A little earlier than I want but then I tapped 2/15/12 and that season was over 3/14/12. Got a third in yesterday and should be finished by Sunday PM. Trees were all running but not hard.
Hop Kiln Road 2023
A little earlier than I want but then I tapped 2/15/12 and that season was over 3/14/12. Got a third in yesterday and should be finished by Sunday PM. Trees were all running but not hard.
Bruce Treat
825 Sugar Maple Taps
3/16 w/ DSD .225 Spiles
H2O RO
H2O 2.5 X 8
Bow, New Hampshire
Something to think about.... Long range temps are looking favorable, we are definitely thinking about putting out taps for our little backyard operation this weekend.
2024 - 16 taps - buckets on our best producing trees, still boiling on a block arch with slight modifications/refinements over the years.
2021 - 25 taps - all buckets
2013-2020 - 30/41 taps: discovering which trees were the best producers
2012 - First year - 21 taps in our backyard - block arch evaporator with 3 steam table pans!
Where do you see that? I see winter being OVER next weekend with temps in the 60s
2024 - New Maine resident, 12X12 sugar shack under construction
2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO
Good Flows
First two field tanks were to the brim last night, in about 24 hours. Meanwhile got the steepest bush tapped. Going to load the membranes this morning, then pump the tanks before they spill. Evaporator needs some assembly and still 200 left to tap. Forecast here is perfect for heavy flow all week. I get a llliiittle nervous until the entire system is up and running! No time to send up a weather balloon but it sure smellls like a repeat of 2012.
Bruce Treat
825 Sugar Maple Taps
3/16 w/ DSD .225 Spiles
H2O RO
H2O 2.5 X 8
Bow, New Hampshire
Time will tell. It looks like a good week ahead - a bit too warm Thurs/Fri, but nighttime temps look favorable for sap. The week after still looks good. I am still hoping for a few weeks of plentiful sap.
2024 - 16 taps - buckets on our best producing trees, still boiling on a block arch with slight modifications/refinements over the years.
2021 - 25 taps - all buckets
2013-2020 - 30/41 taps: discovering which trees were the best producers
2012 - First year - 21 taps in our backyard - block arch evaporator with 3 steam table pans!
Dead in the Water
Plenty of nice sap, sugar only 2%, but blew a RO fuse Sunday morning so no steam yet.
Bruce Treat
825 Sugar Maple Taps
3/16 w/ DSD .225 Spiles
H2O RO
H2O 2.5 X 8
Bow, New Hampshire
First Run
First run... Well, probably only part of a run that I captured and the first run may have been back in January. And of course, everything that was running when I turned it off last spring didn't want to start when I tried to turn it back on. Blew a little time delayed fuse trying to start up on Saturday and couldn't get a replacement until Tuesday AM. But made 50 gal of 58% on the Hanna. Better quality than last season.
Bruce Treat
825 Sugar Maple Taps
3/16 w/ DSD .225 Spiles
H2O RO
H2O 2.5 X 8
Bow, New Hampshire
That little fuse has gotten me before too.
When should we expect to see the annual maple season poem?
Crunched the 900 gal we pumped Friday into the SH and my son and his buddies came over and cooked it Saturday...after we got the valves and evaporator unthawed...about an hour process. Should have drained the float boxes but I didn't think it was going to be that cold! Made another 20 plus gal of 65%. The warmest bush is at 9 gpt and I'm already at 34% of average overall for sap. Getting a little frost back in the ground and the forecast is improving.
Bruce Treat
825 Sugar Maple Taps
3/16 w/ DSD .225 Spiles
H2O RO
H2O 2.5 X 8
Bow, New Hampshire
Hiatus
Forecast of a sunny afternoon yesterday didn't happen. So limited sap flow. And maybe a little sap today and Tuesday but then the weathermen say no sap for 7 to 10 days. Give me time to deal with a failing sap pump (a Honda with no aftermarket parts!) and defective tank sensor. Also got a remote battery that doesn't seem to be accepting the charge from the solar panel.
Bruce Treat
825 Sugar Maple Taps
3/16 w/ DSD .225 Spiles
H2O RO
H2O 2.5 X 8
Bow, New Hampshire
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote