sugaring

[Livewater Farm]

anyone out there tapped out yet weather has been strange here in southern vermont couple of warm days then cold and cloudy we have our sugar trails open and brushed out hope to tap and hang buckets some time next week if weather cooperates what you all doing

Bill

[mitchmaine]

hello bill, holding on as long as possible. don’t quite know why. looks like a short season. they started posting the roads today. sawing pine lumber yesterday and bleeding sap. strange times. we have tapped before in february but never this early. give a holler when you start up. thanks, mitch

[Baystatetom]

Most folks in Western Mass tap next week. Just tradition to do it in school vacation week. I have heard of a few guys who tapped the last week of January and made a few gallons. Who knows with this crazy weather! Just have to take a gamble I guess. The length of daylight plays a big part in making the sap run. You really need the weather and the daylight to get a good run, so tapping early because of the warm weather won’t guarantee you get sap. I work with my friend who has a pancake breakfast place. He opens the 25th no matter what, even if he has to boil water to make steam for the crowds.
~Tom

[Livewater Farm]

mitch traditionally town meeting day 2nd tues in march was the day to start sugaring some years ago it was washingtons birthday now it seems the vacumm and tubing guys start tapping in jan I gave up my tubing 6years ago I want to make fancy fancy syrup buckets always seemed to me to make lighter syrup quess cuz they are fresh emty every day I also like my scotch and sap water coffee made with sap also dont foget my sap beer
Bill

[Ed Thayer]

We will be tapping this weekend, the sugarhouse is all cleaned, pans are set and ready and two weeks ago I installed new tubing and walked all my lines. Brin it on 🙂

I just got my new 65 gallon horizontal leg gathering tank and plan to make an adapter to fit into the receiver hitch on my forecart so I can mount it on there and gather in the back 40 with the horse. I need to find about 50 good buckets still though.

May the Maple Gods shine on you,

Ed

[dominiquer60]

The place where I was in NY started tapping a few this week, it is running, but who knows how it will turn out.

[Michael Colby]

Began tapping today in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont — Walden, to be precise. Only got a few hundred taps in (out of 2200ish expected) but was alarmed by the instant sap flowing (tasted wonderful, by the way). This is several weeks ahead of the norm. I’m buckling in and preparing for a weird season.

[Jean]

Bill, when you make your beer from sap do you substitute all the water with sap? Hoping to make a batch this year, but I am new to beer making.

[Livewater Farm]

@Jean 32645 wrote:

Bill, when you make your beer from sap do you substitute all the water with sap? Hoping to make a batch this year, but I am new to beer making.

yes tapped today running tues could be first boil
Bill

[Ed Thayer]

Tapped all my tubing yesterday and plan on hanging the buckets tomorrow. It was running well by the afternoon. Should be ready to boil by Thursday or so if the forecast is accurate.

[njfarmer]

So I have a question for all you experienced tappers. I tapped two maple trees(at least what Im pretty sure are maple) this afternoon. No sap came out though. I was wondering am I too late for the sap flow or was it too warm. I drilled a 1/2 hole at an upward angle about 2 inches deep. I used a standard plastic 1/2 inch hose adapter. One that you would use to fix a hole or split inline. But no sap. I probably tapped at about 4pm. Not ideal but thats when I got back from tractor supply after having the idea I want to attempt to make some maple syrup. Any thoughts? The only thing I can think of is maybe it isnt a maple. LOL

[mitchmaine]

@njfarmer 32660 wrote:

So I have a question for all you experienced tappers. I tapped two maple trees(at least what Im pretty sure are maple) this afternoon. No sap came out though. I was wondering am I too late for the sap flow or was it too warm. I drilled a 1/2 hole at an upward angle about 2 inches deep. I used a standard plastic 1/2 inch hose adapter. One that you would use to fix a hole or split inline. But no sap. I probably tapped at about 4pm. Not ideal but thats when I got back from tractor supply after having the idea I want to attempt to make some maple syrup. Any thoughts? The only thing I can think of is maybe it isnt a maple LOL

is it freezing up at night where you are? it has to do that to run sap.

[njfarmer]

@mitchmaine 32667 wrote:

is it freezing up at night where you are? it has to do that to run sap.

Mitch I have come to the conclusion that I may have missed the season. Doesnt it stop once the trees come to bud? Also I pulled the two taps out since nothing was happening. We have been having weird weather here freezing one day 60 the next day. It is freezing most nights maybe not all of them. I will just wait until the leaves develope and will mark the maple trees just to make sure that I am actually tapping maples and not oaks. Which could also be my problem. I tried using the leaves under the tree as a clue but it seems there are leaves of every shape and size and type. So no syrup this year. Oh well.

[Ed Thayer]

I tapped about 150 buckets today and the sap ran like crazy in the afternoon. It was preety windy today and I hope it runs well later in the week.

Ed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7d94jAvolQ&feature=youtu.be

[Michael Colby]

Finished the last of the 2000 taps today. Now I’ve just got to hang the 50 buckets for the tourists. 🙂

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