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Thread: Anyone tapping way early?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    OH
    Posts
    174

    Default Anyone tapping way early?

    Seems like the whole past month has been freezing at night and warm during the day. I look at the forecast and aside from the name of the month, it looks ideal for making syrup. The picture below is for December, but I would be super excited to see this forecast in February.
    I know it's been discussed before (http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...457#post363457) but it is still tempting to get started early. Am I alone here?

    https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/we...weather/340047

    Untitled.jpg
    2021: 28 taps. 18"x36" flat pan and dual natural gas burners.
    2020: 31 taps. 3 full size steam table pans on a custom 6x water heater natural gas burner setup.
    2019: 31 taps on silvers. Back porch gas cook top with 2 full size steam table pans. An amazing 14.9 gallons in my backyard!
    2018: 22 taps on 9 silvers. Propane turkey fryer and full size steam table pan on electric stove. I made 4.25 gallons in my backyard!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Westfield, NY
    Posts
    245

    Default

    I will be here in a week or so with a ten tap tubing run. I've been playing with early and traditional tap times and methods on these trees collecting data. It seems that lately the traditional tap time is late and I'm missing some good runs. Since the trees are large enough for 2 taps I do 1 early and 1 in Feb.( normal time) on buckets for a comparison of different methods.
    backyard hobbyist
    Mason 2x3 w/AUF
    2020 - added small vacuum and gravity 5/16 tubing and sap sacks
    N 42* 18' 31."
    W 79* 34' 15."
    https://www.saptapapps.com/map/31868...-aab748a6394e/

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    1,349

    Default

    jdierksen,

    I'm about 70 miles due south of you. I have done some December taps for several years now. Most years it doesn't yield much, but this year reminds me of a year about 5 years back when I tapped on December 18th (about 1/3 of my normal taps). That year I made over half my syrup in December until January 8th. The usual spring season sucked that year. Most years the runs are smaller and sugar content less, but you can make syrup. I usually do about 40 taps in December to make some Holiday fresh syrup and then do my usual 100 in late January. I can tell you it's a loooonnnnggg season when you start this early. Hey with only a few taps go for it.
    125-150 taps
    Smokey Lakes Full pint Hybrid pan
    Modified half pint arch
    Air over fire
    All 3/16 tubing
    Southern Ohio

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    OH
    Posts
    174

    Default

    Yeah the wife is against me starting this early but with time off work around the holidays, I think it would be less burdensome than my normal boiling every evening. Last year was incredible for me (30 taps -> 14 gallons of syrup) and I am hoping for a repeat.
    2021: 28 taps. 18"x36" flat pan and dual natural gas burners.
    2020: 31 taps. 3 full size steam table pans on a custom 6x water heater natural gas burner setup.
    2019: 31 taps on silvers. Back porch gas cook top with 2 full size steam table pans. An amazing 14.9 gallons in my backyard!
    2018: 22 taps on 9 silvers. Propane turkey fryer and full size steam table pan on electric stove. I made 4.25 gallons in my backyard!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

    Default

    No and No!
    Keep boiling!
    Regards,
    Chris
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

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

    Default

    We've been tapping each fall for the past 3 yrs as part of a research project on taphole longevity and taphole rejuvenation. Sugar content is typically pretty low (but not always). Sap yield varies quite a lot with the season (more so than in the spring).

    Probably the biggest difference is...we don't make it into syrup. All the sap is dumped on the ground That's actually the case with several hundred of our taps each year. The value for us is in the research, not the syrup. If we have a good way to collect it we will. If not...on the ground it goes.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    OH
    Posts
    174

    Default

    Thank you for the reply. I saw your reply in the other thread about reaming out the taphole after the flow stops. If that worked then I could have a longer season. Mine is already short since I'm in Ohio, and in particular within a city where it doesn't get as cold as rural areas. The goods new is that Ohio State hasn't starting counting down to the silver maple bloom date. At least their growing degree days website hasn't been updated yet: https://bygl.osu.edu/index.php/node/976
    2021: 28 taps. 18"x36" flat pan and dual natural gas burners.
    2020: 31 taps. 3 full size steam table pans on a custom 6x water heater natural gas burner setup.
    2019: 31 taps on silvers. Back porch gas cook top with 2 full size steam table pans. An amazing 14.9 gallons in my backyard!
    2018: 22 taps on 9 silvers. Propane turkey fryer and full size steam table pan on electric stove. I made 4.25 gallons in my backyard!

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