TrentonMaple
02-23-2016, 02:19 PM
Ever have one of those nights?
Got home from work ready to start the first boil of the season. Had a decent run over the weekend. I had a few more minor plumbing tweaks to do in the sugarhouse but figured I could wrap things up in time to boil at least 4 hours.
First, had to finish plumbing some pex line up to the head tank. That took twice as long, as I neglected to put the pex fittings back where they should be. Finally scrounged up a 3/4" fitting in the bottom of a shoppng bag. Then it was up into the rafters hanging like a monkey trying to work a pex tool without falling into the evaporator. Finally, done.
Turned on the pump from the IBC tote outside to run up into the head tank. It whirred to life, I heard gurgling...a then a horrid smell. The pump was chugging out coca-cola colored fetid liquid with huge clumps....and then slowly I remembered I never cleaned it out after last season. If you don't know what 10 month old rancid sap smells like, I highly recommend it, a marvelous experience. Now the head tank needed to come down, and be washed out of clotted sap boogers.
Once that was done, which took another hour, I got it set back up, and connected to this elaborate homemade preheater I made based off some pics I've seen here. It took me a whole weekend. It's made from copper pipe and aluminum channel. And solder. Not enough solder, it turns out.
13261
Every single soldered joint leaked. I'm not sure why, the solder flowed well and seemed to be sucked into each joint. I think because the joints are all so close together I was re-melting them when I did the adjoining joint. My soldering skills need work.
That swamped the sugarhouse, and then froze within minutes. Then I'm ice skating around the evaporator trying to unhook the preheater and mop up the mess.
I've yet to strike a match this season.
Got home from work ready to start the first boil of the season. Had a decent run over the weekend. I had a few more minor plumbing tweaks to do in the sugarhouse but figured I could wrap things up in time to boil at least 4 hours.
First, had to finish plumbing some pex line up to the head tank. That took twice as long, as I neglected to put the pex fittings back where they should be. Finally scrounged up a 3/4" fitting in the bottom of a shoppng bag. Then it was up into the rafters hanging like a monkey trying to work a pex tool without falling into the evaporator. Finally, done.
Turned on the pump from the IBC tote outside to run up into the head tank. It whirred to life, I heard gurgling...a then a horrid smell. The pump was chugging out coca-cola colored fetid liquid with huge clumps....and then slowly I remembered I never cleaned it out after last season. If you don't know what 10 month old rancid sap smells like, I highly recommend it, a marvelous experience. Now the head tank needed to come down, and be washed out of clotted sap boogers.
Once that was done, which took another hour, I got it set back up, and connected to this elaborate homemade preheater I made based off some pics I've seen here. It took me a whole weekend. It's made from copper pipe and aluminum channel. And solder. Not enough solder, it turns out.
13261
Every single soldered joint leaked. I'm not sure why, the solder flowed well and seemed to be sucked into each joint. I think because the joints are all so close together I was re-melting them when I did the adjoining joint. My soldering skills need work.
That swamped the sugarhouse, and then froze within minutes. Then I'm ice skating around the evaporator trying to unhook the preheater and mop up the mess.
I've yet to strike a match this season.