2nd Boil In Chesterfield

[johnpma]

Boiled down another 35 gallons yesterday. Had 2% sugar on yesterday's collections.

I hope any of you from Conway along with your family are safe.........

The evening weather that moved through was intense!!

[GV2]

I hope the folks in Conway are all safe too. I did my second boil in W Granville yesterday too (40 gals). I cooked outdoors until dusk and was totally surprised to see the tornado report an hour later. Claimed it went through Otis which is a town away. we saw nothing but a few flurries. PS: I lost patience with my 3/16 line so on Saturday I made some adjustment to try an improved vacuum. Buckets and lines were frozen on Sunday so can tell if the adjustments kicked in yet. My first boil this year was the best tasting ever (60 gallons). Sunday's product was a bit stronger tasting. Mostly sap from reds on Sunday. I can't put my finger on the after taste, almost a slight sting like pepper but not pepper-ish. Gland to hear you had sap running in Chesterfield. Cold and windy in GV yesterday!

[johnpma]

We had a low temp last Thursday night of 42. Was 19 this morning and suppose to hit high 40's today. Need those 20 degree nights back with warm days. I too have mostly reds. It was some of the sweetest syrup I have ever made. Very tasty. You had a great day to boil Sat. GV2!!

[Biz]

TV stations are reporting that this was the first tornado ever recorded in Massachusetts during February. Glad nobody was seriously hurt.

I have boiled about 400 gallons of sap so far from 96 taps and boiled 6 of the last 8 days. Sap never stopped running during the warm spell, oddly enough. This week is looking decent, should run a few days.

Dave

[johnpma]

Sounds like your Vacuum pump along with your 3/16" tuning is serving you well Dave.....that's great!!

[johnpma]

Collected shy of 60 gallons tonight. Just took dogs out and I hear the buckets in the yard singing their song of sweetness. Sugar content was a. Bit over 2%

[johnpma]

Boiled for a couple hours tonight....was worried about the day time high today but sap was 38 degrees even with the 58 degree high today. Going to boil up what we have thurs and Fri weekend will slow things up

[johnpma]

Boiled 55 of the 85 gallons we collected yesterday. Trees ran good!! Sugar was 2.25%

[johnpma]

Finished 1 1/2 gallons of syrup this morning using my steamer. Worked out very well :) For a cheap homemade steamer

[johnpma]

Finished making our second gallon. looks like we might get another shot this week at a run

[johnpma]

Ran hard here last night.....looks like another weekend boil

[GV2]

My taps began to wake up in West Granvillle last evening but not worth collecting. Hope to get a 3 day run though Friday's weather looks like a 3-dayer would be a stretch!

[Biz]

Collected 20 gallons last night, there is another 60 this AM and still running. Starting the fire soon and will be boiling all day. Made almost 10 gallons so far from 100 taps.

Dave

[johnpma]

Collected 20 gallons last night, there is another 60 this AM and still running. Starting the fire soon and will be boiling all day. Made almost 10 gallons so far from 100 taps.

DaveThat is incredible Dave!!! What is producing more the vacuum or the 3/16" tubing?

[sappytapper]

Ran hard here last night.....looks like another weekend boil

Yeah, I didn't check the buckets when I got home from work yesterday, but I had a feeling yesterday and today would be a pretty decent run. 1.5 gallons in the bucket from one of my better producing trees this morning on the way out of the house to head to work. Wee!

[johnpma]

collected another 90 gallons this morning.....it's running hard for sure.

[Biz]

I gathered a total of 140 gallons yesterday and boiled 12 hrs. Still running strong this morning.

I am getting good vacuum from the pumps - 20-26" top and bottom of lines. My gravity line is also running great, it has a 15' drop. I was going to build another pump unit to put on the gravity line but I am maxed out on boiling capacity so I don't want it to run better! A larger evaporator is on my shopping list for next year :)

Couple new videos of my pump stations in action, posted on my Facebook page.

Dave

[sappytapper]

Likewise, collected 20g from 15 taps last night, since last collection Monday night. Boiling after work this evening. :-)

[johnpma]

I gathered a total of 140 gallons yesterday and boiled 12 hrs. Still running strong this morning.

I am getting good vacuum from the pumps - 20-26" top and bottom of lines. My gravity line is also running great, it has a 15' drop. I was going to build another pump unit to put on the gravity line but I am maxed out on boiling capacity so I don't want it to run better! A larger evaporator is on my shopping list for next year :)

Couple new videos of my pump stations in action, posted on my Facebook page.

DaveGreat to hear your season is going well Dave!! I will take a peek at the videos when I have a moment. Bigger unit UT OH!!!! :) If you need a hand rigging or a trailer I have a 14 foot flat bed trailer.....just gimme a shout!!

[johnpma]

Likewise, collected 20g from 15 taps last night, since last collection Monday night. Boiling after work this evening. :-) Great night to boil!! Plus you have the moonlight :) I was out until 7:30PM collecting the moon was better than my headlamp LOL

[Biz]

Great to hear your season is going well Dave!! I will take a peek at the videos when I have a moment. Bigger unit UT OH!!!! :) If you need a hand rigging or a trailer I have a 14 foot flat bed trailer.....just gimme a shout!!

14 foot, wow it would have to be a big rig to need that!! Not planning on being a big threat to Sweet Tree Maple's business anytime soon....

[johnpma]

Cold 4 degree morning! Finished boiling off what we collected this week and finished 2 gallons of amber syrup I think the run will slow up this week with the cold snap

[johnpma]

Finished product! Finally got this filter thing down!!

[sappytapper]

Looking great!

Hopefully the tail end of the eek into next looks like some good sap weather for another run. :-)

[johnpma]

Looking great!

Hopefully the tail end of the eek into next looks like some good sap weather for another run. :-) Yeah I think we are far from done up where I am!! Hoping to make a couple more gallons.

[johnpma]

Labeled product

[johnpma]

Collected another 50 gallons tonight along with ice Had to throw a few buckets away sap was all discolored may be my last weekend boiling this coming weekend

[sweetwater sugar shack]

Yup thinking the same had my best year yet 40 gallons so far

[johnpma]

Yup thinking the same had my best year yet 40 gallons so far Good for you!!! How many taps?? Thats a great year IMO

[berkshires]

Labeled product

Looks great!

I'm hoping to get another boil in tomorrow, and one this weekend. After that, who knows. Buds may still be okay, but for how long? Long term forecast does not look promising. Too warm. We'll see.

Gabe

[berkshires]

Yup thinking the same had my best year yet 40 gallons so far

That's amazing! When did you tap? In Chester, this was the worst March I can remember. Mostly too cold, and when it wasn't too cold it was too warm. Fortunately I made up some of it in Feb. But I'm on buckets, so I can't go too early. If I'd tapped in January and made it all the way to now, this might've been a very good season.

Gabe

[sweetwater sugar shack]

215 tapped last week of January collected another 200 between yesterday and today all checkvalves have a 3/16 line with 35 on it with only about 8ft of drop after last tap has been very good over a gallon per tap on good days

[johnpma]

215 tapped last week of January collected another 200 between yesterday and today all checkvalves have a 3/16 line with 35 on it with only about 8ft of drop after last tap has been very good over a gallon per tap on good days It's running pretty good!! Hope it hold till the weekend with this warmup.......hate to loose what I have.

[johnpma]

Sap ran hard today bit over 2% boiling 35 gallons tonight Looks like a busy weekend **** snow!

[sweetwater sugar shack]

Did my last boil tonight out of wood now boil off what's left in pan will b my best year 45 gallons been a long season tapped end of January

[GV2]

Sitting on 50 gallons gathered this week. 3/16 line is finally streaming! One rock and a few reds on buckets shut down about a week ago but most buckets (20 or so) are still giving a few quarts each night when running. Plan to boil in the snowfall tomorrow! Sweetwater is that you in the new gazebo sugar building on Beech Hill?

[sweetwater sugar shack]

No I am on Hayden

[johnpma]

Gathered another 50 gallons this morning and started making steam hoping for another run this week

[johnpma]

WOW! Trees are gushing today! And here I thought we were done :)

[WESTMAPLES]

mine are doing the same .... sugar content is low but thats how my whole season has been and im glad to have the ro & every drop of sap that comes in, now just have to work it till the buddy end....

[johnpma]

mine are doing the same .... sugar content is low but thats how my whole season has been and im glad to have the ro & every drop of sap that comes in, now just have to work it till the buddy end.... Yeah sugar was about 1.75% here as well. Check this morning looks like I have about 35 or so gallons. Strange thing is out in the woods it is really running hard. I'll see tonight whats out there. After this week I think I'm done. We made just shy of 5 gallons this season so this next batch will put us close to 6 gallons which is more than I expected.

[sappytapper]

interesting. my trees didn't give it up this weekend, really. I have some sap that I forgot to put in the shade this morning before work, though, so hopefully it doesn't spoil too badly before i get home and can start a pan on the turkey fryer for one last go. :-)

[johnpma]

interesting. my trees didn't give it up this weekend, really. I have some sap that I forgot to put in the shade this morning before work, though, so hopefully it doesn't spoil too badly before i get home and can start a pan on the turkey fryer for one last go. :-) Thankfully we have 10" of snow in the woods. I backed snow around my storage containers

[berkshires]

WOW! Trees are gushing today! And here I thought we were done :)

Yeah, mine were really going yesterday too. Surprised, since I think it barely touched 32 overnight. Made me feel bad about pulling the plug in the middle of a run, but oh well.

Gabe

[johnpma]

Yeah, mine were really going yesterday too. Surprised, since I think it barely touched 32 overnight. Made me feel bad about pulling the plug in the middle of a run, but oh well.

Gabe I collected 50 gallons tonight all on the gravity lines buckets are done....*t some point we have to pull the plug or the "honey do" list will never get done :)

[berkshires]

LOL. Yes indeed. My wife has been pretty patient, but... she has her limits. :)

Gabe

[GV2]

I boiled off 65 gallon of sap in Saturday's crappy weather. Sunday things were gushing again but I pulled all my bucket and sadly watched sap running out of the empty holes. I left 3/15 line up and it was still running last evening so I plan on one more boil. My sap is averaging about 1.2% based on boil about 320 gallons of sap this season for a little over 4 gallons of syrup. I will probably end up with 4.5 gallons after my last boil. I took a walk on the Southwick rail trail last evening with the wife. Peepers! Still snow cover up in West Granville!

[johnpma]

Does seem a little unethical letting trees piss on the ground:o

[WESTMAPLES]

im still going its not completely over yet guys..... come on even my wife lets me play lol the honey do list gets done in between runs because the sap can`t wait around to get processed. haven`t heard peeps yet , but when i do im sure it will be a clear signal that we are at the end of this seasons sweet journey

[berkshires]

im still going its not completely over yet guys..... come on even my wife lets me play lol the honey do list gets done in between runs because the sap can`t wait around to get processed. haven`t heard peeps yet , but when i do im sure it will be a clear signal that we are at the end of this seasons sweet journey

Good, I'm glad someone's not thrown in the towel yet. Kudos! Hey, I drive through Westfield every time I go up, it would be fun to check out your setup sometime. Probably not until next season, though. I doubt I'll be going back up anytime in the immediate future.

Gabe

[GV2]

Does seem a little unethical letting trees piss on the ground:o

A tough decision but could not man the buckets this week. Reminded me of the low feeling I had when I released my very first fish after years of eating them! I am a catch and release fisherman now but I will be a catch and keep sap guy once again in ten months or so!

[johnpma]

buckets are definitely done the tubing is still running hard start our last boil tonight and tomorrow all my storage containers in the woods are completely full Looks like I'll have to tap into the heating wood supply to finish the season

[johnpma]

Boiled off 30 gallons last night have another 35 or so to do tonight and I'm done. Bucket come off the trees Sunday and the cleaning process begins. Learned a ton this season!!! Time to start getting myself together for Turkey Hunting :)

[eustis22]

How do you like your Mason? I have to retire my homemade rig and I'm thinking his hobby 2x3 xl.

[johnpma]

How do you like your Mason? I have to retire my homemade rig and I'm thinking his hobby 2x3 xl. I like the Mason evaporator a lot!!It has the blower installed which can really crank up your evaporation rate. My prewarmer sits on top of the 2X3 pan I can only get the prewarmer to around 96 degrees on a warm day. I am looking at ways to modify unit to get that a bit warmer. Like to see 135 or so. I also think that if I build a ramp inside the fire box it will help greatly with my evap rate. Just observations from the year but for the money they are very well built units.

Keep an eye on here for guys that are upgrading. That's how I picked this one up. "Biz" is thinking of upgrading. He can tell you more about his evaporator

[eustis22]

with my phaneuf I preheat on a propane cooktop to boiling before dumping it into the preheater. on the new hobby xl, the preheater sits on the fire. I am surprised theres not a ramp already from the bricking

[johnpma]

with my phaneuf I preheat on a propane cooktop to boiling before dumping it into the preheater. on the new hobby xl, the preheater sits on the fire. I am surprised theres not a ramp already from the bricking That makes a lot more sense having the pre-warmer take some of the licks from the flame I have a lot of heat which goes up the stack I need to some how figure out a way to make use of that heat for pre-warmning

How much propane did you use pre heating this season?

[Biz]

I like the Mason evaporator a lot!!It has the blower installed which can really crank up your evaporation rate. My prewarmer sits on top of the 2X3 pan I can only get the prewarmer to around 96 degrees on a warm day. I am looking at ways to modify unit to get that a bit warmer. Like to see 135 or so. I also think that if I build a ramp inside the fire box it will help greatly with my evap rate. Just observations from the year but for the money they are very well built units.

Keep an eye on here for guys that are upgrading. That's how I picked this one up. "Biz" is thinking of upgrading. He can tell you more about his evaporator

Yes, I'm looking to sell my 18x48" CDL w/drop flues sometime before fall. It boils 10-12gph. Upgrading to something larger.

Dave

[eustis22]

I used 2+tanks at $14/per to preheat over 500 gallons (next season its an RO for me!).

[johnpma]

Finished up tonight Pulled taps and buckets today it was running hard but I'm otta time and wood lol I have 5 gallons of 6% if anybody wants it?? I drew it off today and filtered exceeded our expectation of 5 gallons by 1 gallon great finish to our season on to turkey hunting and the garden