all my plans paid off...first boil

[lisound]

finally started my first boil today. had a weeks worth of sap and it looked very good and clear. Started boiling at 5pm due to late start from a visit to the ER.
3 steam pan setup. finished it in the final pan on the evap and brought it all the way to syrup. didn't think i'd get that right on the first try. I was going to finish on the stove but the boil was going well and the fire was dying out.
30 gal yielded 96 oz of syrup. grade A fancy.

hydrometer was key, defomer at end.....all went very well.

did not plow through wood either. I could have boiled harder at times, but I couldn't see in the dark and had poor lighting.

lots of fun.

[DonMcJr]

Congrats! Hope the ER trip wasnt anything serious.

[MapleLady]

Congrats! Looks like you're off to a good start for 2013!

[valleyman]

Way to go! Hope you heal quickly cause the sap ain't waitin' for you to get all better!

Commercial de foamer or butter?

[lisound]

tripped over some cement block i had laying around and banged up my leg, and needed a few stitches. Gathering sap sucked, but I made it. and well worth it.
Commercial defoamer. I mixed a few drops with some water and added a few drops of the now diluted defoamer when i saw the large bubbles starting to boil. all foam went away and just kept measuring with hydrometer.
once i was just below the red line, i through some snow on the coals and lifted the center pan out slowly. pouring off into a stock pot with 2 prefilters.
In hindsight, I should have used the orlon filter too. I also squeezed a good cup at the end, which was a mistake.
I have a 1/4 of the bottom of my bottles with this cloudy white stuff...I assume that's niter.
I'll post a few pic's later.
now that it has settled out, this syrup is very light and clear.