I am calling it a season.....

[farmerEd]

I've boiled my last batch on my little half-pint. Produced 12 gallons of syrup, which means about 480 gallons of sap, and at about 5 gallons per hour 96 hours of boiling...plus another hour per gallon in the house on the stove to finish what I drew off...phew! I am glad that is over!

I did my best to keep up with 75 taps and just about made everthing I could. Probably could have made 2 more gallons with what sap I still have on hand, but couldn't face another 9 hour day for a mere 1 gallon of syrup....now to clean up the half-pint and start looking for a bigger rig for next year.....spring is here and I need to move onto more spring related chores...like getting my seeds started.

[mapleman3]

Ed, you'll have no problem selling the half pint. I may know someone in Belchertown that may want it...

hi, im looking for a half pint? how much to part with it?

[farmerEd]

I am looking for a fair price...just don't know what that is yet.

Like I said, its only been used for 1 season so once I clean it up it should look pretty good (and works perfectly). I paid $795 and if it can be moved with all the brick work intact that would be another $150 or so in firebricks (and a big labor saver to the purchaser to not have to reinstall).

So I have $945 in it...any guesses on what one seasons depreciation will cost me?...then I can put that money towards a bigger rig for next year...

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I would think it would be worth around $ 800 because like you said, it is a good deal of work and expense on putting all the firebrick in!

[MaineMapleDave]

12 gallons from a half-pint is A LOT, as you know. My hat is off to you.

The most I have made in a year was a tad over 7 gallons 2 winters ago.

Congratulations on the good year, and from what I can tell of prices, the $800 that WESTVIRGINIA mentions seems reasonable for a bricked-up-read-to-go-nearly-new half-pint.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jim(mapleman3) made 15 gallons with his half pint last year. He had the barrel style and paid $ 450 for it and sold it for the same. It was used at least 2 or 3 years when he bought it, so it wasn't going to depreciate much after that. Seems like any maple equipment lose a lot of value the first year.

Besides, other than the labor, $ 150.00 is seems like a pretty good price to pay for the good learning experience and all the good syrup you made. :D :D :D

[Fred Henderson]

I also called it a season at 5PM today. Made 85 gals on my homemade rig. I will be going to VT. to look at some of Waterloo/Small equipment. I have talked with them a few time about their 2x6"6' wood fired rig, cause it will fit my arch which is insulated.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Fred,

Why would what Waterloo makes be better than yours?? It seems to me you made a lot of syrup and I think you stated your were getting around 45 gph evaporation rate??

I doubt the waterloo would do any better than that if it does that good??

[Fred Henderson]

WVM
I can not say for certain that I would be better off with a Waterloo. Its just that their unit will fit my arch. My boiling rated really dropped off the last few days and I do not know why. I know that my grates have become bad and warped causing the fire to burn at an angle rather than straight up. My wood is all the same, shed dryed 2 years. I don't try to run a high stack temp cause my pan is flat and I want to keep the heat under is as long as possible. I put a damper in the arch when I built it. I will know more tomorrow when I clean up and remove the pan .

[Jerome]

if your going to buy buy this year do it soon steel prices are going through the roof! I was at a builders meeting last night and the local lumber yard is putting the price of rebar up 40% and the local scrap dealer was geeting $55 a ton in december and is now getting $115.
It seam that the chinese are buying everthing that they can get their hands on stainless to.
Jerome

I have a 3x 10 I would sell for $900, Needs a front pan but complete other than that,,,Parker

[ontario guy]

I will be calling it on saturday just because that is when i have time to clean everything.
Made just over 10 gallons on 62 taps ( two years ago i did 17 gallons and was sick and tired of it at +/- 6 gph)
This year was a strange year, it ran well for 3 to 4 days and went way below freezing for over a week and then 3 or 4 more good days and now it is over.

oh well it was fun while it lasted.

[Fred Henderson]

WVM
Well I cleaned today and everything is done and put away for another year. I also found out why my boiling rated decreased. There was ash build up at the arch damper only about a 1/2" air space so not much draft and wood would not burn hot enought. Maybe I will just keep my home made rig. Its my design and it works well when not built up with ash.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Fred,

Sounds like a plan and you make some of us younger guys feel better knowing that the older more experienced sugarers can still make mistakes like that too!

I couldn't see how it could possible be your pan other than maybe it had a ton of buildup on the underside. :?

[Fred Henderson]

WVM
I am older than most of you but have only been do this 3 years. Started outside on cement blocks & a couple of serving line pans. Made 4 gals the first year & we were elated. Then I fabed my pan and arch, built the sugarhouse, ran all over the country buying a few buckets here and there, got about 500+ now. Last year I added 12' to the SH. Made my own canning unit, which is propane fired. Even though I know how to make and build thing I am still learning the art of makeing syrup. I use a hydrometer ALWAYS. I finish my syrup in the evaporator, wouldn't know how to do it any other way. I have a chart that tells me what the hyd, reads at 180drg which is what I can at. So as the old saying goes " you are never to old to learn". Someone once said that there is a fine line between hobby and mental illness also that once you get bitten by the maple bug you are into it up to your armpits.

[Fred Henderson]

Would the guest that post that he has a 3x10 for sale minus the front pan please e-mail me at Deerlope@twcny.rr.com so that we can decuss this further. Thanks

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Fred,

Interesting learning about your setup and the bad thing is after we have made syrup for 50 years, we will still make mistakes. :lol: :lol:

As far as the 3x10, Parker is the one who has it for sale, so may want to private message him.

[Fred Henderson]

WVM
I don't think that I will be doing it in 50 years cause I am 62 now. It was a chance for a new adventure for me so I got into it. My wife helps a lot and a good friend that is 53 and also retired. He's steady and a few others are here off & on. I have yet to burn my pan but I came within a 1/2" this year. I put a 3/4" panic valve for just in case and I did use it this year.
How are you doing on building your preheater, have you got all the info that you need yet?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Fred,

It is great that you are retired and enjoying it so much. Sure helps a lot when the wife is interested and is willing to help.

As far as the preheater, I haven't had my hood made yet, so I am waiting to get that done first!

Seems like you have learned a lot in a short period and are making great syrup.