2025 Sugaring Season

[Pdiamond]

Daniel - March will be here soon.

[dugit]

Planning on tapping this weekend. Was gonna do some tubing but now second guessing myself. Do any of you tube with 3/16th? Do you like it? Max number of taps per line? When you use tubing, what about a tap that starts producing dark or yellow sap? Doesn't it contaminate the whole barrel of sap? How many taps per 55 gallon drum? I know, it depends on how its running and how often you dump it but what would be your recommendation? I want to use large top 55 gallon plastic barrels so it is easy to deal with ice. Any other thoughts? Feel free to join in. MAY YOUR BUCKETS RUN FULL Thanks Dugit

[ScottT]

We were thinking about tapping this weekend in The Thumb, but my uncle took a trip over to the property and there is so much snow, we can't even get into the field. At least over a foot of snow. We have maybe three possible days of above freezing temps next week, but the temps are taking a nosedive soon afterwards. Maybe March 2nd.

[Pdiamond]

I have been using 3/16 tubing for the last 3 years on a few of my road trees. I have never seen the dark or yellow sap from this tubing. It was an experiment to see if there was enough slope to produce vacuum. There are 8 currently on this setup. On a really good run day they would come close to overflowing the 55-gallon barrel. This year I am adding more to this line and hooking it up to a pump.

[Kmb]

'Haven't noticed color changes in my 45 gal Brute barrels (with faucets on the bottom to help empty). I have four lines, max 8 taps per line, but most have 5 taps. Each empty into a barrel. My elevation drop from top to bottom is prob only 12-15 feet (it's all in my backyard), but ten taps can nearly fill a 45er about 2/3 full on a good day.
I was gonna add vacuum this year, but I got a new shed (she's a beauty) and a new half-pint. . . Incremental progress!

Tapping this weekend in the Berkshires!

[dugit]

I'm refering to the taps that late in the season the sap turns yellow or even a brownish color. When dumping buckets we just dump them on the ground. But thats only a couple of gallons. If its hooked to tubing you could be contaminating 30 or 40 gallon or more untill you figure out which tap is causing it and get it unhooked.

[Pdiamond]

i have only encountered the discolored sap when using buckets. I have never seen it in any of my tubing, even late in the season. By buckets I mean both the metal hang-on-the-tree type and 5 gallon with tubing.

[ebliese]

Planning on tapping this weekend. Was gonna do some tubing but now second guessing myself. Do any of you tube with 3/16th? Do you like it? Max number of taps per line? When you use tubing, what about a tap that starts producing dark or yellow sap? Doesn't it contaminate the whole barrel of sap? How many taps per 55 gallon drum? I know, it depends on how its running and how often you dump it but what would be your recommendation? I want to use large top 55 gallon plastic barrels so it is easy to deal with ice. Any other thoughts? Feel free to join in. MAY YOUR BUCKETS RUN FULL Thanks Dugit

I don't use 3/16 at all but Roth Sugar Bush CDL Wisconsin just put out a video on a 3/16 presentation by Jim Adamski. Maybe this was from their open house? I watched it-good information, constantly citing university studies. It's a half hour in length. It might be worth a watch for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xcLrJ3L8rc

[Balrog006]

Our season started here today on the West lakeshore just south of Holland. Typically we have tapped around Presidents Day, this was only a week late so much more normal than last season.

The trees were weeping as we set the taps, and the 10 day forecast shows freezing nights and every day at 32 and above with some in the 40’s-and about half of the days sunny. Hopefully this will start the season off right for us!

[dugit]

Started tapping 2-21-25, only a few, some more on 2-22-25. Can't seem to get a full day. Some more tomorrow. Saps not running, but trying to be ready when it does. Gonna run our first tubing tomorrow I hope. Should have around 60 on tubes and 140 on buckets when I get done. MAY YOUR BUCKETS RUN FULL