Tapped the trees around the house after work today. Hope to tap the woods trees tomorrow after work.
Tapped the trees around the house after work today. Hope to tap the woods trees tomorrow after work.
Just finished putting four laterals up totaling 45 taps which go to a 100 gal tank, didn't tap yet but thinking about tapping next Monday. Still need to put up one more lateral with
10 taps and 15 on buckets. Had to shovel 4 feet just to set the tank on solid ground. Should be done by the end of next Tuesday. Been 15-20 degrees for past three days.
Last edited by JohnsSugarShack; 03-08-2019 at 07:30 PM.
Happy sugaring
John
1997-98 Coleman cook stove 20 taps
99-2003 Two propane burners with 35 taps
04-06 Leader half pint with 50-65 taps, then quit for 2 years
2009 Back on Propane 20 taps
2010-18 2x6 Leader wood fired, Patriot Pans 100-130 taps
New for 2019 2x4 W.F. Mason Raised Flue 80 taps
Hemmed and hawed about it because I really don't feel like digging up the icy snow to get to level ground for putting up the evaporator shelter. But knowing that I only had a gallon and a half left over from 2016, I gave in seeing how beautiful it was today and put in about 30 taps to start. Sap is averaging about 3.5% and was running nicely. I still have to dig out and set up the half pint, ugghhh!
Last edited by Peeper; 03-09-2019 at 05:55 PM.
Maine Moonshine
117 Sugar maples & 60 red maples on 9 acres, buckets, Leader 1/2 pint arch w/36x24 pan
No shack (...yet??)
When you start to hear the spring peepers, you know your taps have overstayed their welcome.
Just finished tapping 50 taps. Some were dripping already with any luck hope to be able to boil Tuesday.
Yesterday my son and I added 5 more taps, three in 12" trees in a more wooded, but not shady area. By the end of the day those trees gave up a gallon plus. I can't figure out why my standby trees, the ones that typically run 15 to 20 gallons per tree per season are not producing yet. They are even in some sun with a southeast exposure. I guess it must be lingering cold of the winter. I hope the warmer temps this week kick the flow into gear. With now 29 taps I am hedging against a short season by garnering more flow up front. Best case I'm wrong and get inundated. 22 more gallons to a boil.
My daughter who lives in the Port!and area had her first boil yesterday. She taps a neighbor's silver maple. Though the flow hasn't kicked in yet, it has sporadically provided 5 gallons. She put together a two pan concrete block arch recently and boiled down a pint+! Big improvement over the kitchen stove of last year.
Does anyone know how the snow pack affects sap flow? Is the high depth a retarded, enhancer, or neutral? Just curious.
Two 2x4 concrete block arches with three steam trays each
Tapping in Mount Vernon since 2016, 30 to 70 taps, 5/16" tube to 1.5 to 3.5 gallon buckets, some trees on collective gravity tubing to 5 gallon buckets.
Mostly sugar maples, a few reds on 200 year old homestead
Cold wind will keep the sap down. Had a few trees give up a couple Qts. Saturday. Those trees were sheltered from the wind.
Backyard Sugarin' since 1991
Concrete block wood burner
24 taps on gallon jugs
2' x 2' x 6" SS pan
5 gal. SS steamer pan for preheating
89 Arctic Cat Panther sap hauler
Making a few gallons syrup most years.
Maple Baked Beans
Maple Oat Sourdough Bread
Maple Wine
Put in about 27 more taps yesterday for a total of 57 so far. Many more I could tap but I don't know if I'll have the time or energy. Finally shoveled out the area for the evaporator shelter while there was a good thaw after work today and set up an area for the 65 gallon tank above. Buckets are about 1/4 full from Saturday's run and should expect them to fill up over the next day or two.
Last edited by Peeper; 03-11-2019 at 06:21 PM.
Maine Moonshine
117 Sugar maples & 60 red maples on 9 acres, buckets, Leader 1/2 pint arch w/36x24 pan
No shack (...yet??)
When you start to hear the spring peepers, you know your taps have overstayed their welcome.
Been a slow start for me in So. ME as well. Got about 6 gallons after yesterday, temps got to about 41 for a high. I think the cool breeze really hindered the run yesterday. Hopefully things really kick into gear the rest of the week, it got down to 31 here last night.
2017 - Homemade Barrel Evaporator - 20 Taps (buckets) - Backyard boiling
2018 - Homemade Barrel Evaporator - 20 Taps (buckets) - Backyard boiling
2019 - 2x4 Mason XL - 20 Taps (buckets) 30 Taps (sap sacks) - 14x16 Sugar Shack
This year is a hard won battle, at least so far. I see some others a slow starting as well so I'm in good company. I've got 32 taps on 30 trees with a handful of new ones this week. The new ones, including one today, are in the woods and are the best producers at around a third to half gallon each per day. The large standby trees that edge a field, southeast facing, are lackluster to date, though I have seen some signs of improved flow from a few. Maybe they need a longer stretch of sun and nice temps to shake off winters grip. I think I'll tap a few more wooded trees tomorrow to hedge my bet.
So I am collecting 5 gallons a day and will have, at that rate, 40 to 45 by Sunday, my anticipated first boil date. Beautiful weather for next week so maybe the flow will pick up!
Two 2x4 concrete block arches with three steam trays each
Tapping in Mount Vernon since 2016, 30 to 70 taps, 5/16" tube to 1.5 to 3.5 gallon buckets, some trees on collective gravity tubing to 5 gallon buckets.
Mostly sugar maples, a few reds on 200 year old homestead