees. 1556 L sap and 44L syrup!
2016 - 42 taps on 40 trees. 2274 L sap and 64L syrup!
2017 - 37 taps on 36 trees. 1573 L sap and 47L syrup!
2018 - 33 taps on 32 trees. 2314 L sap and 53L syrup!
2019 - 30 taps on 29 trees. 1640L sap and 51 L syrup!
2020 - 31 taps on 30 trees. 760 L + stopped counting sap and 25 L syrup!
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