Jan 2014

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

here we are in another year congrats
my feed pump for RO showed up so now just start welding and putting things together but one thing left cut up the deer so I can do all the above mentioned things

[nymapleguy607]

Spent yesterday cleaning up tops and limbs that fell during the past year, then cut a load of wood for the wood shed. I have a friend that is making me some nice mirror polished stainless steel sides for my evaporator. I'm debating moving my sap tank to the other side of the creek, which will help with single person sap collection. It also gives me access to a run of at least 60 sugars maples, Unfortunately I dont think there is enough time before the season to get all that done.

[madmapler]

but one thing left cut up the deer Did"nt you get that deer in nov. or did you get another one?

[maple flats]

We also did clean up and repairs in one bush yesterday. I had 1 main that was brought down by a tree, it was one that has high tensile wire. The tree snapped the HT wire. We got it pulled together and crimped again. Does any one have a fence puller that actually grips HT wire. I have to connect the fence puller (stretcher?) and then apply a pair of vice grip pliers on the wire at a 45 degree angle where each wire comes thru the puller clamp to hold it from slipping on the HT wire as I pull by operating the pull lever. This is time consuming, any higher quality pullers out there that might fit a small producer's budget?

[PerryFamily]

Flats- I use my buddies come-a-long and his has spring loaded wire grippers made by Klein tools. The work really good. Once one side is on it wont come off because of the spring loaded part, always keeps a grip. Not sure where he got them but I believe they were like $60 each maybe. I have found them on amazon.

[sugaringman85]

We've been working on my new house for over six months now and its really getting in the way of everything, regular work and sugaring repairs! We are within two weeks of finishing the house...I hope. Looking forward to actually going back to logging and the little bit of tree work I have left. This house has also put me way behind on my sugaring maintenance. A wind storm earlier this fall took a bunch of mainlines out, including two trees that came down on my wet dry line right at a manifold. so i have 3 main lines to put back up at each of these sites. I have no idea how many lateral lines are down or if there are any more mainlines down. I also missed out on my annual buck thorn battle with my swing saw. So some of my lateral lines may be quite thick with these horrible plants. Also have to put in a patio block floor in front of my firebox. hope we get a few warm days to do this soon.

[whitetail farms]

Got all the tubing up in my new woods, just have to cut in drops and hook up the vacuum, clean the evaporator and get my sap float to work a little better thinking about picking up a wes fab sort bank filter press at Verona, should be ready to tap for the jan. thaw, good luck everyone,
Nick

[Mountain Winds Farm]

We finished hanging 1800 feet of 1-1/4 wet line, just need to cut in the tee's. Pans are back on and ready to go on a rebuilt fire box with air over and under.Picked up a used steam hood and preheater back in the spring which fit the max-raised flue pan we bought last year in mid season when the rear flue pan bit the dust just before the maple weekends. Here's hoping for a big year!!!

[Revi]

I think this cold weather is good. We'll see what it does, but I'm thinking that a couple of months of cold will make for a nice early spring with no thaws to wreck the season...

[steam maker]

Well we go to pittsburg for a snowmobile weekend and end up taking the wife and baby for a ride today . Always wanted to stop at this beutifuull sugarhouse on 114 in caneen vt so down we went not a far ride from camp the first one was moose hill maple , they were closed up so we went up the road further to aprils maple . Wow what a nice set up !!! Got the grand tour and ate some samples. All were excellent. Dont tell anybody but i headed back to camp with 45 bucks worth of candy, cream , a t shirt and some maple cotton candy 😋 i really need to start making some of these added products instead of pushing syrup. Anyway awesome place nice people!!! Couple more days at camp then home to march around in the new snow.

[adk1]

This weekend I am gonna walk all of the lines and check for damage. Might start replacing my end of line slides that I have been using with a wire and short piece of tubing for the drop. I don't like the big loop and having to have sap go up and around the back of the tree

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

This weekend I am gonna walk all of the lines and check for damage. Might start replacing my end of line slides that I have been using with a wire and short piece of tubing for the drop. I don't like the big loop and having to have sap go up and around the back of the tree

sure walk the lines but cant come spend time with us :cry:

[adk1]

Sorry flats don't have the cash for it.

[markct]

I too have eliminated the sap looping around the tree, easiest way is the blue cdl tees that are plugged on one side, as simple as cutting in the drop where you want sap flow to end and done

[lakeview maple]

I don't like it either Flat,seems like it might sit there where if I use a crows foot,its a straight shot right into the line with less chance of bacteria to build up,ive been changing them out the last couple of years.

This weekend I am gonna walk all of the lines and check for damage. Might start replacing my end of line slides that I have been using with a wire and short piece of tubing for the drop. I don't like the big loop and having to have sap go up and around the back of the tree

[nymapleguy607]

I'll be heading up to Verona for the day tomorrow. I hope I run into a few of you up there so I can match names to faces. I'll have one my red jacket and Hill Top Maple farm on it. If you see me say hi.

[sapman]

We also did clean up and repairs in one bush yesterday. I had 1 main that was brought down by a tree, it was one that has high tensile wire. The tree snapped the HT wire. We got it pulled together and crimped again. Does any one have a fence puller that actually grips HT wire. I have to connect the fence puller (stretcher?) and then apply a pair of vice grip pliers on the wire at a 45 degree angle where each wire comes thru the puller clamp to hold it from slipping on the HT wire as I pull by operating the pull lever. This is time consuming, any higher quality pullers out there that might fit a small producer's budget?

Dave, I got one from my fencing guy near Auburn. Think it's a Strain-Rite brand (not positive). Was like $120. It's the one he uses, so it's got to be a good one. Never slipped a wire yet.

[Tweegs]

Well, here we go.

Getting a good dose of snow today, in the foot + range. Temps gradually falling from about 30* this morning to 22* at 3 PM and forecast to be near 0* this time tomorrow. Winds picking up, calm right now but heading to 25 MPH in sync with the brutally cold temps.

Made good use of the morning to get the driveway plowed and the existing snow pushed back to make room for the new stuff. Figure I’ll have to plow again this evening.

Cut about a face cord of wood, gave up when I had to start digging around to find what I’d cut. Split what I had, topped off the pile in the garage for the house.

Cleaned out the chicken coops, freshened up their water, heat lamps on, tucked them in for the duration of this cold snap.

Really coming down right now, but no matter. The outside work is done, for the time being, the wood stove is cranking, fresh pot of coffee on, warm, dry, and sitting here looking out a picture window at a totally awesome scene.

You’ve got to take the good when and where you can find it. Think I’ll roast my toes by the wood stove a while, tend to that driveway in a bit and then we’ll see what the morrow brings.

Don’t think many of us in sugar land are going to be spared the ferocity of the next couple of days. Y’all go easy out there, dangerous times ahead.

Stay safe, stay warm!

[maple flats]

Going back into one bush tomorrow, fixing potential leaks. I think that one will be done tomorrow, then on to the other bush the next time we can get out. Looks like Tuesday will not be productive with high winds and temps at 6 degrees or less and wind chills of 20-30 below zero. When it's like that I don't send the guys out, too much wasted time just trying to get warm. The extreme cold should only last about 2 days, then expected to get back in on Thursday I hope. Want to add a couple new mains before we start tapping next week.

[adk1]

That's crazy tapping next week. I can't even imagine

[noreast maple]

Hows your new spooler working dave?

[red maples]

That's crazy tapping next week. I can't even imagine

The big guys usually start now you know how long it takes you to get things going with a with a couple hundred taps now so imagine the fixes maintenance and tapping on 50K + taps. takes them several weeks to be ready in some cases!!!

[heus]

Finished installing 1000' of 1" mainline yesterday in minus 8 temps. Planning to run some laterals today it's supposed to get all the way up to 18 degrees! I use the Lapierre slide fittings at the mainline wire so I will tighten them up further this weekend when temps are supposed to get up to 40+.

[adk1]

speaking of that, I do the same and for some reason now I have loops that are very big! Just curious to know if this is ok or should I cut them and refit back onto my mainline multi fitting?

[PATheron]

Been working pretty hard and steady here at Pierce and Sons Maple with pretty much typical early season up and down results. Got 6000 taps working pretty good and got some sap from them. Sap very weak on sugar like everyone else is posting but was able to make what I think is going to be upwards of 200 gallons of syrup. My two big bushes are working pretty good for just getting in with 24 inches of vac at the sugarhouse bush and 20 inches 4000' away at the further one. Both will need more work when it warms up again. Working on the new red maple bush more this weekend. Need to get it finished up and get the electric hooked up and a ring pump installed. Shed had some up and downs with equipment breaking but three out of the four ro,s are working good now with only a high pressure pump to fix and then Ill have them all good. Evaporator working. Things are coming along pretty good and I have a pretty good feeling about the season. Thinking maybe two or three weeks and well have things at 100 percent. Cant wait for the sap, want to make some moola. Hope everyone has a great season. Theron

[Gary R]

Way to go Theron! Good to hear someone is making syrup. I don't think anyone on this side of the state has started. We are all ready to go, just need some warmer weather. Off to the annual maple association meeting tomorrow. We'll enjoy talking a lot of maple with fellow producers. Just signed with a consulting forester to have our place thinned. Cutting all red maple. Making room for more valuable trees;)

[shane hickey]

We will be starting next week drilling holes . Starting the woods with check valves first. Seems like last year was yesterday good luck theron

[Maplewalnut]

Cutting all red maple)

I can't bear to watch....

[Gary R]

Maplewalnut, you may want to shed a tear when you here this; over 100 acres worth. I'll never tap them. Trying to get the more valuable species growing better and we love our deer hunting. Lot's of cover and browse coming.

[Maplewalnut]

Gary-
Alright now that you clarify it's in the interest of hunting you are granted a pardon. Does the cherry belt extend that far west? love that wood. Around here it's mostly maple in the good soil, oaks up on ridge tops...best of both worlds.
Have a good season

[PATheron]

Shane, Gary, Walnut- Good luck to you guys too! Im thinking really good season for some reason, just have a feeling. The weather shows froze up next month and I know for myself that will help a lot to get everything done and if its that long itll be really dialed in. Im happy to have in what I have because its that much done and working so itll be a big help to me. Cant wait for the big runs. Next year NO MORE TAPS! Just gonna walk around and tweek rest of my life now. Gotta get it where Im not even working in sugar season then Ill know Ive got it about right. Theron

[adk1]

9500 taps! Yeah I would say that is plenty.....however, it would be cool to pick up another 500 just so you could say 10,000 taps!

[whitetail farms]

The last week as not gone so well, hurt my knee in a basketball game looks like a torn ACL but ill no when I get the MRI results on Monday, have a lot to do here including getting one of my woods all finished up, Finnish getting my vacuum put together, clean the sugarhouse and put a couple tanks in place, really hoping I can get another local producer looking for a little job and se if he can Finish up my woods for me, but once that's done I think the family will be more involved this year helping me collect sap and ill just hangout in the sugarhouse and boil. just crossing my fingers that season doesn't start a little early and I might be able to make this year almost as good as ive been planning too,Nick

[lakeview maple]

Whitetail farms ,that's a lot of taps on a 2 x6 . I did that last year on a 2x6 leader and I boiled forever, I boiled enough to know that I bought a 3x 10 for this season. I will have plenty of time getting it set up to. I have a pickup date of the 30th of Jan ,and Ive got to finish running 400 ft of new mainline ,and adding another 200 taps . I should have it all set for next year, you were unlucky to get hurt playing ball ,and I hope you heal quickly ,I broke my leg on the 7th ,had surgery on it the 17th . The Doctor said I should be done with everything by the middle of April,woohoo. Im hoping for a really long season, lol. Im keeping a stiff upper lip and Ive had a ton of volunteers ,come out of the wood work, making me feel very blessed . We might try for a couple weeks towards the end if the weather holds up, there is a bus load of guys coming on the 30th to run all the lines and to help me go get the new evaporator up in Fairfax. I hope that everyone here has an awesome season ,so I can at least read about it and live a little bit of it through each or you this season.It truly gets in your blood . Take care all and God Bless ,Al

[maple flats]

Should be tapped today at about 1200 taps, (lost some trees). One 2 man crew tapping, my 3rd man will be working with me. Since the sap won't flow this week, I'm re-doing my vacuum tank plumbing at my smaller bush. I'm now drawing sap and vac. both in the same vac. tank fitting. I'm changing to a second fitting to draw the vac. Now I need to put vac. to the tank very slowly or a big slug of sap coming in gets caught in the rush of air flowing from the vacuum tank and fills the moisture trap. I'm changing so the sap will flow in one fitting and vac out the other. That way sap won't hit the moisture trap except maybe a fine mist just before getting full, and then when the tank is full it will flow to the moisture trap and cut the vacuum.
I don't know why I didn't do it that way in the beginning, but it took me a while to decide I had to change it.
After that, we'll go to my bigger bush and string a larger transfer line to pump sap the 850-900' from the open tank to the road. I now have a 1" line, changing to 1.5" for the faster transfer flow. Then in my spare time I'll add another main on my bigger bush and add more taps. I'll only do that on days in the 20's or better, temps. in the teens or colder make progress too slow, those days I'll just walk the woods looking to issues.

[Gary R]

Mike, thanks for the pardon:) Most of our woods was cut real hard about 35 years ago. I've been doing my best to cut the Black Birch for firewood. Cherry and Maple are the dominate species with scattered Oaks. We built at the top of the hill so the trees are below me:( The maple densities just aren't there for tapping. I'm hoping for faster growth on the good trees and some regeneration. A good timber sale in about 15 years. If your ever in this part of the state look me up.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Whitetail farms ,that's a lot of taps on a 2 x6 . I did that last year on a 2x6 leader and I boiled forever, I boiled enough to know that I bought a 3x 10 for this season. I will have plenty of time getting it set up to. I have a pickup date of the 30th of Jan ,and Ive got to finish running 400 ft of new mainline ,and adding another 200 taps . I should have it all set for next year, you were unlucky to get hurt playing ball ,and I hope you heal quickly ,I broke my leg on the 7th ,had surgery on it the 17th . The Doctor said I should be done with everything by the middle of April,woohoo. Im hoping for a really long season, lol. Im keeping a stiff upper lip and Ive had a ton of volunteers ,come out of the wood work, making me feel very blessed . We might try for a couple weeks towards the end if the weather holds up, there is a bus load of guys coming on the 30th to run all the lines and to help me go get the new evaporator up in Fairfax. I hope that everyone here has an awesome season ,so I can at least read about it and live a little bit of it through each or you this season.It truly gets in your blood . Take care all and God Bless ,Al

I did 525 or so cough cough RO cough. not adding taps this year but better vacuum on larger bush and sap suckers on the other two, three tower TR Industries RO almost finished.

[lakeview maple]

Well Chumlee I guess Ill think about it for next season, so no backing out when I come knocking to build it. Im not going to get much done this year so Ill plan like crazy for next.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Well Chumlee I guess Ill think about it for next season, so no backing out when I come knocking to build it. Im not going to get much done this year so Ill plan like crazy for next.
Simple and cheap for what we need them to do

[whitetail farms]

yeah I know im a little underpowered this year,next year I should be able to get around 1500 taps hooked up but my sugarhouse isn't quit big enough for a 3X10 so I was thinking a 3X8 and RO, but for now ill just boil like crazy and push through the season.

[rayi]

Lots of work to do at Ray's Pure Maple Syrup Products. Got my vacuum pump ready than promptly broke the plastic part on my bender. Have to wait until next weekend for my son to bring by a tapping tool. Have the blanket in the evaporator and taking a break before I brick it. Next is to put the thing back together and plumb a head tank. Thank God I have all the tubing in place. Good luck to all. Be safe this year

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

well done a little more on Ro and built a main line tubing spooler. heres a couple pics84280842984308431

Installing a low water pressure cut out and high temp cut out. Since the picture I have moved the high temp cut out out to just before the membranes its no longer attached the the filter. I got tired of asking to borrow a main line spooler so with some extra 3/4 , 1 and 1-1/4 emt I made one today

[adk1]

Nice flats!

[Yellzee]

hoping the season starts really late... still Pre-occupied renovating a house that is taking forever, consuming all my spare time. Haven't even been in the woods in over a month to see how the lines held up to the ice. trail not plowed... could be a tough season for me. Sugar shack door is now frozen open... had to beat it open to get some syrup to sell and then couldn't get the door closed. I have seen one pile of large white cedar trees down near the swamp area by the house... should get them dragged out as they will make great siding.

[maple flats]

You really want to get to the sugar house and do whatever you need to to close the door. Various critters can cause real big headaches if the get inside, like skunks, porcupines, coyotes just to name a few. Some bears come out early if they didn't put on enough fat last fall to, they love syrup.

[steam maker]

So today after i took the kitty to the vet to get some updates 🙀we did a tour around pittsburg and heade to the spa for a little snack! After enjoying a tasty morsel we headed out on 20 east back to pittsburg a little way into we ran into a awesome set up in the woods ! Wet/ dry system valves everywhere , black line over blue line , all new 5/16 oh baby i went from 6 to midnite if u know what i mean 😜man i wish i could find something like that at home. Maybe the owner wants another son! Oh well off to the buck rub , couple beers my friends will really get sick of me talking sugaring 😁

[PATheron]

All tapped in but about 100 taps or so. Holy guacamole what a bunch of trees. Drilled everyone myself. Better get some sap after all that or you guys are going to have to put me on suicide watch. Still got plenty to do but getting there. Two months and its all over but the crying. Bring on the BIGDSAP!!!!! Theron

[PATheron]

Hit to many keys, BIGSAP!!!

[John T]

Yesterday I finished boiling my sap and finished my first syrup! We got 2.5 pints from aprox 30 gallons of sap. Today I pulled some taps and tapped some different trees. Hoping for a couple more pints.8532
The photo is of our first syrup with some of the tapped trees in the background.

[adk1]

Why did you pull taps?

[John T]

I pulled taps from trees that had quit flowing sap. They had been tapped for 3 to 4 weeks and sap flow had decreased to nothing for the past week. This is my first year so I'm learning as I go. I think the spile holes have started to heal and therefore quit flowing. Based on bud development I guess I have about two weeks of sap collection left, so I moved my taps to other trees.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Main lines all done clean up lats is all that needs to be dome in the woods. Finish RO this week during the nights

[Yellzee]

Hoping to attempt to get back into the woods this weekend through all this snow... trying to guilt the neighbor into bring down his sled and doing a few laps on my trails to pack them down a bit. No way my 4 wheeler is going through it the way it is right now. Home reno's almost complete so time to change the focus to maple.... although with no sign of the cold weather breaking I'm not too stressed yet.

[adk1]

I will walk the lines with my snowshoes on and let the dog run. She loves that. Will pack my 12 ga and shoot any tree rat I see as well.