If I could find a helper on short notice today to help move tanks, I would probably tap today and not miss this weeks run! as it stands I guess Ill tap thurs/fri for sure and get the next ones. (the large operation steyer bros near oakland havent tapped yet, but stemples in aurora have..and they just started at spruce)Originally Posted by 220 maple
CanaanMaple,
Right when the releaser was dumping every 1 minute and 20 seconds, main breaker when bad, RO down, will get one hopefully today, over 3000 gallons of sap, drowning!
Mark 220 Maple
1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/
Having my issues, my concentrate had an off smell...I thought it was moldy membranes, next tank of sap....same smell. emptied tanks washed...same smell....almost metallic...green plant smell.... Last season i had COVID, no smell no taste....it was sad....now that my smell is back...everything is off, I have to have someone else smell it and see what's up....mean time 600 gallons on the ground, and the rest holding .....i've never had this problem. Also read that prilosec can make things taste/smell metallic....so that's one think stopped taking for the season....i need to get this figured out!
2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
2020 - 32 Gallons
2019 - 27 Gallons
any trees budding yet?
Nope, it's not buddy. I think I've tracked it down to faulty equipment, my senses. The sap is beautiful, clear, fresh. Ro membranes all good. I'm gonna blame COVID, seems to work for everyone else.
2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
2020 - 32 Gallons
2019 - 27 Gallons
CanaanMaple,
I’m curious why those in the higher elevation wait to tap? If it is colder there, then the holes won’t heal, I’ve heard this theory that they will freeze dry? Wondering why West Virginia tap holes do that and Vermont tap holes don’t? In 2011 I visited a sugar house in Fairfield, Vermont, 72 thousand taps, they started tapping on January 3rd. They was still producing on April 14th
Mark220maple
1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/
maybe tradition? I know the past five years that ive been keeping records, ive tapped 2/10, 2/3, 2/25, 2/12 and 2/10 this year and always had at least 6 week season. This year I think I shoulda tapped sooner because there have been a few days in the 50s so far, and the 10 day looks like a handful more! Luckily theres a handful of freezing nights in there also.
As for the crazy non solid winter this year, there has been a very persistent stubborn southeast ridge that has refused to break down in the tropics that has pushed all the snow out west and brought up warm air to the east because of the la nina. This is the lowest recorded snowfall here this season on record (so far) 41"!!Meanwhile Alta Ski area outside Salt Lake City has had a record season so far of 495" of snow!! The la nina should break down near the end of the month, and its not uncommon that we will get a very snowy march, so one can only HOPE the trees wont start budding before then. As of now the tanks are overflowing from tapping friday and freezing good friday night!
Last edited by canaanmaple; 02-12-2023 at 10:10 PM.
I've seen a few syrup makers starting very early, Ky, In, Oh, Pa, even some in the northern states. I have seen videos of some making syrup already. I have not had what i would call winter yet. As a house painter part of the year I'm always looking at the forecast, and I know the further in the future you try to predict the less reliable the predictions are. The trends have been for a warmer winter, and earlier spring.....but I follow this weather guy....who has been pretty adamant that we are due for a freeze up and some real winter mid January. Because of this i'm hesitant to put any taps in until mid January. Even if i was making syrup now, it would come to a screeching halt and maybe shorten my season if i tapped now. I feel better that I typed out my reasoning, it helps me put all the tapping talk out of my head and focus on getting other things ready, lol.
2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
2020 - 32 Gallons
2019 - 27 Gallons
Darkmachine,
I will be tapped in on January 20th, Future Generations gang has organized a crew of tappers due to my health condition.
The neighbor about seven miles away is about done tapping, heard he got one thousand gallons of sap in one day, he does not have vacuum, 3/16 tubing on extremely steep ground, several years back if I’m not mistaken he got 50000 gallons of sap in one season, pretty sure he has less than 3000 taps.
I have a friend in Rockingham county who has 28 walnut taps in Dec 16th, on warm days before Christmas he got drowned in sap, already has 3 and 3/4 gallons of syrup, his goal is 5 gallons then if tree continue to produce hopefully going to RO bucket his sap and sell it to my buddy Gary Mongold with 850 tap walnut operation in Grant County, if he would have tapped before Christmas, we estimate that he would have 60 plus gallons of walnut syrup! Worth retail around 50000 dollars, he is hoping to tap some tomorrow to beat the snow! I said it hundreds of times snow makes syrup!
Mark220maple
1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/
Mark you are right in 2019 we got 50995 gallons of sap from 2115 taps. I finished tapping yestarday got 1990 taps this yeay only the trees on Cave mountian were running got 1000 gal wednesday and 1150 gal thursday from 1286 taps. I was 12 degreese yesterday morning so no sap yesterday.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote