January Journal

[DrTimPerkins]

Happy New Year Folks....

Time to start prepping for the upcoming maple conferences....then right on into the season. In the midst of all that, editing the new 3rd edition of the North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual. Shaping up to be a busy winter and spring.

[RC Maple]

Happy New Year Folks.....

I second that. Well I get to be second on the January Journal. One of the things I have done for the last several years since I have been sugaring is to walk the neighbors woods that I tap with a tape measure and see just how big some of those trees have gotten. There are quite a few taps in there for a small woods and a lot of trees that are close to being of size. It's neat to see how much they've grown in the last year. May do some clean up or wood splitting in my woods today then settle in for some football this afternoon.

[maple flats]

Happy New year to all, and may this maple season bring all you want, weather, quality and quantity and few issues to consume your time.
I started running new tubing at my sugarhouse yesterday. My old system was actually 7 individual gravity systems with the largest being 75 taps and the smallest being 15 taps, each had to be collected with a tractor and it proved very time consuming at best. The new system (singular) will have vacuum and will have sap ladders to bring it all to the sugarhouse. I bought an old BB4 pump, an Ed Sobles releaser (double horizontal) and it will run on 240V electric which I now have. I'll likely get at least 120-150 taps in this year and will expand for next year to over 200, maybe even 250 by adding some reds on separate laterals so I can shut off the reds as they bud and keep running the sugars. This is gently undulating old lake bottom ground, with the high point at the sugarhouse and the low point only about 6' lower (unless I count the drainage ditches I dug that are 3-5' deep). (maple flats!). I will likely be down from last years tap count of 1320 or this years over ambitious projection of 1450 because I lost 2 of my long time workers (they graduated college and got real jobs). At this point it looks like I may be down to 550 to 650 taps, but I'm paying the lease on the bush I'm skipping this year and will try to get more help next year and try to get to 1500 taps next year.

[maple flats]

Happy New year to all, and may this maple season bring all you want, weather, quality and quantity and few issues to consume your time.
I started running new tubing at my sugarhouse yesterday. My old system was actually 7 individual gravity systems with the largest being 75 taps and the smallest being 15 taps, each had to be collected with a tractor and it proved very time consuming at best. The new system (singular) will have vacuum and will have sap ladders to bring it all to the sugarhouse. I bought an old BB4 pump, an Ed Sobles releaser (double horizontal) and it will run on 240V electric which I now have. I'll likely get at least 120-150 taps in this year and will expand for next year to over 200, maybe even 250 by adding some reds on separate laterals so I can shut off the reds as they bud and keep running the sugars. This is gently undulating old lake bottom ground, with the high point at the sugarhouse and the low point only about 6' lower (unless I count the drainage ditches I dug that are 3-5' deep). (maple flats!). I will likely be down from last years tap count of 1320 or this years over ambitious projection of 1450 because I lost 2 of my long time workers (they graduated college and got real jobs). At this point it looks like I may be down to 550 to 650 taps, but I'm paying the lease on the bush I'm skipping this year and will try to get more help next year and try to get to 1500 taps next year.

[jimsudz]

Happy New Year everybody. Well i got up this morning at 5 am to be the first on the January journal, but Dr. Tim beat me to it. Hope this isn't a indication of how my year will go. Finally getting some weather here in WNY, 5-6" so far. A fellow trader Noel Good (wnybassman)just left after picking up some bucket lids.I have to deliver some syrup today,and put on the snow plow. Seems funny to finally have to plow on 1/1. I got my new 2.5 acre sugarbush ready to tap 320 taps all on 3/16.Just have to remove a 600 gallon tank from a local farm,and spot at the new bush(Sudzy's Hillside Sugarbush).Hope to see some of you at Verona next weekend. Have a great season !!!

[maple maniac65]

Shot my first gray squirrel in the sugar orchard. Have never seen one here in twenty two years. Hope I never see another one.

[maple flats]

Wow, I wish I had none in 21 years. I get major damage especially in one bush that has lots of hickory. That is a lease and I do not have permission to cut. Along with that I tried to get the landowner to thin and said I'd help, he coulds have the wood, but he is in the mindset that no live tree should ever be cut, he only cuts dead or dying and windthrow (blowdowns).

[BreezyHill]

Only one... they are bush rats...where you see one there are many more. Didn't have many until a couple of years ago. Shot 37 in 2015 in 25 acres bush. There are still many left...easier when there is a little snow on the ground to see them.

[maple flats]

I second that. Well I get to be second on the January Journal. One of the things I have done for the last several years since I have been sugaring is to walk the neighbors woods that I tap with a tape measure and see just how big some of those trees have gotten. There are quite a few taps in there for a small woods and a lot of trees that are close to being of size. It's neat to see how much they've grown in the last year. May do some clean up or wood splitting in my woods today then settle in for some football this afternoon.
It looks like if you want to beat Dr. Tim to start a monthly journal, you need to type it out and be ready to post it at 1 second after midnight on the 1st of any month.

[lakeview maple]

I spent the 1st of this New Year cutting in drops and hanging laterals on a new mainline. It was an awesome day, the terrain is brutally steep and rough but I think the rewards will be huge. Ill be back up there tomorrow , I did 63 today on the roughest area , hopefully the rest will be a little easier. Have a Happy New Year everyone, Allen

[Urban Sugarmaker]

I have finally started to assemble my RO. I'm still waiting for some parts but the major components are mounted to the frame and I am in the midst of wiring. Then I will finish the plumbing and test it. It's a single XLE 4040 and I am controlling it with a programmable logic controller (PLC). I will be starting a new thread with pictures in the near future. Hopefully the testing goes well and with no leaks. Then, I just need sap. I'm looking forward to 110 taps this year, up from 80 last year. With a working RO, I can hopefully avoid 12 hour boils after big runs, and get a few seasons out of the 5 cords of wood I have.

[wnybassman]

Happy New Year everybody. Well i got up this morning at 5 am to be the first on the January journal, but Dr. Tim beat me to it. Hope this isn't a indication of how my year will go. Finally getting some weather here in WNY, 5-6" so far. A fellow trader Noel Good (wnybassman)just left after picking up some bucket lids.I have to deliver some syrup today,and put on the snow plow. Seems funny to finally have to plow on 1/1. I got my new 2.5 acre sugarbush ready to tap 320 taps all on 3/16.Just have to remove a 600 gallon tank from a local farm,and spot at the new bush(Sudzy's Hillside Sugarbush).Hope to see some of you at Verona next weekend. Have a great season !!!

Thanks for the lids! Unfortunately, your snow followed me home and I spent the rest of the day plowing it.

[maple flats]

wnybassman, you seemed to drag the snow across the state. I wish you had taken a different route.

[Revi]

It ended up snowing down here too, which is okay by me since we haven't had too much cold weather so far this season. We need to get a period of dormancy or this season could be really short! What do you think Tim?

[fishman]

I'm procrastinating a lot, building up brownie points with the wife after hunting and trapping all fall and shooting all the squirrels I can. Think I'll add 1 tap this year.

[DrTimPerkins]

It ended up snowing down here too, which is okay by me since we haven't had too much cold weather so far this season. We need to get a period of dormancy or this season could be really short! What do you think Tim?

What we get for the season will depend upon the weather during the season.

[buckeye gold]

Pulled fall taps today. My worst fall season ever. Very poor runs and I dumped sap three times, just too warm. So i drained the pan and washed down the evaporator and head tank and all other equipment ready for regular season. I put the sweet on propane to finish and wouldn't you know I got so caught up doing other stuff and totally torched the batch, I mean unsalvagable scorched caramel. Two gallons of pure bitter burnt gooo, aaaaarrrrggggg. At least I got it out of the way before spring season, my once a year cluster is out of the way, I hope!

[n8hutch]

I rode up to Lancaster today and looked at a used Releaser at Fullers, looked pretty good but I'm not crazy about the price. Still have my Air tight front to put on and forced draft to hook up. Anybody know of a decent used releaser for a small woods I would appreciate the tip. Benders seem to be hard to come by.

Still have a new woods to look at too .it would be great for 3/16 . Only trouble is I'd have to run 2000ft of main line to get maybe 200 taps . Seems kind of costly.

[ennismaple]

I got a good chunk of our 2017 evaporator wood cut on the weekend. It's great to have friends who love running a chainsaw! Another day at it and we'll be ready for the clam truck to come move it to the sugar camp so it can be cut and split.

12408

[unc23win]

I spent the warm weekend getting a new deck built for my tanks. I am feeling more ready than last year. I have a few night jobs I would like to get done in the sugarhouse like installing more lights. Then I am going to make sure the vacuum and releasers are ready to go and then go back to woods work. At least that is the plan.

[adk1]

What we get for the season will depend upon the weather during the season. Nothing incorrect about this statement!

[etruax]

A general question I have had for sometime. With all the government regulations for food handling and traceability required to be a supplier in the food chain why do I have such a hard time finding FDA compliant materials(i.e.: buckets, bags, tubing, taps)? If I want to insure the safety of my family and all who enjoy the pure maple syrup made where do I buy these supplies? Is - or will - the government be cracking down on handling of these precious and delicious treats we all make requiring anything sold to be made at a fully compliant facility? :o

We all understand galvanized and aluminum buckets are not FDA compliant and RO systems will not 'remove' any harmful chemicals from the metallic surfaces of them, they only kill bacteria, when they work. Boiling the sap down would never remove any harmful chemicals that could leach into my product flow path and make it all the way through the evaporator, they wouldn't disappear or evaporate and they could make it all the way to the breakfast table with ease. That is concerning to me.

I know if there are UV additives or blockers in the raw materials used to make tubing that will make it last longer in the woods or outdoor environment, the tubing is not FDA compliant due to the presence of those additives or blockers. I won't jeopardize the health and safety of anyone knowingly, how do we secure a path of pureness for our maple products from start to finish?

Obviously stainless steel can be considered food grade provided it is cleaned properly but what about all the system to collect and transport the sap and syrup before and after boiling down in an evaporator? Stainless would cost more than its worth.

I would love to know if anyone else has the same question or concerns that I have stated.

[DrTimPerkins]

RE: FDA Question.

There is no need to post the same question in multiple areas. Once is enough and keeps the threads consistent.

[etruax]

It was a general question relating to equipment providers compliance Jared. BTW I was making maple syrup in the 70's ... using galvanized collection buckets - hence the concern.

Thanks for the valuable input and best of luck this year!

[etruax]

So sorry Dr Tim,
I was informed by Jared I wasn't posting in the right place - I am new ... thanks for the help and best of luck!

[Tweegs]

Still waiting on the membranes, but the rest of the RO parts are here.

The RO closet is almost done. Need to insulate and pull wire.
Should start the build this weekend and hope to finish.

Decided to use a micro controller for the RO, it solved a few issues I was having making the RO simple to use.
Of course, using a micro unleashed the monster within.

Another was made for the shack. It will monitor tank levels, transfer sap where needed, monitor ambient air temp (vacuum pump),
barometric pressure (auto draw off), stack and syrup temps.

A third controller and flow meters are being used to calculate the amount of sap being transferred from the releaser tank to the main
and how much/how fast sap is being fed to the evaporator.

The code is written, panels are made, need to wire it all up and debug.

Wood pile is high enough, though it needs to be split.
Woods are in reasonably good shape. (I’d say ready, but I’m sure a few squirrels have left presents not yet found)
Vacuum pump needs a little attention, as does the releaser. Nothing major, just maintenance.

[BRL]

Still waiting on the membranes, but the rest of the RO parts are here.

The RO closet is almost done. Need to insulate and pull wire.
Should start the build this weekend and hope to finish.

Decided to use a micro controller for the RO, it solved a few issues I was having making the RO simple to use.
Of course, using a micro unleashed the monster within.

Another was made for the shack. It will monitor tank levels, transfer sap where needed, monitor ambient air temp (vacuum pump),
barometric pressure (auto draw off), stack and syrup temps.

A third controller and flow meters are being used to calculate the amount of sap being transferred from the releaser tank to the main
and how much/how fast sap is being fed to the evaporator.

The code is written, panels are made, need to wire it all up and debug.

Wood pile is high enough, though it needs to be split.
Woods are in reasonably good shape. (I’d say ready, but I’m sure a few squirrels have left presents not yet found)
Vacuum pump needs a little attention, as does the releaser. Nothing major, just maintenance.

Sounds awesome Tweegs! I'm sure I'm not the only one who would love to see pictures of this!!

[wiam]

Got a call from Thor last night. My new pans will be done Thursday. I am going to pick up Sunday. Arch is in sugarhouse. Still needs blanket and burner installed.

[unc23win]

I would agree Tweegs sounds like some good use of your skills with controllers I bet someone could easily market a complete monitoring system.

I spent as much time this extended weekend in my sugarbush as possible. I managed to install a booster and then Installed two main lines pulled them tight and wire tied them. I actually pulled the line out a while ago and never got to it they were a lot longer than I remembered. It's going to be quite an improvement in vacuum plus pick up quite a few new taps.

[maple flats]

Wiam, you will like the Thor pans and you saved a lot of money over Leader, CDL or the other big ones and the quality is superb. Thor is great to deal with, you just need to get one who speaks English, (unless you speak French). Arnold Raymond is one who does speak English.

[Dennis H.]

It may be interesting tapping the trees if the snow stays around that we are getting today.
There is 17" on the ground since yesterday evening and more falling.

Kind of worried how this will effect my tapping. Not planning on tapping for a little longer but if this stuff does not melt any time soon I may have to dig out a few lat's to be able to tap the trees.

[KV Sappers]

I hear you Dennis. We've had at least 27 inches in the valley. I was thinking of tapping around first of Feb. will have to strap the snowshoes on to get to the trees. I like snow but I don't like 27+ inches at one shot. Had deer come in the yard and their bellies were dragging on the snow. Tough time for them too. Good luck on the upcoming season. I'm finally going to try out that new evaporator.

[wnybassman]

Being above freezing today I decided it was a great day to clean out my 210 gallon truck tank and slide it into position in the woods. Glad I did. Even though I washed it very well after the season last year, it still got a little funky over the summer and fall. I absolutely hate cleaning those plastic tanks. I hope that will be my improvement next season, getting rid of that tank and get a nice round bottom stainless tank of some kind.

With that tank in place, I was able to finalize the plumbing of my pump line to the shack by putting fittings on the end where they needed to be.

I am literally just a couple hours of being completely ready to go. Need to put the rail gasket under the pans and rinse those out a little. Also need to fashion a small pumping system to get sap into the tank on my truck when collecting off site buckets.

My biggest problem this season will be deciding when to tap. Being 80% buckets I will wait a bit longer I guess.

[maple flats]

Did some work at the sugarhouse today. I lifted off an old 200 gal head tank and lined it up with 2 others on the ground to use as sap tanks. Then I lifted my new 150 gal head tank onto the platform. Next we placed the new to me vacuum pump next to the releaser and moisture trap. Then we moved my old 550 gal plastic permeate tank and using the dozer blade on the excavator dozed out about 6" of topsoil where I was setting my 1000 gal permeate tank. We hauled in 6-7" crushed stone, leveled and packed it. Then we lifted the 1000 gal Surge round tank, SS good but the outer tank is real bad and slowly carried it slung from the excavator bucket to it's new home. That little 8000# excavator had all it could lift to move that tank, with the load about 5' out in front of the dozer blade, but we got it. Then we put a roof up over the releaser and moisture trap. Then I plumbed up the auto draw valve. Had a productive day, I wish all were this productive. Tomorrow I've got to connect some plumbing to tanks and run power for the vacuum pump. Getting closer, I should be ready by May 15, yes May 15!

[stewardsdairy]

Maple syrup weight loss program began this week. Worked on tapping every night after school last week and tapped more this morning. Then spent rest of day playing with collection tanks, vacuum, releaser, and then started chasing leaks. Long day today and longer tomorrow. May boil tomorrow if run picks up.

[plattmaple]

Checked tanks this morning at 5am. & sugarhouse tank was running over! We need a bigger tank there for sure! Still that was a suprise. Guess i had better finish getting the evaporater put back together. Looks like its time to get some steam rolling!!!

[blissville maples]

must have heat under trees!!! lol way to go i love it when things are runnin over its exciting then!! only a cup from test tree last wensday here thought would have had 1/2 gal or so must be some frost in ground, we'll see if anything happenes in champlain valley today!!

[plattmaple]

I forgot to post that the sap tested at 2.5 which is good for us. I hope that continues!