The sugar house at Morningstar Farm 2014 season

[morningstarfarm]

Well, I guess it's time to get this season started...finally have most of our addition completed...and am getting back into the woods Mon...tap count for this year is looking to be around 3600...we have set the date for our first clinic and the response has been pretty good so far. This will be a little different than the other clinics I have attended over the years in that we have a small 2 acre sugar bush at me neighbors. We will be setting up the complete system. There are approx 175-200 taps. If all goes as planned everyone should have hands on experience in all aspects of the install...and we will complete it by mid afternoon. We will also cover troubleshooting and layout challenges. I am hoping this will be the first of many clinics to come...

Picked up the 2 new vacuum pumps this week and have started looking for the 2000-3000 gal tank I still need, but everything else is pretty much in place.

Well, it has begun...

[morningstarfarm]

Sugar house is finally coming down to finishing touches...got back in the woods to find several trees down on my mains...nothing a chainsaw won't fix but still a pita...started running wires...should make our goal this season for taps...
Oh and our website is finally up...check us out...www.sappyguys.com

[morningstarfarm]

Well, I got a serious reality check this morning with out first snow. So much still to get done..the new steam hood is due in this week, the new arch is in the works, and I am well into getting the new vacuum pumps configured. After last seasons disaster on the farm bush it will be nice to have new pumps giving us 35 cfms. The retail side of the sugar house is all set for opening this Saturday. Just need to make another 5 gals of candy tomorrow. We will be carrying an assortment of supplies as well as the maple products this year, we'll have to see how it works out...well, enough for now...good luck all with your lists...

[morningstarfarm]

Haven't had time to update this in a while...running ragged trying to get everything ready...weather looks great for next week...unfortunately I won't be ready to tap...still have 500 drops to put in and about 70 saddles...tanks still need to be plumbed to the ro, steam stacks need to be put up...and the whole sugar house needs to be hogged out...hopefully will be ready to start tapping right after we take my oldest son to college the 19th...be safe everyone...good luck..the race is on...

[morningstarfarm]

Finished up the steam stacks for the new hood today...then plumbed in the second tower for the ro...and then I couldn't stand it anymore...so I ran 1000 gals of water into the main tank and fired her up...ran like a dream...got all the glycol cleaned out Of her...now all I need I'd sap...
After that we filled all the pans and made steam!!!...woohoo...got the pans all scrubbed and drained...
All in all we are not in bad shape...still a bunch to do in the woods once the weather cooperates...

[morningstarfarm]

Got everything in order at my first sugarbush today...the took the leap and tapped in about 300...about half were running pretty good much to my chagrin...was really hoping they would all still be dry...taking the releaser over in the morning to get the vac fired up...if its going to run I might as well take advantage of it...then will finish the day tapping as many as possible...

[morningstarfarm]

700 in so far...only 2300 to go...was cool tapping in a snowstorm today...fortunately they were not running today...as much as I love watching them run while I am tapping, they are goings to sit for a week or so before I am all done poking holes and ready for them to run...

[morningstarfarm]

What a long week...weather extremes held me up from tapping in...was too afraid of splitting trees at 5 degrees...finished my second bush today in the storm...was kind of cool early on until the fiftieth time snow buried me coming off the limbs...releasers to be put in tomorrow and fire the vacuum up to flush the lines...as long as the temps forecast actually happen...the last bush is going to be a challenge to get done by tues...couple down trees on mains and my vert releaser line got crunched as well...that line is 12' in the air...not looking forward to getting an extension ladder all the way out there...ugh..but hoping to be boiling early this week....I can't wait....I feel the need for steam

[red maples]

oh that sucks... but sap is on the way!!! Hey call Chris let him know what you need he's coming out Tuesday or Wednesday. (hopefully Tuesday)

[highway]

Glad to hear you are tapping, I am considering starting on Monday. Looks like warm weather pushing in for next week. Not looking forward to tapping on snow shoes.

Ed

[morningstarfarm]

Finally in from the sugar house...spent the day chasing down a couple leaks...finally got both bushes up to 27".. One running well...dumped about 400 gals on the ground...kills me to do that...but what was coming out I wouldn't put in my pans...the other is a new bush...nice and tight but the lines finally got filled enough to run a bit just before dark...hoping tomorrow is a better day..hoping to sweeten on sat...tonight I managed to get the tandem vac pumps up for the last bush...took a while to configure them as the two 1397 pumps are running on a single 3 hp motor...getting both tensioned with 4 belts took some doing...but got her done...pulling 29" at the expansion tank...will set the releaser and vert releaser on that bush tomorrow....then start tapping...only 1200 left to drill...hopefully it goes as planned...

[red maples]

Hope you got some sap today!!! ran pretty good here. Sorry I didn't get over there today. My Daughter got a stomach bug last night and my wife had here art show today as well so I ended up staying home with her. she doing better now. went to help my wife break down (Rollinsford) stopped in to see Josh on the way home and pick up some stuff he borrowed. he was thrashing a bit to get going!!!

[morningstarfarm]

Hehe I bet he is...I certainly am here...ended up with about 400-450 gals today...ran pretty good all day...got a bunch of small leaks addressed and am finally back up to pulling 27"...hopefully tomorrow is as good...into the last sugarbush tomorrow...setting releasers and charging system in the morning...then I will begin tapping in....as I get each side line done I will charge them...should have a couple hundred in by noon hopefully...And enough to have our first boil..

[red maples]

You still alive over there??? You drowning in sap or tangled in tubing??? Probably a little of both huh??

[morningstarfarm]

Yes, I am alive...have been scrambling to get everything finished up....still have 300 drops to put in and tap then I will be able to catch my breath...

The past couple days have been frustrating...the temps here have been about 2-3 degrees off...31 for an hour or two doesn't recharge my trees...grrr...ended up with 1100 gals tonight to boil...was able to finish sweetening my pans and made about 8 gals of what appears to be light med...will know better after I finish and filter it tomorrow...was great to actually make some syrup this year...was getting a bit concerned about maple weekend...last year we sold about 275 gals...fortunately the weather looks to be good this weekend into next week...