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Thread: New to Tapping and Weeping Holes

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Harvard, MA
    Posts
    240

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    Quote Originally Posted by 30AcreWoods View Post
    After as cold as it was, in my experience, it takes more than 2 days at 40 to start good flow again...and if it was cloudy or windy, forget it. Also, the trees might have been pumping sap, but if your taps/lines still had ice, then the pressure from the flow in the tree would have had no place to go but out around the tap holes. Finally, check your taps closely. Water/sap expands as it freezes. Plastic taps can crack and/or "frost jack" out of the tap holes, so you may need to reset some of them.
    Thanks, that’s along the lines of what I was thinking. I gave some of the spouts a soft tap or two to see if they were loose or had come out. I don’t think I learned much from that. I also thought maybe it would take a day or two to really thaw out before running again.
    2022 is season 7
    2016: 20 taps on buckets, 4 gallons on a borrowed 2x3.
    2017: 32 taps on buckets, 8 gallons of syrup, on a "loaner" Lapierre 19x48.
    2018: 80 taps. First time tubing. New 10x12 sugar shack, Lapierre 2x5. Made 17 gallons
    2019: 100 taps. 22 gallons. Added a small RO 50 gph.
    2020: 145 taps, 30 gallons, sold half. Murphy cup is a great addition.
    2021: tapped Feb 23, 150 taps, 35 gallons.
    2022: 200 taps. I lost 50, added 100. Having fun but short season?

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Tolland, Ct
    Posts
    266

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    Quote Originally Posted by 30AcreWoods View Post
    After as cold as it was, in my experience, it takes more than 2 days at 40 to start good flow again...and if it was cloudy or windy, forget it. Also, the trees might have been pumping sap, but if your taps/lines still had ice, then the pressure from the flow in the tree would have had no place to go but out around the tap holes. Finally, check your taps closely. Water/sap expands as it freezes. Plastic taps can crack and/or "frost jack" out of the tap holes, so you may need to reset some of them.
    It's only my 1st year but Im frustrated with my trees. I think I'm in the same position, it's always windy in my yard so barely 40 and windy can for SURE attest to the weather wrecking havoc on the trees.
    2020 - 1st year - 14 taps 1 Gallon Jugs + 4x 5-Gallon Buckets + Propane Grill + lots of headaches
    2021 - 2nd year - 19 Taps (and some free sap from a friend in the same town!) 145 or so OZ
    2022 - 3rd year - 46 taps (3 at home, 2 at neighbors, 38 at friends, and 3 at work) added ROBucket RB10, and Silver Creek 18x34x6 Divided Maple Syrup Pan w/warming Pan+Valve+Thermometer 6 Gallons 6 OZ!
    2023 And we grow some more... Starting with OldPostMaple.com!

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

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    Have patience, Grasshopper

    I can tell you that my first year on the 3/16" tubing I had was like that. And then, after 3 days of great weather, the flood gates opened-up and I had more sap than I thought possible...and from that point on I didn't sleep much!

    In the meantime, look and learn on here. There is a TON of awesome information from folks who have decades of experience. Also, (and this is a shameless UVM plug because I'm an alum), Dr. Tim has some really great articles on the UVM maple farm web site.

    And about those weeping tap holes:
    https://mapleresearch.org/pub/m1217askwhyleaking/
    https://mapleresearch.org/wp-content...whyleaking.pdf
    Last edited by 30AcreWoods; 02-18-2020 at 01:12 PM.
    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 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    6,391

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    Some videos of interest on the subject at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...R070QpxcAr02q5
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

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