Broke my sap hydrometer but bottled a few gallons today at 46:1
Broke my sap hydrometer but bottled a few gallons today at 46:1
2x3 Mason
35 taps
12x16 sugarhouse
Weather is very iffy starting next week. Reds have buds that are starting to swell.
I’m thinking the next couple days may be it for me....
2024 - 160 taps, Shurflo 4048. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 Raised Flue. 5x400 RO.
2023 - 121 taps. Shurflo 4008. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 XL, 4x150 RO. 20 gallons.
2022 - 103 taps. Shurflo 4008. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 XL, 4x150 RO. 23 gallons.
2021 - 77 taps on Shurflo 4008. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 XL, 4x150 RO. 22 gallons.
2020 - 70ish taps on Shurflo 4008. Mason 2x4 XL. DIY R.O. ~24 gallons.
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Trout Brook Valley
Weston, CT
Record sap flow for me last week. One 11 tap run on 5/16 was on a steady stream into the barrel. Probably had some vacuum on it. Managed to keep the 55 gallon barrel from overflowing but just barely. Other 5 gallon buckets were unfortunately putting a little bit of sap into the ground.
My trees have been running quite a bit one and two days or even three days after it has not fallen below freezing the night before. Has anybody noticed this also this year??
I tapped Feb 16 which is 19 days ago and it seems like sap has run at least some on 17 of those days.
If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.
Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.
Yeah, I'm still getting good sap flows. I have trees in cold hollows and up around 1K feet so I tend to collect later than most. I have about 600 gallons to boil this weekend and we'll see how the sap flows into next week. I just wish we had the snow to keep things cold.
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
1980 - 6 taps, stone fire pit, drain pan evaporator, 1 pint of syrup
2016 - 55 taps on 3/16 and gravity, new sugar shack, 2x3 Mason XL, 16 gallons of syrup
2017 - 170 taps on 3/16, 2x4 Mason XL, NextGen RO. 50 gallons of syrup
2018 - 250+ taps on gravity and buckets, 2x5 Smokey Lake arch and Beaverland pan.
2019 - 250+ taps on gravity. A few buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.
2020 - 300+ taps on gravity. 50 gallons of syrup.
2021 - 280 taps on gravity and 40 buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.
This could be the most "Snowless Winter" in my 55 years.
4 sure!
If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.
Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.
In spite of a near perfect frost of 26 Thursday night, 16 of my trees up & quit - After 60 degree weather coming Mon & Tue, the end of a great year is just about here.
At least some of my trees started going buddy. The sap I was getting at the beginning of the week tasted bitter and off coming directly out of the tubing. I've already started cleaning and pack up for the year as the weather doesn't predict any temps below freezing for at least another week or more. Still ended up with 12.5 gallons of syrup in the end which for me is a great season.
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
I have never seen as many moths as this year - Started early Feb, now I get 6 or 8 in a bucket, what a pain. No sapsucker damage this year though - maybe the moths ate the birds? 8 more taps didn't run today.
Trees ran well today. Boiled for a while this morning and finished 9 gallons between Friday night and today. Left a pretty thick pan and 50 gallons of 6% sap in the head tank will get finished tomorrow. With whatever runs tomorrow I'll flood the pan and let it set for a few weeks. Seemed to help with clean-up last year.
Should end the season with 40 gallons. More than I need and better than last year.
1980 - 6 taps, stone fire pit, drain pan evaporator, 1 pint of syrup
2016 - 55 taps on 3/16 and gravity, new sugar shack, 2x3 Mason XL, 16 gallons of syrup
2017 - 170 taps on 3/16, 2x4 Mason XL, NextGen RO. 50 gallons of syrup
2018 - 250+ taps on gravity and buckets, 2x5 Smokey Lake arch and Beaverland pan.
2019 - 250+ taps on gravity. A few buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.
2020 - 300+ taps on gravity. 50 gallons of syrup.
2021 - 280 taps on gravity and 40 buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.