Shark fin? The metal ones? I have 20 you can have for postage. I also have 10 of the 7/16 metal bucket hanger taps.
Shark fin? The metal ones? I have 20 you can have for postage. I also have 10 of the 7/16 metal bucket hanger taps.
2012 8 Taps 3 pts syrup.
2013 38 Taps 10 gals. syrup made with turkey cooker
2014 57 Taps 10 gals. syrup. Homemade fuel oil tank evaporator
2015 51 Taps, 10 gals. syrup.
2016 50 Taps, 9 gals. Syrup
2017 54 Taps, 13 gals. syrup
2018 75 Taps, 21 gals. syrup
2019 67 Taps, 21 gals.
2020 73 Taps, 20 gals.
2021 75 Taps 21 gal.
2022 75 Taps 14 gal.
2023 0 0 Stroke
2024
OCHTO, that would be awesome. Will PM you my mailing address.
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
So last boil of the sap I had in the fridge.. about 200L (give or take) that I RO'd down to about 60 for fun (long story on the RO not working the way it should..so I just kept it running until I had it down). Made for a short 2.75 hour boil and the lights stuff I've made all year.
A new record for sap this year for me: 1,850 (not including the 30L in the buckets I just dumped because I had no room in the fridge! ). Sugar down a bit so likely not quite as much as last year, but estimating around 42-43L, compared to ~48 last year.
Make sure you spray down with bug spray when in your woods!
I pulled the rest of the tubing yesterday afternoon before starting a boil.. and this morning had to pull a dog tick and a deer tick off me. Neither were engorged, but the deer tick was deep and I ended up breaking off the head that is now still embedded in my skin. Time to find a walk-in so I can get that sucker remove before it gets infected. The little tick removal tool just couldn't grab the body so I pulled it off with what I through were small enough tweezers, but that wasn't the right call.. I'm going to get some correct tick tweezers for these times when the tool doesn't work..
That's my PSA for today! Have a great week everyone!
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2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup
Oh Paul, you always manage to have all the fun! I once also broke off a tick head (the black legged kind I think) at the subdermal layer. Just sterilized the head of pin in a match and dug the head out, used a macro lens to ensure I got all the mouth parts. Then flushed it out. I also went on antibiotics just to be safe.
Nowadays I carry a tick-key with me on keychain. Knock on wood haven't had to use it yet. If I'm outdoors all day esp in any brush and am heading in for the evening, I always shake out my hair, brush off my clothes, usually leave footwear outside, then undress in the bathroom, give the clothes a good shake out over the bathtub, then leave them hanging in there. This seems to be working cause I haven't had a tick get embedded since I began doing this.
My sugar content was complete crap by the end of the season, a little p.o.'d. Ah well. From the 810l I finally got I have around 20l syrup. It would be 22l if I hadn't broken that 2l jar. Ah well. Always next year.
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
Funny though the tick key, even the small one wouldn't grab the tick.. it was so small, and definitely not engorge at all, that it just kept slipping through.. Even the dog tick, which is much bigger, I had a tough time with.
But yes I'm certainly going to remember those processes.. I usually always spray down my boots well, but I think I forget with everything I was trying to get done. Was out turkey scouting with my friend earlier in the day and was up early.. we pulled 5 dog ticks off him after he put up his blind.. one had already latched on.. Creepy little buggers.
So yes I think I'll head to a clinic today to see if they can get the rest out..it's behind my shoulder, and starting to show a red area around it, which I don't think should be the irritation we caused it while trying to get it out so probably should get antibiotics. Argh.. I'm too busy with work for this kind stuff..
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2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup
Yeah true when ticks are tiny the tick keys are pretty much useless. You can always do what some friends of mine do and get some Guinea fowl, they eat the **** things. Pretty useful critters despite the noises they make and eggs that take a hammer drill to break open!
Be careful if they give you doxycycline, I found that stuff brutal.
Last edited by Galena; 04-18-2023 at 02:01 PM.
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
Any of the cycline's they give you are brutal. You really have to follow the prescription label right to the letter and if you begin to have any side affect you need to contact your physician pronto.
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
Geez.. now you guys are scaring me..
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2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup
I had an awful time on the doxycycline, didn't hear anything about telling the doctor about side effects. Horrible metallic taste in the mouth, complete lack of energy, the squits, ugh. Nowadays if a med professional tells me they're going to put me on an antibiotic I always ask if it's doxy. And if it is, I tell them no frickin way. Give me any other antibiotic but not that.
Ok enough scaring poor Paul lol ;-) You may be ok. Yes, the doxy did make me better but only after being laid up for 2 weeks.
Don't want to say I'm disappointed with this year's crop. But apart from a batch of lighter Dark that doesn't have the usual robust flavours, everything is Amber. No Light at all. Think this is the first year that I've not had a really strong Dark or any Light. Thanks global warming :-/
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
Hmm. I don't think I've ever made light, even before switching to the lines, to be honest. I guess the trees give what they give!
So I've updated my estimate, and while a lot is still in the freezer I think it's all very close to being syrup that I should get around 49L, give or take.. so another record year on the books..:-)
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2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup