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Thread: 2018 Season

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Newville, PA
    Posts
    51

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    I put an old arrow thru the handle on each side of the bucket just to help make sure it didnt get knocked over. Plenty of old arrows layin around. Would be better if sap rushed out and weighed the bucket down, but that hasnt been the case so far, lol

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Carbon County, PA
    Posts
    108

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    2018 marks Year 1 for this guy. I busted my butt to get ready hoping I was going to miss it. I finally got my equipment and was able to tap 6 trees on Monday. Tuesday I ran out and saw a very minimal amount. I'm in Carbon County.

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Newville, PA
    Posts
    51

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    Well, yesterday, the girls and I made our first "collection". From 3 trees, 4 taps total we gathered right around 3 gallons of sap. I was hoping/thinking there would be more than that but we were excited nonetheless to get our first bit of sap. So given that information, 3 gallons from 4 taps in 3 different trees, I planned to make the 40 minute trip up to our ground before daybreak this morning to collect what we may have from the two trees the girls and I tapped on Monday night. Now up there, it tends to be a degree or two less on average, so I expected much of the same from those the trees we tapped up there as we got back home.

    So, this morning, I made my first big rookie mistake;^) I just don't know which lesson I learned from it..... I either learned that you should never take one 5 gallon bucket to collect sap from two taps that have their own 5 gallon bucket because each one may be 3/4 full and you will have just driven 40 minutes one way to not be able to haul all of your sap home. Or, I learned that if you are worried that you may have done something wrong because you are getting very much sap from one set of trees, you can get rid of that worry by only taking one 5 gallon bucket to collect sap from two taps that each have their own 5 gallon bucket because you expected to do just as "poorly" there, so each bucket will be 3/4 full so you have just driven 40 minutes one way and are not able to haul all of your sap home.

    Either way, it was pretty exciting to get what feels like our first "good run". just 12 hours ago, I was worried we would really have enough sap to bother building a fire to evaporate on Sunday. Now, I am thinking that if things keep running like that, I may not be able to store all of it until Sunday. We have 8 gallons in the "deer/beer fridge" staying cool, at least another 2 gallons left in the bucket from this morning and room for about another 15 or so gallons in the fridge before I would need to freeze it.

    My wife leave for Elk county on Friday afternoon, so I do have a question. With the temps yesterday and last night being 37 and above, a high today of 64, low tonight of 49 and high tomorrow of 52 before it gets back down to 21 tomorrow night, is it imperative that I get back up to the ground before it freezes tomorrow night to collect the last couple gallons I had to leave up there so it doesn't go bad? It is going to be really tight for me to get back up tonight or tomorrow night, most likely will need to go up either late tonight or well before daybreak tomorrow. I would rather not but then again, I definitely don't want to lose any sap.

    Thanks in advance for any advice

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Elliottsburg, PA
    Posts
    2,222

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    Ah, the there can not be that much up there mistake. I can guarantee that from now on you will be carrying more than enough buckets with you.

    As for the sap if it is in the sap it may start to turn on you. Now if it is shaded where the buckets sit and if there is still any snow on the ground around the buckets you may be able to get away from running up tonight.

    Years past if I needed to store sap a few days, now this is before I got large tanks, and we still had snow around, I would fill the buckets with sap put the lids on and bury them with snow.

    Good luck, and by the way I do not think it matters how many years you have been or will be doing this you will always make a bone headed mistake from time to time. I hate valves, we use entirely too many valves to keep track of, not saying anymore.
    1st Generation Hobby Maple Producer, you got to start somewhere.
    222 Taps, all on Vacuum! No more buckets.
    Lapierre 2'x5' raised flue w/Hood and Preheater
    Surge SP11, Lapierre Hobby Releaser
    Modified 5" Filter Press made by Daryl with a Gear Pump
    Homemade 2 membrane RO
    Kabota RTV Sap Hauler

    Hardy's Maple Syrup on Facebook

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    NE PA (Pocono's)
    Posts
    1,426

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    Quote Originally Posted by HondoLane View Post
    2018 marks Year 1 for this guy. I busted my butt to get ready hoping I was going to miss it. I finally got my equipment and was able to tap 6 trees on Monday. Tuesday I ran out and saw a very minimal amount. I'm in Carbon County.
    Hondo- let me know if you ever need help with anything or more equipment, (buckets, taps small tanks etc) I'm just north of you in Mt Pocono area. I think a lot of us started just like you. Its addicting, fasten your seatbelt.
    CDL 2x8
    Around 4000 taps
    Polaris ATVs, Ski Doo snowmobiles to get around
    Atlas Copco pumps
    Lapierre two post RO




    http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/j...Sugar%20shack/

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Carbon County, PA
    Posts
    108

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    Quote Originally Posted by Maplewalnut View Post
    Hondo- let me know if you ever need help with anything or more equipment, (buckets, taps small tanks etc) I'm just north of you in Mt Pocono area. I think a lot of us started just like you. Its addicting, fasten your seatbelt.
    I appreciate the offer. I would like to watch the process in person. I've watch enough YouTube videos but first hand experience always better.

    I collected 10 gallons today on 6 taps. So I'm off to a good start I think. It sure is addicting. I already picked out and found 5 more trees!!

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Millmont,Pa
    Posts
    563

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    I gathered 160 gallons last night and about the same tonight. We are making some syrup, but
    sugar content could be a little higher. Looks like a freeze Friday night which should help reset
    the trees. Might hold off and boil on Saturday so I can get caught up on my bottling.
    hope everyone is still having fun!!!!!
    115 red maples on vacuum
    100 taps on 5/16 gravity
    35 taps on 3/16 gravity
    50 taps on shurflo vacuum
    about 60 buckets on giant roadside sugars
    neighbor bringing from 45 taps
    30'x 8' Aof/Auf Evaporator
    Homemade 125gph Ro
    Lots of Homemade Equipment!

    http://s848.photobucket.com/albums/a...%20Sugarshack/

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Elliottsburg, PA
    Posts
    2,222

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    Paddymountain, I am in the same boat as you, sugar content is low. I picked up another load of sap this evening and the sugar content was right at 1%!!! Holy cow that is low for this early in the season.
    1st Generation Hobby Maple Producer, you got to start somewhere.
    222 Taps, all on Vacuum! No more buckets.
    Lapierre 2'x5' raised flue w/Hood and Preheater
    Surge SP11, Lapierre Hobby Releaser
    Modified 5" Filter Press made by Daryl with a Gear Pump
    Homemade 2 membrane RO
    Kabota RTV Sap Hauler

    Hardy's Maple Syrup on Facebook

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Newville, PA
    Posts
    51

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    Went back up to the ground this morning before daybreak. The sap I left there yesterday I was expecting to be bad with the super warm temps, but was pleasantly surprised to find that it was still completely clear and tasted perfectly fine. it is in the fridge and cooling at 31 degrees. Also, from those two trees, I got around 3 gallons or so of new sap in that 24 hour period. My other 3 trees, I haven't gotten a total of a gallon since Wednesday night. I am trying to at least pretend that I can figure out how this sap flow thing works, but I am certainly completely clueless at this point! Two smaller trees running good and 3 BIG trees hardly running at all. But I have about 13 gallons or more now and when I get back from Elk county on Sunday, I am really hoping to have enough more to get to 20 gallons. Sunday we will light our first fire and get the steam rolling. A day of smores, hot dogs and at the end, hopefully some syrup to finish off on the stove! The girls are excited and I very much am as well. Seems as if I have caught the bug.... Good luck to everybody this weekend, hopefully your buckets are full!

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Kittanning PA
    Posts
    286

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    There's a big run coming after tonight's freeze. I just wish the forecast for next week was not so warm. This could be a great maple season, but right now it looks to be another short season like last year, cut off by a warm week in mid-February.

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