2024 Tapping Season

[AlRock]

I'm in the thumb also and just finished piping my woods. Will be tapping later today and tomorrow then fire the pump up and check for leaks. Next week looks like we are semi back to normal for temps, don't see much happening but who knows.

Zero frost here, field tiles been running last couple of weeks.

[dugit]

Didn't collect yesterday. Had to go pick up a new door for the evaporator. Noticed a crack in my door so thought I better replace it before it broke in two. Got home about 5 pm and checked buckets. Looks like it ran pretty good, so going to start collecting at daylight and then get to boiling. Should be a good amount. Have collected 600 gallon so far this year, so off to a good start . May Your Buckets Run Full

[ScottT]

I like to listen to Mark Torregrossa on MLive. He said to be wary of the forecast of below freezing highs over the next few weeks. While we are getting a cold snap, he's seeing trends that the surface temps will be above freezing and in the mid to lower upper 30s. Partly due to no ice on the Great Lakes. That works out well for me as we only collect every few days.

If this keeps up I'm going to have to build a small cabin and "work from home" next to my sugar bush in the future. LOL.

[ScottT]

We set 27 taps today in the Thumb area. Had a few that were flowing right away when we tapped. Trees are located in four different areas on our property. Some areas were under water so not tapping those trees this year. Would have been a better day if it was a bit sunnier. All in all, a good day. Looking forward to collecting and boiling this week.

Has anyone experienced a difference in taste or flow with trees who are sitting in water?

[ebliese]

We put in about 100 over yesterday and today. It is running for us, at least the yard trees. The woods trees were dripping as we tapped them but haven't checked those buckets yet. Now it's on to assembling the RO...and hoping I can manage to work full-time and sugar! But I know that's what many people on here have to do, too.

[ScottT]

Checked our taps today in the Thumb. Some activity but pretty spotty. Trees in the west woods were not producing. Trees in the middle woods: some activity. Got about 12 gallons out of trees tapped with drop lines into buckets. Blue hanging buckets were half full, but frozen. One was full and not frozen. All in the same area of trees. Nothing from the east woods. Got another 6 gallon off blue hanging bucket but they were frozen as well. Probably a total of 25 gallons off of 26 taps. Was expecting a bit more from earlier in the week.

In other news, the 65 gallon tank on our gator WILL slide off the back if not tied down. Couldn't lift it back up. We left it in the woods because we were running out of light. Will need to empty it now to get it back up.

So, all in all, a good start to the season.

[toquin]

1 day run 2/15 made 14 gal. looks like some good weather middle of next week.

[ebliese]

We collected 126 gallons from a few days ago. We RO'ed it last night and then boiled it this morning. Had some excitement with a foam over in the flue pan. Wow, is the boil in a raised flue hard! It is our first time boiling on a raised flue (previously we were on a flat pan) so we're learning the raised flue game. There's a lot of things different with our operation this year so it's the work out the kinks season. Sap in the buckets so will probably collect this afternoon.

[Pdiamond]

Daniel, Whenever you first fire up for the day you need to pay really close attention to the flue pan. Sorry I did not mention that before, slipped my mind. It will usually foam up bad right then and let you know how much oil you will be needing to add. I usually put in a drop or two every time I put wood in the fire box or more if needed. I use a squirt ketchup bottle, because it lets me control how much goes in without getting burned

[dugit]

Never been able to make real light syrup. But it's OK. On 2/12 it got darker so on 2/13 I drained and cleaned the pans. I filtered the half cooked sap and returned it to the pans. On 2/14 I boiled 165 gallon and it was still dark. On 2/15 I drained and cleaned the pans again and threw out the sap from the pans. On 2/16 I boiled 190 gallon. I have not bottled the syrup yet but I think it looks lighter. We'll see when we get it bottled. We've made 30 gallons of syrup so far. Goal is to make 50 gallons. Ended up with 221 taps. Sap has been testing around 2.5. Doesn't seem to help the test when we throw out ice. We boil in a 2x6 drop flue.