And your still in my prayers every single night. Looks like you had lots of fun. I miss those times with my kids.
And your still in my prayers every single night. Looks like you had lots of fun. I miss those times with my kids.
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 gal. syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
2025 - No tapping for me
Ditto!!Originally Posted by Pdiamond
It so so great to see kids involved and have a blast!
2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
2018-19 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn
2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! Gained a maple cat!
2021-24 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing
Having two young boys myself I can imagine how overwhelming this must be. If there is anything I can do for you just reach out.
1980 - 6 taps, stone fire pit, drain pan evaporator, 1 pint of syrup
2016 - 55 taps on 3/16 and gravity, new sugar shack, 2x3 Mason XL, 16 gallons of syrup
2017 - 170 taps on 3/16, 2x4 Mason XL, NextGen RO. 50 gallons of syrup
2018 - 250+ taps on gravity and buckets, 2x5 Smokey Lake arch and Beaverland pan.
2019 - 250+ taps on gravity. A few buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.
2020 - 300+ taps on gravity. 50 gallons of syrup.
2021 - 280 taps on gravity and 40 buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.
First boil this past weekend and bottled last night. Sadly no golden this year....First draw was amber. Oh well. Made 8 1/2 gallons.
1980 - 6 taps, stone fire pit, drain pan evaporator, 1 pint of syrup
2016 - 55 taps on 3/16 and gravity, new sugar shack, 2x3 Mason XL, 16 gallons of syrup
2017 - 170 taps on 3/16, 2x4 Mason XL, NextGen RO. 50 gallons of syrup
2018 - 250+ taps on gravity and buckets, 2x5 Smokey Lake arch and Beaverland pan.
2019 - 250+ taps on gravity. A few buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.
2020 - 300+ taps on gravity. 50 gallons of syrup.
2021 - 280 taps on gravity and 40 buckets. 35 gallons of syrup.
This past weekend was my second boil. Small time barrel stove. Boiled 50 gallons. Color was good. Pretty much the same as my first boil.
Maple.jpg
Hmmmm....
The forecast is looking a little wonky.
Cold, with a warm up, and then too warm.
I'm hopeful that things cool off after the extended warming a week or so out and get us some more sap.
I'm trying to remember when I hung it up last year.
I've only collected may 20% of last years sap thus far...
Hmmmm...????
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
It seems like its getting late early. I'm starting to wonder about this year.
Sap flow was fairly meager today for what I would expect.
In my first boil I had only 65 gallons of sap and 35 of that came from a run with 7 taps on it that had a column of sap 50 feet long from the tank, which generated 8 inches of mercury at the top of it.
My other 38 taps yielded only 30 gallons and had no vacuum generated on any of them.
This seems like a year where vacuum is a must.
I am either going to buy a cliff with a bunch of maple trees growing at the top of it or a nice pump.
Great that I got at least some vacuum and a new home built RO that made short work of my 65 gallons.
Thanks to all those who helped.
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.
Just to give you all a comparison, I've only collected around 280 gallons of sap this year. 5 qts of syrup and a pan of sweet still. This on a 100+ taps. Even my 30 taps on 3/16, which were pumping out the sap a week ago aren't doing much. Hoping to collect today from yesterday's late run and today's. Have to fire up the sweet either way.
2024 55 3/16 gravity, 19 5/16 gravity, 40 buckets and bags, RO Bucket rb15 kit, 5ft Phaneuf drop flue evaporator, Mason AUF arch.
2023 35 3/16 gravity, 30 5/16 gravity 53 buckets and bags, RO Bucket rb15 kit, 5ft Phaneuf drop flue evaporator.
Mason AUF arch
2022 35 3/16 gravity, 28 5/16 gravity, 50 buckets and bags, New RO Bucket rb15 kit.
2021 11 on 5/16 gravity, 30 on 3/16 gravity, 69 on buckets and bags. All sugar maples. Mostly large old trees.
I’m in the same boat. I think I have maybe 300 gallons off my 77 taps.
My pan is sweet and I have over a gallon of syrup but I’m far behind last year.
I collected 40 gallons yesterday.
I hit 25F at my pump controller last night, so hopefully I get another 40+ today.
I need to fire up the pan regardless, but I’d rather have concentrate to trickle in vs just a boil to pass time...
Fingers crossed the second half of March fills the buckets!
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
Looks to be one of those off years - Running great today, surprising too as it's 35 degrees and a cold wind -
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