# Get those spiles in! :) (maple sugaring)



## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

Also hear from some youtube vids that the end syrup tasts of a butterschotch flavor.
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## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

Any tips would be welcome.
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## its_meat_eat_it (Feb 3, 2014)

I am putting together a decent sized operation this year. hoping to be boiling 500 gallons of sap a day.


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## mjohnson (Feb 8, 2008)

!st timer this year as well. Making my evaportor this week and pretty excited about trying it. Pretty basic operation here. I'll be posting some pics soon. Wish my girls and I luck.---Mark


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

I'm putting taps in trees in Connecticut this Saturday, the first time collecting sap in 10 years. I am pretty excited. New England is maple sugar central. 

This will be the first time I am using plastic spiles and plastic tubing. Also the largest number of taps, at 9-10. Not large by any means, but an increase from prior years. 

My goal is to make 1 gallon of finished syrup, which would be a personal best. 

Happy tapping!


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Tapping some trees in Connecticut this Saturday. It's the first time collecting sap for me in about 10 years. New England is maple sugar central, and I'm excited. 

This will be the first time for me using plastic spiles and plastic tubing. I'm hoping to make 1 gallon of finished syrup, which will be a personal best.


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## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

I will be tapping my trees also this saturday.
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## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

Put in 12 spiles in this afternoon on boxelders, one was just starting to drip sap. Gona tap more later.
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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Put 8 taps in today in eastern Connecticut. First time using plastic spiles (I like them) and plastic tubing (I like it). I have the tubing running into 5 gallon plastic buckets on the ground. I think this will be easier to collect sap, compared with emptying gallon milk jugs into gallon ziplock bags, which I have done in prior years. 

Weather in our area looks good this week. I'll check the buckets on Thursday to see how things are flowing.


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Reports? I collected a total of 1/2 gallon of sap from 8 taps yesterday in eastern Connecticut. The conditions this week look good.


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## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

Kroppe, i will be checkin my doz taps saturday to see how much sap i have. About 40f in sw Michigan.
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## Anish (Mar 6, 2009)

One of these days I going to do this!! Been puttering with the idea for years. Time to get off my butt and try it!!


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## WAUB-MUKWA (Dec 13, 2003)

lol, we aren't tapping nothing up here yet. Next 40* day is the first week of April. :yikes:


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## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

Anish, even if you get at least ten gallons of sap ull end up with 32 oz of syrup. Go for it, u got plenty of time.
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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Where's the best place to get spiles?


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## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

Menards, 5 ft of PEX tube cut at 3 in lengths get u 20 spiles, jus under 2$ per 5 ft
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## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

Cold below 30 and into 0 for the next ten days ahead. Saps gona lock up fr a while i bet.
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## Maple_Ridge (Mar 1, 2013)

Firefighter said:


> Where's the best place to get spiles?


Sugarbushsupplies.com

They are in mason, MI. Great folks to talk to.

Sent from my SCH-R760 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## hfitch (Apr 14, 2011)

Maple_Ridge said:


> Sugarbushsupplies.com
> 
> They are in mason, MI. Great folks to talk to.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-R760 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


I second this!! Very knowledgeable and friendly staff and packages are sent out and delivered very quickly here in Michigan 


Sent from my XT907 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## Sprytle (Jan 8, 2005)

Maple_Ridge said:


> Sugarbushsupplies.com
> 
> They are in mason, MI. Great folks to talk to.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-R760 using Ohub Campfire mobile app




Great People!!


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## CaseBones (Jan 28, 2010)

Anybody in SE Mich tap these last few days of warm up? I contemplated and decided not to because it looked like it was going to get really cold again for a while. Just wondering if you did, did you get any?


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## Crappie Depot (Jul 6, 2007)

I tapped all week. This is my first season sugaring. I tapped a single tree in my neighborhood. Went to hardware store, got a big funnel with a fine mesh filter and some cheese cloth made splies from 3/8 water fittings had laying around. Got about 2 gallons of sap boiled off already. This stuff is really good. Tastes nothing like synthetic syrup.


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## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

I checked my trees and and only 2 cups of sap. The trees didn't get enough warm weather to let loose the sap. It froze in the line before the colection containers. So I decided to put together a first evaporator. I tested water in the steam tray and was impressed with the evaporation. Had trouble with it holding a high flame, so I will have to include a grid and double the size of evaporator for the burning wood to rest on and let the coals and ash fall away to allow better oxygen flow to the fire. Then I can use two steam pans to increase evaporation time.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I didn't tap for the brief warmup, because in winters like this in the past, we always had a "mid-winter thaw" that only lasted 4-5 days. Those didn't really thaw things in a major way, and sap didn't run. One year I tapped for that thaw, and then the temps dropped real low following. I left a tap in one of my trees, and that tree split from the tap. When the weather broke again, I pulled that tap, and re-tapped in a different part of the tree. And that split repaired itself, but the tree developed other issues within a few years, and I ended up having it removed. It was a beautiful big Silver Maple, and it is missed in my yard. 

If you have taps in trees right now, you might want to consider pulling them until we have warm weather again.


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## Grizzyaries (Jan 10, 2005)

Thanks fishndude for the info i dont want to harm the trees. I'll get on that asap!
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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

I collected about 3 gallons of (frozen) sap today from 8 taps in eastern CT. More than I expected. Tonight I'm boiling down to concentrate, then freezing it until I have enough to make a couple of quarts of syrup. Weather looks difficult this week. The sap wasn't flowing when I collected today. Temp was mid-20s around 5pm.


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Collected 2 gallons from 8 taps; last collection was 2/28. Surprised at the low flow. 

Ambient temp 49 deg F., elevation above sea level 250 ft, no snow on the ground. Not sure if the trees are red or sugar maples.


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## Sprytle (Jan 8, 2005)

Ive got 10 out right now and not getting but a trickle from all of them. Putting more in this weekend and hope for good flow soon!!


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