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Thread: Tapped in Montague - 02/20/2022

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Western Massachusetts
    Posts
    80

    Default Tapped in Montague - 02/20/2022

    Got the rest of my 37 total taps put in on Sunday, 2/20/22. Collected ~30 gallons of sap this morning, 2/22/22

    Also found a mouse frozen into the ice in the bottom of one of my buckets!
    Last edited by johnpjackson; 02-22-2022 at 12:26 PM. Reason: Added obituary for mouse.
    ---------------------------
    5' x 9' sugaring room
    37 taps (cast iron spiles), 3 gallon metal buckets
    Boiling with a 21" x 24" divided pan, 3 troughs, w/warming tank on top
    250K BTU propane burner inside cement block arch, 4 x 100lb. propane tanks in parallel
    Sap storage in 44 gallon Brute barrels w/food-safe plastic bag barrel liners

    2021: ~8 gallons of syrup
    2022: ~11 gallons of syrup (but I lost a 3 gallon batch because I fell asleep and burned it!!)
    2023: ~15 gallons of syrup

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    905

    Default

    Yeah, seems like I get a rodent in a bucket most years. One of the things I like about the white buckets at the base of the tree is that they're fully covered, and the critters can't get in (even moths). The downside is that they tend to blow away or fall over from time to time.

    GO
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps
    All on buckets

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Western Massachusetts
    Posts
    80

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    Collected ~65 gallons this morning!

    I'll get started on boiling, this evening
    ---------------------------
    5' x 9' sugaring room
    37 taps (cast iron spiles), 3 gallon metal buckets
    Boiling with a 21" x 24" divided pan, 3 troughs, w/warming tank on top
    250K BTU propane burner inside cement block arch, 4 x 100lb. propane tanks in parallel
    Sap storage in 44 gallon Brute barrels w/food-safe plastic bag barrel liners

    2021: ~8 gallons of syrup
    2022: ~11 gallons of syrup (but I lost a 3 gallon batch because I fell asleep and burned it!!)
    2023: ~15 gallons of syrup

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    905

    Default

    Nice! 95 gallons should keep you busy for a little while.

    Gabe
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps
    All on buckets

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Western Massachusetts
    Posts
    80

    Default

    We just got another 25 gallons this evening, before the temperature plunges and would have frozen it!
    ---------------------------
    5' x 9' sugaring room
    37 taps (cast iron spiles), 3 gallon metal buckets
    Boiling with a 21" x 24" divided pan, 3 troughs, w/warming tank on top
    250K BTU propane burner inside cement block arch, 4 x 100lb. propane tanks in parallel
    Sap storage in 44 gallon Brute barrels w/food-safe plastic bag barrel liners

    2021: ~8 gallons of syrup
    2022: ~11 gallons of syrup (but I lost a 3 gallon batch because I fell asleep and burned it!!)
    2023: ~15 gallons of syrup

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Western Massachusetts
    Posts
    80

    Default

    Finally, the sap is starting to run here again!
    ---------------------------
    5' x 9' sugaring room
    37 taps (cast iron spiles), 3 gallon metal buckets
    Boiling with a 21" x 24" divided pan, 3 troughs, w/warming tank on top
    250K BTU propane burner inside cement block arch, 4 x 100lb. propane tanks in parallel
    Sap storage in 44 gallon Brute barrels w/food-safe plastic bag barrel liners

    2021: ~8 gallons of syrup
    2022: ~11 gallons of syrup (but I lost a 3 gallon batch because I fell asleep and burned it!!)
    2023: ~15 gallons of syrup

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Westfield, MA
    Posts
    175

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by berkshires View Post
    Yeah, seems like I get a rodent in a bucket most years. One of the things I like about the white buckets at the base of the tree is that they're fully covered, and the critters can't get in (even moths). The downside is that they tend to blow away or fall over from time to time.

    GO
    I put bricks on top of my buckets, but also got some 18" garden stakes I hammer in or put at an angle against the ones that still blow over. So far so good with that strategy thi sseason.
    2024 - Starting with the 25 then more late Feb.
    2023 - 25 taps on 11 trees to focus on the process. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast in April
    2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
    2021 - 20 x 30 divided pan on a Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons for family and friends to judge. Dad hooked as well.
    2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer, About 3/4 pint syrup in two weeks - Proof of concept!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    905

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Aaron Stack View Post
    I put bricks on top of my buckets, but also got some 18" garden stakes I hammer in or put at an angle against the ones that still blow over. So far so good with that strategy thi sseason.
    Yeah, I put a rock or brick on top too. Never tried pounding in a stake. When there's some sap in the bucket that helps. Not sure if the ground would often be too frozen when I'm putting out buckets for that stake trick to work, but I'll remember it.

    Looks like starting this weekend the season is really going to start.

    GO
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps
    All on buckets

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Western Massachusetts
    Posts
    80

    Default

    No more mice in my buckets, so far!!

    Yesterday we collected ~25 gallons of sap. Hoping today will be a solid producer. It's already 35 degrees this morning, before 9am, and the sun is shining. Fingers crossed!
    ---------------------------
    5' x 9' sugaring room
    37 taps (cast iron spiles), 3 gallon metal buckets
    Boiling with a 21" x 24" divided pan, 3 troughs, w/warming tank on top
    250K BTU propane burner inside cement block arch, 4 x 100lb. propane tanks in parallel
    Sap storage in 44 gallon Brute barrels w/food-safe plastic bag barrel liners

    2021: ~8 gallons of syrup
    2022: ~11 gallons of syrup (but I lost a 3 gallon batch because I fell asleep and burned it!!)
    2023: ~15 gallons of syrup

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    905

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by johnpjackson View Post
    No more mice in my buckets, so far!!

    Yesterday we collected ~25 gallons of sap. Hoping today will be a solid producer. It's already 35 degrees this morning, before 9am, and the sun is shining. Fingers crossed!
    Reading your reports of sap collection always get me so excited, and then I remember my sugarbush is like 500 feet elevation higher than yours, and I realize my trees aren't going to be doing squat. LOL

    GO
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps
    All on buckets

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