We really could be, I am not even looking at tapping yet for at least two more weeks, and I am so excited because I have been "loaned four acres of local bush for my own use this year" so it could be my biggest boil down yet.

Wow...4 acres!
Nothing so ambitious here...just 10 - 12 trees in hopes of getting a gallon of syrup.
I figured I would be looking at tapping soon, but you're right...at least 2 more weeks!
Probably won't get my gallon, but I will keep the short season in mind and not get discouraged.
Thankfully, I have a relative that boils and I get a free gallon every year from them.

Oh, not four acres of just maples, its a mixed stand, sorry should have made that clear.. 🙂

Oh, not four acres of just maples, its a mixed stand, sorry should have made that clear.. 🙂

So how many trees you figure on drilling into?
Are you gonna use spouts or run a line?

Not sure yet to be honest, I have not had a chance to really check it out, the land owner says there are a good amount of sugar maples in there, but I just don't have a idea yet on size of them, which will effect how many taps per tree, Spouts, there are horse trails though it, which means I can use my draft girl to skid in with a tote on it, and pour and then haul it back home, so that will give a helping hand

Give me a bit, and I will get back to you on it 🙂

When I saw this post, I thought it was a Euphemism. You Know. The proverbial sap running towards the fan. LOL. I guess I'm suffering from abnormalicy bias. I suppose the remedy is to walk the property and see which maples are sugar maples....speaking of which. Any quik advice on identifying which of my few maples are sugar maples.

I tap any maple other than the Norwegians...just overgrown weeds and easy to identify by their almost horizontal growth.
You can make decent syrup from sugar, red, silver, and other maples...not to mention birch.
Just gives less syrup per gallon of sap.

I hear you C5 but its just been bitter, and with the storms, the lambs are popping out of their mothers, I will wait for a break in this cold before stomping around 🙂

http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2012/learnhow/identifying-ash-and-maple-trees-in-winter.cfm

I have red maple on my own farm and I have tapped and boiled it just fine, but I also do birch so I am not a pure sugar maple gal..

LOL Abnormallicy bias... snort.. haha..

Well, That's handy. Plus, we have no shortage of birch. Im just cutting it as firewood, anyway. I also just finished the new rocket stove so that should help with outdoor boiling. I no longer have an excuse not to do this.

HEY! I been meaning to do this but I've never done it before. As I've said I got a 30 acre farm I been meaning to do projects with.

I was planning on tapping some maples, any recommendations? I have low expectation to be honest. I'm trying to save to move out west, and it's kinda hard to save in Toronto, so I'm investing not so much. More of an experiment. Same with growing food this year, not a substantial amount, it's more an exercise based on gaining experience.

I guess I'm gonna buy like 10 buckets and get started next week. Not sure i'm gonna be able to cook them all, might have to take a day off or two, or else pass em on to my buddies dad, only guy I know with enough free time to do it, also he used to be a farmer, so he'd be down for that sort of thing.

TSC had a sale on a kit for tapping. It was 10 buckets and spigots for like $100, regular $150-ish.

You can get taps for about 2 or 2.50 each (maybe less). You can get a drill bit for tapping trees, which I did just so it'd be the right size and length for the job and not used for anything else. Buckets you can just use anything, really.

First couple years we used 2L milk or juice jugs tied to the taps.

Keeping watch on the temperatures but still going too low for my liking, don't want to split a tree. Might be good to go this weekend or early next week...

Starting to get a little worried we're going to go from too cold to too warm like in 2007 (I think it was).

Something really great about drinking sap soon after it drips. 🙂

I just checked theweathernetwork.com and I think I'm going to tap my maple trees tomorrow. My grandkids are here anyway and love to do this with me...... 🙂

I've got 4 gallons of sap already out of two trees here on our town lot. I don't remember whether they are sugars or reds. I used it for maple wine, it's in the fermenter now. This week we(nova scotia) are going to have 5 days plus temps so I'll like get some more sap to boil down for syrup. I have a ton of birch out at my country lot but I have never tapped them. I thought they run about a month later than the maples. I believe you have to plug the birches after the taps come out or you can hurt the tree.