September Journal

[DrTimPerkins]

You folks must all be celebrating the holiday weekend early. Late-afternoon and nobody has started the new journal yet!

[Mark]

They are probably out at the sugarhouse making sure no syrup is missing.

[ClarkFarmMapleSyrup]

:o I am missing 10 gallons and just checked stock.
Oh wait, I only made 10 gallons and sold it all except for the stuff in the fridge :lol:

[mapleack]

Had a good morning today, decided to go to a local flea market and found an all steel 1,000 lb capacity platform scale. The best part was that I got it for 40 bucks! I've been looking for one for a couple years to weigh bulk syrup, but didn't want to spend a fortune, guess waiting paid off!

[heus]

I am looking forward to the maple auction at Ray Gingerich's (Deer Run Maple) in two weeks. Looking for a bulk tank, squirrel cage fan, and some misc. items.

[Gary R]

I have my 3/16" tubing. Just a few fittings from Karl Evans and I'm ready to put it up. I found a place to buy 4'x8', 304 stainless sheets for 83 cents per pound. I bought a couple of 18ga. I just don't know what I'm going to build. My sugar bush soil sample is back. My PH is 4.5. My foliar sample should be back any day. I need to make paths through the sugar bush in order to get a spreader through.

[Paddymountain]

Just finshed the ceiling in my sugarshack tonight. Ship-lapped white pine over 3/4 " hi moisture insulation. I need to extend my steam pipes yet. I got a load of skid blocks from the brother-in-law. They are appr 3"x3" x 3ft long 4 skids full for $10. Pretty good bargain. I bought a 1" gas transfer pump at Harbor Freight this weekend to pump from cage tanks to the truck. I also bought a pair of bolt cutters to turn into hi tensile wire crimpers. I aqquired a ss 132 gal tank for on my truck
for hauling sap. I have to buy a roll of 3/4 mainline and string 2 more wires to gain about 40 more taps. Also need some pvc and fittings to make a sap ladder.
I bought some ss fittings I need to get sanitary tigged for my releaser. I should be ready by spring!!!!

[miller maple]

hello my names tyler im from martinsburg ohio i just saw you said there is a maple auction coming up and i was wondering were that action is at. thanks

[OneLegJohn]

Auction info:

Sept 15th, 10AM

1537 Easton Road
Orwell, OH 44076

Alas, I will be parting with my 2X6 D&G at the auction. This a great, complete unit. On a bad day, I would boil 35GPH. On a good day, 50GPH. It has hood, preheater, blower, brick, stacks. If some one from the Trader or Sugarbush.info buys it, I will be available to answer questions.

[miller maple]

is there any info on what all will be sold at the action, thanks

[heus]

OLJ, Did you get a new evaporator yet?

[Dennis H.]

I got a little more wood split today, would have had more done but had to go get a few stitches in my finger.:(

You know your finger is no match to a logsplitter and a piece of wood!:o

Got the pad of my pinky finger on my left hand split open, no major damage just took a good cleaning and a few stitches and I am good to go.
I even went back up this evening to split a little more. I need to get this done, as I have so many other things to get done.

[OneLegJohn]

Heus,

The evaporator is ordered. If they don't deliver it on time, I will be bringing my sap to your house.

[heus]

So dont leave us in suspense..What did you order?

[Yellzee]

after spending weekends at the camping trailer up north and holidays in B.C. I'm hoping to get back to work around the maples this weekend... only problem is I woke up Monday morning with a bad knee for no apparent reason... can barely even bend it.

I'll probably be stupid enough to work anyways and by Monday I'll be totally unable to move.

sap lines to check, tree stands to brush out, hunting paths to clear, rocks to put into trail ruts... you name it ...

[OneLegJohn]

Heus, Signature Updated.

[heus]

Nice, congratulations.

[ennismaple]

We got almost a drum of syrup re-heated and packaged on Saturday. With the monsoon rain and high winds we got sitting in the basement packing syrup was about the only thing maple related we could do!

Yesterday we spent a few hours laying out mainlines in a new section of our woods. We got it planned with a "spine" mainline running straight up the slope and flatter mainlines that come off the side that are spaced out every 100ft up the hill - a textbook layout that works better than I could have hoped for. In the afternoon we got a few thousand feet of mainline steel pulled, tightened and properly sloped by the end of the day. There should be another 400 taps in just this section alone and we can easily extend the mainlines to get that many more taps next year. I love the look of new tubing! Can't wait!!!

[sjdoyon]

Took last week off from work, built a 28x8 deck on side of sugarhouse to install overflow sap tank and have the extra room to store barrels. Installed 1,600 feet of one inch lateral lines, cleaned sugarhouse, repaired leak on pvc pipe leading into RO, tarped all the firewood sitting outside. Installed new reserve fuel tank.

[heus]

OLG,
That 6000 gallon trucker tank at Ray's has your name all over it.

[OneLegJohn]

OLG,
That 6000 gallon trucker tank at Ray's has your name all over it.

Heus, You know me all too well! That's a big reason I'm going.

[red maples]

WOOD....WOOD....WOOD.....WOOD.... Oh yeah all about splitting wood......

Did I mention I am splitting wood??? need to get r done!!! so much more stuff togo!!!!

[OneLegJohn]

Auction info:

Sept 15th, 10AM

1537 Easton Road
Orwell, OH 44076


I heard from a reliable source that Bascom's sent a semi-truck load of equipment that was to arrive today. Now that I'm selling, I'm afraid things are going to go too cheap.

[PATheron]

oneleg- Is there a listing of the stuff thats there anywhere? Theron

[Daryl]

I was just at Ray's. The load from Bascoms has arrived.

[heus]

Daryl what was on the load?

[WMF]

I will be taking two 8 inch RO's to the auction on Saturday. There is a pic of them on my website http://welchsmaple.com/april2011%20007.jpg Sounds like there will be a lot of equipment there.

[OneLegJohn]

Here is the listing. It is incomplete. Hasn't changed in 2 weeks.

http://www.auctionzip.com/Listings/1441237.html

[PATheron]

WMF- Did you get a new ro to replace your old ones must be? Are either one of them m39s or are they both m38s? Theron

[Daryl]

It looked like a lot of tanks and pails, an old evaporator and a bit of other stuff. I wasn't interested so didn't pay to much attention. It was unloaded out by the road.

[WMF]

Theron,

They are both M38E piston pumps, each will do 900 GPH with fresh membranes. I am selling these with 4 year old XLE -440's in good shape and with storage tubes.

We bought a CDL 4 post so these are no longer needed.

[waysidemaple]

WMF

Will you have a reserve on these at the auction? What are you looking to get out of those?

Scott

[GramaCindy]

after spending weekends at the camping trailer up north and holidays in B.C. I'm hoping to get back to work around the maples this weekend... only problem is I woke up Monday morning with a bad knee for no apparent reason... can barely even bend it.

I'll probably be stupid enough to work anyways and by Monday I'll be totally unable to move.

sap lines to check, tree stands to brush out, hunting paths to clear, rocks to put into trail ruts... you name it ...

Hey Yellzee, it sure sounds like lymes to me….get a blood test. It usually hits the major joints like the knees first. I have NEVER seen a "bullseye" rash, but have tested positive to Lymes twice.

[heus]

I heard from a reliable source that Bascom's sent a semi-truck load of equipment that was to arrive today. Now that I'm selling, I'm afraid things are going to go too cheap.
OLJ I hear ya. Good for the buyers, but not for the sellers.

[Super Sapper]

Been baiting bears the last month for my 2 sons and father. Stoped at Maple Hollow in Merill on the way up one time and had to stop on the way back also. It was my first chance to actually get my hands on some of the stuff I have been reading about. I ended up picking up 200 taps, some tees, wyes, sap sacks, hydrometer, a piece of archboard for the evaporator door, and some pan gasket. We do not have anyplace close to look at and purchase this stuff so it was nice to stop in.

[WMF]

Wayside,

There will be a reserve, I have not decided on a number yet. Hopefully there will be someone looking to buy these industrial sized machines.

I have heard that some Amish have converted these belt driven piston pump machines to gas engines. Not sure if they also power up the recirc pump as these machines both have recirc pumps.

[waysidemaple]

WMF,

Thanks. Those recirculating pumps really help. Still trying to decide if I am making the 5 hour drive out or not.

Scott

[WMF]

Wayside,

That 1600 gpm Lapierre should eat up a lot of sap, are you thinking about adding another Ro ?

[waysidemaple]

WMF,

Yeah the 1600 should crank through some sap but I gotta do my best to keep up with old PATheron. If the price is right I'm always looking for more R.O.

Scott

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

WMF,

Yeah the 1600 should crank through some sap but I gotta do my best to keep up with old PATheron. If the price is right I'm always looking for more R.O.

Scott

Jeez... If Theron is old, I must be ancient!

[Gary R]

If you knew how young Wayside is, most of us are old:D I bought a three point spreader to lime and fertilize the woods. I'm headed out the door for the auction. I hope to see some familiar faces and talk maple!

[farmall h]

Firewood is in the sugarhouse! Need to find an inexpensive tank...1500 gallon or larger would be nice. Getting away from all the old galvanized.

[PATheron]

Been dying of curiosity all day. What did you guys get at the auction? Any good deals? Theron

[bobsklarz]

Anyone else notice an unusually high number of acorns and hickory and other nuts this Fall? I've never had this many. Plinkin down on my truck every few minutes. Signs of a bad Winter coming?? Hope not!:o

[red maples]

alot of pine cones too. last year there was NO acrons, pine cones, walnuts or hickory nuts. So with them all back I hope the squirrel chews aren't so bad!!!! but wouldn't mind a bad winter I aint scared!!! I LOVE snow!!!! and last year we got none!!! I got plenty wood for the house finished plus I am getting ahead for next year already I wanna try to be at least a 1/2 year out from now onif not more. as long as it stays covered it stays good!!! I was a little later this year in getting wood done don't like it.

[OldManMaple]

Farmall h
Check this out; http://nh.craigslist.org/grd/3218033178.html

[heus]

At the auction yesterday, used water pumps went outrageously high. Buckets went very low. Several very nice Wheeling buckets went for $3 each. I was able to get some nice bucket lids for 45 cents each. Ray auctioned off his demo 125gph ro and some lucky sap got it for like $1500. 6000 gal tanker went for around $5000. I got a round bulk tank, around 250 gallons, for $160. The other bulk tanks went for around 1.25-1.50 a gallon.

[Kngowods]

I was surprised the prices of the evaporators I thought they were low I was looking for a cage tank they were very high priced for NOT food grade. I got to talk to A&A probably gonna be ordering a new evaporator in the next couple weeks!!! I took a pic of some NICE sap buckets!!5913

[Gary R]

I didn't buy a thing. I've never seen so many straw hats:rolleyes: Many items went very high in price. I left right after the tanker went for $5500. There was a lot of stuff I'd never let my sap touch. The evaporators and RO's did go reasonable. If a guy wanted bucket spouts, you could get them by the thousands cheap. A lot of used tubing fittings. We should save and sell them. I didn't know people would give more than $50 for a five gallon bucket of fittings that most would throw away.

Kngowods, if you were in Ray's new building talking to A&A about a 2X8, that was me telling you about mine. I'm very happy with it. I hope you didn't buy those buckets in the picture:lol:

[Kngowods]

Ya i was One of the guys without a straw hat that should really narrow it down. I didn't and wouldn't buy those buckets that's Ridiculous that someone would!!! No that wasn't me u were talking to wish it was I would have liked to talk to someone that has one.

[heus]

Yeah I was put off by the 200 5 gal Rotella Motor Oil Buckets. Also, almost all of the cage tanks had sanitizer in them and were not food grade. To Ray's credit, he made sure people knew this before the bidding began. Still, I cant beleive people paid $100 or more for cage tanks that you cant put sap in, unless they are using them for used oil or something. Someone got a great deal on my Patrick Phaneuf-made SS roof jack ($15). I was happy to get $80 out of my three point carry-all, though.

[PATheron]

Did the piston pump ros that WMF had end up selling? Theron

[heus]

If you are talking about the big 900 gph old ones I know that one sold not sure about the other. Dont exactly recall the price either but I would guess $3500?

[RC Maple]

I was at the auction yesterday too. I did buy some of those wheeling buckets for $3.00. I remembered some buckets going for over $6 last year when the auction started. There were some nice looking bukets along the North side that looked like they would be some of the last items sold. Anyone know if later selling buckets were much cheeper? We didn't stick around til the end - it was probably cheaper that way.

[maple flats]

I was waiting for cooler weather before bottling more syrup. Today was the day. My shelves are full again, and I can now fill some back orders I had.

[tuckermtn]

Three more cords in the woodshed thanks to my wife, her 82 year old father, and my 13 and 10 year old girls. I was running the firewood processor and dumping a cord at a time by the wood shed- by the time I got the next cord cut, spit, and delivered, my crew of stackers had ever thing stacked...huge help.

8 cords in the shed. Hope to get at least one or two more and then I can shift gears to working in the woods...

[Mark]

I was surprised the prices of the evaporators I thought they were low I was looking for a cage tank they were very high priced for NOT food grade. I got to talk to A&A probably gonna be ordering a new evaporator in the next couple weeks!!! I took a pic of some NICE sap buckets!!5913

Look at the label on the buckets, motor oil. Oh, someone already caught that.

[mountain man maple]

Who sells A & A evaporators is ray the only one?Also wondered if they weld or if they are all still soldered?

[heus]

You can buy them straight from the maker, which is Atlee Miller in Ulysses, Pa. Yes they are soldered.

[Revi]

I'm going to have to get next year's wood ready pretty soon. We're going to try the new natural vacuum technique, so we're getting some new fittings from McMaster-Carr. I guess they got the same as a vacuum pump and almost double the amount of sap at the Proctor Maple Research Center. All it takes is the new thin tubing and the new fittings. We have some new taps to put in, so we'll go with this new technique and see what happens.

[Amber Gold]

What's wrong with Rotella sap buckets. They're clean, right...

First for me, it's not October yet, and my house and sugar wood is split and stacked.

Walked the woods with the property owner and he's OK with the thinning I want to do. I'll get going on it next weekend. This year's thinning will be where the new mainline's going. I'll cut/skid everything out that I can through October, then run the new line in November. This new section should increase the wood's tap count to 750-800 taps.

No big changes this year, new sap tank and misc. other small items. Adding taps any way I can...need to make more syrup.

Next weekend, going to talk to another property owner about tapping his trees. All reds, flowing to one spot, but unfortunately the tank would be on the neighbor's property.

[Dennis H.]

I now have all the wood split and stacked for the coming season.
I have been reworking the mainlines here at the house, I now have all the mainlines heading to one tank and releaser. I just need to hookup the lat's and it will be complete here.
I have a few days off from work coming up around Columbus day so that is the time I am looking to really work thru the the tubing up at my Dad's place.
I was to tube in a friends place and that kind of fell thru, I was to get about 150 taps there on vac.
So ity looks like I will be only at the half the number of taps that I was planning on having. Bummer.

Syrup has been selling really good here. I went to a local Market this past weekend in Camphill and sold alot of syrup and Maple coated nuts.
I need to practice making candies, I had a few people ask about them.
Right now I have but a few gals left and I will be sold out.

[220 maple]

With just a hint of a chill in the air, syrup sales picked up bigtime! Sold almost everything I took a festival last weekend, need to restock for the next festival.
During the festival got to talk to the gentleman who approached me at last years festival about syrup production on his 1200 acres, hopefully Monday I'm going to take my Amish equipment dealer/ tubing installer to look at the woods. Landowner thinking he might set up 200 acres into production to start with? Who knows, I'll let you know next week.

Mark 220 Maple

[Gary R]

I spread pellet lime and fertilizer in my sugar bush Friday night. A couple of weeks ago I made a two handed and a one handed tubing tool. I only have about $40 invested in the both of them. I'll put them to use soon with my 3/16 tubing project. Archery starts next weekend. Probably no maple work for six weeks, unless I get lucky:D

[Paddymountain]

I took a walk around my woods this evening. I need to put up 2 more runs of high tensile, put 3/4 mainline on it and run a bunch more lats. I also need to build 1 sap ladder. I bought a 18" bolt cutter at harbor freight and made them into a crimper,worked out pretty well and only cost about $10. I need to make a two handed
fitting tool . I got the vise grips when I bought the bolt cutters, just need the 7/16 couplers and I'll be ready . I have one fitting for my vac system I want to get sanitary tig welded yet.

[heus]

Was able to put up lateral lines for 107 more taps this weekend. That brings me to a little under 200 taps on four mainlines. My plan is to have 300 on gravity and 200 buckets. I have set this up so I can use vacuum in a couple of years. I will be cutting in my tees and drops at a later date when I buy a two handed tool. Waiting on a 100 gallon stainless gathering tank that I ordered from A&A at Ray's auction last weekend.

[lastwoodsman]

5934

Just picked up a 250 gallon bulk tank, cleaned it up and need to cut off old compressor on it. That will be easier to clean than the plastic tank. Need to put in one sap ladder.

[red maples]

Had a good time at the races yesterday. Although not the most exciting race no good wrecks. and traffic coming home was a bear. Alot of drunk rednecks in place can go either way:rolleyes: but great weather. Finished wood shed addition to the sugarhouse on saturday. Now I have to move all the wood into it!!! and finish splitting the remainder of the wood!!!

[220 maple]

Henry B. and I looked at a Sugarbush for a gentleman Monday. Only 1200 acres more or less, I suspect more since the last survey was done in the 1780s. If any of you traders are going to the Pa. Maple Tour this weekend, ask Henry if Dryfork WV has any potential for syrup production?

Mark 220 Maple

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

220- I went over to Henry's this week. He said that was an unbelievable grove of maple trees. I sure wish it was mine! Do you think the guy will follow through and start tapping on a large scale?

[220 maple]

Jeremy,
I have a feeling that something is going to happen there! Henry and I both suggested to start very small just to see if the maple bug bites. When Henry and I was driving out of the property I asked Henry what he would do if it was his? A very quick answer. I'd tap every tree. I then said just think if Jeremy owned this land. Henry said that would be fun to see him go after that woods. Did Henry mention possible tap count? Don't repeat on here if he did. I'll PM you with other details about this Supersize sugarbush and what I think is possible. Just curious do you know what the largest producers tap count in Pa.? I guess Sanners is the biggest in Somerset County,Pa. and you and Milroy Farms are pushing them. In West Virginia the largest producers is a 16000 tap operation in Preston County.

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

220- I believe Patterson is the largest in PA. I think they are 80000-90000 taps. Maybe someone else might know for sure. Sanners are the largest in Somerset county. I don't know how many Milroy taps, but I think his tap count is close to mine. We've been busy on the new woods here, mainline is up, 5/16 is finished. Have about half of the drops to put in and finish tieing up mainline. I will be pumping my sap 3000' and 300' of elevation difference with a deep well pump. I am anxious to see how it works.

[farmall h]

Hmmm, sounds kinda sketchy MapleMan. Construction equipment? Hate to buy something with clorine or diesel in it.

[Paddymountain]

Got a secton of mainline up today that will give me 24 more taps. I have the laterals all run, need to put up the 3/4 tubing yet , I ran out of wire ties so
I just have it stretched out under the hi tensile wire. I need to put up one more stretch and that will just about cover my woods . Looking to get about 75 on vacuum this year.
That will be a little more than double what I had last year. With that and the 150 tap bush I bought down the road about 3 miles I think it will keep us busy enough.

[heus]

Put up two more rolls of lateral tubing to get me to 259 taps so far. At least 41 to go, plus 200 buckets for 500 taps total.

[bix]

Hi Gary,

Would you be interested in making another setto sell? I would buy a set from you. Please call me at 15705293350. Thanks, Ray B

[tuckermtn]

With a lot of help from the ladies of Tucker Mountain Maple, we now have a full woodshed. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tucker-Mountain-Maple-LLC/125725624200096 This is the first time we have hand-stacked the whole shed- previously we used a combination of stacking 4 or 5 cords and then using big mesh bags on pallets to dry some under tarps to be moved in to the woodshed when we chewed through the stacked wood.

We average about 55-60 gallons per cord, so we should be good for around 500 to 550 gallons. That would be a really good season for us...