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Thread: Tapping 2019

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    East Dixfield, Maine
    Posts
    3

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    Finished putting on 215 sterilized taps today. I'm planning on beginning to drill and pound tomorrow as soon as the snow stops. I'm kinda concerned about all the snow in the woods. I have about four to five feet in most places and my sap lines are either right on the snow, or slightly above. More snow tonight ans again this weekend. I love snow, but stop will ya! There is a 1000 foot drop from my top trees to the sap house and it affects the temps over the whole bush. And, everything is north facing.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Turner, ME
    Posts
    23

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    Finished installing new drops and tapping tonight. Got the lines rerouted to the new sugar shack. Only a few loose ends to take care of and we'll be ready to go. I know it’s early but I’m hoping to get some sap out of this weekend warmup.
    Last edited by turnerburner; 02-21-2019 at 08:20 AM.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sumner, ME
    Posts
    499

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    I've decided this brief warm up isn't enough to be worth it. By the time all the taps are in, vacuum leaks are found, and lines flushed (if it even runs enough to truly flush the lines) I doubt there will be much sap left to boil. Looks like back to cold next week. Next time it warms up will be a go for sure.
    Steven Abbott
    Over 900 taps on vacuum
    30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
    Half acre market garden
    2 farmers in training

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
    Posts
    1,041

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    My thoughts exactly abbott. Hoping to tap the first weekend of March or maybe even the following week if it stays cold. We caught the end of February run last year but I'm not sure a few gallons of syrup was worth it. Had a 2-3 week freeze afterwards and I'm afraid we may have lost more than that on the back end being a gravity setup. Good luck this season.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    18

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    Same here boys and girls.... I am eager to get going and start tapping here in the midcoast region (Durham). But, I don't see the trend that I am looking for yet. Sure, I am missing a little run over the next two days. Then it will be trending colder into first week into March. Hopefully this is not a drawn out season like 2017 was. Last year was text book perfect for my operation (31 gallons produced) in five weeks on my 2x4 mason. So, moral of the story, I am waiting for the "weather trend" that will favor the start of the 2019 season.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    maine
    Posts
    376

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    I'm in the same boat. Waiting for a better looking weather pattern.
    2 1/2 x 10 with steam away leader drop flue inferno arch.
    550 in gravity

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Canton, Maine
    Posts
    67

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    I've got a lot of set up left to do, but definitely have some time with the 10 day forecast looking pretty cold. I know of a handful of branches to pull off of lines but otherwise it looked pretty good in the woods a couple weeks ago. When I'm ready to tap it should go pretty fast.
    Road's End Farm - Starting small with no end in sight!

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Manchester Maine
    Posts
    127

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    Same here I think I will start taping next week and hope the weather turns and some snow melts I do road side maples and the heater banks are to tall to get over
    Backyard sapper

    Mason 2X4 XL with blower
    12x24 post and beam shack
    30 taps on 5-Gallon buckets
    134 taps on tubing into the shack
    15-30 gallons a year for family and friends

  9. #19
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    NH
    Posts
    2

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    Quote Originally Posted by mainebackswoodssyrup View Post
    ...I'm afraid we may have lost more than that on the back end being a gravity setup...
    What do you mean by this? What is it about a gravity system that makes you say this? This is my first season operating a gravity system, so I'm trying to learn all I can. We will have 100 taps on 3/16 lines with about 100 feet vertical from last tree to sugar shack. We're all set up, thinking about tapping this weekend...
    Pete
    Brown's Sugar Orchard
    Bradford, NH
    2015-2017 2x3 flat pan evaporator and 75 buckets with no clue
    2018 - running lines for the first time! Brand new Lapierre 24x60 evaporator, 1000 foot gravity mainline, 150 taps, still have no clue

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
    Posts
    1,041

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    The duration that a tap hole will produce syrup is less on a gravity system than on a vacuum system. Maybe 6 weeks or so on gravity and 8 or better on vacuum. Of course, Mother Nature can throw a wrench at any time and there's a lot of other variables involving sanitation, age of systems, etc. But all else being equal, it's a reality. My point was that we made syrup for 3 or 4 days, froze up solid for 3 weeks then ran again. We may have lost 3-4 days or more during a better part of the season by catching that early run. Maybe not, but we didn't get as good of runs after the deep freeze as we usually do even on the prime days.

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