Author Topic: OT Maple Taps (Read 155929 times)

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #510 on:** Mar 07, 2012, 07:37 AM »

Hoping my taps thaw today...I have frozen full gallon jugs hanging on taps!! $:-\$

cmstearns · « **Reply #511 on:** Mar 07, 2012, 08:18 AM »

ya true but i hope the night temp go below freezing this week with highs in the 50s

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #512 on:** Mar 07, 2012, 08:30 AM »

Quote from: cmstearns on Mar 07, 2012, 08:18 AM

ya true but i hope the night temp go below freezing this week with highs in the 50s

Yes sir was thinking the same thing!!!

gamefisher · « **Reply #513 on:** Mar 07, 2012, 08:48 AM »

Quote from: cmstearns on Mar 07, 2012, 08:18 AM

ya true but i hope the night temp go below freezing this week with highs in the 50s

That's the key element right there boyz, if the trees don't reset themselves at night, it could be a very short season before the trees start to bud.

Westerly · « **Reply #514 on:** Mar 08, 2012, 07:07 AM »

Only picked up four gallons off 26 taps after yesterdays warm weather. $:-\$
Was hoping for more, but we'll see what today brings...

gamefisher · « **Reply #515 on:** Mar 08, 2012, 07:10 AM »

Quote from: Westerly on Mar 08, 2012, 07:07 AM

Only picked up four gallons off 26 taps after yesterdays warm weather. $:-\$
Was hoping for more, but we'll see what today brings...

Same deal here Ryan, I didn't do squat yesterday and it didn't go below 32 last night either.....

Keychain · « **Reply #516 on:** Mar 08, 2012, 07:21 PM »

Anybody else surprised with their collection today? I dumped all mine yesterday, but checked again just in case. Only have 9 taps in, 3 were dry, but got almost 3 gallons out of the others. For a small timer like me, that means a late night tonight. Wasn't expecting to boil, but it's rolling now...

blackduckin · « **Reply #517 on:** Mar 08, 2012, 08:13 PM »

Today was my best day of sap collection. I got about 8 gallons off of 12 taps.

How long can I save / stock pile the sap in a large marine cooler?

Keychain · « **Reply #518 on:** Mar 08, 2012, 08:54 PM »

Good question, not sure. I would assume if it still has some ice chunks in it and stays under 40 degrees or so it would be fine. No expert here though. This year is my first attempt. I'm storing mine in a 5 gal igloo and boiling it off as soon as I think I might not have enough room for the next collection. I think I have a whopping 8 oz of syrup after two boils. The last one got a little thick, about the consistency of honey. I may try to thin it down with some of tonight's product...

BudIce · « **Reply #519 on:** Mar 09, 2012, 03:19 AM »

Already boiled 4 times here in NE Ohio for a total of 5 gal of syrup so far this season and sitting on another 40 gal or so of sap from wed and thur. Will be boiling again Saturday for sure. It's our first real year of it(last yr we experimented a little). Unfortunately there was no icefishing this year in Ohio so had to take advantage of what mother nature gave us- early sap:-) I guess my brand new gas auger gets to sit in the basement for while before I get to crank er up. In the mean time, more waffles please! Good luck fishin and boiling guys

gamefisher · « **Reply #520 on:** Mar 09, 2012, 05:16 AM »

I collected 5-6 gal. off 9 taps yesterday, (dropped my first bucket of the day

). Simply bury your water jugs, buckets, coolers, etc. in the snow and you'll be fine, I'm boiling Sunday. You'll know if its gone bad, it spoils just like milk and will be milky colored instead of clear. When in doubt, dump it. Hoping for another "surprise" run myself today, even though it didn't drop below freezing again last night. Sunday and Monday's run will be the best of the season, take it to the bank.

Westerly · « **Reply #521 on:** Mar 09, 2012, 07:28 AM »

Glad some of you guys are getting decent sap - it was another disappointing day for me. Nine buckets were bone dry, and I only managed five gallons from the other 17. $:-\$ I have a few more taps that I didn't use because I thought I'd have way too much to deal with, but now I think I need to put em in just to have enough to make what I've already promised to give away! I'm going to leave them a bit longer and see what happens but any suggestions from you long time tappers? Did I tap too early (Feb 25) and the holes are already shutting down? Should I pull em and tap different trees? Or maybe ream the 7/16 holes with a 15/32 to freshen them up? What do ya think - after Monday it looks pretty bleak and I want to be able to make the most of it...

gamefisher · « **Reply #522 on:** Mar 09, 2012, 07:40 AM »

Quote from: Westerly on Mar 09, 2012, 07:28 AM

Glad some of you guys are getting decent sap - it was another disappointing day for me. Nine buckets were bone dry, and I only managed five gallons from the other 17. $:-\$ I have a few more taps that I didn't use because I thought I'd have way too much to deal with, but now I think I need to put em in just to have enough to make what I've already promised to give away! I'm going to leave them a bit longer and see what happens but any suggestions from you long time tappers? Did I tap too early (Feb 25) and the holes are already shutting down? Should I pull em and tap different trees? Or maybe ream the 7/16 holes with a 15/32 to freshen them up? What do ya think - after Monday it looks pretty bleak and I want to be able to make the most of it...

Hang tight Ryan, some of your trees just haven't woken up yet, they will Sunday.

You might be right about the SHORT season, looks almost tropical next week, bad for sapping, good for open water!

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #523 on:** Mar 09, 2012, 05:31 PM »

Quote from: gamefisher on Mar 09, 2012, 07:40 AM

Hang tight Ryan, some of your trees just haven't woken up yet, they will Sunday. You might be right about the SHORT season, looks almost tropical next week, bad for sapping, good for open water!

I agree, I think my trees are late runners too!!! Hoping to boil this Sunday!!!

rude the dude · « **Reply #524 on:** Mar 09, 2012, 06:16 PM »

I had a couple good days early in the week. Today was not good. What sap
i collected today from the last couple days is stained. Those trees you don't think are awake yet might be further along than you think. I cut some wood this week and the trees look like they were cut in June and no sap coming out of the stumps. And if it is early it's only forcast below freezing like one or two nights between now and the end of next week. I'm glad i don't really need it this year, after a superb year last year this year looks like a bust. now if we can get rid of the mud. We were drying out nice till those last couple storms.

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #525 on:** Mar 09, 2012, 07:28 PM »

Just collected around 15 gallons of nice clear sap!!!

Westerly · « **Reply #526 on:** Mar 10, 2012, 06:12 AM »

I don't think my trees gave up a drop yesterday. I did put four more new taps in last evening (up to 30 now) - two ran right off the bat, and two were dry. I can't figure it out. I'll be boiling tomorrow and after that I guess I'll just take whatever I can get. A far cry from last year. $:-\$

gamefisher · « **Reply #527 on:** Mar 10, 2012, 06:16 AM »

Quote from: Westerly on Mar 10, 2012, 06:12 AM

I don't think my trees gave up a drop yesterday. I did put four more new taps in last evening (up to 30 now) - two ran right off the bat, and two were dry. I can't figure it out. I'll be boiling tomorrow and after that I guess I'll just take whatever I can get. A far cry from last year. $:-\$

Wait till tomorrow afternoon unless you've had some sitting awhile Ryan, 1 gal. per tap day coming, then the season is over.

cmstearns · « **Reply #528 on:** Mar 10, 2012, 07:23 PM »

my first sttempt at an evaporator. my blower is a little big lol

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #529 on:** Mar 10, 2012, 08:29 PM »

18 taps....25 gallons of sap....8 hours of boiling....
Finish Pot...

Finish Product.....1st Batch of Liquid Gold!!

o2rmk800 · « **Reply #530 on:** Mar 10, 2012, 08:32 PM »

8 hrs on the electric stove...... use must work for the power company ::)lol looks good!

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #531 on:** Mar 10, 2012, 08:34 PM »

Quote from: o2rmk800 on Mar 10, 2012, 08:32 PM

8 hrs on the electric stove...... use must work for the power company ::)lol looks good!

I only finish on the electric stove....the earlier boil is on propane burners!!

blackduckin · « **Reply #532 on:** Mar 10, 2012, 08:36 PM »

Looks good Adam are those qts or pnt ars?

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #533 on:** Mar 10, 2012, 08:38 PM »

Quote from: blackduckin on Mar 10, 2012, 08:36 PM

Looks good Adam are those qts or pnt ars?

Pints!!

blackduckin · « **Reply #534 on:** Mar 10, 2012, 08:44 PM »

Started at 7 30 am its 9 30 pm and I'm still going at it. Thank god for the Captain...

hesseltine32 · « **Reply #535 on:** Mar 10, 2012, 09:01 PM »

My family has a 80 acre bush with about 5,000 taps. Im away at college but what i hear is that its been running pretty good. Looks like its not going to the next couple days because of the real high temps and lack of freezing at night but ill be home monday morning to start helping while im on spring break

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #536 on:** Mar 12, 2012, 09:25 AM »

Collected 6 gallons yesterday....hoping to collect at least another 25 gallons!!

Westerly · « **Reply #537 on:** Mar 12, 2012, 02:13 PM »

Everyone's stuff looks great! Fired up the new and improved maple machine for the first boil yesterday. Goes a lot faster than last years two pan model (but I was still at it under lights at 10 pm

). Figured the back pans would end up just being preheaters but if everything was just right, all four boiled pretty good! Boiled around 35/40 gallons and will finish it off tonight. Sap was coming fast and furious when I last saw it this morning - looks like a big day.

fshnfool · « **Reply #538 on:** Mar 12, 2012, 02:15 PM »

That PBR add good flavor to the syrup??

You can drop off my pint on the 7th at the Legion....anytime between 4-11pm

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #539 on:** Mar 12, 2012, 02:17 PM »

Quote from: Westerly on Mar 12, 2012, 02:13 PM

Everyone's stuff looks great! Fired up the new and improved maple machine for the first boil yesterday. Goes a lot faster than last years two pan model (but I was still at it under lights at 10 pm ). Figured the back pans would end up just being preheaters but if everything was just right, all four boiled pretty good! Boiled around 35/40 gallons and will finish it off tonight. Sap was coming fast and furious when I last saw it this morning - looks like a big day.

(Image removed from quote.)

That looks AWESOME!! Great Set Up!!

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Author Topic: OT Maple Taps (Read 155929 times)