2018

[SilverLeaf]

Hi everyone!

I concur with the prediction of fairly "normal" tapping times. There's plenty of frost in the ground in my neck of the woods. I was hoping this year snowboots would be optional but alas this next week is looking to upset those plans.

I'm throwing my hat in the ring this year on an RO build, and am nowhere near done, so I'm grateful its not an early season! We'll see how this experiment goes.

Happy prepping, everyone!

[flyzone13]

I have made the decision to tap this weekend. Should be a good time with the snow and all, but it is really the only free weekend I have for a awhile now. I was looking back at last year and I had already boiled a couple hundred gallons of sap by this time last year. Trying to guess the runtime is almost as hard as trying to predict the weather. Anyone else headed out soon to tap?

[maplenutter butter]

I set 900 taps last weekend and plan to set as many as possible Tomorow and have everything tapped by next Wednesday. I know its a little early but im a one man crew who works full time. Everthing i have will be on new taps and vaccum. If i was doing buckets or bags i would wait a while yet. Good luck everyone!!

[Fravy]

I just tapped my 5 30" Silver Maples. This is my 3rd year. First year was my beer set up boiling 1 hour per gallon. That was an experience. I got about 3/4 of a gallon that year. I just pulled the taps after two weeks because I got sick of it. Last year was a cinderblock arch and again I pulled the taps after 2 weeks because I just couldn't keep up the storage space. I had 5 5-gallon buckets on the trees and then another 5 5-gallon buckets full of sap and several 3-gallons as well. I just didn't have enough snow or containers. That was about 5-6 gallons per hour and I could keep up.

This year I have 2 55-gallon drums for storage in addition to the 25 gallons I can keep on the trees. I added a 3rd steamer pan and hooked up a blower to the arch. This should be my best year. I am hoping to gather enough this week for a test run next weekend. Then, I leave for Spring break right about the time the weather gets best. I have the two 55 gallon drums under my best producing trees. Those two trees were easily producing 5 gallons per day on the good days last year. I hope that over my 5 days in San Diego, they shouldn't overflow. I should be able to come back from my trip to roughly 100 gallons of sap to boil over two days before I have to go back to work. I am really looking forward to a good year. This will be the first year I am actually collecting and boiling into March.

I'm a bit excited to put my new equipment to the test! Good luck all!

[tpathoulas]

Set 100 taps with bags today. Wood seemed wet and 3-4 actually had infrequent drips. Very surprised to see this as the frost is deep and there was about 10-12 inches of snow on the ground.

[TooManyIrons...]

Temps and outlook still not quite right here but showing a good trend. I might install my usual three test taps this week sometime, may just wait until the forecast starts showing better daily highs. I am all ready to go, just waiting and watching.

[Bombadil]

Still a lot of snow on the ground. My early tree has a little drip of sap from branches, so I put in a test tap. Will they run if we still have lots of snow cover and frozen ground?

[flyzone13]

I skipped out on the tapping like I thought I would do last weekend the snow slowed me down, so just for S&G's I am putting out a few tonight. Not really expecting much, but you never know.

[Keitha333]

I think I am going to see what the forecast looks like after this next system that is supposed to bring rain or snow Sunday looks like before I tap. I see 40s today. Tempting and itching at the bit!!

[Mike1ranger]

A few days of tempting weather then several of less than ideal weather has me looking at 3/10. A bit early in my opinion considering how cold it has been this year. Getting close but a bit too soon to get the holes drilled yet. Gotta change out a water heater this weekend anyway...always something