First Boil For Davis Family Farms 2014

[afretired]

Well we did it today, we had our first boil. Only had about 150 gallons of sap but we got everything fired up and now were ready for the rest of the season. Tonight it is supposed to get down to -4 so there wont be any sap for a few days but we'll be ready. I ordered a Marcland auto draw off and it should be here tomorrow. So while it is so cold I'll get it hooked up and be ready for the next flow.


83268327

[nace]

Sounds like you will have that pan sweetened and ready for more!

[spud]

Well we did it today, we had our first boil. Only had about 150 gallons of sap but we got everything fired up and now were ready for the rest of the season. Tonight it is supposed to get down to -4 so there wont be any sap for a few days but we'll be ready. I ordered a Marcland auto draw off and it should be here tomorrow. So while it is so cold I'll get it hooked up and be ready for the next flow.


83268327

That is great. Please keep us posted on your season. I hope you make a bunch of syrup this year.

Spud

[Starting Small]

Very nice, great sugar shack also. What are the dimensions of the shack?
-Dave

[unc23win]

Awesome! Very nice sugarhouse looks very welcoming.

[adk1]

and it starts.....gotta love it. These early boilers really get me going and all amped up for the start of our season here!

[Bruce L]

Really like the front door of the shack,is that eastern red or aromatic cedar? Our weather is far from sap weather yet,few days ago it was -45 with the wind chill, last night we had rain so everything is a glare sheet of ice can't even get out of the yard, have a warning of a flash freeze now with temps expected to go -30 or so!!!

[afretired]

Thanks for the nice comments. I modeled it after several of yours since I haven't ever seen a real one before. My wife and I would like to come up and visit some during the maple season if we could ever get away. The size is 24' X 30' with a loft around three sides for storage. As far as the front doors I guess it's eastern red cedar, it grows locally. We really are fortunate with our sugar shack, it is worth all the work and trouble. Beside it I have built a cooker and shed for cooking sweet sorghum. The process is much like maple syrup except a lot more labor intensive.

David
8332

[lpakiz]

Beautiful! Nice job!

[Bruce L]

David,what do you do with sweet sorghum,and what does it entail. I would hate to think of something more labor intensive than sugar making ,most people don't realize just how labor intensive it is

[Sugarmaker]

David,
That is a awesome sugarhouse!
Glad you got started, we will be watching your early start!
Regards,
Chris

[afretired]

David,what do you do with sweet sorghum,and what does it entail. I would hate to think of something more labor intensive than sugar making ,most people don't realize just how labor intensive it is

Well Bruce we will skip the part about growing the sorghum cane (similar to sugar cane) which entails breaking the ground, disking, planting, and cultivating the sorghum cane until fall when it matures and at that time its about 13 ft tall. Then you cut down the stalks, let them lay for a few days then pile them and load them on a wagon to take to the mill to squeeze the juice out of the stalks. Prior to running them through the mill you have to cut the heads off, and the old timers strip off the leaves. then squeeze out the juice, collect it and then start the cooking process. Every bit of it hand work. But there is nothing better on a hot biscuit than butter and sorghum.

David

[Sugarmaker]

David,
Bring some sorghum when you come up to visit. Good motel near by, Green Roof Inn. If you come mid March we will be having the Maple Weekend Taste and tour with 15 sugarhouses open on tour. Sounds like a lot of work to make that product. The story goes that our maple syrup pans were patterned off of sorghum pans in the mid 1800's. Hopefully we will be making syrup by early to mid Feb.
Regards,
Chris


Well Bruce we will skip the part about growing the sorghum cane (similar to sugar cane) which entails breaking the ground, disking, planting, and cultivating the sorghum cane until fall when it matures and at that time its about 13 ft tall. Then you cut down the stalks, let them lay for a few days then pile them and load them on a wagon to take to the mill to squeeze the juice out of the stalks. Prior to running them through the mill you have to cut the heads off, and the old timers strip off the leaves. then squeeze out the juice, collect it and then start the cooking process. Every bit of it hand work. But there is nothing better on a hot biscuit than butter and sorghum.

David

[treeguy]

Sweet set up you have there. Great looking building..I had my first boil about the same time. Got maybe 50 gallons or so..fist syrup is an amazing feeling of accomplishment. We been putting out more taps and waiting for a good run..cold weather has been brutal

That looks like a great place to boil and hang out. I built a pallet shed to try things out with little capital. I just moved to KY and feel so lucky to get maple trees tapped this year.

Hope to have 150 taps out on sap saks this year.

[treeguy]

By the way if you visit up in Sugarmaker up in PA bring your fishing rod. Green roof inn is on Elk creek :-) stayed there many of nights chasing chrome !!!

[afretired]

Treeguy
So there is another sapper in the area. Where are you actually at, I'm at Pierce. We cooked 200 gallons Monday night and hope to cook again in a few days if the weather would warm up. When I left for work this morning it was 0, I thought we lived in KY but I'm beginning to wonder if we moved north somewhere. If you get a chance come over and I'll show you around.

David

[treeguy]

Were in Edmonton. Man this weather is brutal barely got a run today then back to cold.. Love to stop by and check out your place.

[spud]

I have not heard from the Davis farm way down south in a while. Are you still making syrup? Best of luck.

Spud

[afretired]

Yes, we are still plodding along slowly. Our weather has been so messed up, it has been staying below freezing for most of the time. Then every week or so it warms up a few days and we get a little sap. The weather for the next few days looks a lot more promising, it is starting to warm up and I have high hopes for a good run about the weekend. This starting and stopping has been aggravating on one hand, but then on the other it has been beneficial. It has enabled me to fine tune our operation. I first added a Marcland auto draw off to my syrup tank which has really took a lot of worry away. I then ordered a tempurature contol PID from Amazon and decided to make a controller to monitor the stack temp. It really helps tremendously on letting me know when I need to add wood. I found out after monitoring it that right before I run out of wood the temperature rises a few degrees and It is at that time I need to add wood. If I wait until the temperature decreases then I actually lose part of the boil. I then got back on Amazon and ordered another temperature control PID to monitor the temperature of my finishing tank (turkey cooker) which sure beats using the hydrometer. So I'm ready for the next flow.

David