December Journal

[rschoo]

I couldn't resist being the the first to post, especially since we're under a winter storm warning until 8a.m. with 10" of snow headed our way. Looks like winter is finally here. Some of my trees were starting to look like they were going to try and skip winter and go straight to spring the way the buds look.

[Pete33Vt]

No storm warnings yet. But were are supposed to get some winter weather. Checked the pitch for my main line in a new sugar bush yesterday. Looks like its going to work good. As soon a muzzleloader hunting is done than I can get in there and do some cutting to clear the road and start putting up my main line. Hoping the weather will give me at least a few days a week to work on it. I should be able to pick up about 500-800 taps at this bush. That will give me a total of about 1000-1200 total. Then its time to get into the sugar house and do a bit of modifying to the rig. I still have plenty to do but not to bad.

Wishing everybody a HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
Pete

[Brad W Wi]

I'm north of Milwaukee and we're predicted to get 4"-8" of the white stuff. south of Milwaukee to get up to a foot. I'm glad I got my test boil in and that the wood is cut and stacked. I just need to figure out what extras I'll need to run my set up come spring. My sugar bush is in N.W. Wisc. and they don't have any snow yet.

[rschoo]

Well it's here. There's about 2" of ice crusted snow on the ground and the sleet is still coming. I doubt the 10" prediction will come true but it sure is nice to see some winter weather. Most people complain about it but without it where would sugar makers be? I just hope we have a real winter this time and not another autum going straight into a long cold spring. If it stops sleeting I may have to fire up the snow machines. All my prep for spring is done for now. All I have left is the annual pilgrimage to my nearest dealer 80 miles away for glass and a few more buckets. Hope everyone has a good winter.

[HanginAround]

We had one little flurry three weeks ago, last night at midnight it was 58 F, but cooled off today, started to rain, now getting a mix of ice pellets and flurries. The forecast says 2-4 cm ice pellets, freezing rain warning, and warming to 41 F overnight, so I guess that still isn't too wintery. I'm in no hurry :D

[ibby458]

We've had some wild weather in the last few days, but it's to be expected this time of year.

Got my 36" Super Splitter functional a week or so ago. On it's maiden run, it popped open the gnarliest 16" diameter elm crotches almost without effort. It's slow enough to be safe, but fast enough to keep 4 people busy carry wood to and from it. My sugar wood is gonna be well split from now on!

[The Sappy Steamer]

Hey Ibby, have you burned elm in your evaporator before? If so, do you get any heat out of it, or is it like burning wet rags? I have a few real big, dead trees that are solid,but didn't know if they were worth the effort. I've burned a little in the wood stove before but never really paid too much attention to how it burned. I do know that it's a real bugger to split though, so I've kind of avoided it.

[ibby458]

Oh Yea - I've burned a LOT of elm in the evaporator (and furnace) As long as it's bone dry (and not too punky), it puts out a lot of heat. Smoke stinks bad, though. I usually just mix it in with whatever else I have.

Even back in my "ten foot tall & bullet-proof" days, I gave up on splitting elm by hand. I'd just pile The big chunks up until I had enough to justify renting or borrowing a splitter.

It's gotta br dry and solid though, or that old saying is true - "Elmwood burns like graveyard mold - even the very fllames are cold!"

Oh - it won't dry in the tree, either. In my experience, standing dead elm will rot before it gets really dry. Cut, split and pile up even the dead stuff for a year, and it's fine.

[mountainvan]

Got more fittings for my vacuum set-up yesterday, getting it little by little so my wife does'nt get mad at me. My son and I put a third 300 gal stock tank for the big woods. I'd like to put one 1000gal stainless tank in but I'd need to hire a crane to get it up the bank. Today I'm going up the hill for a bit to hang 5/16 line.

[mountainvan]

Strung more lateral lines today. What a difference a week makes. Last week jeans and a t shirt, this week almost full winter gear. Full winter gear is for icefishing at temps below 0.

[Dave Y]

I Have been sitting back all summer sand baggin reading everyones post on all the projects you have been working on. this summer was very busy for me. As I turned my gararge into a sugar house. Sweetwood you would not reconize the place. the time you where here I was boiling out side on DougM's old grimm.I am now inside w/ a 15 yr old grimm lightning foreced air, preheater, and hoods. I put metal siding on the gararge and a new metal roof and copula. I also attached a 12 x 20 wood shed. I am currently plumbing my tanks to the evaporator. I do not have the height so I am pumping from the storage tank to a smaller evaporator feed tank w/ float switch.
I also have been busy sellin syrup . That 88 gal i made last spring is gone. I have had to buy syrup to keep my customers coming back.

Can't wait to put fire to the new rig

[brookledge]

Dave
If you need to you can put a small tank over your evaporator say 5-10 gallon and feed it with a bilge pump with a return line back to your storage tank that way the small tank always stays full and a supply line off the bottom can go to your evaporator.
I have seen this done where they didn't have a feed tank high enough to gravity feed
Keith

[Dave Y]

keith,
That is something I had not considered. What I did was take a 90 gal plastic tub that I used to haul sap with acouple of years ago and put a stanless top on it. I plumb it hard w3/4 cooper and bought a Wayne spinkler pump and wired it to a normally closed sump switch. and then hard plumbed it to the pre heater . I put plenty of unions and valves in so it is servicable. I am waiting on a piece 1 1/4 cooper to finish my plumbing and a couple of thermometers and I will be ready for a test boil. Hope to have it done before christmas.

Guess I should change my profile. I now have a sugarhouse

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Dave,

Just make sure there is no way the line going to the 5 to 10 gallon setup wouldn't freeze because your evaporator would eat much sap in just a few minutes.

[Dave Y]

Brandon,

I have everthing in side. and I am concidering putting a heat tape on the line that is out side coming in from the storage tanks.

[Fred Henderson]

A heat tape will work, just be sure to put pipe insluation over everything.

[mountainvan]

I have my tank outside and us a stock tank heater when it's real cold. Just put it over the drain. Got some ice here last night. I'll try heading up the mountain but it may be a bit slippery. If it is I got a day off.

[Al]

Just went to our Maple Association meeting. Not much new, stainless is going up, barrels are around $200, looking into getting more people to register there sugarhouses and provide more accurate info to the state on the number of taps/gallons made ect. Sounds like more goverment then we need. Also the state assoc. is thinking of trying to do a maple co-op. Not alot of response there. We had a good meal and the boys enjoyed going. I think the old timers like to see the kids there and pass on a few stories to someone who hasn't heard them before. :D :D On the last door draw I won a Ryobi 18volt drill and flashlight set. :D Sam wanted the box and Warren wanted the drill. It was a great night and I am now on the sugarhouse committee for the Franklen Field days. Some of us want an educational corner and room for people to set down. So we may add on 20 ft. to the sugarhouse if we get the support.
Take care,
Al

[mapleman3]

Ahhhh The Mapletrader ! I'm back , went for a nice vacation to Florida with the family, went to Disney for the first time in my life and felt like a kid all over again... What an unbelievable place.. and CLEAN!!!

looks like everyone is starting to get antsy ! yes it's right around the corner... whats funny is I'm still bottling syrup :lol: still filling orders..

I have 2 tanks to pick up .. one from the Mapleguys, Chris I will call you in the next day or so, and the other is a pickup truck tank.. soon I hope.

other than that .. more cleaning to do, no use picking branches off the lines except so it doesn't get frozen in when the snow comes... but I know I will have tons more in the winter... wish I could thin where my trees are.. have to check with conservation comittee on that :?

[Sugarmaker]

Made some maple coated peanuts tonight. Sold a gallon of syrup to neighbor for Christmas gifts.

We are going to run out of syrup this year for the first time.

Bees loved it to day as it reached the low 50's. Have some honey to bottle tomorrow night.

Sugar house is ready to go for once! I need to cut some additional wood for the sugar house.

Looking forward to MuzzleLoader season after Christmas.

I do have several buckets to repair that split last year. Also have to get some tubing for several road side locations. Always something going on to help me stay out of trouble. :lol:
Hope everyone is doing well :!:
Chris

[super sappy]

I had a neighbor come over with his fiat bucket loader. We installed some drainage tile.Spread 3 loads of gravel for a proper driveway and lifted my bulktank up on to a platform to feed my evaporator. I was so boned up to get this stuff done I came home and made 8 lbs of maple nuts.Super sappy Maple Christmas everyone

[royalmaple]

It didn't feel like december today, highs were right up there. Reached over 50 today. Took the time to frame up my woodshed lean-to. I got the posts all set, rafters framed in, ledger board fastened, and girts nailed off with first few pieces of roofing on too. not too bad for a 1 man band.

Sugar house is coming along nicely now. Got to get some more metal for the woodshed roof, and put in a few more windows.

It can stay warm just a bit longer for my sugar house to be weather tight, and all my wood in its new temporary home. Then snow to beat the band for all I care.

I'll have to take some more pictures and upload them.

[White Barn Farm]

Pretty much finished selling Christmas trees and wreaths for the year today. We won't sell to many more from now on. I am always excited to start but it's nice to be done as well. Sold a nice amount of syrup and cream that I had displyed with my wreaths and greens. I hoped the maple products would sell, introduced some people to maple cream for the first time and I think they will be back. Time to rest up before Christmas, been getting up at 4-4:30, making wreaths or cream, working til 3:15 then selling trees til dark. Weekends are flat out with trees. I have a great time, lose 10-15 pounds but unlike sap season I know when we will be done. I really enjoy seeing people that I don't see the rest of the year. Spent some time today getting the saphouse ready. Everything is ready to go just need some sap.Two months and counting to start tapping. Can't wait!!!! Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas

[mountainvan]

Been busy bottling and selling syrup the last week, and getting my vacuum setup all setup. Collected 8 gals of 2% sap this weekend and boiled it most of the way down today on the stove. It felt good to inhale that sweet steam again!

[royalmaple]

I was able to get the sugar house looking like some sort of a completed project this weekend. Still got pleanty to do, but it is coming together nicely now.

Windows are all in and trimmed, doors are made and hung, Trim, wood shed done.

Now I just have to add some wood and set up the evaporator. And a lot of other stuff, but the major part of the building is pretty much there.

[Fred Henderson]

As I have told my kids , you pound one nail today and one tomorrow and pretty soon there are none left to pound.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Matt,

It sure looks GREAT! :D :D :D :D

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I wentout a few hours yesterday morning and cut aprox 4 cords of wood for the 2008 season. My brother didn't have much to do and he brought his 046 and I had my 310 Stihl and we made some wood fly. I will leave it in the fields until after season and then split, haul and stack it. It had all been seasoning for several years and was nearly all locust and some red oak. Hope to get him back for 3 or 4 more hours when we can get both saws working at the same time and knock out the rest of it before 07 season starts. :D

[Parker]

Got to got to the sugar house for a littel while yesterday,,How does that place get SOOO drity? Everything seems to whinde up down there in piles,,in the woodshed,,on the benches,,under the benches,,,,,So went back up to the house and got a box of garbage bags and started cleaning up,,,,4 trashbags later and 3 tractor bucket loads of misc. stuff back to the appropreate sheds and now you can almost walk around down there agine,,,
Made a too do list to get ready for the season,,(always discourageing),,,I am gonna call Steve earliy this year and see if I can get him interested in doing some pre season stuff,,,alot of lines to run ect,,,gonna foucus on making what is already set up better instead of any big expansions (mabey just 5-600 more at Quimbys)
Gonna try to go to a maple school and bring Steve and Ray,,mabey we will all learn something,,, GOTTA GET GEARED UP,,incase we do have a season this year,,,,,,,,Best holiday wishes to everyone

[Father & Son]

Spent yesterday visiting Brandon's state. Went to Wheeling to the Cabela's store. What a place that is. I'm glad I didn't take more money with me, it could have been disasterous 8O

Brandon-You should try to sell your syrup in that place. Even if you sold it to them for a 20% discount from their prices you would still make good money. It was labeled from a producer in PA. Grade A Dark Amber.

If anyone has extra Christmas money burning a hole in their pocket the new Leader catalog arrived in the mail today.

Have a Healthy and Happy New Year :!:

Jim

[Fred Henderson]

Ha ha whos got any money after xmas. One of the troubles with Leaders Cat is thay they never show the stuff that a guy really needs. Like a releif valve for the preheated bundle. If they would put less concern on the cost of printing the cat and more on making money they would make a real bundle.

[mountainvan]

I liked the fact that Leader has a "call for price" on their releasers. I pointed that out to my wife, saying," I got a great deal on the releaser I just got". She just gave me that look of, "Oh Yeah". Went to the hospital today for pretest. I'm getting better with needles.Stocked up on pudding, graham crackers, and 7-up. Got netflix for Christmas so I'm all set for a week on the couch. Sap is flowing here in Oliverea today. With no real cold weather in sight I'm calling an early season for here.

[mountainvan]

finished tubing repairs today so the woods are ready. Cleaned up the evaporator, filled it with water, and started it up. Could'nt sleep last night and was thinking of ways to boil faster when I had an ipifany( spelled wrong, great idea though). I layed some fire brick, loose, across the firebox right where it starts to slope up. Went to about an 11/2" to the bottom of the flues, drop flue rig. Man did it boil!! Now I really can't wait to get sap.

[Fred Henderson]

How far away from the flues were the brick before?

[mountainvan]

It's a conventional arch. I'd say about a foot and a half. If you look at the diagram for an intensofires fire box, that's what I did. The bricks force the flames right up to the flues. Now this is the gospel truth; After I got it going I loaded the firebox 1/2 full with small limbs I have for starter wood, closed the door, and before I turned on the blowers the evaporator started making a loud low humm and the saphouse floor vibrated. My saphouse is on piers for flooding. Never had that happen before.

[Fred Henderson]

I have to confess that when I did mine the bricks were too far away. So I re-did them to within 1-1/2" then I laid a piece of ceramic blanket to within 1" of of the flues letting it taper out towards the stack to 1-1/2". The first time that I fired it with water in it I thought that there was a Boeing 747 running up outside. Then I added another 5' of stack and have not tryed it again. Mine is built like a rasied flue near the stack in that the gases have to come back down to go up the stack.