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  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    Tolland, Ct
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ed R View Post
    If you are on gravity, tapping 2 inches or even a little deeper if the bark on the tree is thick will get you way more sap. If you pull those taps you will probably need new spouts since they look to be driven in pretty far. I would try a couple and see if the volume picks up. Some trees just don't run well.
    glad I got extra taps! I'm going to see how a couple do and see what happens!

    what's the easiest way to get the tap out? 1st time, I hadn't thought about it lol
    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!

  2. #12
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    May 2009
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheNamelessPoet View Post
    no. haven't had any snow in over a month and ground is bare. we did have 30-35 high temps during the day the last 2-3 days.
    Trees don’t warm as fast as air. Takes a while for them to thaw. Patience.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
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    473

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    My experience is that drilling the hole with a downward slope ( even slightly ) results in a leaking tap. Most of the time. But if the tap is leaking around the outside it will generally still fill a bucket well, assuming the sap is flowing well.

    If you had twelve taps that did not run well in Tolland. CT today you probably have some sort of tapping problem. As I said before from the looks of the photo your spout is driven way to far in the tap. I would think that would block a fair amount of sap flow due to the fact that you are partially plugging the wood of the tree that flows sap.

    I tapped 7 days ago and I have tubing with all granddaddy ( 3+ feet in diameter ) maples on them and tubing with all smaller trees on them. One day the granddaddy tube was running very well and the smaller trees tube was not running well at all. The next day it was visa versa.

    Today everything was running faster then it ever has in my fifth year of tapping and If I do not start rolling pans tomorrow I will be putting sap in the ground.

    I did have a large Red Maple tap that was not running well today at all. It is on a large 4 foot diameter Red Maple. So that is not enough for me to say that my Red Maples did not well because I only have one tap in one Red Maple. On the other hand I had 7 large Sugar Maple taps producing a constant stream on 5/16 tubing into a barrel.
    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.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    CT
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    28

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    It will come, patience. My trees take a good two days of 45+ to shake off a good freeze. Today you will be fine. Going to push 60 in some parts. Was 28 on my way into work this morning. Today should be a gusher
    2021 - 40 on 3/16, 20 on buckets. Added Shurflo.
    2020 - New Mason 2x3, 60 taps. 30 on 3/16 gravity (Too Flat), 30 buckets. 13 gal
    2019 - First season - Homemade barrel evap. 25 taps on buckets. 4 gal. THE ADDICTION BEGINS!!
    No Sugar Shack yet.
    Wishing I had more property/trees.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    Tolland, Ct
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kubota View Post
    It will come, patience. My trees take a good two days of 45+ to shake off a good freeze. Today you will be fine. Going to push 60 in some parts. Was 28 on my way into work this morning. Today should be a gusher
    Well I think you and Dc Tim above are right in some ways I am being to impatient.

    I did go back and look at my drill bit (after what SugarBear had said) and had a startling discovery... I put the tape accidentally at 1.5" instead of 2". I think that, coupled with the taps being driven in too deep, is why I am getting almost nothing. I ordered more taps (since I am going to need some next year anyway and I am going to see how the 2 taps I re-drilled yesterday do in comparison and then I will go from there. If they flow well and the rest do not, then i am pretty sure I solved the issue.

    Like you said Kubota, everything could be great today when I get home, so we will see. If it doesn't flow today there is a DEFINITE issue lol. Especially after 50 yesterday (40 by about 10:30 am at my house).

    I have also been noticing that water has for SURE been boiling at less than 212. In-fact yesterday it was 209.5! I have been checking just out of curiosity and my wife found that quite interesting that I was testing to see what temp it boiled it. Plus I used the water to make part of dinner so it wasn't even wasted lol That's what the pressure and 800-850 feet above sea-level does to you I guess!
    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!

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Tolland, Ct
    Posts
    266

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    ok... so I got about 4 gallons today from my 13 taps. my biggest tree didnt give me a drop, but I am 99% sure it's because I didnt drill deep enough in that one. its older and has a lit of turned up bark. I also ordered 50 taps so as sooo, as I get them, I'm going to try and salvage the hole by re-drilling
    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!

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Tolland, Ct
    Posts
    266

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    You guys called it... patience!

    I got about 3-4 gallons of sap yesterday and emptied everything at about 8 last night.

    I had about 2 gallons this morning and by lunch. I had a full 5 gallon bucket! I'm almost thinking I may need to make a little lean to tonight and boil it if it's like last night and I get another full bucket. Otherwise I'll be doing nothing but boiling all weekend!

    Funny side note... I boiled for 2 hours last night, and I spilled a couple drops on my shoe.

    Well today... all I smell is maple and it has been driving me nuts and my associates at work thin lk I'm crazy... then I remembered the spill! As Bob Ross always said... Happy accidents lol
    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!

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