Prepping for the 2007 season

[Russ]

Warmed up the cabin a few weekends ago and put together the bag holders. Snow wasn't very deep, so we also did some tubing maintenance. We replaced drop lines on several tubing networks that had old 7/16" taps with 5/16" taps. Last fall we clearcut the trees within falling reach of the sugar shack and had a bulldozer come in to level it all out. Should be much better now for maneuvering sap trailers and trucks, and less worries everytime we see a severe thunderstorm move through the area. Logging truck brought in 10 cords of dry cooker wood recovered from one of our other woods, plus we have several hundred pallets ripped, stacked, and ready to burn. Brother Ryan is tinkering with some sugar shack plumbing improvements and getting the gas tappers ready. With minus degree lows (and maybe negative high temps some days ahead), it will be a while until we tap... anytime from late February through mid March is typical for us.

[Russ]

Spent the weekend at the sugar shack cleaning and assembling the evaporator, washing out storage tanks, and dealing with the new snow. We'll most likely start tapping the vacuum networks this next weekend. Long range looks cold with some lows below zero. The season will likely come fast and furious once the snow is melted away from the bases of the trunks.

[Ahnohta]

Does anyone in Wisconsin know if there are any tubing seminars either this summer yet or this coming fall that will be given in Wisconsin or East side of Minnesota???

We have a steep hill side that lends itself to gravity feed well, we now have a SS Milk Hous Tank set in place at bottom, we want to do this correctly once and do not want to make the simple mistakes. We do learn well from others.

Any info on Wiscosnin tubing seminars is appreciated along with any info on gravity feed you can pass along. We have not bought tubes, tools or taps yet - want to wait tell we learn more.


thanx much

Doug n Beth

[Parker]

Just curious,,how many taps?

[Parker]

Russ,,how did you make out this year??

[markcasper]

Doug and beth, I have never known anyone (equipment dealers) to have held anything reguarding a tubing seminar. Its quite a joke that there has never been anything like this, considering the number of producers in our state. And I'm not talking about an equipment rep from New England attending a dealers open house. It should be something thats hands on, in the woods, and not sitting around a table.

So I am sorry to say, no, I do not or have never known of a tubing seminar being held.

You may try bringing it up at an association meeting, but chances are good that it would never go any further than "talking" about it.

[Brad W Wi]

Doug and Beth you have an E-mail

[Ahnohta]

Starting next year w/ 50-100 taps on tubes then slowly moving upward. Lookin at retiring from reg job in less then 7 years and want to work way up in taps as it get closer to retirement. For planning to set up tubes/taps for 2008 will be at 800 ln ft mark from top crest of hill to where we placed our ss tank. Hill is steep. In future we can slide tank down to bottom of hill which is another 200'



our email is blueoak@ncis.net

[maple flats]

I don't know about your area but I have been to 5 tubing seminars in 4 years in central New York. Each one gives a new perspective. Watch for any maple related events or training or dealer open houses. Ask any and all local dealers (within your desired driving didtance). Send emails to manufacturers and ask. If you ask enough different sources you will find one. In the meantime get to know some other producers in your neck of the woods and ask if they use tubing. If yes ask if you can see their set up, masybe even walk their lines with them on a repair session. Ask what they would do differently if they were to do it again. The more ideas you get the better you will be when designing your own. If your hill is steep as you indicate you can do tubing much easier and less costly than a rather flat area. I use black poly mains but plan to use the more expensive official tubing in the future to help with the sap temp and temp relates to better syrup because of lower bacteria counts and longer storage possibilities when you get a super run you can't keep up with (the ones we all want to see more often). To start with get the new North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual and read it. Get any other books you can find about maple tubing layouts and set ups. You might find some available from the tubing mgfrs. Ask the Maple Guys (our sponser) about anything they have to help. The current designs differ greatly from those of just a few years ago, but they all work, sap runs down hill.

[Russell Lampron]

There is a book called Design, Installation and Maintenance of Plastic Tubing Systems available for about $20. I saw it at a seminar last winter and it has the latest info on setting up tubing systems. I know that Bascoms has it and I haven't checked with The Maple Guys yet.

Russ

[maplekid]

there is a book that bascoms sells that deals with hanging tubing and other stuff in that nature. i think it cost 5.00 not including shipping