I am seriously thinking about putting my taps in this weekend to take advantage of the next 10 days which look promising. That will be more than a month earlier than usual and am wondering whether I will pay a price 6 weeks down the road as the taps age. Any thoughts on that? Meanwhile I am heading to the Waterloo/Wellington Maple Producers Information Day in Elmira today (Jan 12) and will see what others are thinking. I just don't want to miss if we get an early spring.
Bob Harris, @puslinchbob, since 2009
400 taps in 2 very flat red maple bushes
2 Sapguzzler vacuum pumps each with 200 taps
30" x 96" Smoky Lake Silver Plate with pre-heat and auto drawoff
Bombardier Traxter XT fitted with tracks pulling 400 litre tank
Ya I'm afraid of the same thing if I start early and then it freezes up and my taps are in for another 6 weeks. Let me know what you hear in Elmira I can't make it.
2017 45 taps 43L
2018 55 taps 50L
2019 60 taps ~75L avg sugar 3.3%
2020 60 taps 70L
2021 60 taps cant remember
2022 60 taps 95L
2023 60 taps 75L New baby came day off boiling started, gave away 1200L of 3% didn't have time.
I know January thaws are tough to sit idle guys but with temps a few degrees above 0 with exception of a couple days around 8 above in the long range I would just sit tight. Spring will come!
3x10 oil fired evaporator
1300 vaccumm
350 buckets
My forecast is really strange. It's about a 10 day thaw with no freezing nights. Not tapping here.
2239 total taps. 443 gravity line, 1806 buckets
3x12 remake of a Small Bros. Lightning evaporator.
3x9 Darveau raised flue pan, 3x3 D&G reversible finishing pan.
Reist arch
94 Argo 8x8 Magnum
06 Argo 8x8 Avenger with a 100 US gal. poly tank in the back.
30 - 45 Imperial gallon gathering station barrels
1200 Imperial gallons in holding tanks
Husqvarna 61
Husqvarna 365
Ya all the rain, mild temps recipe for Muddy Bush! DIY Tubing Tool
http://mapletrader.com/maplegallery/...um/image-2.jpg
Yep, I'd TAP That !!!
325 Buckets
2x6 Drop Flue Set
Home Built Arch ~ The Battleship
16'x26' Sugar Shanty ~ New 2016
Bombardier SW48 with 300 gallon tank
Ya this week's forecast is 5-8 degrees but no freezing at night. I hope it just gets cold again and snows some.
2017 45 taps 43L
2018 55 taps 50L
2019 60 taps ~75L avg sugar 3.3%
2020 60 taps 70L
2021 60 taps cant remember
2022 60 taps 95L
2023 60 taps 75L New baby came day off boiling started, gave away 1200L of 3% didn't have time.
If you want some snow you can come take some of ours! Only 12"-18" in the woods but there's a nasty crust on top that sometimes holds you up.
5,000 Taps on vacuum
9,400 gallons storage
3 tower CDL RO
3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
10" CDL Wesfab Filter Press
Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
www.ennismaple.com
We only have 3-4 inches of snow in our bush. Mild here as well in eastern Ont. Plus temps all this week with freezing at night prime sap weather but i think I will wait a few more weeks before Ii get the drills out
Greg Halladay
Modified D&G 18" x 7' oil fired arch
with 18"x 4' 5" drop flue back pan, and 18"x3' front pan, new 20' x 32' sugar house built in 2013, 375 taps in 2016 using a Sap Puller.
OK guys listen up. We go through this situation every single year. January thaws are nothin new, and everyone starts wetting their panties thinking they can go start tapping. But if you go and tap now, first off you are probably tapping into trees that are still very thoroughly frozen and won't yield anything. And when the inevitable February freeze up comes, and you know it will, the resulting freeze can damage the trees - and that could mean trees that won't produce in the years to come.
So fer gawd's sake just sit tight and WAIT. FWIW I usually set my spiles during the first week of March, usually by March 7th.
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
Now that's funny.....Originally Posted by Galena
Last edited by canadian_diesel1964; 01-19-2017 at 07:25 PM.
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