Anyone seen a slow down in sap the last few days? We were pulling it in like crazy for a while, now taps are very slow drips... Was it that 70 degrees day Weds? Looking for what anyone else is seeing.
Thanks
Anyone seen a slow down in sap the last few days? We were pulling it in like crazy for a while, now taps are very slow drips... Was it that 70 degrees day Weds? Looking for what anyone else is seeing.
Thanks
Shelton Connecticut sugar maker
Yep mine have pretty much stopped since it got warm. Nothing below freezing on the 10 day to start things up again either.
2017 25 taps on buckets got me hooked 1 gallon of sweet
2018 51 taps on 3/16 tubing/ DIY oil tank evaporator 8.5gallons finished
2019 60 taps 7 gallons finished ended season short
2020 New 2x4 divided pan ready to get away from the headache that is steam table pans
2021 off year due to pandemic and projects
2022 back at it
chance of dropping just below freezing tonight, tomorrow night we'll drop below, questionable for tuesday night. i was really hoping for another good week of sap before the season ends. hopefully we get it before the taps dry up.
2016 - 36 Taps - File Cabinet Arch + Food Pans
2017 - 2.5'x10' drop flues - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 122 Taps
2018 - 16x20 Sugar Shack - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 235 Taps
Mine are all still running very well. I tapped another 50 yesterday and it was flowing very well. I also collected another 350 gallons between Friday and this evening off one of my bushes with 150 taps. I can't speak for the others but they are in the same area as the 50 I tapped yesterday and were flowing well. FWIW, I tapped 2-3 weeks ago. Not sure if that makes a difference. Then again, I'm at 750' near the Mass. line so my climate might be a little colder than where you guys are.
About 300 taps
2'x6' air tight arch
Semi complete 12'x24' sugarhouse in Somers, CT
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CapturedNature
My eBook: Making Maple Syrup in your Backyard
Even though the temperatures went below freezing here in Plymouth after the summer weather, the sap has basically stopped flowing.
Sap is still running on my 90 taps on 3/16" tubing with check valves but ones with traditional spouts and bags have stopped. Sugar went from 1.5ish to 1%. Collected 140 gallons yesterday and another 70 today.
2' x 3' backyard evaporator with homemade steam hood
38.5 gallons produced in 2022
120 taps all on 3/16" tubing
4" x 40" homemade RO built for 2023
https://sites.google.com/view/mattat...aplesyrup/home
I collected on Thursday as my buckets were overflowing. Barely anything in my buckets since then and the little bit that is in there smells a little sour. I am wondering if the cold weather predicted for the end of this week will turn things around.
-Matt
2015-first year...190 taps on tubing and buckets
12'x12' sugar shack made out of pallets
275 gal oil tank evaporator w/ 2'x4' divided flat pan
2016-69 taps,
2018-180 taps, new 18x48 CDL drop flue evaporator
It's not getting cold enough at night to make a good run 27F seems to be the magic number it should come back if we start getting cold nights again but the syrup will be darker.
Nathan
123 taps 2012
175 taps 2013
250 taps 2014
3 Sap Haulers & 1 Maple Widow
2X6 Smokey maple pans
http://smilebox.com/play/4d7a41784e5..._playback_link
it seems we go through this every year, but that's what qualifies for water cooler gossip with this crowd. Me too, I been poring over every possible mid and long range forecast I can find for a while now.
One guy just up the street just had the shortest season on record, he tapped just before the president's day weekend and started pulling mid week.
Locally, low temps flirting with the high side of freezing for at least the next week. Long range does have some cooler temps in the second week of march, but that far out...
last year, much the same discussion. If you stayed in, the last boil was still end of march or first week of April. For all the frustration of the weather today, there's a reason the average is the average, because most times, it'll even out.
on a very much related but somewhat related note...anyone have a good handle of statistics? I'd be very interested in attempting to develop a degree day forecasting/measuring model for maple production...but my grasp of math ain't that good.