Vacuum slushy!

[nace]

After waiting most of the day for the lines to thaw, I finally fired up the vacuum pump. You could hear it running through the lines and see it pour out like a slushy pouring into the bender releaser. But after it got flowing, it ran normal. Checked the lines and only found one small leak! Short run then the temperature dropped.

[fisheatingbagel]

Hi Nace,
I'm in Louisville. There aren't too many other maplers in the area, other than L & M Sugarbush in Salem, Indiana. I'm impressed that you have 239 taps on 3 1/2 acres! I have less than 10 on my 3 acres - all the rest are on other peoples property.

[nace]

Hi Dave, I guess I need to update my tap total to 350 after getting them all tapped. I had a forester come out under the stewardship program a few years ago. He said that someone had logged the property 40-50 years ago and a maple seeded the whole property. I grew up in pioneer village in Bullitt co. Depending on what side of town you at on, you may find a sugarbush around Fairdale, Mitchell Hill, Brooks Hill, Zoneton rd, Billtown rd. when I bought my 40"x12' king, I thought I had a 12 acre lease but when I finally caught up with the guy, he said he didn't want the tubing I the woods because his kids rode their bikes in the woods. Hopefully, I can swing a lease for next year.

[fisheatingbagel]

So you're getting 350 taps from 3 acres? That's pretty impressive. All my taps are on buckets and bags. I have about 110 taps in Shelby county, 25 miles from my house. I could get another couple hundred taps in Nelson county using tubing but I just don't have the time to drive to both!

I put out around 30 taps over the weekend. The weather for this week looks promising.

[nace]

Dave, if you get them both on tubing with a tank at both along with one in your truck, you wouldn't have to empty buckets and bags. 330 gallon totes are available at Lexington Container Company, I think they are $125 ea. of course the danger of making more syrup is that you will want to make more, and then you NEED a bigger shack, a commercial kitchen, a cream machine.....full blown maple madness.

[fisheatingbagel]

Aye, full blown madness. My wife has already confirmed I'm there...