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Thread: Tapping for 2021

  1. #41
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    CT
    Posts
    247

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    That cooldown is exactly what I was hoping for...
    I too am aiming for Feb 1 as the day I tap.
    I'm hopeful for a good season!
    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.
    ______________________________________________
    Trout Brook Valley
    Weston, CT

  2. #42
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Cornwall, CT
    Posts
    356

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    All have all my taps in by tomorrow night and all my collection tubs in place and taking sap. It ran pretty well today.
    Yes, looks like a cool-off for the next five days. I'll welcome the ice in the bottom of totes and tanks.
    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.

  3. #43
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    CT
    Posts
    247

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    The extended forecast has a nice freeze starting Friday night.
    I'm happy to see a good freeze. Hopeful for my Feb 1ish tap date.
    How are the rest of you guys doing?
    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.
    ______________________________________________
    Trout Brook Valley
    Weston, CT

  4. #44
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    159

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    Working on getting ready. Just put up a new mainline, the old one was getting yucky inside. I did not follow the “keep it dry” rule for the off seasons. Now, I have to clean out the collection tank, and string up the laterals. I am trying new ends this year. When I first installed them, I (horrors) put nails in the trees to hold the tees in place and tight. It sort of worked, but I would rather not harm the trees any more than I have to. So the new ends are supposed to go around the tree and hook onto themselves. That is this weekends project. (I’m not sure yet if this is actually something that I can/should do ahead of time or should be done as I am tapping). The pan is clean and ready. I have firewood up the wazoo. I also need to get the RO bucket assembled, shouldn’t take too long. I will pick up some store bought water as an initial rinse.
    Getting there!
    2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
    2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
    2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
    2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
    2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing

  5. #45
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    159

    Default

    I also just found a hole in my roof. Yuck. In the barn where the sugaring is. Not a huge deal right now, but would like to replace the disintegrating shingles with a metal roof this spring, after mapling. For any CT people, does anyone have a personal recommendation for roofers? The pitch is roughly 45 deg. Not something I want to be climbing on myself.
    Thanks!
    Last edited by therealtreehugger; 01-20-2021 at 08:56 PM. Reason: units
    2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
    2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
    2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
    2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
    2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing

  6. #46
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Kent Ct. USA
    Posts
    369

    Default

    Where are you in Ct?

  7. #47
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    159

    Default

    North Guilford
    2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
    2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
    2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
    2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
    2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing

  8. #48
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Kent Ct. USA
    Posts
    369

    Default

    Too far from me to help you fix that leaky roof - You could just get a polytarp stretched over it, for now if you plan to replace it anyway. Make sure it's tied off well, even run some line over it in a few places to keep the wind from getting under it -

  9. #49
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    159

    Default

    Thanks for the thought Mike, I was also thinking of a tarp, just temporary.
    Thanks!
    2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
    2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
    2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
    2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
    2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing

  10. #50
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
    Posts
    473

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by bryankloos View Post
    The extended forecast has a nice freeze starting Friday night.
    I'm happy to see a good freeze. Hopeful for my Feb 1ish tap date.
    How are the rest of you guys doing?
    Thanks for showing me your RO the other day. Mine is about ready to go but I fear leaky fittings.

    Difficult to gauge how tight is too tight on those fittings. I do know that I have cracked a couple of plastic fittings on jet pumps a time or two in the past. Think I might try to pre test my rig with no membranes in the canisters. Shut down valves on both waste and pure lines should get my pressure hi enough to test it??? I guess! Unless I am missing something conceptually. As I most frequently am.

    I am still on target for Feb 10 - 15 ish. Could push up towards the 5th, but looking cold and glad I did not let the teaser days ( there have been quite a few ) suck me in ... so far.

    Came down from the MRV in Vermont this afternoon. Plenty of snow packed into the Mountains and upper valleys now. Get on the boards and go if you can. Just got to stay out of the lodges I guess. Back Country skiers are having the mother of all blasts. Parked on top of each other at the gap trailheads. Hopefully they are not bringing sap lines down the hills with them.
    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.

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