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Thread: Red Maples

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Walpole, NH
    Posts
    1,363

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    As you are looking for land, keep your eyes out for what trees are in the surrounding area around the property. You might be able to get permission to tap to get more trees without having to buy as much land. Red Maples make fine syrup, as others said, they respond well to vacuum.
    Sugaring for 45+ years
    New Sugarhouse 14'x32'
    New to Me Algier 2'x8' wood fired evaporator
    2022 added a used RB25 RO Bucket
    250 mostly Sugar Maples, 15% Soft Maples. Currently,(110on 3/16" and 125 on Shurflo 4008 vacuum, 15 gravity), (16,000 before being disabled)
    1947 Farmall H and Wagon with gathering tank
    2012 Kubota with forks to move wood around

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

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    Around my sugarhouse I'm about half and half, sugars and reds. I'm on 26-27" vacuum and I got .52 GPT syrup 2 yrs ago and .48 GPT last year, that is 1/2 gal of syrup average the last 2 seasons, before that I had far fewer reds but never got over .38 GPT, but my vacuum was less too.
    Reds do make some very fine syrup for sure.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Upper Valley, NH
    Posts
    146

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    I'm right here in central NH as well, and I'm lucky to have a majority of sugar maples, but tap a few reds. The lines with reds don't run seem to run much lower in sugar content or volume over a season for me, on average. When I had buckets, I would check the sugar content of every tap, and the reds were just a bit lower. I do know that they bud out earlier, and perform much better on gravity (natural vac.) than on buckets. I pull the taps on those trees sooner (I've just learned to look at their crowns and can tell when the buds are at the point it's time to stop). Having an RO also helps in that I don't worry about the lesser sugar content. Tap 'em all and keep boiling!
    2023: Award Winning Maple Syrup and Honey!
    2023: 200 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
    2022: 150 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
    2022: Lapierre Vision 2x6 with Preheater & Marcland Autodraw
    2022: Brand new post and beam sugar house
    2022: 4"x40" RO
    Kubota L4701, Kubota BX2380
    2 Black Rescue Dogs, 2 Livestock Guardian Dogs, Many Bee Hives, A Flock of Icelandic Chickens
    30 Acres of Wooded Bliss
    vikingmadeforge: Artist Blacksmithing & Bladesmithing
    https://blackdogbeesandmapletrees.com

  4. #14
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Hudson NH
    Posts
    170

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    As always the trader comes through with great info and advice. Thanks Russ, I will PM you if I can get out there before the open house weekend. Good luck to all. Putting the buckets up this weekend.

    19x48 mini pro oil fired, Nano R/O, CDL Vacuum Press,Mountain Maple Vacuum setup
    6x12 sugar house off back of shed
    2024-103 Taps Mostly Sugars, Dozen Reds
    "The days are long, but the years are short"

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Grafton, Ohio
    Posts
    27

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    I am in NE Ohio and this is my first year using a Shurflo vaccum system. We tap mostly red maples. We have roughly 400 taps. As of this evening we've collected almost 1600 gal of sap. And I don't have a RO. We tapped our first tree Feb 2. Last year on buckets we collected, from 410 taps, roughly 1700 gal. in 6 weeks. Sure the sugar content can be lower. Sure they are a little more finicky(sp? Haha) But we still make great syrup. We are a first generation sugaring operation. I wouldn't hesitate on a property if you like it, if red maples are your deciding factor. They still make great syrup.

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