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Hows your maple season going.

Started by Cguignard, March 23, 2015, 08:13:54 AM

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Cguignard

Hey, just wanted to know how your maple sugaring season has gone so far?  I have about 200 taps in and all I have to show for it is 1/2 gal of syrup.  My little 2x3 pan is ready to go but this cold in central Maine has got to break at some point.
I know 1/2 gallon is nothing much to speak of but it tastes so good.

bhall

Good Morning Cguignard, in NW PA the sugaring is going fair, tomorrow and Wednesday should be a real good run on the sap. Check the posts on the General Board, a few there on the sugaring. Bob
97 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic/Lombardini
Life is good on the Catawba path

Chuck White

Here it's hit-n-miss, runs ok for a while then freezes up again.

Made 14 gallons so far!

Kind of slow!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Cguignard

I have about 150 gal in my buckets waiting to be collected, if it ever thaws out. 

millwright

It runs like mad one day then nothing the next have made about 12gals so far, am about ready to wrap things up and start chasing turkey's.

Chuck White

We thought it would run like crazy yesterday, through the night, and today.

We expected to get over 1,000 gallons of sap through this run, but this afternoon everythin froze up again.

What a flop, only got about 375 gallons of sap and with that and what we had, we made 8½ gallons of syrup today!

We'll bottle it up tomorrow.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

bhall

Just about the same here as what Chuck has, thought it would run crazy but did not. Gathered 135 gallons today so that it will not freeze in the next couple of days, calling for 15°F and 10°F next couple of nights. Might run again on Sunday. Have to take things one day at a time. This sap should yield about 3 gallons of syrup so that is good. Bob
97 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic/Lombardini
Life is good on the Catawba path

Magicman

OK, just a question from non-Maple syrup land.  How long do you have between gathering and boiling?  How long can you store the sap?
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

bhall

Lynn, if the temperatures stay in the 20's & 30's I have kept it for as long as 2 days in the shack out of the sun. But most times I will start to boil within 24 hours.
Chances are that if the temperatures stay low & it's not warmed by the sun it can probably set for longer than 2 days but I have never did that. You will most likely get a better answer from some of these more experienced folks on here. Bob
97 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic/Lombardini
Life is good on the Catawba path

Magicman

Sounds like a commitment.  Once you start gathering you are in it until you finish.  Day, night, sleep, or no sleep.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

SwampDonkey

My cousin often boils sap into the night almost around the clock when the sap runs good. It's only recently got warm. I think it's going cold again by Monday and low 30's for highs all week. Not good for a good run of sap unless there is lots of bright sun.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Chuck White

Quote from: Magicman on March 26, 2015, 08:55:14 PM
OK, just a question from non-Maple syrup land.  How long do you have between gathering and boiling?  How long can you store the sap?

Good question Lynn!

When we get a run, we have 3 guys that gather, My Brother, his SIL, and Me.
If we go to the sugar house and the line barrels are over half full, we usually start right in gathering.
Gathering takes a little over 3 hours.
When we get it mostly gathered (one trip left) we usually leave one guy at the sugar house to start boiling.
Then we boil until we're almost out of sap, none left in the storage tanks and very little bit left in the feeder tank that flows into the float box on the back of the evaporator!

We usually bottle-up the next day.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

thecfarm

Chunk,you got one of those that just about does it all by itself? Oil,gas,wood heated?
On a small scale,like I was doing it,you have to watch what is going on. Yes,I can walk off and leave it,but not for a ½ hour at a time either.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Chuck White

Ray, when the sap runs, it flows in the lines down hill to a catch barrel.

When we get enough in the barrels, we'll go out and gather.

We drop a 12v sump pump into the barrel and pump the sap into the gathering tanks on the trailer!

When the gathering tanks get full, we go to the sugar house and pump the sap into the storage tanks, inside of the sugar house!

From the storage tanks the sap is pumped into the feeder tank and from there it is piped into the float box on the back end of the evaporator!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

millwright

Magic man, to answer your ? Sap is a lot like sweet corn, the sooner it processed the better the result's. in fact I am finishing a batch as I am writing this.

bhall

millwright I like that comparison, and I sure agree with you. Bob
97 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic/Lombardini
Life is good on the Catawba path

Magicman

Now that I can understand.   :D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Cguignard

Sorry to make a post and not post back, but the sap was running and had to get it boiled. We ended up having a good year. 17 gallons jarred up and put in the basement. Just got everything pulled and cleaned up this weekend.  I think that I could have gone a few days longer but the daytime temps are going to be too warm to hold the sap.  I already had a few empty barrels that started to smell sour. 
Now all that is left is to boil the last 30 or so gallons of sap of the 230 we collected Saturday, quite a feet for a small hobby pan.  Then we get to clean the pan and put everything back into the garden shed. Been a good season.
 

Chuck White

We cleaned the evaporator, arch and the sugarhouse pails, dippers, etc. yesterday, so that end is all set until next Spring.

Now we have to gather, clean & store the buckets spouts and barrels!

Next we'll clean and sanitize the pipelines.

Lastly, we need to refill the woodshed and close the door!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Magicman

Following along and reading about you "sap guys" has been interesting to those of us that have never seen the Maple Syrup process in action.  It was a bit hectic trying to follow about 3-4 different threads.   ::)

Thank you for sharing the experience.   :)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Chuck White

You and all others following this thread are quite welcome, Lynn.

When I get onto a thread like this, I always get into it in hopes that I might be able to help others, but I also learn in the process.

It's been a nice thread, thanks everyone.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

bill m

Emptied everything out of the evaporator today and put it into the finishing unit. It should make about another 30 gallons and then I am done.
NH tc55da Metavic 4x4 trailer Stihl and Husky saws

bhall

Lynn this is mainly for you with regards to your comment on the "Birds" as to lessons to learn from nature, but I put it here in case any syrup folks might find it interesting.
To determine where to tap for a spile I look up at the crown for the largest amount of limbs, follow the twist of the trunk down and that usually leads to a major root. So I know to tap above that root but also I learned to observe what the woodpeckers have showed me. The sap sucker holes are just about always located in a sweet area of the trunk and when I tap below them I typically get good flow.  I suspect the woodpeckers have a much better knowledge than me about the sap in the different species of trees. Bob

Here are some holes from last year


 

here are some holes from the year before last


  
97 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic/Lombardini
Life is good on the Catawba path

Magicman

I assume that you drive a plug in when you pull the tap?
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

bhall

Yes Sir Lynn, I do plug my holes but the sapsucker does not need to. Bob
97 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic/Lombardini
Life is good on the Catawba path

celliott

bhall,

I've been helping a family operation here in town this year, and I was out checking for vacuum leaks the other day, and I found a tree where someone had drilled the new taphole about 2 inches above last years. Not supposed to do that. There was a vacuum leak from last years taphole!

Do you really plug the tapholes?
How can they heal up and grow over that way?
Chris Elliott

Clark 666C cable skidder
Husqvarna and Jonsered pro saws
265rx clearing saw
Professional maple tubing installer and maple sugaring worker, part time logger

GAB

I have never plugged a tap hole.
I do not know of any sugarmaker that does.
Can you imagine trying to plug 100,000 or more tap holes once the season is over?
Besides I know of some bowl turners that are looking for maple bowl blanks with tap holes in them for future finished product.
Gerald
W-M LT40HDD34, SLR, JD 420, JD 950w/loader and Woods backhoe, V3507 Fransguard winch, Cordwood Saw, 18' flat bed trailer, and other toys.

Chuck White

I've never heard of plugging tap holes.

We don't see signs of the Sap Suckers here on the Maple trees, they usually go after the Hemlock.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

SwampDonkey

Plus they are not after the sap and usually don't even show up here from migration until sap season is over. They love my pine, basswood and tamarack. But sapsucker is not really an accurate name, they are after the bugs that come to the sap. Should be called bug trappers. Can you imagine a bird eating pine pitch?
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Cguignard

My father in law says to plug tapped holes in our sugar bush.  That is a lot of work, I have read that a plugged hole will not dry out and start to heal.  I found an old hole from last year and it was still wet.  So this year we are not plugging holes.  Saves lots of time.   
We are all cleaned up fired the stove once more today to acid wash the pan and will put it in storage tomorrow, and clean out the ash. Barrels and pails have been washed and stored, taps have been washed and the tubes are drying before getting packed away.  Been a good season for us.

Magicman

I have great admiration for you guys and the effort that you go through to make syrup.   8)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Chuck White

Quote from: Cguignard on April 16, 2015, 01:12:43 PM
My father in law says to plug tapped holes in our sugar bush.  That is a lot of work, I have read that a plugged hole will not dry out and start to heal.  I found an old hole from last year and it was still wet.  So this year we are not plugging holes.  Saves lots of time.   
We are all cleaned up fired the stove once more today to acid wash the pan and will put it in storage tomorrow, and clean out the ash. Barrels and pails have been washed and stored, taps have been washed and the tubes are drying before getting packed away.  Been a good season for us.

My money says the old sap hole was wet from rain, or the snow melt!

The holes don't completely close up (heal), the new sapwood closes over the still open hole!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

bhall

celliott,  as Chuck White has stated the new sapwood grows over the outside of the hole, whether it is plugged or not the hole is still there. I plug the holes to minimize the leakage of sap to deter the attraction of insects. I lack the knowledge of what all types of insects are drawn to sap and which ones that could be detrimental to the health of the tree. Seems like every so often there is a new different type of insect causing a new form of damage to trees, therefore I take the time to plug. And actually it does not require much time, pull the spile and pound in the plug. My sugar bush is small, usually only about 100 taps so it is not really a big deal to me, but if I had a 1,000 taps it would be different. Also I am certainly not saying that I am doing the proper thing, it is just the way I do it.

SwampDonkey, Perhaps I should have stated in my previous post that the woodpeckers have a better knowledge of where the bugs are that know where the sap is. Please correct me if I am wrong, but it is my understanding that the different species of trees stop their growth at different times, but the process of photosynthesis continues until autumn.   Therefore the conversion of carbon dioxide & water to glucose & oxygen continues. The enzymes then modify the glucose into fructose and further into sucrose and this composition is passed by transpiration thru the tree and on down to the roots and other enzymes convert the sucrose into the complex carbohydrate starch for winter storage. It is my observation that the woodpeckers drill for the bugs from late spring thru late summer. My suspicion is there might be good flow in the area of the drilling and most often there is.
In my neck of the woods the yellow bellied & red bellied woodpeckers frequent the maple, apple, pear & willow trees, they do not seem to be interested in the pine, basswood, hemlock or the tamarack. Maybe I have different bugs than you. Bob
97 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic/Lombardini
Life is good on the Catawba path

SwampDonkey

Here's one, and I sometimes have 4 at once on this pine.



Here's one that had his radar jammed.  :D



They leave the yard trees alone by June. I only see them in the spring in the yard.

They have not killed the pine yet, but they come to it every spring. They did kill a tamarack (Japanese Larch), riddled it too death with holes.

There's not a hemlock up here that sapsucker hasn't riddled with holes. I'd like to see one for a change. Ever try to drive one off, they just walk around the trunk out of view. Darn buzzards. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

BubbasDad

Quote from: Chuck White on April 14, 2015, 07:22:45 AM
We cleaned the evaporator, arch and the sugarhouse pails, dippers, etc. yesterday, so that end is all set until next Spring.

Now we have to gather, clean & store the buckets spouts and barrels!

Next we'll clean and sanitize the pipelines.

Lastly, we need to refill the woodshed and close the door!
When taps are pulled do trees seal the holes or does what ever runs after that just run down the bark for the bugs? Just curiouse
John

Chuck White

In time, the holes will heal over as new sapwood developes.

For a while, the sap will continue to run a little, but as the weather warms up, the sap will stop running.

We don't seem to notice bugs getting into the sap.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

SwampDonkey

Flies and sap beetles mostly I think which are just after a sugary snack. Usually too cold to be a nuisance during sugaring time.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

bhall

celliott, an interesting note for you. Shared your question with the family, several said in the past they had read about not plugging the taps but just did not say anything. Told them I am not too old to learn & it is never too late to change. We decided to do a trial, we pulled half the plugs. The trees we tap are 20" dbh and larger so they have 2 taps per tree. We pulled one plug from each tree to eliminate the variance of soil nutrients and sun light since some of the trees are on the south slope, some on the north slope, and others in the bottoms between. This way we can see how well the holes mend on each particular tree.  Some one came up with the idea of drilling a small hole in the plug & using a slide puller to pop the plug out, worked real well, quick & easy. With regards to my theory of insect damage, they told me the threat is much greater from air born infection. Certainly can not dispute that, and I am not sure about many influences that could harm the trees. So I thank you, we thank you for questioning my methods. Bob
97 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic/Lombardini
Life is good on the Catawba path

celliott

It's a constantly changing industry, that's for sure.
Your trees may take more than one year to heal over the hole, so don't come to a conclusion too soon!

We are pulling taps and washing lines now.
Gradually switching to a replaceable plastic spout as opposed to reusable ones. Theory is, you use a new clean spout every year and it keeps the trees healthier. We'll see.
Chris Elliott

Clark 666C cable skidder
Husqvarna and Jonsered pro saws
265rx clearing saw
Professional maple tubing installer and maple sugaring worker, part time logger

Chuck White

They are constantly coming up with new stuff in the sugaring industry.

Some good, some gimic.  Buyer beware!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

SwampDonkey

A lot geared toward consumption more than anything else so something always needs to be bought. Pretty soon, not enough syrup being sold to cover expense. Check the packaging of those disposable spouts when you get'm, whose making them? A lot like the printer industry, a cheap printer, but expensive ink. :D

An lot of maple damage is due to pollutants and drought than most anything.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

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