It's Maple Sugar Time

[Seditious]

10 trees with 18 taps. I'm using 5 gallon buckets with 5/16 plastic taps, y fittings, and tube. I washed buckets and lines tonight and I'll put my taps in tomorrow. I'm late by about 7 days. I missed at least 3 days that sap has run. Early this year but I think we have enough calendar days left before my trees will bud. We'll see how she goes.

Edit to add a link to a good video of what I'm doing.

https://youtu.be/d74a6uKAz2o

[Oscar Wilde]

Has it been cold enough?

Last year the Amish folk priced their syrup a bit high, said that it hadn't gotten cold enough, long enough for a real good sap harvest.

Although it's been a bit chilly, we ain't had much of a winter here ... yet.

O.W.

[Seditious]

Has it been cold enough?

Last year the Amish folk priced their syrup a bit high, said that it hadn't gotten cold enough, long enough for a real good sap harvest.

Although it's been a bit chilly, we ain't had much of a winter here ... yet.

O.W.

Nights below freezing and days above freezing makes the sap run. It's the number of days and nights together that do +/- freezing which will make a good year.The trees are doing their thing and when the bud caps fall off it's all done. The best sap comes before the buds even start.

[jimmyb]

I've seen a few videos of them tapping Birch trees.
Is the taste similar to Maple?

[Summerthyme]

Where are you located (general idea, not town!)

Feb 1 is WAY early for tapping here in Western NY, although I'll admit that it's probably running now. Problems arise if you tap too early, and get a long cold snap... the holes can dry up. Hubby once saw a year where it came off REAL early... he said they were tapping using miner's lamps to see (no such thing as LED headlamps then!).

They tapped 1800 trees (much of that using snowshoes) and got one run... and then it turned cold.

Five weeks later, it warmed back up, they got one more short run... and it turned hot and stayed hot. The trees budded out shortly afterwards. IIRC, they made something like 10 gallons total!

I'm not going to tap this year... I got almost 7 gallons of good syrup last year, and we've got plenty in the cellar.

Summerthyme

[Meemur]

I think the majority don't start tapping here until late February, although it might be as early as Valentine's Day if we keep having warm spells.

[Seditious]

Where are you located (general idea, not town!)

Feb 1 is WAY early for tapping here in Western NY, although I'll admit that it's probably running now. Problems arise if you tap too early, and get a long cold snap... the holes can dry up. Hubby once saw a year where it came off REAL early... he said they were tapping using miner's lamps to see (no such thing as LED headlamps then!).

They tapped 1800 trees (much of that using snowshoes) and got one run... and then it turned cold.

Five weeks later, it warmed back up, they got one more short run... and it turned hot and stayed hot. The trees budded out shortly afterwards. IIRC, they made something like 10 gallons total!

I'm not going to tap this year... I got almost 7 gallons of good syrup last year, and we've got plenty in the cellar.

Summerthyme

I'm in southern lower Michigan and the micro climate is a bit warmer than surrounding. From what I'm reading the season is starting early this year everywhere. If any taps are dry I'll redrill them. It's just 10 trees and they're easy access.

Anyone who wants to try can make up spiles pretty quick or buy some plastic at home depot. You can even make metal ones out of fired rifle brass and a drill. You don't need purpose built spiles to try this.

Wooden spiles https://youtu.be/4zeR1Esc460

Plastic spiles https://youtu.be/zqN9BWML4c8