Here it goes...

[collinsmapleman2012]

Well, it looks like i'm finally going to be able to expand this year. I have two woodlots that i will get lined up in a couple days, and i have a few good sales opportunities that will make it worthwhile. been doing some planning today on te whole deal, and it looks like i can scrape together the money to get everything i need. its going to be a race to get everything installed and going, and i have a good month and a half to do it. been looking for an evaporator, tanks, and canning units, any good leads would be appreciated. all in all, it looks like i could have up to 1,000 taps up an running-quite a jump, seeing as i only figured on my regular 30-40 at Verona this year. i think my biggest issue this year will be time, but i think i can get everything done lord willing. Good luck and have a good season!

[redneck mapler]

Good luck, your not alone. I am still looking at different evaporators for this year. I also wanted to install pipe line system. Unfortunately my pocket book isn't growing as fast as my addiction to maple syrup. Good luck this spring.

[adk1]

Well that's a big jump.

[morningstarfarm]

That is a huge jump...especially starting it in January...good luck

[Mark-NH]

Marathon not a sprint. Do what you can the right way this year. The trees aren't going anywhere. A lot more fun setting up mainline in the summer.

[tcross]

if you can't find an arch for the price you'd like, just sell the sap and boil what you can on your existing oil can arch! especially if the funds are tight! you may not make as much money selling the sap versus the syrup, but at least you won't crash your bank account! I'm trying to do similar to you... not 1000 taps, but i'll max out at 500-550! I couldn't scrap up enough to get a "real" arch to boil it all on this year, so i'll be selling a good portion of the sap in hopes to make some $ back to put back into the operation next year! I guess not only is eating syrup addicting... so isn't making it!

[collinsmapleman2012]

well everything is just about lined up, woods are ready to tube, been cutting wood to burn, everything i can do without equipment. Went to USDA this morning and handed in my paperwork for a loan, looks to be decent chances of approval. I'm just going to keep cutting wood until I get approved, then I will be tapping and putting up tubing as fast as I can.

[collinsmapleman2012]

Closed on loan yesterday, so thats all good. Been working in the woods when I can, started last sunday, and worked tuesday, friday and today. about 1/3 done with that woods, looks to have 1,000 taps on it. I tapped about 75 today while putting in drops, thats when the drill ran out of power. I might miss a couple days of run, but anything i do get this week will be sold as sap. Evaporator arrives this week hopefully, and that will be interesting to move. Tomorrow i hope to tap a couple hundred more in, and get more mains tied onto wire, which has to be about the most time consuming thing on any system i've ever seen, except those cool lashing tools. the wet/dry will hols me up the most, it is about eighteen feet up at the back, and will have two lifts going to it at different parts. was getting my 11/4 off the trailer today, and noticed there was a couple big melt spots in it, will have to call webbs and see what thats about, its not exactly in a convinient spot. still have to go get tanks, barrels, and some fittings one of these days, maybe tuesday morning. I keep getting working in the woods real well and its a disappointment to have to go back to college, but its only 3 days a week. Wish I had more help in the woods, maybe next week because my brother is on break. also have to go get the 200 gravity taps done up soon, waiting til after the warm spell though because the snow is tough to work in without the trails i had through the snow before yesterday.

[Run Forest Run!]

Wow! I'm exhausted just reading about what you are doing. Going from 30 taps to 1200 in a single year???? Now that's something you don't hear every day.

Congratulations on getting your loan, and all the best with this massive undertaking. See if you can convince some friends to give you a hand here and there so that you don't drop dead from all of the work! Keep us posted.

[maple flats]

Congratulations on the loan and good luck. If you need to sell sap, send me a P.M. I buy on trade for half the syrup made, you supply the jugs or cover the cost in syrup returned.

[collinsmapleman2012]

Evaporator comes tomorrow, 8 am. going to be a long night prepping for it, still have to build a swing door to get it in and put the tanks in place. they wont fit in the saphouse after the rig is in.... oh boy. looks like an expansion is in the works for next year. woods has 400 tapped, and a good majority of my mains are up, have releaser an vac almost ready to go. this cold snap is a godsend for me, im not missing any major runs. te water level rose in the woods over the weekend, tough going. some of the woods is in a swamp, some big nice red maples. wanted to have 600 in, but i wound up putting drops in so its ready to tap. gotta get back to work now good luck to everyone!

[collinsmapleman2012]

Well the rig is... somewhat delivered. A big thank you to White's Farm Supply in Canastota, NY for the help, they allowed me to have the rig offloaded there and stored until saturday, when we will bring it to the saphouse on a rollback and set it in place. I really like the looks of it, its a monsterous rig and i think it will last many years. came with hoods, one set of pans plus three extra syrup pans, oil burners, and stack for steam and smoke. I actually have everything that was loose with it now, it filled up my pickup and 20 foot trailer. all i can say is wow. now i have lots of work to do to get ready for saturday still. was going to work through the night and get it done before now but when i got my new plan to have it delivered i went to bed at 10 instead. oh its funny how plans change. hopefully i can work all day saturday and have it in place and then get the stacks up and whatnot. Then i can spend sunday in the woods to get some stuff done there. good thing for this cold snap, the water in parts of my woods is still pretty deep, but the good news is that there looks to be more taps than i anticipated. i figured on as much as 1100, but i could be up to 1400 or 1500, depending on how the less populated part turns out. well im off to get things ready to put tanks in tonight, good luck to everyone!

[collinsmapleman2012]

Put the evaporator in the saphouse yesterday, now i have to get the stacks up and plumbing done, then run some water thru it, as well as some bracing for my tank shelf. Also, going to have to cut some doors in the burner plate so i can fire with wood, something makes me shudder about running two carlin 801's at 18 gph each of oil. plus, i have a full supply of free wood for the next couple years. also have to call D&G tomorrow, the new float box that they were supposed to make me that slowed delivery isn't here, but i have a float for it. i do however, have a float box for the syrup pan ,but no float. also missing a couple minor valves and such, that could just be extras. on the bright side, the hoods that came with it have a preheater in it, so that is a bonus that i wasn't expecting.
Spent friday and today in the woods, got another 4-500 taps ready to go so i can tap them when it warms a bit. vacuum pump is going in the woods friday, along with the releaser and dump tank. sap tanks are going over tuesday, going to run the transfer line and get the tanks plumbed together, and get my lifts installed and mains put together. i want to turn the vacuum on friday morning and tap on friday, then work through saturday putting on more taps, and sunday i want to get the stacks up and possibly boil. if not, then i'll boil the weekend after. i figure that i cna do the plumbing at night after college, as well as get the vacuum pump ready to go. my father has been a big help, has done a lot of mainline tying and dropline making. time to go do that pesky homework that i keep getting, sure keeps me on my toes.

[maple flats]

Good luck, you really sound busy. While syrup is real important, remember that your studies are more important.

[collinsmapleman2012]

What a week last week. lost enormous amounts of time on the vacuum pump, cracked a reclaimer, using a borrowed one for now. we had it going real well friday night, pulled 25 inches for a while ( I have it flooded through the bearings, works well, straight lines from reclaimer to pump), had to open up all the lines so it wouldn't overheat(dry line has a big hole in it that finally got fixed) then it shredded a belt due to the pump pulley breaking loose. so, i went and got the belt saturday morning, put on a press pulley, put the belt on, started the pump, no vacuum. little puffs of air from reclaimer, and oil is going the wrong way up the oilers, reclaimer is not blocked. we looked down the pump at the vanes, and a couple either aren't coming out, or are shot. ordered new vanes, if only to have them on hand, should be here tomorrow. going to have my buddy work on it, much better mechanic than I, so that I can ge tthe woods shored up. I have 500 taps in now, and have been working on putting drops and saddles in, going to tap the other 500 in tomorrow. I have this week off of college, so i am going to try and run 3 more main lines and pick up at least 200 more taps, maybe more. also have my gravitty taps to finish, got 30 in yesterday before i had to work, and will probably put in the others tonight or tomorrow. evaporator is getting there, still have to plumb and put up stacks. would have had it done if not for all of the pump problems, but oh well. after this weekend, not going to add any more taps, just run what i have as best as i can, and make small improvements. I think this season will be average(for what average is worth), just a late season. either going to be fast and furious, or very late into April. the snow pack is going to extend it out a lot. I swear the frost here is 6 inches deep, I tried digging a hole the other day and even the fence bar wasn't enough. last year at this time i dug post holes through frozen ground, but not now. should make for a lot less insects and other pests this summer, which will be nice. semi-planning out an expansion for the saphouse for the summer, probably going to start as soon as the ground thaws. I think i will look around for old telephone poles and sink a few of them in the ground, and build from there. probably make it 12x14, want to have room for one big tank(2500 gallon at least), barrels during the season, and storage. right now, my 3 extra syrup pans are under the eaves of the house and tarped, but i need to get them inside. plus i will have all sorts of other equipment coming back that is in the woods right now. well I should get going to the woods, maybe get some work done!