new upgrades for upcoming year

[PATheron]

Thought it would be fun to see what everyone is doing different for next year. New taps, equipment stuff like that. Theron

[Acer]

I have a new shirt, but can't seem to get anything done when I wear it.

Dean

[Amber Gold]

Big thing for me is tanks. 600 gal storage tank, 850 gal round bottom.
Next is lots of dry wood.
Next is a liquid ring pump.
Next is improving operations so things go more smoothly.
New equipment to come after next year. Pockets are pretty well dry now.

[220 maple]

PATheron,
If all the ducks or should I say all the Maple trees line up. I may very well double the size of my camp. One of my neighbors has a potential of 2300 plus taps on his land. Of course that will require a RO to handle that much extra water. Which at that point I will need to do some research on the producer in West Virginia that bottles the RO water under the brand nameTreewater. Because anyone who has a RO knows that the excess water that is kicked away during the RO process is perfectly clean. Just last season if I would of had a RO I could have bottled over 25000 16.9 ounce bottles of treewater. I don't know how much he gets for a bottle of Treewater, I do know that one of my customers had sold it before in his store and said it moves. He wants me to bring him bottled Treewater. I also have a first cousin I have been working with the last couple months, he has the potential for a 4000 plus tap sugarbush. I don't think he wants to get a evaporator at this point but is willing to tap his trees and sell the sap. I have someone lined who is willing to take that much sap and has the equipment to handle it. So PATheron at this point I don't know for sure what will change if anything, but we are dreaming big south of the Mason-Dixon. Hopefully we will need to place a BIG SAP warning device in are area. You are getting them installed all over PA. and points north. Someday will need a map like the Nexrad map showing all the radar sites. We can call are site THERON, we will be able to click on a warning site device and see how big of sap flow is taking place.


Mark 220 Maple

[Paddymountain]

up grade from homemade 275 gal evaporator to 30x8' dropped flue.
60-70 more taps, better tank at sugarshack, coffee urn filter tank,
hoping to make 30gal of syrup up from 12 gal!
sugarshack is only 10x10 lean to , 2010 project, tear it down and build
12x16 shack with leanto for wood and tank.

[Fred Henderson]

200 new to me used buckets

[3rdgen.maple]

Not much here I was contenplating vac but I think I will put it off for another year. Got the pump though so it is a start. Adding 200 more taps plus another storage tank. Put a woodshed addition on the sugarhouse. Swithching from Plastic jugs to custom etched glass.

[caseyssugarshack93]

600gph r/o hopefuly,
around 700-800 more taps if all goes well,
Maybe new vac pump?

[maplecrest]

theron, here is the present low down. new 5x14 thunderbolt evap with air injection, pan washer and double draw off tank.new roof on sugar house. took steam vent down just going with stacks. new 2500 gallon storage tank welded up for over flow and 100 gallon settling draw off for late season sap. dump 100 gallons of slim down drain. non filterable.ugrading all releasers to pumps as trying to get rid of freezing problems.new bush in works tap #'s pending.changes to the r/o, not sure on details at this moment.reworking main line where logged off last winter to add more new found taps.

[Dennis H.]

For me I will be trying Vaccuum on a small scale.

My pockets were just not deep enough this year to work up a new evap so I kept the number of taps the same but will be using vac on the ones around the house.

I will be making a hood and pre-heater to try and improve the current setup.

I will also be making a new stack cover that I will be able to pen from inside the sugarshack.

and I will be doing, oh heck who am I kidding the rest is just wishful thinking!!

[SPILEDRIVER]

lol acer/dean you got a laugh out of me !
new built from scratch evap
150 taps&bucketts
150 more on tubes into 6 gallon bucketts
just about everything this year is new to me.i scrapped the old evap and the entire setup is new to me.my 11 yr old son and i are gonna have a adventure for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mtnmeadowmplfarm]

Big upgrades at Mountain Meadow Maple Farm:
In the process of installing roughly 6000 taps on vacuum tubing. Taps are divided evenly between two sugarbushes. The upper woods all runs underground to my sugarhouse, cant wait to not gather buckets after work every day. Both woods are equipped with new liquid ring vacuum pumps. Over 12000 gal of newly arrived stainless sap storage. Doing a few evaporator upgrades but bank account is nearly tapped out. Hoping to be at capacity to process it all within a few years.

[ennismaple]

- 3.5x14 Lapierre Hurricane Force 5 should be in the camp by mid September
- We're switching from gravity filtering to the Lapierre Sirofilter
- Build platform and install 350 gallon feed tank for evaporator. Hook up float switches to turn on transfer pump automatically.
- Re-build tank house where 800 gallon Zero tank fell through the wood floor last spring.
- Switch 500 taps over to Leader stubbies for check valve adapters
- Fix gathering wagon
- Cut 2011 firewood

Sleep if optional!!!

[Rhino]

hopefully air over/behind fire unit added to 5x18 evap. got a good start to it last Wednesday. 400 added taps to vac. system in Oct. when leaves are down, larger capacity tank behind my case tractor with half tracks,(it just played with the 300 gal. tank last year, want to cut down on trips to pump out). haul some gravel in some low spots by sugar shack. rebrick fire box in arch. make trails loop in woods instead of any that dead end where i put bags in so i dont have to jockey tractor/trailer around. after all this would like to make a wood trolley useing railroad rails i have, low priority for this project. looks like i have a full plate allready!!!!! YIKES!!!!

[Brian Ryther]

It is still early yet. But so far... new 600 gph ro, which leads to new ro room. new to me 3000 gal ss tank. 1000 check valve spouts. New bush in the works, too early for #'s. If the VT house sells then look out.

[PATheron]

Dean- You should want to work like heck with that shirt! Do your friends like it? You might feel inclined to take coffee breaks more often though. Theron

[Farmboy]

This year I am getting an evaporator. Also I'm building a sugar shack. Im also adding more taps hopefully doubling my tap count or more.

[brookledge]

For me it is a 600GPH RO and may be expand the tap count 100-200
Keith

[Haynes Forest Products]

New syrup pans to replace the ones I set on fire. Working on a vacuum bottler system.

[maplecrest]

keith, what are you getting for an r/o? a lapierre i hope.

[stoweski]

How about a new 14' x 20' sugarshack, 100 new buckets & spouts (need to make the covers), a used but new-to-me Leader Half-Pint, and various other sugaring supplies.

2010 will be my first year sugaring. I liked what I saw this past spring when visiting friends who sugar and decided to start a new hobby. I could have started this year but I like to be knowledgeable on the subject before making the leap.

Plan on going to the workshop at PMRC this fall too. I have a nice long list of things to do before February arrives. Should be fun.

Guess I'll have to post my real upgrades at the end of next season!
Keith

[brookledge]

Maplecrest
It's a CDL RO
Keith

[caseyssugarshack93]

What you guys opinons on r/o? Cdl ? Springtech? Lappiere? im still looking for one, somthing just to get me by, by the looks of it ill be at 2000 plus on a 2x6 so 600gph is a good size i just dont know what brand, id like springtech because my friend has had good luck with them and he could help me out because hes a dealer and installs them, and close buy, but what do you guys think on r/o brands?

[jason grossman]

casey i like the cdl nice ro and well designed. thats what i would buy if i was looking, But if you have a hook up and your confident in it use it!

[brookledge]

While there are differences in manufactuers, I feel the #1 thing is service and location of the dealer. If you say you have a dealer and a friend close by to me that is very important. When something happens you want it back up in operation asap and don't have the time to drive along distance to get to a dealer. Also having a dealer very close by they can stop and show you how to do things.
Good luck
Keith

[WMF]

Lapierre is best followed very closely by CDL and the DG/Springtech/Airablo a distant third.

[Parker]

Maple? OOHHH Yeah,,,I have got to get on that,,,I have extensivly looked at air over fire mod on Marvin,,,bought the hole saw bit to cut it into the arch,,,even brought the drill to the sugarhouse to get that mod. rolling,,,the list is long and time is short BUT the good Lord willing I will:
-blower outside
-add another overfire blower
-get 40 more cords in the shed (that one makes me thirsty just thinking about it)
-figure out a cheap vac.pump-releaser combo for small bushes-build 3 and install (RIGHT)
-get in the woods and get the lines up befor snow
-paint some tanks
*****ultimate fantasy*****get-install used steamaway***
GOOD LUCK TO ALL IN YOUR MODS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KenWP]

You guys are all makeing me tired thinking about all this work. Right now trying to get firewood in seems to be my upgrade. I do have a new evaporator sort of being worked on but haveing trouble finding the right tools to finish it.

[Amber Gold]

Parker, will your wood be dry in time? Ouch...40 chord, I don't envy you.

[Parker]

Josh-it has been my experiance that if I get the wood in my shed by thanksgiving it is fine for the season,,,,plus I have all pine that is over a year old-it dries very quickly once split and under a roof,,,If I were putting green hardwood in the shed I would be in real trouble

[mtnmeadowmplfarm]

Parker, I would switch to oil before I cut 40 cord a yr for sugaring.

[Gerryfamily5]

Had a thunder shower that blew the shingles off my snack shack yesterday.Today,started to ready it for maple weekend by installing a new roof next is an acess door than the grill and counter.Not super pressing,but makes more money than making syrup,so got to get it done.