A great week

[Havingfun]

This week I decided to take a few days off to start getting ready for my first season of sugaring next year.
I drove down to Sunrise Metals and spoke with Lee and looked at his products, a very nice facility.
I then stopped by a Lapierre dealer and looked at his floor models which he had a large selection on hand.
After getting my wife's opinion we decided to go with a Lapierre evaporator and canning unit. To top it all off my neighbor stopped today and offered his 23+ sugar maples for next season. A great week I think.

[dw341969]

Congrats! Sounds like a great week to me!

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[Haynes Forest Products]

Anytime i get my wife to agree with me is a good week. Now I should also mention that when she shakes her head in any direction when it comes to the things I take it as a yes vote. Have her on board is always a pleasant surprise.

Did you get to take it home with you that day? What was the thing that tipped you in the Lapierre direction?

[Russell Lampron]

Welcome to the addiction. You should be happy with the Lapierre equipment, they make some nice stuff. What size evaporator did you get and how many taps are you starting out with?

[Havingfun]

I purchased a larger one, 2x8 Classic to grow into and also a canner.

I wanted an evaporator that could process sap due to my work schedule.

I only have 50 taps now but I have been actively hitting the nearby roads and the plat book looking for concentrated numbers of sugar maples.

I am very excited for spring.

[maple flats]

You will need more than 50 taps to run a 2x8. The biggest issue will be getting enough sap to get your first boil. You want to be able to boil at least 3 hrs to sweeten the pans. What did Lapierre state for boiling rate on a 2x8?
If you don't get enough taps to realistically get a 3 hr boil the first time, you have some options. Freeze some early sap then put the frozen sap in your sap tank to help cool it, also plan on banking snow around the sap tank so you can hold sap long enough to have 3 hrs worth. Another option is to do a shorter boil and then drain the pans and hold that in a fridge or at least in a snow bank. Another option is to find a local who will sell you sap. Others will likely have other ideas.
Once you have the first 3 hrs boil time or more the pans will be sweet enough to prevent freezing in the pans down to maybe 15F, it will form slush, but not freeze solid. You can also put a 100 watt light in the arch (incandescent, not LED), that will protect you for a little colder. If you cover the pans it helps too. Once you get into the better sap flows later in the season it should not be an issue.
You will likely want at a minimum 150 taps and 200 will be more like it.

[Havingfun]

Thanks for the advice on sweeting the pans. I am still expanding or looking for more concentrated groups of trees which are close to my property. I think 150 taps is achievable for my first year.
Thanks again for the information.