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Thread: Tapping for 2021

  1. #91
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
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    Weston, CT
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    474

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    Well I have stopped fondling my new Home built RO system and now just waiting. Glad I got the RO together as I suspect with all the sap coming tight this year I may well need it to keep my limited storage capacity from overflowing. Good timing.
    If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.

    Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
    Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
    Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
    Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
    40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
    1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.

  2. #92
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    Feb 2020
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    Warren, Connecticut
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    Starting out this year with a new setup. Putting up Leader 3/4" mainline, 5/16" inch UNI-50 laterals, Max Flow Flex drop lines, and 5/16 clear check valve spouts. Aiming to have 200 taps up this year.

    Was hoping to be tapping this weekend but currently have 18-24" of snow on the ground here in the Litchfield Hills and temps look to be staying down the next week or two. On the plus side now have extra time to get more lines up and put together drops on the colder and snowier days.

  3. #93
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    Jan 2020
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    Stirling ontario
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    this has probably been asked but do you tap ahead of time when it's still too cold , or wait 'til you see an
    upcoming freeze / thaw cycle coming in the long range forecast? I have always waited for a warm day so
    the sap is running immediately when i drill.

  4. #94
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    Mar 2016
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    chester, ma
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    Quote Originally Posted by ir3333 View Post
    this has probably been asked but do you tap ahead of time when it's still too cold , or wait 'til you see an
    upcoming freeze / thaw cycle coming in the long range forecast? I have always waited for a warm day so
    the sap is running immediately when i drill.
    Yes, this has been asked many times. There is a ton of info on the question on this site already. Basically, what it boils down to (pardon the pun) is this:

    Drill too soon and you risk your tapholes drying out before the end of the season - potentially before the best sap runs of the season.

    There are many factors that go into the question of what is "too soon". Do some research and come back with more specific questions, LOL.

    Cheers!

    GO
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL evaporator halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same Mason 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals (too much sap!)
    2024: 17 taps, 5.3 gall
    2025: 17 taps, 4-5 gall
    All on buckets

  5. #95
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    Mar 2008
    Location
    Kent Ct. USA
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    388

    Default not quite ready for prime time

    Maybe in a week or so? 002.jpg

  6. #96
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    Quote Originally Posted by berkshires View Post
    Drill too soon and you risk your tapholes drying out before the end of the season - potentially before the best sap runs of the season.

    There are many factors that go into the question of what is "too soon". Do some research and come back with more specific questions, LOL.
    The follow up to this excellent advice is....NO, if the first taphole dries out then don't just drill a second hole in the same tree (bad for sustainability in that the amount of internal wounding is too large) and NO, don't just ream the hole bigger/deeper when the first one dries out (essentially about the same or worse than drilling a second taphole in terms of the wound size that is created).

    So, in short...producers on gravity (as opposed to vacuum) should drill at the right time just as or just before the regular season starts. When is the right time you ask? Now that's a difficult question to answer.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  7. #97
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
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    CT
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins View Post
    The follow up to this excellent advice is....NO, if the first taphole dries out then don't just drill a second hole in the same tree (bad for sustainability in that the amount of internal wounding is too large) and NO, don't just ream the hole bigger/deeper when the first one dries out (essentially about the same or worse than drilling a second taphole in terms of the wound size that is created).

    So, in short...producers on gravity (as opposed to vacuum) should drill at the right time just as or just before the regular season starts. When is the right time you ask? Now that's a difficult question to answer.
    Assuming we are on vac, what are the options for tapping early? I have some friends coming this weekend and I would like to tap some trees with their kids. I don't see any decent flows in the near future, but want to involve the younger ones in the process. I have 77 taps on a 4008 with temp control. Can I tap and activate the vac (on temp control) without loss of longevity in the season?
    2025 - 160 taps, Shruflo 4048. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 Raised Flue. 5x400 RO - 30 gallons
    2024 - 160 taps, Shurflo 4048. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 Raised Flue. 5x400 RO - 19 gallons
    2023 - 121 taps. Shurflo 4008. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 XL, 4x150 RO. 20 gallons
    2022 - 103 taps. Shurflo 4008. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 XL, 4x150 RO. 23 gallons
    2021 - 77 taps on Shurflo 4008. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 2020
    __________________________
    Trout Brook Valley
    Weston, CT

  8. #98
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    Quote Originally Posted by bryankloos View Post
    Assuming we are on vac, what are the options for tapping early? I have some friends coming this weekend and I would like to tap some trees with their kids. I don't see any decent flows in the near future, but want to involve the younger ones in the process. I have 77 taps on a 4008 with temp control. Can I tap and activate the vac (on temp control) without loss of longevity in the season?
    Yes, you should be fine at this point...ASSUMING that you are using GOOD spout/tubing sanitation practices.

    I would also suggest you NOT put a drill in a kids hand unless you're not real concerned about yield. Drilling a taphole for systems on vacuum is critically important and easy to mess up. Choosing the right place to tap and keeping the drill really stable are vital. Maybe they can put spouts in and gently tap them in (with a small hammer, with supervision to teach them when to stop).
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  9. #99
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    11,774

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    I second that, those too young or not trained properly can ruin a tap hole.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  10. #100
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    CT
    Posts
    275

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    Thanks guys.
    I'll drill and let them tap a few CV Spouts in...
    They will get a lot out of the process, and are very excited.
    Thanks.
    Bryan
    2025 - 160 taps, Shruflo 4048. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 Raised Flue. 5x400 RO - 30 gallons
    2024 - 160 taps, Shurflo 4048. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 Raised Flue. 5x400 RO - 19 gallons
    2023 - 121 taps. Shurflo 4008. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 XL, 4x150 RO. 20 gallons
    2022 - 103 taps. Shurflo 4008. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 XL, 4x150 RO. 23 gallons
    2021 - 77 taps on Shurflo 4008. Sap Sucker 4-D. Mason 2x4 2020
    __________________________
    Trout Brook Valley
    Weston, CT

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