Trying Something New

This year I am trying something new, tapping some of my maples for syrup.  Back in BC (before children) I assisted in a maple syrup operation for one weekend up in Lutsen.  My assistance was with the boiling process.  We spent the entire weekend in the snowy woods collecting and boiling sap.  We had a blast stoking the fire and hanging out in the woods.  For lunch we (this was before I became a vegetarian) stuck hot dogs on sticks and boiled them in the sap.  Sounds terrible to me now but it was good then.  This maple syrup experience will be much different.  I had to put the taps in myself.  I borrowed a cordless drill.  Unfortunately the drill could accommodate a 3/8 inch bit and I needed a 7/16 hole.  Luckily there is only 1/16 of a inch difference between what I had and what I needed so I just drilled a big sloppy hole and let it go at that.  I tapped the taps into the hole.  My plan was to tap two red maples and several boxelder maples.  I thought I would start with the boxelder maples first. My history shows I improve with practice although it wasn't true in this case.  The first and second boxelder taps went in fine.  I considered tapping another boxelder but decided against it as it was too far into the poison ivy district of my yard.  So I put another tap into the largest boxelder. Then I went to the red maple.  I drilled a nice big hole.  And I pounded the tap into the hole a little too vigorously because I broke the tap off at bark level.  I don't think there is any way I will ever get that broken tap out of that tree.  I might fill the hole with something so it doesn't bleed sap all summer.  I then drilled another tap below the broken one in hopes I will catch most of the sap going up in that area.  Because the maples are so big, I put two taps in each one-one on the south side and one on the west side. The sap won't run until the temperature gets above freezing in the day time and below freezing at night.  Right now the taps are sitting there without anything to catch the syrup.  I bought some vinyl 3/8 inch tubing. My plan is to soak the tubing in warm water so I can stretch it over the taps and run the tubing into an empty plastic milk jug which I will place at the base of the tree.  I think I'll do that next weekend.  I'll let you know how it goes.  If all goes well, I might schedule a waffle party.

Here is a hole drilled into the maple tree, ready for a tap to be put into place.

This is one of the red maples I tapped.

Close up of an installed tap.

How much sap will this tree yield?  What do you think?  Any guesses?