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Thread: 2019 Tapping Season - Connecticut

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Southern CT
    Posts
    161

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    I had considered tapping earlier as well, The cold blast will let me procrastinate maybe, but after this, I am thinking of tapping as soon as we get a favorable ten-day outlook from a weekend start. Last year I did superbowl sunday. I want to be ready the week earlier this time, so two weeks away maybe?...
    2014 Year 1, 1 large front yard shade tree with 3 taps - 3 quarts of the best syrup I ever had.
    2015 - Convince In-laws and Neighbors, bought F-150 and bricks. 20 taps, 4 gallons in pretty bottles.
    2016 -- More friends and neighbors, should add another 20 +, built temporary shelter as sugar shack. F150 traded for Ram 2500. Big Blue new barrels for 116 gal storage. 8 gallons Syrup.
    2017 - Mortared Brick Arch with serving pans, no make that an 18 x 48 CDL divided flat pan, 48 taps.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Quaker Hill, CT
    Posts
    328

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    Spent the last few days fixing my tubing runs. Finished up moving the evaporator under my new shed overhang. Excited to be out of the weather for boiling this year.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    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

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Southern CT
    Posts
    161

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    After seeing the data from Dr. Joe Orefice from Yale today, seems mid February is still a good plan. Earlier runs may be lighter sugar.
    2014 Year 1, 1 large front yard shade tree with 3 taps - 3 quarts of the best syrup I ever had.
    2015 - Convince In-laws and Neighbors, bought F-150 and bricks. 20 taps, 4 gallons in pretty bottles.
    2016 -- More friends and neighbors, should add another 20 +, built temporary shelter as sugar shack. F150 traded for Ram 2500. Big Blue new barrels for 116 gal storage. 8 gallons Syrup.
    2017 - Mortared Brick Arch with serving pans, no make that an 18 x 48 CDL divided flat pan, 48 taps.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Mansfield, Connecticut
    Posts
    50

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    I have a tapping decision to make (eastern CT). My wife and I will be travelling to Arizona from Feb 15-21. If I tap before that, I have to find somebody to collect sap for me (50+ drop lines into buckets--takes me 30+ minutes per day), or I wait until after Feb 21. Would I lose out on a lot of sap if I waited? Opinions welcome!
    2015: 17 taps, 2 gallons
    2016: 35 taps, 3.6 gallons
    2017: 60 taps, 2.7 gallons
    2018: 56 taps, 4.7 gallons

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Quaker Hill, CT
    Posts
    328

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    Unless you really want to get those one or two runs that are likely in early February I would just wait till after your trip. Saves you the trouble of wondering how your taps are doing while you are away. Not to mention the risk of any sap spoiling in possible warm weather by the time you get home.

    My drill finger is getting itchy but I have to wait for the taps I ordered to show up so that's keeping me from jumping early. In the next week or two I'm gonna put the 3/16 tubing to work. The coastal weather makes my season start earlier than you inland folks.
    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

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
    Posts
    473

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    Quote Originally Posted by ScottyWelden View Post
    I have a tapping decision to make (eastern CT). My wife and I will be travelling to Arizona from Feb 15-21. If I tap before that, I have to find somebody to collect sap for me (50+ drop lines into buckets--takes me 30+ minutes per day), or I wait until after Feb 21. Would I lose out on a lot of sap if I waited? Opinions welcome!

    While late January tapping has been a great success in recent years the days of old are not necessarily gone for good.

    Don't worry about it until weather suitable for taping shows up in the long range forecast. It is entirely possible the first reasonable run may not happen until Feb 15 or later.

    Don't cross the bridge or worry about crossing the bridge till the bridge is open.

    Last year I put most of my taps in in late January in two sets in two different regions 30 miles apart . I put another 6 taps in in late February in a third location and those taps were the most productive of all my taps.

    One (yes 1) of my Late February taps was overflowing a 5 (yes five) gallon bucket after just 24 hours. The others were close.

    Early tapping is overrated with regards to productivity unless of course enough warm weather blows out the season early, But even in 2019, odds are fairly heavily (at least 80 %) in your favor that will not happen.

    Cheers

  7. #17
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,391

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    Early tapping works well for those producers using moderate/high vacuum and excellent spout/tubing sanitation practices. Taphole lifespan (the length of time the sap will flow) can run 3-4 months before productivity drops off substantially. Tapping well before the season begins is fine under these conditions. This strategy is employed mostly by those producers who have so many taps that they need to have a month or two to get all their taps in.

    Early tapping is NOT indicated for those using gravity collection (bags, buckets, gravity tubing...note that 3/16" tubing on a slope is VACUUM tubing). Taphole longevity in this case is only 3-8 weeks (typically only 3-5 wks) unless the weather gets really warm during that time. Best to wait until just before the sap will run well for an extended period.
    Last edited by DrTimPerkins; 01-23-2019 at 08:24 AM.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Quaker Hill, CT
    Posts
    328

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    Not that anybody doubts Dr. Tim but my experience with 3/16 tubing on a slope with natural vacuum is exactly as he described. I tapped Jan 19th last year and saw consistent sap flow right up until the end of the season. I use 5/16 spouts and drops tee'd into the 3/16 line to improve tap hole life. Due to my small number of taps I decided it was cheap enough to replace all of my drops and spouts this year to improve my second year sanitation as much as possible.

    Of course none of that would be possible if I hadn't learned everything I could reading up on this here.

    Now I just need a trick to make my trees give me more sugar, last year I was averaging just over 1%. Maybe some sort of ancient sugar dance passed down thru the generations might help.
    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

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
    Posts
    473

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    At this point here across southern New England, ( coastal areas not necessarily included ) for the next 10-15 days the forecast shows no good window for sap running for an extended period of time. That as we know can change but if it does not it puts us well into February.

    My recommendation would be to take the following steps.

    1) Put your drill bit next to or even into your drill. i.e. this is longhand for "have everything ready"

    2) Go to Arizona.

    3) Have fun in the sun, even bring some of your syrup from last year and tease them with it a bit.

    4) Come back on the 21

    5) Probably put your taps in on the night or next day you get back, but do check the weather.

    I'll bet you 10 gallons ( of syrup ) that the trees will be ready, willing and able!

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Mansfield, Connecticut
    Posts
    50

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    I like this plan!
    2015: 17 taps, 2 gallons
    2016: 35 taps, 3.6 gallons
    2017: 60 taps, 2.7 gallons
    2018: 56 taps, 4.7 gallons

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