Tapped first week of March

[rschoo]

I put out all 50 buckets beginning of march and have been too busy to post. Sap running very well all last week and this one so far. 20's at night and mid to upper 30's days with lots of sun. Sap is barely at 2 Brix and am thinking of pulling the plug. I'm going to do a tree by tree sugar check and might collect the ones @ 1.9 or higher.
Hope everyone is having a good year.
Bob.

[Michigander]

Same here in west Michigan. Had a great 3 weeks but now things are starting to go down hill. With the warm nights starting by next Tuesday, I will probably only boil two three more days.

Dave

[Greenthumb]

its been a good last two/three weeks. boiled last night pulling taps today and finishing off what we get today. temp's where low 20 last night but it looks like spring begins tonight with lows in the 30/40 all week. it was a good year. of course ready for next year already. Our sugar content dropped off this weekend my reds dropped from 2 to 1.5 on average and sugars went from above 3 to 2.5.

[rschoo]

Boiled off another 60 galons today @1.9 tank reading. Got about 1-1/2 gallons and still looks pretty good. It's 28 F right now @11:00 p.m. Should have some more tomorrow but that's probably going to be it. Temps might fall off next week and my sugar maple have yet to bud. The reds have pretty fat buds and those are done for sure. Lots of sap this year but not very high sugar. Went through almost 3 full chords for about 7 gallons of syrup. Crazy!
Bob.

[Michigander]

Bob, that is a lot of wood! We went through a little better than 1 full chord (4'x4'x8') for 25 gal. Collected 60 gal. since noon yesterday and boiling that off today. Buds are starting to swell a little and with all the warm weather comming, we are pulling the taps today. Overall, very happy with the season :D . All syrup was light to medium with good flavor. Now it is time to look for some expansion next year. Plans for a new evaorator and build a sugar house.

Dave

[rschoo]

Yeah I know its a lot of wood but 90% was dry aspen. I still think it was too much wood. Don't know what to do to make it more efficient. I get about 7.5 gallons an hour of boil off. Dave, what size and configuration is your rig?

[Michigander]

I am using a flat pan which is approximately 24x48. The arch is cement blocks. The big difference between our wood usage is what we are burning. I am burning black locust which I have found to be about the hotest around - hotter than oak. Some years back I burned aspen in the house wood stove and used a lot more of it than I did with hardwood. Aspen burns nice and hot but you have to fire it a lot.

This is the last season on the flat pan. I just bought a new Tole Inox 2x6 raised flue and making plans for a new 12x16 sugar house so hopefully no more boiling under a big tarp. Now I can tap the additional trees I would like to get to. I do not want to get beyond 200 to 300 taps, just enough to keep it fun and not work.

Dave

[rschoo]

I'm in the same boat, Dave. A friend of mine has 14 acres of reds he said he would let me tap next year so I am considering getting a 2x6. I just built a 10x12 sugar house with coupola last fall. It's not 100% done but kept the weather out. Coupola works great for steam. Built it myself with concrete floor and 3' apron for less than $1400. It sure is nice to be inside. Wish you well on your sugar house.
Bob

[rschoo]

P.S. Dave,

Where did you get your evaporator and how much? Never heard of that manufacturer.

Bob

[Michigander]

Hi Bob,

The evaporator is made in Quebec. I bought mine from a private party who purchased it last fall but due to a change in plans never put it into operation. I paid $2,700 and a new one is probably about $3200. Tole Inox has a web site (all in French) and the Michigan dealer is RMG Family Sugar Bush in Rudyard in the Upper Penn. It seems to be a well thought out unit and I talked to Mike at RMG before buying it and I feel comfortable that I can get parts if needed. He said he had no 2x6 on hand now but did have a nice 2x5 and would be putting in an orderfor for more this spring. I think he said the 2x5 was $2995? I also spoke to people at the factory (once I found one that spoke english) and it seems most of the evaporators they sell are big oil fired monsters but they left me with a comfortable feeling. The only downside so far as I can tell is that the factory supplies no manual and I understand they are not the only manufacturer that does not supply a manual. Hard to believe!

I am going to try to build the new sugar house using the timber framing method (like the old barns) and have the timbers cut from oak on the property here. Big project. Hope we can handle it!

Dave

[rschoo]

Wow! Timber Frame. How many bents? The knee braces are the tricky part. Are you a builder? Sounds pretty cool. I post framed mine with a slab after and rough sawn pine from a local mill. Let me know how it turns out and take some pics. I think I have some pics of mine posted somewhere. I'll post the link if I can find it.

[rschoo]

Heres the link.
http://tk.files.storage.msn.com/x1pAdjo0uCo2H185-a0lqiX5u1mtkkiMfhedrJBMHt-vAYAAxfxlvDtILIPz4VPUoTWV9QVlr-_n1T7YQj4YhD6-F4VH1V_cYWe2OLNSsvYqU4lMwk5KD5_ET1Gf2f0LKATUkCJPDe TTkng8gTTa460-ps68bxVTaPC

It was after the ice storm this winter.

This one is the old sugar house on the family homestead in St. Clair county
http://tk.files.storage.msn.com/x1pAdjo0uCo2H185-a0lqiX5u1mtkkiMfhedrJBMHt-vAacRWOOorJoFw_-ywcPLLgNc79wFvPZZ0lJWGDoPoScSIp6lN7Q_JFIzcVo_IMiBa bkDVUVZY9Bdhx269uB4mxRZy7T1FcOXoWmhfj9Ykl1RQ9eRMEv KOsB

This one is of my wife and me last season with my little 12x18 outdoor rig
http://tk.files.storage.msn.com/x1pAdjo0uCo2H185-a0lqiX5u1mtkkiMfhedrJBMHt-vAb5RsuIJCxZjMt_mO_f-wpi5q6jdWN5U6TEO-ZIGFzUQTrO0xLfLzyRITh4Wkq43TEMg0GVcQ5lM1t7ZvPvgV_W XLgjxASPUhI9Q85g_oKkjg

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Won't let it be viewed unless you sign into msn??? :?

[Michigander]

Bob,
Yep, Brandon is right - can't view the pics. No, I am not a builder but a retired CPA (bean counter), who at 67 is just trying to follow a dream before it to late. Both my son and son-in-law are builders and they live one on each side of me. No timber framing experience but a yen to do it and with housing slowing down we hope to have some time this summer. With grandkids living next door it is my goal to have a small sugaring operation that they can be involved with and maybe one of them will own the homestead someday. Sure would like to keep it in the family. Looking at one set of plans with 4 bents using mostly 4x6 timbers and one with 3 bents using larger timbers - have not decided yet.

[rschoo]

Try the links now. I hope they work.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Working great! :D

[Michigander]

Hey Bob,
Nice lookin sugar house! You sure did great with that amount of money! I will email you some pictures once we get going on our sugar house this summer. Get me your email address via a Private Message or email (my address is in my profile) and I will get you some pics via email of this years setup. I can email pics but I don't yet have a clue how to post them to a hosting site. Went out today to find some new maples to rent next year to keep the thirst of that 2x6 satisfied but not much success yet - but I will find them!

Dave

[rschoo]

Look forward to seeing your project.

[Greenthumb]

Michigander,

I built a 12x16 sugar house a few years ago. with a cement floor it has worked out great for our half pint. the only problem know that my illness has grown and we would like to expand from 40 to around 100 taps I don't know if a 12x16 house is big enough for a 2nd half pint, a 2x4 or a 2x6 like I am thinking. If I had to do it again I would at least make the sugar house 15x20. Just a thought good luck and keep us posted

[sweetwoodmaple]

Lots of room, you have. I've got my 3 x 10 in a 12 x 16 sugarhouse. 8O

Seriously, I would not go larger than a 2-1/2 x 8, depending on what all you want to do there (canning, making other confections, etc). Having only 4' in front of the fire doors is kind of tight.

I can my syrup in my basement and do cream and other products in the kitchen in the house.

[Michigander]

I hear ya Greenthumb!
Already thinking 16x24. Never big enough I guess. I will try to keep you posted. I opened my mouth and now I am committed! 8O 8O

Dave

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mapleking has a 16 x 24 with a 3x8 evap and he says his is not big enough. :)

[rschoo]

you guys are spoiled! My sugar house is 10x12 with 8' sidewalls. my current rig is almost 7' long and 16" wide. along with that I have a 100 gal feed tank, 16"x48" bench, 10 hp generator, collecting buckets, 50 sap buckets, 2 32 gal trash cans for collecting, 1/6 hp transfer pump, 3 20# propane cylinder, 2 coleman lanterns, 2 kerosene lamps, 5 gal can of kerosene, 6 cases of various bottles, turkey frier, a roll of 15# felt (don't ask),2 coffe pots, 40 extra fire brick, 2 stainless syrup pails, 4 hydrometers & 2 cups, various filters, 10# box of filter aid and over a face chord of fire wood. 3x8 would fit no problem.

[Russell Lampron]

I have my 2x6 evaporator in a 12x12 sugarhouse with a 6x5 room added on for the RO machine. Future plans include making the building 12x24 with 12x14 for the evaporator and 12x10 for the RO and canning. It's alittle tight for firing the evaporator right now and I barely have enough room for the RO machine and wash tank. If I were to get a larger evaporator I would want to make the building wider also.

Russ

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It all comes back to the saying, "you make do with what you have"! :D

Also, "the more you have, the more you want" also fits good! 8O 8O :lol: :lol: :lol: Of course, that wouldn't apply to maple people! 8O

[rschoo]

Hey russ,
how many taps are you running on that 2x6 and RO? How many gals did you make this season? I'm thinking of upgrading to a 2x6 and 50 more taps. I could even get another 1 or 2 hundred on a friends property 3 miles away.

[Russell Lampron]

Rschoo,

I have about 540 taps and I made 80 gallons of syrup. Gearpump just down the road from me in Pittsfield also has 500 taps and a 2x6 and RO machine and he made 139 gallons of syrup this year. His trees run sweeter than mine. A 2x6 evaporator can handle up to 300 taps without a problem.

Russ

[rschoo]

Russ,

What sugar content are you getting out of your RO? Whats your boil rate on your evaporator and how much of what type of fire wood do you go through in a season.

[Sugarmaker]

Building size is all what you are used to and can tolerate as being comfortable in.
Having made syrup in several less modern facilities, I decided to do some research when we were ready to start our building.
We used the University of Vermont Extension Office guidelines and then expanded the design to suit our lot and needs.
We have a 16 x 24 foot Evaporator room the 3 x 10 evaporator is of set from the center of the room about 2 feet.
Next we designed on a 10 x 24 wood shed for easy access to the wood pile. ( we use four wheeled wagons to cart the wood in).
Then we added a utility room to the back which is 26 x 13 this has the water heater and sink basin (bucket washer), storage areas and product shelves.
I wanted the tanks high for gravity feed so the utility room has a 16 x 8 loft and a full set of stairs for easy access to the 400 gal and 350 gallon tanks.
We like this arrangement so far and generally don't feel to crowded for space.

I know at lot of you guys are working in much smaller sugar houses and they work just as well. Also some very large operations too are packed with equipment filling every space.

I Just like all sugar houses, old or new, and like to see how innovative and resourceful sugar makers are.

Regards,
Chris