Tapping in Western PA

[Sugarmaker]

Yup...Hit my quota, low on firewood, cleaned all my equipment up and started putting away, called it a season.....weather changed and the sap bug got me. Put all my collection barrels back out this morning. Weather looks great this week.

Now i gotta order more prefilters and bottles. Addictions....

Your not the only one that has ever done that. Its hard to stop when the weather is right again.
Good luck with your second season!
Regards,
Chris

[Sugarmaker]

Yesterday It was cold and I gathered all the sap that was out there. It would have been 30 ice cubes! About 140 gallons of 2% cloudy sap. Made 3 gallons of very dark syrup.
Spent today in the sugarhouse making product for our Taste and Tour event March 17 and 18th. Made and packed granulated sugar, boiled syrup for maple cream and set aside for cooling, and canned two batches of syrup (12 gallon)
We may get a run by Wed.?
Regards,
Chris

[helptheold]

Yesterday It was cold and I gathered all the sap that was out there. It would have been 30 ice cubes! About 140 gallons of 2% cloudy sap. Made 3 gallons of very dark syrup.
Spent today in the sugarhouse making product for our Taste and Tour event March 17 and 18th. Made and packed granulated sugar, boiled syrup for maple cream and set aside for cooling, and canned two batches of syrup (12 gallon)
We may get a run by Wed.?
Regards,
Chris

I hope so! It's been a nice freeze but I'm itching to see what happens when the temps during the day are better. Did get about a gallon today which will at least let me see if the sap is still good or not.

[sbedilion]

checked my 3 collection barrels. 2 were near empty and the 3rd was full (50 gallons). walked the lines to see if something was up...everything looked fine. hopefully they start running tmw.

also took the time to look for antler sheds since i was already in the woods. i never find them when im looking for them so i just call it hiking

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[Gary R]

Ditto on back in the game, sort of I have another neighbor that has made a little syrup for a few years. The last time he boiled he burnt down the small greenhouse he was boiling in. They have an awesome timber frame pavilion they made last year. They have a fire place in it and boiled on that for the first time yesterday. He only has a few trees and has been collecting. They made about a half gallon yesterday while a gang watched. It was nice amber syrup. This morning I hung seven buckets on some sugars that I haven't tapped in years. Hopefully I'll get some more sap for him to boil. Alan's rig.jpg

[sbedilion]

Collected yesterday after work. I was expecting more but only collected about 60 gallons. 2 of my 3 lines were running good. Clear sap...tasted sweet. The buds are firm. The third...not sure whats up w it. Maybe a clog? O well..it will have to sit idle for a couple days.

I wish I had some higher sugar %s. The 10 day looks amazing for runs! I could definetly knock out a lot of syrup this week, but instead ill be boiling 1% sap .

Im out of prefilters and bottles...might have to put in a quick order.

[Springfield Acer]

This continues to be an odd season here in Mercer. One complete stand of sugar maples seems to have shut down while another is still making nice clear sap,
My stand of red maples on vac has been plugging along and a little cloudy until today and now I think it's junk. I'll probably dump all 125 gallons tomorrow along with anything that comes from those trees through the day. The syrup went lighter tonight by comparison with only 35+ gallons made so far. It looks too cold for much sap over the next week here. The end here depends on the sugars now.

[helptheold]

Some of my taps are drying up and some are still going strong. With the kids both starting new after school activities next week, I don't think I'll drill any new holes. Will see what I get this weekend and then I'll be done. Still on track to make more then last year which makes me happy.

[Sugarmaker]

Slowly making syrup in the great white north. 200 gallons of 2% sap yesterday. Will boil this afternoon.
Regards,
Chris

[sbedilion]

Some of my taps are drying up and some are still going strong. With the kids both starting new after school activities next week, I don't think I'll drill any new holes. Will see what I get this weekend and then I'll be done. Still on track to make more then last year which makes me happy.

Nice work! My kids winter sports wrapped up yesterday. No spring sports for them It's bike season.....well after this cold spell.