April Journal 08

[PATheron]

Bigsap update from Tioga county- Hope everyone is getting bigsap now. You guys up north are going to have to step up to the plate now and produce. Youve kind of been monkeying around and party time is over. Dad and I just capped the 23rd barrel. With the stuff ive spilled, given away, ate myself and sold weve done an honest 700 plus. Im trying to do the all elusive half gallon per tap but finding it slightly difficult. Its freezing tonight and I can usually run three days on a freeze and my taps are fresh, first of feb, so I think I can do it. Need three more barrels. My pump has run around the clock for most of two months now. The meter reader thought something was wrong in the house but I told him everything fine. I like the sound its very comforting. Ive always wanted to make commercial and thought I did today but still a high B. Ill try again tomarrow. Boiling anything that comes out of the tube, going to try to see if I can make the nastiest stuff to ever make it to bascoms sugar shed. That should be pretty tough with the calibre of sugermakers up in the Maine and New Hampshire area but im going to try. Good luck to all. Thee(bigsapzar)roon.

[Gary R]

This was my first year mapling. I built a rig from scratch and have learned a lot along the way. Pulled my taps Monday because I figure I have plenty to eat. Sugars still look fine over here. I made about 8-9 gal. all light or medium. Had 40 taps and the sugar content was about 1.8 all season. Taps were in for 10 weeks and the holes were still running good today.

I must say thanks for all the threads and posts I've read that have helped me make this happen. I would have been lost without all this information. I'm going to revive my old thread about my rig. I'm hoping for suggestions on improving efficeincy.

Good luck to all the neighbors to the north. I imagine some of you are just getting started:)

[ennismaple]

Wow Theron - what a great season for your first with the new setup! Our weather has been crap so far. Mostly too cold but some days too warm, then windy and cold. For the number of taps you've got in you're doing great! We're hoping we can get 1 L (quart) per tap but we're not even at 20% of that now. Looks like the long season has worked well for you.

PM me if you want more details - don't want to hijack your thread.

Ennis

[PATheron]

Ennis- Ive totally gotton lucky every different way. High sugar, long good season. Its got nothing to do with skill just real good luck. I would of been happy at a quart. Everyonce in a while you get a good year and I happened to hit it first thing. Been a ton of fun though. Dad and I have had a blast. Hope you guys do great up there. Seasons been a tough one for all you guys in the north. Theron

[PATheron]

Guys- I think we need a remote bigsap update from all points immediately. Anybody still producing product needs to way in. Whats happening in the north. Tioga county ran Haaaaarrrrrrddddd today at 25". Thee(bigsapzar)roon

[ennismaple]

Didn't talk to the boss tonight but just after lunch it was running hard in eastern Ontario. Froze last night and hit a high of 7 C today which is about perfect. Back below freezing by 8 p.m. so tomorrow should be a repeat. Hoping for a HUUUGE weekend so we can catch up to our brothers down south!

[Pete33Vt]

Big Sapp report from Northern Vermont. Sap still plugging away here. Weather is starting to come around. I am sitting at a full crop plus this weekend will put me way over the top. Sap still clear. Syrup still taste great.
Now if I can hold out I should do great. So far its been a lonnnnnnnnng season.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL

[Russell Lampron]

Been getting sap but not BIGSAP here this week. I am usually done by the end of March here but it looks like I am going to go to the middle of April again this year. I have enough wood left and all systems are go for a big finish.

[maplwrks]

Unless We Get Some Much Needed Moisture Soon, Our Season Is Starting To Come To A Close. We Have Lost Most Of Our Snow And With All The Wind This Spring, Things Are Drying Out Fast. We Are Real Close To A Full Crop At This Point. We Have Only Had 2 Real Good Runs This Year. I Hope It Will Hold Out For Another Week, But I May Be Hoping For A Bit Much!

[TapME]

Big sap is here and I really don't need more than I am getting now. 80 taps and averaging between 110 and 180 gallons a day. I know it sounds wrong but this is what is happening. The weekend looks to be a big flow as well. I have put almost a 1000 gallons into the evap and sold some too. Well have to go cut up some pallets and do the school thing today and next thursday. hope everyone is making steam.

[mapleman3]

Whew.. able to breath again, funny how much time you have once your not boiling every hour thats available to you. Cleaned up buckets yesterday and will pull the taps in the woods and flush by this weekend. I had a few ask if I would sell my 2 x 6 and go bigger, well I'm starting to entertain that thought. just wondering what to ask for it... I wouldn't sell the burner with it but it would be ready for oil or wood(still havethe doors plus the blower and preheater/hood.... if I go to a 3X8 it ould just take up 6" each side more.. not worried about the length.. then after I can't handle sap later then go RO... who knows.. just doing some thinking... anyone interested in a raised flue 2x6??? ;)

[Sugarmaker]

Cleaning up the sugarhouse and some tubing. Still have 8 short runs to take down. I wasn't going to clean the tubing but changed my mind and am now doing a very mild Clorox wash/ rinse and then follow with a air purge of every drop.

Seems everyone we spoke to has had a great year. Like Jim, I am still thinking about system improvements for 2009.

Regards,
Chris

[Father & Son]

Pulled the rest of my taps yesterday. Have the pans full of water and vinegar and in a few days will simmer and scrub. Tonight I'll get a propane tank filled and finish off what was in the pans in the turkey fryer. Going to start on my wood supply this weekend. Only 10 months until it's time to tap!

Jim

[Sugarmaker]

Jim,
When we spoke I have had the best results doing the vinegar simmer first then letting it set for a day or so with some minor scrubbing on the sugarsand spots. Just did not want you to be dissapointed with the process. Hope the pans shine up well.

Chris

[mapleman3]

Ok the calls and emails have been coming in due to my saying I was thinking of expanding and selling my 2X6.... so.... I did it, I have just put it in the classifieds here on the trader.... although I am still in shock I did !! but... with going to about 600 taps next year this is the best way for me to expand and not pay for an RO yet.. I will go to a 3x8 already lined up...and close to double my gph. still with oil. anyone out there with a 3x8 on oil? what size nozzle you using?? I was a 3gallon i'm thinking another gallon to 2 maybe.??

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[maple flats]

I still have a 3hr boil left to finish up tomorrow. On 500 taps gravity I have 174 gal with about 6 or 6.5 in pails to bottle yet. I might have 185-190 when all is said and done, finishing off what is in the tank and evaporator yet. It has been a real good year so far and even thou I made more than double the production of last year, only going from 425 to 500 taps I am almost sold out, all at retail. In fact I called to order and will pick up some on Monday or Tues to complete orders I have. I had 3 newspaper articles cover me and that brought in business like I never dreamed possible. In the last 2 years with below average production I never even sold out but this year with great production it is almost gone. What I am finishing off will end up either B or Commercial to go to Bascom, and from the last 3 days i have 20 gal B already but all of the rest was grade A, mostly Med Amber, some light and late season, some dark. During Maple Weekend I was making Med and business was so good I sold it all, now I only have a few assorted smaller bottles of dark and 1 gal, 1 1/2 gal and 1 qt in plastic. From 07 I do still have my last 6 gal bulk to bottle but that is dark too. I sure need more taps for next season. I am thinking I will go for 7-800 and will need an RO to keep up. After the RO is going 1 yr I will add vac to my biggest bush.

[Sugarmaker]

Maple flat thats a lot of syrup. Sounds like a great year for you.

I built a tubing washer for air and water tonight. One of the $20.00 units. This is for the tubing I bring back to the sugarhouse. Maybe by next year I will have a system to cleaned it on the trees? Seemed to work well and really got a lot of agitation from the air water mix. Only got 20 taps and line cleaned befor calling it a night.
Back to making maple mustard and BBQ sauce tomorrow for an order.
Saw Gary Bileks cream machine he built last night, nice unit!
All maple producers in the area had a great year in NWPA. OK, except for Dave Williams, whose sugarhouse burnt due to stack over heating, (they think). I may do some additional insulation as a safety precaution this year in some potential hot spot areas near the stack.
Bill Phillips also averted disaster this year by quickly dosing flames on the back of his sugarhouse due to over heating.

Chris

[Mike]

Jim, I was using a 6.5hal hr 60 degree nozzle on my 3x10....Went to a 9 gal hr nozzle and it boils a lot better......I can make about 12-14 gals an hr now.....I have a question for any one else who can help.....Im looking for a water meter to put on my sap tank to see how much sap I get.......I have a 1 " line into the tank...Is there such a thing I can use....Thanks......Mike

[Father & Son]

Went to Dave Y's in Marienville yesterday to pick up some tanks I bought off him and also got a tour of his sugarbush. What a beautiful piece of woods and alot of room to grow. That flat at the bottom of the hill would make a nice setting for a building! Thanks for the tour.

Jim

[sapman]

Mike,
I used to have a 3/4" meter on my evaporator feed tank. It was actually the line feeding the feed tank, with a float attached. Are you looking to meter the feed line, or a line in the woods? If it's the evap. feed, you could reduce to 3/4" and get a reasonably priced meter. Not that 1" isn't available, but price goes up with each size. If you do a web search, you'll find all kinds.

Tim

[super sappy]

Feeling like a maple addict with a problem the last few days without the trader . Almost a double crop this year means back to the wood pile I went from a huge surplus of sugarwood to a big mess of bark and half rotted pallets and tin. Got the garden all rototilled today. This year I added a "maple garden" Sweet potato , turnip , carrot these are my favorite maple glazed garden items. The turkeys are going wild this spring. They are everywhere , there was one tom out back all fluffed up and strutting around a plastic garbage bag hanging in some old goldenrod, that had blown out into the back field yesterday . I think he is in direct competition with the billy goat for the dumb dumb move of the day. suns almost up so time to go - SS

[Dave Y]

Jim, I Enjoyed the visit with you on Friday. Hope the tanks work out for you. Stop by any time you are in the area.

[maple flats]

For a tubing washer I use my sap pump. I made a part up that hooks onto the pump outlet hose that has a ball valve for all flow, an air inlet from my compressor with a ball valve to regulate air. I use my generator, 2 hp compressor and the sap pump when cleaning. This seems to work good and all I spent extra was for that valve, fitting string, everything else i had for other things. I haul my sap tank full of water with some hydrogen peroxide (food grade) in it and do not rinse after. Any residue is eitherdrained or converts to hydrogen and water. Nothing to interest the tree rats.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Finished hauling in my wood for the 2008 season. I have it all cut, split and stacked except for a small hole on the end of the woodshed and I will fill it with wood I run across working on the farm during the next few months. About 60% locust and 40% red oak and about all of it has been dead for at least a couple of years and should be ready to rock come next Feb. I have around 8 full cords which should do at least 125 gallon of syrup, not that I would ever make that much but better to have too much than not enough. Now, time to start working on building a board fence around the back and side of my sugarhouse property.

[TapME]

Brandon, if you are felling ambitious I could use a hand to get some wood in. LOL

[Parker]

Took a ride to vermont today and looked at 2 rigs for sale,,a 6x14 stainless, needs arch (think I know where there is one) needs a littel work but runabel,,,and a complete sugarhouse with a butiful 5x16 drop flue leader, forced air (1997),,,immaculate pans,,airblow vacuum pump-10"filterpress-galvanized tanks (but nice),gonna have to sharpen my pencil and see if I can swing a deal,,if anyone is interested I can send pics,,,

[Justin Turco]

I put a sign over the door of my sugarhouse today.

Cross Road Sugar Co.
Ira, Vermont

Looks pretty neat.

Then sanded down my counter and put a coat of Eurethane on it.

Then worked on stacking some wood in the woodshed. very slow..with one broken shoulder. (Skiing)