What are you doing for next yr?

[firetech]

This thread has been quite for a while so who's doing what for next yr season. We have bought a 1000 gal working SS Zero bulk tank. Plan on useing it for sap storage and hooking the compressor back-up to keep our incoming sap cool for those days I can't get to it do to work. Also picked up a 300 gal SS bulk tank for premate rinse back through the RO I don't have yet. Plan on going for 1400 tapps on the 30x10. We need an RO. Any used ones in Michigan? Market sales have been strong, syrup selling well. We introduced Maple Mustard yesterday and it was a big hit sold out in an hour and a half (12 bottle) Need to make 2 more cases for next week. Poured the base slab for my wood fired brick oven last Monday. I'll start laying block next week,then the oven slab will be poured.Then a weeks vaction in July yippy!!!!!!!!! Have a safe summer.

[Forrest hunters]

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. I need to find an evaporate for next year to tap about 50-100 red maples. If anyone has something to do 50 - 100 taps that would be great. Prefer to only boil on weekend and maybe 1-2 nights a week. Just need to mark the trees for tapping in the spring and then buy some buckets and taps. Anyone looking to unload anything for a second year sugarer that would be great. I'm in west Michigan and am willing to pay for quality equipment and supplies. Mainly looking for a 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 if anyone knows of one or something else that will work good for the amount of taps I will be doing.

[cherryfarmer]

I lost my lease so will be selling everything it looks like AND GOING FISHING, or expanding my lawn care business, but might try to buy syrup to keep my accounts for a few more years

[xyz5150]

Ordered a new 2x6.5 revolution drop flue pan set now i have to stretch my arch for my new pans. Still waiting for forest hunters to drive over and buy my 2x4 wse set.:lol: I also bought a 400 gallon ss bulk tank no cooler but it is insulated and it will sure beat my old cage tank storage system. Looks like i will be taping 150-175 taps this year if i wasn't a one man band and i didn't have to work 60 + hrs a week i would be out of control with my tap numbers. Plus i told my wife that i wouldn't need a bigger evaporator after this.:lol:

[MartinP]

XYZ5150,
You can still tap alot more and still not lie to the wife, you just need RO, more sap just concentrated to fit in evap time.. LOL

[500592]

I hope to have another 100 taps with a homemade ro new Jean faucher evaporator and will be building a sugar shack

[xyz5150]

MartinP XYZ5150,
You can still tap alot more and still not lie to the wife, you just need RO, more sap just concentrated to fit in evap time.. LOL

Exactly what i was thinking I'm not lying if i add a ro and a steam away in the future.:lol:

[Bruce L]

Ordered a new 3 x 14 Leader Vortex Evaporator with Max Flue Revolution pans for next year,pouring a pad outside to build a small building so the generator doesn't grow legs,and tapping another bush(if time permits setting up tubing,clearing etc) to bring added sap to the new rig.

[Forrest hunters]

if xyz would sell me the arch with the pans o might be in business. Hard to have pans without the arch and no metal skills or tools to build one. Something will turn up.

[xyz5150]

Forrest hunters

if xyz would sell me the arch with the pans o might be in business. Hard to have pans without the arch and no metal skills or tools to build one. Something will turn up.
I have too much time and money invested in my arch to sell it and its too easy to just cut it and lengthen it for my new pans or i would sell it to you.
There is a good set of plans on here i think from davy jones. Take those plans to a local fab shop have them make you a arch and come and buy my pans.:D

[radoutdoors]

I have too much time and money invested in my arch to sell it and its too easy to just cut it and lengthen it for my new pans or i would sell it to you.
There is a good set of plans on here i think from davy jones. Take those plans to a local fab shop have them make you a arch and come and buy my pans.:D

I may be interested in the pans, and I live in Williamston MI, trying to start up my own operation after working with Michigan State's for the past 3 years.

[Ausable]

Next year - I will be putting some of my maple syrup up in glass bottles for the first time. We have always used canning jars in the past. I'm a Hobby Syrup maker - now making about 10 to 15 gallons a year and would appreciate some simple tips to make the job easier. Thanks for any help -- Mike

[3rdgen.maple]

I think I am done with all the bottling and selling retail. I will maybe keep about 20 gallons bottled and half that in my custom etched glass bottles for the fishing tourist and thats it. Been getting harder to sell syrup here with the economy the way it is and Im tired of sitting on syrup and the 10 dollars here or 20 dollars there scenario. I am going to bulk pack and just get rid of it quick and collect the cash that way I dont have to sit on a few dollars trying to save it for upgrades.

[adk1]

Hopefully making syrup!:)

[Meridian Maples]

Just a few items to get done for next year:
1. get old evaporator out of my syrup shack
2. put a wood ceiling in the syrup shack
3. install new evaporator
4. finish logging 1 bush and get the tubing back up with a wet-dry line
5. get my new sap hauling truck together
6. finish putting new drops with stubby spouts on roughly 800 taps that are 10 years old.

I'm sure the list will get alot longer....

[michiganfarmer2]

tryign to get cherryfarmer to sell me his RO on payments lol

[red maples]

Debating to to add taps still have a few 100 trees to add on but will probably only add on maybe 25 taps to vac. have to see what money I have. other wise it will go into the add-on for the 2012 season. alittle tweeking here and there try to get rid of the main sap ladder. Gonna build a hood this year try to get rid of some of the rain storms in the SH this season!!!:)

for 2013 season adding onto the SH. 6 x 8 RO room, plus adding on about 110 square ft about 160 sq,ft total, not much but it will make a big difference if I have more money I will add on more we'll see, move the evap back give me more space in the front. Get Electricity and hopefully water out there. gonna get a little wood stove to keep things warm!!

for 2014 RO TIME and more taps!!!:)

[cherryfarmer]

selling all my equipment i hope

[red maples]

Gettin' out????

[hotfire]

I'm adding another 100 -150 taps , still working on my new ro , man i hope it work $$$$$$$$ . Been cleaning my orchards , lot of small growth . I also fabricated new stainless holding tank , approx 1000 gal. Replacing lines & cutting wood . Need to find time to get my rifle sighted in lol

[cherryfarmer]

owners blindsided me on my lease. forced out bunch of bs.

[michiganfarmer2]

Gettin' out????he leased all his trees, and lost the lease. Long story short... the family he leased from screwed him around, and sold the place out from under him.

[michiganfarmer2]

IM going to add the check valve adapters, get the rest of the woods tubed, and Im trying to enclose the kitchen area in the sap house.

[northwoods_forestry]

Here's what I'm hoping to get done:

1. Set up the new 250 gal ss dump tank
2. Build a rodent proof/insulated storage room in the sugarhouse
3. Hang a sliding door between the woodshed and sugarhouse
4. Pipe another 50-100 taps
5. Build a platform for one of the pipeline tanks (100 gal) so I don't have to empty it by bucket brigade for another year!
6. Replace the wood counter tops with stainless steel

How much will actually get done? Wait and see what's on the list for 2013...

[lakeview maple]

Well we added another small sugar bush ,and we are adding 150 more taps and running 2 new mainlines. We will have to haul sap from 1 but the other will be right into the main holding tanks. I relined the arch with ceramic blanket ,hoping to be alot more efficent ,also added a 9x10 porch/wood storage to the front of the sugar house .Just got it done before the first snow storm last week,God Bless you all ,Al @ Lake View Maple

[Don(MI)]

Not much to do really, except cut and stack firewood!!

We are sooo much closer guys!! 3 more months!!! Come on SPRING!!!!

[lew]

These were the plans as of this summer:

1. add on 5-600 new taps in existing bush

2. replace 3500 gal. tank at woods with new 5000+ gallon tank from CDL

3. put 3500 gallon tank from woods on non-existent ten wheeler

4. install new RO in sugarhouse

What has happened to date.

1. installed 4000' of 3/4 inch, 2000' of 1 inch, and 700' of 1 1/4 inch mainline

2. poured concrete pad for new tank

3. new tank delivered to site but not on pad yet

4. purchased a '96 Mack cab and chassis

What's left to do

1. install 1000' of 3/4 inch, 700' of 1 1/4' mainline

2. install laterals, drops, etc. (Ithink my tap count may be higher than expected)

3. set new tank on pad, build roof over tank, redirect electric to new concrete pad, move vacuum pump to new pad, and redirect mainlines to new pad

4.attach tank from woods on new to me truck

5. tear out 1 1/2 inch plumbing in sugarhouse and install 2 inch to accomadate new bigger RO

6. Install new RO

Glad i wrote this all out, I've got a lot to do and not much time to do it.

Sorry to disagree with you Don(MI), BUT, SLOW DOWN SPRING, I need more time.

[Don(MI)]

Actually, I wish winter was over now. I do like to ice fish, but man, working weekdays in january, with 1 hour commute, and nothing really to do by the time I get back home, gets really old FAST!

So bring on spring, and sappin weather!!!!!

[cherryfarmer]

Was someone in this threads looking for a used r-o. I have a600 gph

Tom

[Tweegs]

We are starting with a new shack. The builder has been hired, the plans finalized, everything is a go, but he has yet to set the first post. I’m getting a little concerned about frost vs. cement and anxious for him to get started.

Graded the existing tubing to put the main collection point close to the new shack. Instead of having to drive the tractor over a trail that gets real soupy come mid season, I can just pump the sap up to the holding tank.


Putting up another 800 feet of main line. 500 of that replaces what I had on 5/16ths last year that really didn’t pan out so well. I didn’t get near the sap I expected from those areas and figure running 5/16ths in place of a ¾ main was partially to blame. The other 300 feet is picking up a bunch of the taps I had on buckets and a dozen or so new taps, all made possible by shutting down that soupy trail.


That leaves a handful of buckets in the back lot and the rest of the buckets along the driveway. Fewer buckets in the woods should take my collection time down from over two hours to under one hour. It’ll be nice to get all the sap in before I run out of daylight.

[Don(MI)]

Tweegs,

Sounds like we have about the same size operation, only my familys are all buckets. Alotta gathering before sunset everyday.

Good luck with the new sugar shack build!

[pierre]

im looking to put mine on vac but im looking for a pump so if you have one get in touch w/me

[Don(MI)]

Check in time, we are only 4-5 weeks from tappin time!!!

Still need to cut firewood, been busy in the shop though.

Also need to rebuild the carburator for the sap wagon tractor, seems to want to leak alot.

[fishman]

Built a new 15' x 15' 3 sided lean to for the evaporator and have plans to put up a head tank to gravity feed the pan. Still thinking about a steam hood but will probably wait to see how bad the condensation is inside. Got enough wood for at least 2 years IF I use the same number of taps. Somehow that number keeps going up a little each year. With a daughter getting married this next year and her wanting little bottles of syrup for wedding favors (whatever the hell they are), I'll probably need a few more gallons than usual. Only another year till retirement and then its full bore ahead.

[ehausinfrats]

Well it exciting to here everyone getting ramped up. Unfortunately I am not sugaring this year. I had my ankle fused in December and I really don't think I'll be able to work the operation well enough to get it done in time. I still enjoy the reading and a looking forward to next year already.

[fishman]

Bummer on the ankle. I had to sit out a year with a torn achilles and I swear I could hear the sap dripping. Tried collecting from 5 trees that I could reach from right off the snowmobile but loading wood and everything else was just too much. Just think how much energy you'll have for next year though.

[Don(MI)]

What the heck??

Its 48 degrees here today, around mid-state.

Is it time to tap yet, or what? ;)

[firetech]

Well time for an up date. I'm headed to Ohio on Monday to pickup my new Ray Gingerich built RO. I called yesterday it's built but not tested. Ray said he was at Ohio producer mgts Fri/Sat. So monday is it. Anyone else need one hauled back there's room for 3 more in the trailer. We are replacing all of our spiles this year, changing everything over to stubby's. Hoping to set 1000 taps here and my buddy will set 250-350 at his place. Woods all cut and stacked. We will be bring out all the road tree runs for placement this weekend. Who knows when this season will start???????????? 3% sap for all

[The Sweet Spot]

We have been building our sap shack for almost 3 yrs. Hurt my back and had to slow down for a while! Its 14x40 with a second story loft. My wife and I bought an older Leader 3x10, along with two Zero holding tanks, one bottler and enough tubing to run 2000 taps. We have about 25% of the siding and finish work to do on the building. After that we have to install the evap and start running tubing. I plan to tap 200 trees this year and more if possible. I HAVE A DREAM.

[michiganfarmer2]

more taps, more taps