Maine Maple Season 2024

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

How's everyone in Maine doing? We have 1 bush all ready to tap and will have another ready after this weekend. Going to watch the weather but should be ready to tap by 2nd to 3rd week of February. 2' of snow in the woods right but nothing froze up hard. Been milder than usual but not syrup making weather in our area.

[Mvhomesteader]

Nice to see your ready for the season! I guess it's time to come up with a tapping plan for the year. Some nice weather coming up in a week or so for a couple of days. Not sure yet when I'll tap. I guess I'm waiting to see the extended forecast till months end.

In the meantime, last summer's maples had horrible foliage. Not universally, but pretty near. By online images I diagnosed the leaf condition as anthracnose. Not immediately life threatening to the tree, but it sure did a number on the leaves. By fall some trees, and I saw this between Bangor and Portland, were partially defoliated. Whatever it was, are there any tapping considerations for this season? Did anyone else see this? Thoughts?

I would hate to hear these trees should not be tapped---for me that would eliminate the season.

[eustis22]

Hello. New Maine resident here completing my shack in Greenwood and I have a question regarding Maine regs on double-walled stovepipe clearances. I have my mason 2X3 exhaust pipe 18" from the inner wall and am mulling the location of the stack. It has a 6" outlet on the back and I am pondering running 6" doublewall thru the wall and into 8" doublewall for 8 feet, then 8" single wall past the roofline. I would use a wall thimble to pass the horizontal pipe thru the wall. Can anyone tell me what is required for clearance from the wall for the vertical doublewall?

[western mainer]

Even with a double wall pipe it can get very hot. Years ago I had a 2x4 with that pipe and it got so hot that it would pop and make load sounds and I couldn't put my hand on it. A long as you have good clearance and you might want to put some hi temp blanket insulation around it as it goes out the wall. Stop up and see me I'm here in Greenwood and I could show you what I have.
Brian

[West Sumner Sugar]

We ended up putting 125 in yesterday at the sugar house in Sumner while revamping a section that has not produced well for us. Its all check valves so it should be ok for a few weeks. Going to get another 125 in down in Lewiston tomorrow and hope to catch a run during the warm up. We are on a south facing hill here that always starts early and runs well on vac.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We ended up putting 125 in yesterday at the sugar house in Sumner while revamping a section that has not produced well for us. Its all check valves so it should be ok for a few weeks. Going to get another 125 in down in Lewiston tomorrow and hope to catch a run during the warm up. We are on a south facing hill here that always starts early and runs well on vac.

Nice, we're still fixing lines and setting up some new tanks. Let us know you do this week. Fishing trip next weekend. We'll be all tapped in the weekend of Feb. 23rd-24th.

[eustis22]

Thanks, Brian...I know where you are and will be by to take a look.

[Cider Hill Maple Farm]

Just getting started here in Exeter. Cutting blowdowns out of the way, fixing broken wire and rehanging mains. We'll also be adding a new pump house, SS tank, releasor and vacuum pump to an existing orchard that's been on a double Guzzler. It worked well, but tired of taking it in and out every day, not to mention replacing diaphragms every other week. All the other orchards look to be in good shape, we'll see when we get the vacuum turned on to them. I'll possibly start tapping in a week, pending the weather cooperates.

[West Sumner Sugar]

We were able to collect 240 gallons off about 125 taps in Lewiston this week. Things were slow to thaw in the mornings but any sap in early February is all bonus. Got the pans sweetened and pulled off a few gallons of the lightest syrup we have ever made. Pretty happy with the start of this season. We are fully tapped in Lewiston and Sumner as of today. We will get a cold weather reset this week and hopefully be ready for the big bang when it comes.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

We were able to collect 240 gallons off about 125 taps in Lewiston this week. Things were slow to thaw in the mornings but any sap in early February is all bonus. Got the pans sweetened and pulled off a few gallons of the lightest syrup we have ever made. Pretty happy with the start of this season. We are fully tapped in Lewiston and Sumner as of today. We will get a cold weather reset this week and hopefully be ready for the big bang when it comes.

Nice! We didn’t tap in for this warmup and will enjoy having the cold weather to give us time to be ready. Should finish line work on Friday. We are adding mainline on Sunday for more taps. Tapping the following weekend!