January 2017 journal

[jimsudz]

Hope everyone has a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. Just starting to get some preseason work done . Want to hang some more tubing soon.

[BAP]

Happy New Years. Still working on my new sugarhouse trying to get the inside done. Need to get some lights and electrical outlets put in.

[mudr]

Just got my collection tank set for my first tube setup, getting pumped for the season. Still need to finish running the laterals.

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[mainebackswoodssyrup]

First day with snowshoes in the woods. We're a little over half way done with the lines and drops. The hardest, steepest and furthest away is behind us. Good thing, we are getting nailed with snow so far this year.

[maple flats]

We've been working in the sugarhouse, will again today and likely tomorrow. Then we will head to the woods. We don't need snowshoes yet this year, only have 6-8" on the ground except in some drifts. I hope it stays that way, It's far easier and faster without, but I do want some snow cover. Bare ground this time of year is not good.
In the sugarhouse we removed my propane fired bottler (It's going to the VVS auction) and will be building a counter in that spot for my new water jacketed bottler. Next I'm changing the RO room heat from electric to an inwall direct vent propane heater. The electric will stay as back up. I'll be running power for the WJ bottler too. We expect temps above freezing today, so we'll clean the tanks again too.

[Bruce L]

Leader arrived today with the new enhanced steam away. Had lots of help to carry it into the sugar house,and some onlookers too. Bruce and his driver were a big help setting it in place and explaining how to hook it up

[Robert K]

Congrats on the upgrade Mr. Leggett. World class syrup will be produced a little faster this year in Crosby.
:D

[sugarman3]

Been redoing a 500 tap installation that we took over from a fellow that retired,tubing was old,some not so old.found some purple tubing and some stamped 1999.Probably will have to get out smow shoes,unless last nights rain settled it.

[lakeview maple]

I spent Wednesday and Thursday in the woods running new 3/16th lines. I had cut out a lot of old lines last spring when I pulled taps. I'm converting over to the 3/16th lines on around 300 taps and I've added another 50 so far. I'm averaging 20 -25 taps per lateral ,and I've installed a vac gauge on every run. Hopefully it will make it easier to keep an eye on problems . The really crazy part is Ive uninstalled about 800 ft of mainline. The laterals are a lot longer and my drop on most is around 80ft which should give me really good vac. Hopefully Ill finish up Friday and be set for the season to start. Al

[PACMAN]

Going to the sugar house this weekend to start getting it ready. have to change all the old drops and make a bunch more. Went and got a propane salimander yesterday so I can have some heat to work in.Tomorrow I have to go pick up my new precision tapper that I ordered. I had more tap leeks than i wanted last year so this should help.Just looking forward to getting in the woods and getting ready.

[adk1]

I have done nothing maple since cleaning the Evap last April. I did just order my new stainless stack for the evaporator though. Bought a use spring tech elite last spring. It still sits in the same location.....oh brother........

[n8hutch]

Gave up on getting the New Sugar house ready for this season, I just don't have the time to do a nice job and be ready for Sugaring season its self. Walked a new piece of woods Sunday and flagged out A main line. Think I'm going to try and get 200 taps over there this year, but could easily get alot more if I have time.

[sugarman3]

adk1-you better get your act together,if need help sett'in up ro,let me know

[Dennis H.]

Been kind of lazy here, it kind of catching me off guard. The forecast for the near future looks really good.
I have been busy the past few days trying to get everything on my checklist checked off.
This past weekend I got the sap tank and vac pump placed and repaired any major issues with the tubing. I will just need to search for leaks the same day that I tap the trees.
The past 2 days I have been working hard to get everything at the sugarhouse done. The evap is cleaned and ready the kitchen area is clean and ready. The only thing left to do here is to get the RO ready.
I am waiting till the day before tapping to do that, don't want to take the membranes out of storage too soon.

SO, as of now I am really aiming for Friday to tap, but I am waiting to till Thursday to make that choice. I really want to see if the forecast is worth starting now or waiting.

[Sugarmaker]

Folks,
The weather is about right for some early runs. Hoping some other folks get the itch and tap early, so I can go and visit.
For our operation: I power washed the steam away, removed it from the evaporator and cleaned the flue pan too. everything is back together with the stacks in place. The plan today is to put up some of the road side tubing. Not sure about tapping yet lots of moves to make in the sugarbush prior to that. I like to have all the tubing and gathering containers in place and then try to tap in one day. With only 650 taps spread out in 30 locations I spend a lot of time just moving from one spot to the next.
We have two new sugarhouses in the area and I would like to spend some time helping them a little too.
Looking forward to getting our great grandson in the sugarhouse this season. He will be two in April.
Regards,
Chris

[wnybassman]

Took advantage of the warmth and finished up the plumbing of the pump out line from the tank to the road. It's about 140' of pipe and 35' or so of elevation. I mainly just had to put the Banjo fittings on the ends today, and fabricate a section at the top to go to the truck tank. Once done, I gravity fed about 75 gallons of water down to the tank and pumped it back up to the truck, just to make sure I could. I could. The new Honda WX10 worked nicely. It surprised me when I turned off the pump and none of the water remaining in the pipe returned back to the tank like my other pump did. That prompted me to put in a valve so I could unhook the pump, then drain the pipe into a bucket or directly into the top of the tank.

[n8hutch]

Ran 1200 ft of mainline wire Saturday, cut down a few standing dead trees before I ran the wire. Did some more scouting around the lot and there sure is alot of Maples, probably could get 1000 taps pretty easy, we'll see how much I can get done. It's moderately steep and faces south it's another 1000 ft to the top of the piece but I don't think I will get up there this year. Fealty great working out doors yesterday.

[Maple Man 85]

Should be thinning but there's no frost so logging has been pushed back two weeks. Getting quotes worked up for a 3500-4000 tap increase. Purchasing another property to double the tap count for next season.