Pumpkin Village Chap Three.

[Al]

We have a new world record in Pumpking Village. 161 taps!!!!! I have about 15 trees left to tap. My Dad left me his plastic bag rigs so I guess I'll give them a try. We'll throw some water thru the evaporator tomorrow for a test run. Have a electrical buddy coming up this week and we'll have real electrical wiring by the end of the week. No more extension cords hanging around. The wiring is my 50th birthday present a little early.
The boys have there stash's of snacks ready and are taking the blankets up to the loft tomorrow.
Can't wait for the first boil. This many taps should keep my little 2 x 5 1/2 rig just a humming.
Take care and good luck to you all!

[Mike]

Al, Nice to hear your still around....Sounds like you'll be busy this season....Keep us posted...Mike

[Al]

Well we gathered 165 gallons on our first run and made a little maple. We gathered last night in the wind storm and finished up with about 100 gallons of sap. Put it in the garage so it wouldn't freeze. Guess what? The plastic tank developed a leak. Sap all over the garage. My youngest boy Sam said,"Dad there go's all my hard work. Wasted." He's seven and our head bucket scout. To top that off shingles were littering my yard. The sap in the sugar house tank was a solid block of ice and my heater in the evaporator wasn't warm enought to stop the freezing. I'm going back to the heat lamp now.
So I did the next best thing and happened to find some brown bottles in the snow. I'm nhow regrouping and I'll come out swinging.
You all have a great day!

[mapleman3]

Al, Hows it going? we need an update.

Mike you too!

Things are moving here in Belchertown.. swimming in sap over 500gals daily now and loving it, boiled till 11:45pm last night, did 500+ still left 100 in the tank.
looking at that 200 gallon syrup goal this year. maybe a long shot but we're going for it

[802maple]

It sounds like he found a bunch of brown bottles in the snow and he got lost LOL

[Daren]

Hello there Al! Long time no type huh? I read that you put in a couple more taps this year....Great! I did the same....bit off alot this year and set up another bush at a buddies place on the other side of Fletcher. We put in 230 so far on vacuum. That is now added to my 90 buckets and 70ish on gravity lines at my place. I hope to be covered in sap this year and whatever I cant keep up with we are planning on selling to a guy across the street. I have been having a good go at it so far although the first run was aweful low as far as sugar content goes. Hydro'd at about 1.3% and according to some formula that results in about 72 gallons of sap to a gallon of syrup. At that rate, I ate a big chunk from my woodshed and produced very little syrup. It has now come up to about 1.8% and with the volume of reds in my bush, that is pretty ok for me. that works out to about 45galls per I think.....much better! I have to say I am happy to get back on and see who is still out there in mapletrader land. With the site being blocked at work, I rarely get online anymore. Dial up just does not work for me. I will try to get on every once in a while to check on some new posts, so make sure to keep the updates comming. I like reading them! Binghamville Forest is up and running for 09 and I am once again smilin from ear to ear as I smell the sweet smells of the sugarhouse! Congrats on the new wiring. That will be really nice to have some of the clutter removed. Take care..... -Daren.

[Mike]

Jim, Got half a barrel...Not a great start but i'll have 3000 gals to boil tomorrow, and hopefully 2000 mor by thursday....Jim, You have to get a RO.....Later............Mike

[Al]

I found myself!!!!!!!! We're up to a whopping 8 and half gallons. Started with med amber and now down to a dark amber. Great taste. Alot of sediment in the syrup this year. Going thru filter papers like crazy. Had a tank leak, almost had an ice cube for an evaporator and my float let go. Filled up my flue pan to the top. Bailed it out the next day!!
Put a small refrigerator in, a Colmen grill and a toaster oven. Wife asked me if I was moving out.
Collected 400 gallons of sap in two days. Had to take a half day off of work.
I can keep up with 125 gallons a day after that work gets a little harder.
Restocking the sugar house tomorrow and getting ready for the next big wave to hit.
Would like to upgrade some day but hate to part with mine. We've grown attached to each other.
Take care,

[Al]

We're up to 17 gallons here a new record. Trailer frame broke. Fixed it. Love how I can come up with fix's to problems really quick during sugarin season. The rest of the year I have to think about it for about a week. Of course my fix's aren't pretty just fixed.
The boys and I have slept in the sugarhouse loft two nights in a row. Boy I'm not as young as I used to be. The weather here is not the best. Hope to get at least one more good freeze. Boiled until the 10th of April last year.
Well off to see some sugarhouse's today.
My wife told me today I have a problem. It's maple. Of course right after that she said to keep on boiling. Got to love a women like that.
Take care,

[Al]

Total of 19 gallons. We're happy. The buckets stopped running about two weeks before my neighbors lines dried up. I think if this weather trend keeps up I'm going to increase my buckets to 190. At 25 gallons an hour boil rate that will make alot of long boils but the season seems to get shorter and shorter for buckets.
We had a good season with some setbacks but they only make you stronger when you perservere thru them. My boys are now sugarhouse addicts and can't wait for the next upgrade. Wiring the sugarhouse. I'll have about a dozen cords to hang onto.
Here in Pumpkin Village we love our maple fun and the time we spend together is priceless.
Hope all is well with you

[Al]

Well we made 19.75 gallons of syrup. Wired the sugarhouse and are almost finished cleaning up. It was another fun year here and are looking forward to next year. More buckets are in order!!!!
Have a great summer!!

[orange county maple]

I was wondering how the school did this year. I'm from the class of 98' I heard that they were shut down for a couple years, that sucks. The best instructor I have had was Charles Daigle he was great man and dam good teacher. If anyone has info about this sugarhouse please reply back. Someone told they see them on channel 3 news so sound like there back in business that is great.