January Journal

[stoweski]

Always wanted to start one of these. Now that everyone is hung over on New Year's morning I can jump on and start it!

Ran wire for my mainline(s) yesterday. Putting up the mainline and lats over the next few days. Upgrading my reservoir tank (thus need a new stand) from 200 plastic to 600 gal stainless with an open top - should help ease the cleaning burden!

Will be doing less gathering thanks to some tubing. Hoping for at least half of my taps on lines now. Sap Hauler will be emptying the buckets for me.

Happy New Year All!!!

[Brokermike]

Happy New Year as well Off to walk the bush

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

Been buisy also with the sap house. Hood is hung, ready to go in spring except maybe replacing a damaged collar on it, but the fan is even in. Test boiled yesterday(Worked great), and looking forward to being able to see in the saphouse with out any steam!

[adk1]

sugarhouse/garage all cleaned out. that was a 8 hour chore yesterday prior to excessive consumption of boiling sodas :) today I will finish the remaining 75' of mainline. should go quick. tomorrow it is evaporator moving day! Cant wait! Will have pics to post tomorrow evening!

[GramaCindy]

Looking forward to those photos adk1!
sugarhouse/garage all cleaned out. that was a 8 hour chore yesterday prior to excessive consumption of boiling sodas :) today I will finish the remaining 75' of mainline. should go quick. tomorrow it is evaporator moving day! Cant wait! Will have pics to post tomorrow evening!

[maple flats]

Worked in my new lease this afternoon. Was going to install 4 wet/dry maniflods but after just one I decided to wait for another set of hands. Then I added the saddles on 1000' of main, tying the laterals into the main as I went. Still have 3000 more feet to install the saddles. Then I've got to install the drops, which are all made up. I think I'll have help this week so I can finish the manifolds. So much to do, so little time. I want to start tapping in 5 weeks.

[jmayerl]

Well finally looks like winter in NE Wis, we got 2" of snow last night and today. I was able to get the temperary shack finished before the snow started last night. I can't really say that im indoors but it should keep the wind out. Ended up being 14x8 and looks as hillbilly as it can get. Walls are old basement paneling and has a tin roof but only cost about $50 in new lumber. Just waiting for the new pans to show up in about a month and its go time! I would post pictures but go figure the file manager on here isn't working again.

[bobsklarz]

Gonna order a hood this week. Kinda tired of trying to find the draw-off in all that steam. Waitin for the big snow coming this week, well, big for here. Probably just a smidgen compared to upper NY and Vermont. I'm gonna order the aluminum hood from leader. Does it matter a lot that it doesn't have the drain channels? Have a great New Year!

[adk1]

What big storm?>????

[wcproctor]

T- minus 50 days :D

[wiam]

Gonna order a hood this week. Kinda tired of trying to find the draw-off in all that steam. Waitin for the big snow coming this week, well, big for here. Probably just a smidgen compared to upper NY and Vermont. I'm gonna order the aluminum hood from leader. Does it matter a lot that it doesn't have the drain channels? Have a great New Year!

Why would anybody build a hood without drain channels? These are necessary to get the condensation out from the inside of the hood and more important later when you put a preheater in there.

[SeanD]

Second warmest December on record. The warmest was just 5 years ago.

I put it to good use. I've got 2 cord inside the sugarhouse for 2012 and 3 cord spilt and stacked outside for 2013. It's the first time since I started in '06 that I'm not living the firewood equivalent of hand to mouth. I'm happy, but I pretty much don't want to see so much as a stick for a while.

Sean

[Farmboy]

Got my mainline back up today after a 6" pine limb took it down in october. Started fixing laterals I got 3 out of 16 done. I HATE squirrels and now that deer season is over its game on. Got 2 today. They have destroyed my tubing and I didnt even clean with bleach. Finished painting the evaporator the other day. I have way to much to do before the season but it will all get done. The one good thing is I have pleanty of seasoned wood for this year, 4.5 cords and last year only went through three.

[Brian Ryther]

I have been working on the new "Red bush" for the past 4 weeks. Despite the name I think the it is only %40 red maples, better than orignally estimated. Finaly took the time to do a tap count today and came up with 625. This new bush has been a mential challange for me. I am running the mainline to the trees. Average tap count per laterial should be around 2. I am spending more $ on main line and fittings but I have hardly used any 5/16. I hope the yeilds prove to be profitable for the extra material expense. New syrup pan is on the evap and looking good. The orignal was a Waterloo Small Bros, new one is also built by Waterloo Small. I was told that the same guys that bulit the orignal 15 years ago probaly built the new one using the same templates. It fit like a glove and looks like a million bucks (almost cost that much.) Finaly got my HP pump back from Lapierre with a new motor. Also got my membraines back from being cleaned. As far as I can tell they are %100 (reports are in french.) The confusing thing was that the flow rates were identical for the Mark 1 and the XLE440. I was under the impression that the XLE440 was a higher flow rate. Hope to see some Traders at Verona on Saturday.

[tuckermtn]

Why would anybody build a hood without drain channels? These are necessary to get the condensation out from the inside of the hood and more important later when you put a preheater in there.

I have seen hoods and plan on having Bill Mason make my hood without a drip rail around the edge, but with one under the pre-heater. I opted out of the drip rail around the inside of the sides, front and back since I was concerned with the splashing of 8%-15% sap from the back pan up on to the sides and then out the drain. I wanted the tray under the pre-heater since it will be high enough to stay out of the boiling sap. curious to hear what others think...

[wiam]

I have seen hoods and plan on having Bill Mason make my hood without a drip rail around the edge, but with one under the pre-heater. I opted out of the drip rail around the inside of the sides, front and back since I was concerned with the splashing of 8%-15% sap from the back pan up on to the sides and then out the drain. I wanted the tray under the pre-heater since it will be high enough to stay out of the boiling sap. curious to hear what others think...

That is what I use defoamer for. If you have sap splashing up there you are going to lose some anyways.

[220 maple]

Rebuilding a woods that had extensive squirrel damage, at least I'm building it for the future, mainlines around the hillsides and tubing staight down and tight. The tubing was not damaged because I had brought it out of the woods every year to clean, the tree rats didn't get a chance with it. On a more disturbing note. I seen my first robin, always an indicater that the season is about over. Probably Al Gore's pet out promoting global warming.

Mark 220 Maple

[red maples]

Ever get worried when your working on your lines that things seem to be goiung TOOOOO Good. there now I jinxed!!! anyway it was nice to get back in the woods today. been such a busy fall and dec was crazy as usual been a liittle colder as of late so the swamp is frozen for now anyway much easier to get around. a few branches here and there on some laterals. moved the mainline up about a foot to avoid the main sap ladder and just keep it there for emergencies so if things flood I can still use it I will also probably use it for maple weekend there is more space right behind the sugarhouse.

I booked group of girl scouts for a tour during maple season that should be fun. so I am looking forward to that.

I just hope we get a little snow or it will be pretty much remembered as the winter that wasn't I am sure the ski resorts are hurting a little they are usually going on natural snow by this time I am sure its getting xpensive running snow guns like they are!!! As much as we all like an early season the snow keeps thing a colder and supllies the water through out the season!!! we'll just have to wait and see I guess!!!

Going up to Vermont hopefully on sunday to pick-up my side of beef from my sister!!! So thats what I will be doing next week. I am getting it in 4 pieces and butchering it my self. making lots of stuff too, hotdogs, kilebasa, summer sausage, jerky, can't wait!!! I was hoping to get it before x-mas but it just didn't work out they had to go with another slaughter house the first guy cancelled 4 dates so they finally said forget it!!!

[southfork]

Getting ready to begin thinning and doing an improvement cut to expand the usable sugarbush for the future. Plan to move in the processor about February 1 and provide some food for the deer and deer for the wolves.

Other than that, have wood cut and stacked for about three years, assuming 500 taps. Between now and tapping will head to Montana to help calve out the Angus herd.

[GramaCindy]

I seen my first robin, always an indicater that the season is about over. Probably Al Gore's pet out promoting global warming.

Mark 220 Maple[/QUOTE]

Relax Mark! Check this out...http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/american_robin/lifehistory/ac

Read the cool facts. I have in the past come across a small flock of robins that wintered over. It's not totally unusual.

[KV Sappers]

No robins yet in Central Pennsylvania but with the temp. the past 2 days around 60 would not surprise me to see a few. Some of the maples are budding up. Crazy weather right now.

[Dill]

Josh (Amber Gold) gave me a hand in my vac bush this morning. Seems like we are really getting somewhere on that one. If only I had noticed I bought 100 ft of mainline instead of the 400 I meant to grab, it would be much closer to done.
But I'm worried about this weather, I was in a tshirt, in Jan that isn't right. Looks like its going to freeze up for a couple days than thaw again. So when is everyone going to start tapping? This has been a freeze thaw cycle since thanksgiving.

[SadSams]

We are looking pretty good for the upcoming season. Last night I finished testing everything in the new vac. building. This morning we pulled it 1.5 miles down the dirt road to the sugarbush and set in place. Hooked up the rest of the laterals to the mainlines. So far were up to 212 taps with more to come. Its unlikly that i'll get to the 400 taps that was expected for this year. Got hold of some 18ga. 304 stainless at an auction last week. Good prices because it has some light scratches. So of course I had to build a new steam hood right away 2x5. Its not the easiest stuff to work with. Even my 10-14 Chicago (hand brake) was not happy. It usually only sees 24ga max. galv. Next weekend i'm going to finish extending the arch (second year in a row). Thats it though, next expansion will be a bigger evap. and i'll sell this one. Picked up a filter press from a maple trader this week as well. That should be a nice time saver. Well, time to go. Good luck to all this season.

[red maples]

Was up in northern VT to pick up side of beef from my sister. the slaughter butcher guy they used probably one of the nice folks I have met in some time. He's an ex-chef turned farmer so we got to exchange some stories while we were breaking it down a little easier for transport. This thing is huge!!! almost 500lbs hanging weight for 1 side. I was not expecting a grass fed animal to be this big WOW...they did a great job raising it. The 7hr driving yesterday back and forth not so fun. But I did get to see snow. now I have to start breaking this thing down today. got get it all broken down and in the freezer and back to maple projects!!!

[jmayerl]

Got the storage tanks and head tank set in place today. Its only 600 gallon total so hopefully the sap only runs on my days off:). Going to make 500 bag holders this week, then I have nothing to do until the new pan is made. Might go talk to a guy up the road who has a ton of maples in his yard to see if we can work something out but I think I'm already over my maximun workable tap count.

[Amber Gold]

Eric, I did the same as you for the same reasons. The sides of the grim flue pan's aren't high enough to keep splashing sap inside pan, so opted not to have a drip rail put in on the hood. I think once the hood's up to temp, it doesn't create condensate anyways. I didn't have time to hook my preheater up and there was very little water in it dripping down from the steam stack and I don't see why the steam stack would be any different for creating condensate than the hood. BTW...it's only a 3' section of steam stack, but it was enough to get the steam into the cupola and out of the SH...really cleared things up except for the worst of days.

[stoweski]

Put up the lateral lines this afternoon after spending the morning picking up my new head tank. Will be adding the drops to the laterals next weekend. This one step at a time thing really works out nicely for me. If I have time after putting all of the drops in I may start digging my holes for the head tank stand. Originally looking at putting in 6x6's but then changed my mind as I didn't want to move my existing 4x4's. I'll add two or three more 4x4's then let's see that baby move an inch! Now I just need to mix some concrete so I can set the posts on something firm in the ground.

I know I must be forgetting something else that needs to be done!

[Don(MI)]

Well? What do you guys think about this weather, and how the spring will shape up? Talked with grandpa last night. And our woods is DRY!!! That has happened once in the past, and that means it could be a BAD maple syrup season. No moisture in the ground = low syrup production! But winter is not over yet! :(

[Ausable]

Well Don - I hope old Mother Nature comes thru and give us some moisture -cause I think You could be right. So far we haven't had the bitter cold weather with no snow cover - the kind that makes the frost go deep and really messes things up. Lets hope we get some snow -----and the moisture that comes with it. Ha! this is Winter......I think......

[Revi]

This is the winter that wasn't. The weather may come around, but if it doesn't maybe it's time to tap!

[Tithis]

I've been worrying about it a bit, both the unseasonable warm weather and the lack of snow. On one hand I don't want to tap now and then have some cold hit and my taps dry up when the weather turns favourable again. On the other hand I don't want to wait too long hoping for that good freeze and then have the season be really short because spring comes quickly.

There is some rain and snow in our forecast thankfully, so that should at least help put some moisture in the ground even if we don't get a good freeze.

[stoweski]

Neighbor was trimming some low branches between my woods and his field on Sunday while I was running lats. Cut a few smaller maples. On my way back through the sap was pouring out of them. I told him to put a cork in it because he's going to run my trees dry!

Anythings possible. Winter's not here yet... but it will be.

As we all say this time of year, I'll predict how the season is going to be in May! :D

[red maples]

holy cow make sure you check the trader daily haven't been here in a few days and pow so many new posts and threads geez!!!

Been cutting up cow for the last 4 days taking up all my time right now. hopefully I will be all done by sunday!!! just taking my time so I don't screw anything up. Got 70+ lbs in the freezer so far. probably another 150+ to go and still have to make sausages, burgers etc.

[nymapleguy607]

holy cow make sure you check the trader daily haven't been here in a few days and pow so many new posts and threads geez!!!

Been cutting up cow for the last 4 days taking up all my time right now. hopefully I will be all done by sunday!!! just taking my time so I don't screw anything up. Got 70+ lbs in the freezer so far. probably another 150+ to go and still have to make sausages, burgers etc.

Really shows you the skill some butchers have, its almost like watching a sword dance when they get going. Old man winters moving in with a vengence today, woke up it was raining and by the time I left the house a half hour later it was snowing. It finally looks like winter.

[red maples]

Yes butchering done right is an art form. So is cooking. I am a "retired chef" (only 39) but I haven't broken down a side of beef since school 15 or 20 somethings( if I have to sit and figure it I just round off)
years ago but I basically know where everything is.

[maple flats]

You guys without a drip rail on your hoods must be draining condensate back into the pan.

[deckers007]

Got insulation blanket for arch to day, will install tommorow. Not sure if I will brick over in flu area or leave it uncovered.

[Amber Gold]

Dave actually no. The preheater drips into a drip tray which drains out, and once the hood's warm, condensate doesn't form on the hood so no drip rails are needed.

[danno]

Thanks to 3 friends, I got the job done I've been dreading . We lifted a 300 gal. insulated milk tank into the rafters to feed the evap. That sucka was heavy. A little yankee ingenuity and a motor hoist got the job done. As we were bustin, a couple of suggestions that were mentioned included tearing down the sugarhouse, and rebuilding it around the tank after the tanks was in place. Another thought (and a pretty good one), put a 6" hole in the roof and drop a chain through and use an excavator from the outside to set the tank.

[christopherh]

Got my Arch back from the welding shop :D . Stretching it from a 2X6 from a 2X8. I hope to have it done today and ready for the sugarhouse. I think I'll line it with ceramic blanket this time, then brick.

[Paddymountain]

I have been really busy since hunting season with many upgrades.
1 new pans from A&A metal
2 new plumbing from headtank to evaporator
3 setup new vacuum pump & releaser
4 run about 500' mainline,with 3 sap ladders, and laterals
5 built a steam hood for over evaporator

almost everthing is done ;need to build 10 inch pipes for the hood, and a little more wiring on the releaser & pump
tried out the vacuum system today and have 18" at the fartherest tap.
have a few pics of the progress so far

[stoweski]

Coooooooold day for installing saddles and drops! Was out for two hours. Came in to thaw out with some hot chocolate... with amaretto of course. :D

Not done putting them in yet. Just need another couple of hours. Hopefully putting up my head tank stand tomorrow. Maybe I'll start a fire under it while I'm building!

[wiam]

Paddymountain, I would be concerned about feeding an evaporator with a filter in the line. If it plugs and you do not notice it..............

[waysidemaple]

Been going at it steady all chritmas break. Only a week left before it starts back up. Have the woods pretty much ready to go, just need to take the generator and pumps up and go looking for leaks. Not really sure what my tap count will be for this year for sure, definatly over 1000 but under 1500. Finally got some freezing weather the last few days. High of 17 today. Going to change the oil in the vacuum pumps tomorrow and take them up to the pump house and build the little lean-to off the side for the generator and back up gas powered vac pump. Need to set one releaser and tank but that wont take to long. Can't wait for season to hurry up and get here. Shooting for 400 gallons this year!

Scott

[Dennis H.]

PaddyMtn that is looking really nice.

I like the releaser setup. I also have one of those and I am curious how it will work.

[Paddymountain]

wiam,I'm rethinking that filter also, I'll either run it on bypass or take it out.

[stoweski]

Spent another cold day outside building the stand for my head tank. A few 4x4's, 6x6's, and 2x12's later and the stand is built and the tank is up. Now some diagonal bracing and it'll be totally secured. Sure is nice to have a 450 gal tank up instead of a 200!

Guess I'll have to wait to put the rest of the saddles on until next weekend. Man, work gets in the way of having fun!

[adk1]

Man I just set my 200gal tank on 5 pallets this year, that will have to do!

[Farmboy]

Worked in the woods today. Cut down a few dead trees. Got almost all my laterals and drops fixed. I have 1 more lateral to fix and 1 to turn into 2 to reduce lenght and tap count because Im getting a vac pump and releaser next weekend. Picking up some supplys, archboard, and bottles next weekend. Still need to brick my evaporator and set my head tank. Jim should be done my new front pan any day.

[adk1]

Nice, souonds like your getting there and ready to roll. I finished making up my drops today, 204 in total. That should be enough. Next weekend I am running laterals. Supposed to be in the 40's for temps. Hope to get it done in two days. Also need to add a few more side ties to the mainline and finalize that.

[waysidemaple]

Got the SP-22 and generator to the woods today. Took a few hours to get it all plumed up but after that and walking the lines plugging a few drops and fixing 4 squirrel chews we hit 20" at the releaser still need to install the vacuum guage at the end of the wet dry. Looks like rain all day tomorrow so I'll try to get the pulley system installed to lift the hoods off the pans. Really starting to get anxious for the season!!

Scott

[adk1]

yeah, hear you there. This weekend looking to be decent, nid 40's. Will be running lats!

[Turtlecreek]

Wow Paddymountain, your going high tech out there in the west end. I ran into shade mountain the other day in the west Milton area running mainline and drops.

[Dill]

Got the new return line hung up and the new mainlines side tied. Have to start making drops and running laterals. Then build my first sap ladder. This is nice year to work in the woods, so much easier without snowshoes.

[Amber Gold]

Just been plugging away at little projects getting ready for maple season. Spent Sunday morning w/ Dill getting my neighbor's 60+/- gravity taps set up. Mainline's run now just need to re-string the laterals I take down. In my main woods, fixing some minor issues I had...big one was getting sap in the vac. line. Been spending some time getting it strong nice and tight and getting the dips out of it. Surprised at how far back I'm having to chase it to maintain 2% pitch. Crossing my fingers, but this woods should run slick this year...shooting for 0.5gpt again this year from those trees. Another good thing in my travels is I've found another 20-30 taps, mostly reds. Still working on getting some other minor leads worked out for a few more taps for this season...a 100 tap gravity woods and maybe putting out some buckets. We'll see what time/ambition bring. Also getting some new tanks at the SH plumbed up and will have the preheater going this year too.

Anyone heard from Parker? Haven't seen him on in a bit...Theron too for that matter.

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

Ran lateral at the neighbors that used to have 3 taps for 5gal buckets. Now its 9 taps into one collection point about 80-90ft down from the first tree.
gonna start on somemore this week, and maybe work on the other bush.

[maple flats]

I picked up another SS tank yesterday, about 800 gal. I've got to make a cover and get some welding done on it. Where the tank needs to go will be about 600' from the nearest road, but where it must enter will be over 1/2 mile cross lots and thru the woods, so, I made a PT sled to drag it on and then leave it for a cradle. Not sure yet, but I'm thinking I'll either need to hire a farmer down the road with a good size 4x4 tractor and bucket loader to move it in, or maybe even the Amish farmers who lease the open fields to pull it with their horses. I just hope the snow doesn't get too deep before the necessary welding is finished.
After placing the tank, my releaser will be placed on top and then I will run a line to pump from tank to the nearest road for hauling. Time is sure running tight now.

[Tithis]

After last years mess I'm not allowed to finish the boiling inside :lol: So one of these days I'm going to have to go and pick up a hotplate at the store or something. I was going to need one to make a smoker this summer anyways, and I could probably also use it to help preheat the sap when boiling.

[buckeye gold]

Tithis,

Propane cookers work great and are very reasonably priced. Here's a link to them on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/180-4299026-9639621?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=propane+cooker

[Tithis]

I'll probably give the hotplate a go before I spend the dough for a propane burner. I was planning on getting a hotplate to build a smoker this summer anyways so if I could use it for finishing sap too that would be a big plus.

[Farmboy]

Finished fixing all my laterals in my neibors woods today. Went to the Mass Maple producers annual meeting yesterday and picked up some supplies and jugs. On the way home I looked at and bought a home made milk can releaser and a surge vac pump. It came with a thermostatic switch to turn the pump on and off and a moisture trap. Im going to set this up on my neibors woods thats about 85 taps.

[Maplewalnut]

Finished up a new 200 tap branch line in the woods and some misc repairs. Until I turn on the vacuum and check for leaks the woods are done. Have a couple days worth of misc tings in the sugarhouse and then give the tanks one last clean before I am all set. Pretty much on schedule and looks like the weather is getting colder end of this week so everything looks about right for a mid-Feb tap in

[Tithis]

Tapped a red maple today.

Decided to tap it after realising I had more potential taps then I did actual taps. Reason is two fold, one is I hope to get enough sap tomorrow when it warms up to try and get a sugar reading, second is to use it as an aid to decide when to tap the rest of the trees.

No sap today though, still too cold.

edit: I got just enough to get a sugar test and was disappointed, 1% :/ The sap was noticeably yellow as well. I'm hoping when the season starts for real the sugar goes up.

[Parker]

Spent yesterday in hill wworking on lines..I have about 7 solid days of work to do there...hope to get that up to 1400 taps this year...plan on walking rte.11 and sanborns in next 2 days make sure they are ready to go...SOON!

[Tithis]

Well the red maple I tapped to get readings wasn't leaking very much. I went and tapped my fathers norway maple in his front yard and the sap was at approx 2.1%, not bad at all.

Granted that doesn't tell me much about my other trees, but they're all sugars and reds growing in the open as well, so I imagine at least the sugars should be a bit higher than the norway.

I'm going to hold off tapping until the supposed cold snap we're supposedly getting in February is over.

[Parker]

I have hill almost all togather,,,still need to finish 300? but that line (like all my lateral mainlines) can be shut off via a valve at the conductor line,,been working on vac. pumps at night,,will tap in @ sanborns tommrow..