September Journal

[maple flats]

The time is getting closer. The months seem to fly by too fast. Tapping will be upon us before you know it.
I've been packing more syrup and I took my new SS base stack to my tinsmith for some alteration. As I said once before, I had a Grimm Base and 12" stack made by Leader. I don't like how they did it. They have the top of the base extend a few inches up into the first section of stack so any moisture will catch in the pocket and run down the outside of the new SS base. My tinshop it cutting it to size and making an adapter to join them so each fits inside the lower section. When Leader made the base they did not lay it out, so the top opening is not even level, it is shorter at the seems and longer in between by well over an inch. The old Grimm base also fit inside but it was even on top. The lip created by fitting inside caused the stack to have streaks down the outside, which soon became rust (it was galv.). Whatever happened to pride in workmanship? It should have my base stack back and designed right later this week.

[lakeview maple]

I spent a few hours at the sugarhouse Monday, it was raining lightly and I figured I wont melt. I moved a bunch of firewood in preparation for the addition, I had a few thoughts of studding it in and building on with a wood floor ,but I decided to go with concrete and go from there. Hopefully Ill start it early next week and pour it over a 2 two day period. We don't have a lot of syrup left so that's a huge plus ,the summer season was great for us and the blueberry crop was awesome. I found a local sawmill that does custom hardwoods and they sell the slabs for $50 a 1 ton load , I had 2 loads delivered and the first one I don't even need to put a saw to it, all at about 30 inches, the other one looks really good to, all of it is 4ft tho so ill need to cut it in half , but not to bad for $100 bucks for almost 3 full cord of dry slabs. Im really excited for this season, hopefully I wont have another broken leg and Ill be able to get out in the woods and do more .,Al

[maple flats]

Since blueberry pancakes and maple syrup go well together this IS on topic. Lakeview maple- I also had a good blueberry season. The berries were there for my best season ever, in 30 years of blueberries, but the over frequent rain kept pickers out (I'm strictly U-Pick), even when the rain stopped my flat land was too wet in many spots. We still ended up with our 3rd best year ever.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Well my sugaring partners landscaping tools got stole right out of his farm yard, one back pack blower, two full size weed whackers with attachments, a small whacker he cut down for his young son to use and five gallons of gas. So I installed an alarm system on out vac shed yesterday and doing a camera system on his door yard this week. All the troopers can say is file an insurance claim, here is the theft report. Troopers didnt care much for the comment about bear traps laid out after dark in the pole barn :) so they actually came back the next day to see if he did :lol: . they told him he could be charged for intent to cause bodily harm, the crooks get all the brakes got to love the liberal cops and judges. Unbelievable the second trooper making excuses why the people are stealing about the drugs having a hold on them.

[NhShaun]

I've been out tagging trees and trying to figure out the best way to lay out my lines for the upcoming season. Also trying to get my hands on a couple used pans and start building my own evap.. Hopefully i can get that all done before the sap starts flowing! ohh and then i still have to collect, cut and stack firewood! I hope you are all as excited as i am!

[VT_K9]

We've cleared some hemlock in a new area for about 150-175 taps. This will let more sun in and we took the lower half of the trees to the sawmill to build a sap shack for a 600 gallon tank with releaser. I've also been walking the area to try and figure out the best route for mainlines....looking to have one primary 1" mainline with 2 1" mainline laterals to get to other clusters of maples. Still out with recovery from surgery for a torn rotator cuff. So my part of we with the clearing is watching my father for another month or so.

[unc23win]

I walked a small section of woods for expansion on Sunday just below an existing mainline. I had been waiting on them because my sugarhouse drive is below them. There aren'tmany taps there for this season maybe 50, but I am pleasantly surprised at the number of maples about 6" in diameter for the future and they are not over crowded either. So I'm planning on harvesting some of the non maples, which there aren't many of this weekend. Then on to another section it's nice to finally get started in the woods. :)

[maple flats]

[QUOTE=NhShaun;259433 ohh and then i still have to collect, cut and stack firewood! I hope you are all excited as i am![/QUOTE]
You should do the wood first. Wet wood is a real downer, and you get far less syrup/cord with unseasoned wood.

[Maplewalnut]

Finished the wood shed build. No more tarps for me!! Tarps are great for a season or two and then they leak. I dont care how thick they are, what color they are ..they all leak. Now onto the sugarhouse. Moving vacuum pump outside and bringing in sap tanks. Sick of shoveling out tanks and cleaning when leaves and dirt find there way in. after that its time to walk a section of woods for what else...more taps.

[Cabin]

Cut up a hemlock for fire wood, got a 24 x 30 pan to add to my arch set up. Now for cutting more downed trees for the house and cabin heat and rebuild my block arch to include the new pan. Rewiring the cabin so I can get rid of the extension cords and get spotlights on the arch/firewood pile.

[NhShaun]

You should do the wood first. Wet wood is a real downer, and you get far less syrup/cord with unseasoned wood.
Most of the wood i will gather is either down as of last winter or dead and still standing. So its mostly dry already, just need to collect it all. Still a ton of work, but at least i wont have to wait for it to dry.

[adk1]

I walked my lines and cut off branches and trees that had fallen via various storms. Ordered a few ss unions to fix one section of mailine that's about it though.

[handtapper]

Do stuff in proper order don't wipe before you use the outhouse. Get your firewood cut split and stacked earlier in the year. Even better you should have done it earlier last year. I have 5+ cord pine 3+ hardwood and 400 pallets and plan to have leftovers as a headstart next year. Not only will I have great wood I'll have my feet up while others are panicking over dry firewood. I just need to move my new evap into the shack and find some new taps. Other than that ready for 2015

[Jebediah]

This outhouse thing is confusing. What does using the outhouse have to do with firewood?

[handtapper]

Its a analogy for doing things in the proper order. Firewood should be job #1 after everything is cleaned up

[Jebediah]

Outhouse, in certain circumstances, is job #1. Then firewood.

[220 maple]

Maple Assoc. with assistance from are Dept. of Ag. put on a tubing seminar let by Jason Callan and Tim Combs, of Leader Evaporator
Very informative! Several WV producers came to the Workshop, appears expansion is on in the Mountain State!
We held the workshop at the largest camp in the state, Owner put in 18800 taps first year start up, Jason's prediction their will be five camps that size or
bigger in WV with in 5 to 10 years, He and Tim looked at other possible operations and is confident the resource is here.

Mark 220 Maple

[NhShaun]

Do stuff in proper order don't wipe before you use the outhouse. Get your firewood cut split and stacked earlier in the year. Even better you should have done it earlier last year. I have 5+ cord pine 3+ hardwood and 400 pallets and plan to have leftovers as a headstart next year. Not only will I have great wood I'll have my feet up while others are panicking over dry firewood. I just need to move my new evap into the shack and find some new taps. Other than that ready for 2015 Totally get what you are saying. But as of right now I'm still unsure of which location i will be sugaring this year. It depends on a few variables at this point...Either In central Mass on 40 acres or central NH on my own 10 acres. Didn't want to cut and stack 6 cord of firewood 120 miles away haha.

[waysidemaple]

Been a while since my last post. Been really busy but figured I'd take the time to update. Been pretty steady with tubing installs since last July. Getting to see quite a few places! Upgrading the shed some this year and adding a few more taps to hopefully break 5500. Realisticly, time will limit the to prolly 5000. State tour in pa is the 10th and 11th of October, trying to get as much stuff the way I want it before my stop on the tour. Headed to Wyoming Sunday to take a little vacation and tie the not with my old lady. Then we will be back and into the checklist of things to complete before season. Less than 6 months to season.
Scott

[sjdoyon]

9841
9842

Installed new 8,400 SS tank under extended roof cover.

[adk1]

Wow! Now that is a tank right there!

[maple maniac65]

the roof is not high enough for a diving board during the summer months

[Revi]

I spent a couple of hours cutting up an old bridge that rotted away, and then bottling up some half pints.

I sold most of my syrup this summer, so we needed some more for gifts.

It was really warm on Saturday, but in the shade of the trees, not so bad.

[tuckermtn]

sjdoyon - that must be the biggest one they make? do you all still have plans to move the sugarhouse down closer to the road? go man go!

-Eric

[sjdoyon]

yes, it's the biggest Lapierre makes, 7 1/2'x24'x84". We shouldn't have a holding capacity issue next spring.