tapping in Littleton

[Amber Gold]

Perry,

That may be a full crop, but that's only ~0.14 gal per tap...not a great number. Vacuum would get to about 0.25 gpt on an average year...that's a lot more syrup.

A friend in the next town over will make about 30 gal this season on 280 taps on gravity and most of his trees look much better mine...field type trees. Mine are 400 woods trees on gravity and I'll make about 80 gal.

To each his own, but I'll stick with vac.

With this warm weather, how on earth did you make over half your crop in Fancy?

[PerryW]

yeah, I know 0.14 gal per tap is not great but 120 gallons it's about the right amount of syrup for my one-man operation. I basically just kept adding taps till it felt right. I can retail it all; my typical boils are 4-5 hours long; and my sawmill puts out about 10 cords of wood will easily make 120 gals.

Suppose I had 400 taps. How much would it cost to double my production by adding vacuum using an off-the-shelf vacuum pump (no power at the site)?

How much would it cost me to double my production by tapping 400 extra trees using used tubing, tees and spouts?

For me it always seems cheaper to add some more taps; especially those roadside buckets that are impractical for vacuum.

I may still go vacuum someday on my 600 tap littleton bush (steep), it's just the thought of having to repipe the whole bush with rigid tubing & bigger mainlines. I get tired just thinking about it.

Josh, most of my production came in the first 10 days of march when the temp hovered either side of 32 degrees for a week. I'm usually not even plugged in by march 10. I usually only make 20-25% of my crop light amber.

[michelle32]

Josh, You need to edit your post. Your 400 are on vac not gravity. Are you done over there? We doubled what we made last year. Very happy with that. New pump will be here friday.

[Amber Gold]

Perry, you can always add vac. to your existing system, you just wouldn't see the full benefits until it is re-tubed. When the existing tubing needs replacement, run it for the vac. At least with the vac. sap will still be had on all those crummy days we had this season.

Also, talk to Parker about gas powered pumps. I think he has vac. everywhere and they're all gas powered.

Like I said, to each his own.

Keith, I foolishly turned the pump off Sunday afternoon and missed the majority of the biggest run of the season. Next year, the pump stays on until I see flowers. I'll boil off 80 gal of what I did get tonight and will run the syrup pan through the flue pan tomorrow night and call it a season. Hoping to get another 80 gal of sap so I can flood my pans and leave it for a month. Come back, nice clean pans.

[PerryW]

Day 4 without a freeze and still got 200 gallons of sap. Took off another 3 gallons of A Dark Amber for a total of 109 gallons.

[farmall h]

Does McClures in Littleton still buy bulk syrup?