Anyone tapping trees yet?
Think we might try tapping a few this weekend in the north metro to see what happens. The date seems a bit early but the temps dont seem that far off. Predicted to be 50 out this weekend. Lots of 40s and even a few more 50s in the next 15 days.
Jeeze….I hope not as I was hoping I would have a little bit more time.
My BIL is building me a new 2×4 SS pan but I don’t expect it will be ready for another 2-3 weeks (fingers crossed). On top of that I was planning on building a new pit/arch for the pan. I also need to order some new taps and tubing….I better get to work.
Edit: Just looked at the extended forecast and I think you may be right. I might be tapping next weekend March 5th.
Anyone tapping trees yet?
Think we might try tapping a few this weekend in the north metro to see what happens. The date seems a bit early but the temps dont seem that far off. Predicted to be 50 out this weekend. Lots of 40s and even a few more 50s in the next 15 days.
Due to “health issues” we will not/can not be tapping this spring but will say that in 1981 (I think my weather-beaten memory serves me right) we tapped the trees on the north end of Lake Mille Lacs February 18th-and it ran good for a few days until temps got “normal” and then started in again around the 10th of March for the main run.
Good luck–I will miss it this year with hopes of a good future of “liquid gold”.
On the north side of mille lacs someone has a good operation going right off of 18 you can see lots of hose strung tree to tree.
I have seen lots of trees tapped lately. With he temps sap should be running.
I live in Stillwater and tapped last week. Not much run but yesterday did add some sap to my buckets.
I had a wood duck box come down over the winter. Today I got the ladder out and put it back up. The maple tree was leaking a little bit out of the woodpecker holes. It might not be too early
I got about 1/4 gallon in each today.
We are tapped at my place. Darker trees in the sun where leaking today. Jumping the gun a little this year. Don’t even have a cooker yet for this year.
Skipping this year, sucks I love making it!
How has the flow been for those of you that have tapped?
I was going tap tomorrow, but now not sure what to do with the warm temps coming.
This just arrived today….
image-8.jpeg
How has the flow been for those of you that have tapped?
I was going tap tomorrow, but now not sure what to do with the warm temps coming.
This just arrived today….
No doubt, freezing nights are needed along with 40’s plus during the day. It should be good for a few days but without snow on the ground, the freezing nights get harder to come by. Clear skies are must at night.
That said, in the warmest spring in my 40 plus years of tapping,2012, it warmed up fast and didn’t freeze much at night. 2-3 weeks went by without any sap. Most pulled the plug assuming it was over with no cold in sight. BUT!! It ran like crazy for a few days, finally, without any freezing temps! After MOST had hung it up….so, don’t give up. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. So–eventually, even without freezing temps at night, it WILL or can be a gusher!
FYI–no run yet north of Lake Mille Lacs….looks good for this coming week as we do have a few inches of snow on the ground to keep the nights cold. ( we have health issues these days that will keep us out of the Sugarbush though)
The weather forecast doesn’t look very favorable, and my Maples are starting to bud out already anyway. So we decided to give the trees a break this year.
SR
Some ran last weekend. Taps are still in. waiting to see what this week brings. If you dont have a use for that pan let me know. Im tapped and still dont have a cooker lined up.
Just boiled some last night. Ended up with 2 quarts of gold
Some ran last weekend. Taps are still in. waiting to see what this week brings. If you dont have a use for that pan let me know. Im tapped and still dont have a cooker lined up.
A couple of small back yard operation options?
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/grd/5424857702.html or
Just tapped 130 trees yesterday, will tap more next week. Expect withnthe warm weather predicted they will start flowing Sunday. Wood is stacked and hope to fire up the cooker next week end. We have a 400 gal stainless holding tank to fill before we start cooking. Let the fun begin.
Tapped 8 sugars on Feb.26 and got 35 gallons by March 1. Then temps got cold and sap slowed down a bunch. Cooking down first batch today, and collecting for a buddy. Started running pretty good again today.
I tapped 9 trees Saturday morning, and 3 more last night. Picked up 13 gallons this morning. Not expecting much over the next week or so with the warm temps, just hoping the trees don’t bud!
Anyone still going? Up by Stacy the buds started to swell a little but they have not popped yet. The sap has been flowing good the past few days and looks like it should continue through the weekend.
So far I have processed around 110 gallons thanks to some neighbors giving me their sap.
Finally got some pics of the new setup for this year. Right now I get about 8 gallons/hr off the natural draft with this setup.
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The saps sure have been running the last few days. We have boiled down about 40 gallons so far and have given away more than that.
So any of you guys started to pull your taps yet? Thinking we will pull ours in ham lake this weekend. 15 day forecast shows just a few night below freezing. Been a good run for us this year. 4 gallons of syrup. Thats pretty good from less than a acre of land. We did give away just as much sap as we boiled.
One thing I did notice this year was the 1st batch we cooked down was the lightest in cooler and they got darker up to this weeks being the darkest.
How many trees did you tap Mike?
I will probably pull mine on Tuesday, maybe this weekend depending on when I do my last cook. I have will have 40-50 gallons by this weekend, plus another 30 from a neighbor for one last cook either Sunday or Tuesday.
My first two cooks of the year turned out lighter than any of my batches from last year. I am curious to see how this weekends turns out. I don’t know if it’s the sap, or equipment cleanliness/filtering that I did this year. I know none of my sap sat outside in warm temps very long, so maybe that played a part in it.
Try these pics again of my new setup:
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Sorry, I am really struggling with attachments for some reason.
Maple-Syrup-2016-4.jpg
Pretty slick set up. Season came up on me fast this year so we just had to make do with some pans on the grill. We have 10 trees, 14 taps. Some trees tapped double or triple.
Thanks, it’s working out well. Did you cook down ~160 gallons on your grill to make the 4 gallons of sap?
I have 12 trees tapped this year, but a couple really have not produced much. Sounds like you have 10 good trees!
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