FEBRUARY Journal

[syrupmaker]

Pulled limbs and cut some big ones up that landed on branch lines, pulled main and branches tight,dragged our power line to the shack,fired up the sled and got the caboose pulled from storage.Couple hot laps around the feild,thought about tapping a couple today but i see there is still alot of snow in the tree crotches so guess i'll hold off still. Sterting to get the twitches goin.Maybe tommorrow get the pans set and tank hauled in.

Rick

[Dropflue]

Installed a hot water tank and put a used stainless steel restaurant sink in the sugarhouse. I’m starting to clean pans & equipment. Would like to install a preheater , but I don’t think have enough time to start building something this close to tapping. I’m trying to talk the wife into letting me buy an automatic drawoff system. Hell, maybe I should buy it for her as a Valentines gift, and then she can let me use it when she’s not using it!! Last year I tapped on February 27th. Hopefully it won’t be too early this year, too many things to do yet!!


Dropflue (Rick)
2x6 Gasfired D&G Dropflue

[backyardsugarer]

I will start cleaning buckets and lids next week. I will be installing a 90 gallon tank to feed my preheater when I pick it up next weekend. The shack is clean, the wood is dry and I am ready when mother nature is.

Chris

[Dropflue]

Chris,
Did you make a preheater or did you by one? Can you e-mail or post some pictures of the preheater. I think we have the same hood setup on our evaporators. If I get an idea on how yours is setup, maybe I’ll try to make one.

Thanks
Dropflue (Rick)
Gasfired 2x6 D&G Dropflue

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Rick,

I made my preheater with all the connections and pipe to the preheater for around $ 100 and my evaporator is a 2x8. Nothing fancy, but it looks like it will work good. I have pics of it on my website under preheater if you would like to take a look. It only took a couple of hours to make after I had thought about it in my head for about 3 months and knew exactly what I wanted to do.

By the way, my wife was sitting here next to me working on scrapbooking stuff and I read her the post about the auto drawoff and she stated she hoped you had a bed in the sugarhouse because you would be sleeping there soon! 8O 8O :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Women! 8O

[Dropflue]

Brandon,
Thanks for posting the pictures on the preheater. I got a pretty good idea on what I need to do. Without getting into the controversy on evaporation rates, have you noticed an increase in the GPH with and without the preheater? Or is this going to be the first year using it? Also, my wife did not see the post about buying her an automatic drawoff for Valentines Day. I’m sure she would agree with your wife. :?

Dropflue (Rick)
Gasfired 2x6 D& G Dropflue

[backyardsugarer]

Rick,

I do not use the pre-heater in my hood but it is made of copper tubing that runs back and forth about 8 times. My pre-heater is one I made that looks exactly like a piggy back pan on a half pint. I get enough heat from the stack and steam from below to get the sap to about 95 degrees before it goes into the float box. I will take some pictures of my set up this weekend and send them to Mapleman 3 to update his web page.

Chris

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Rick,

Haven't used mine this year and this will be the first year. I don't know much about them and really haven't seen another one, just a couple of pics. I have a couple of nice guides on how to design one that mapleman sent me and I will be glad to make copies of them and mail them to you! I also spent a good deal of time trying to research them and ask a lot of questions. Didn't want to have to do it twice. :?

Send me your mailing address in a private message if you would like to have a copy. :D :D

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have a question on the steam stack?? Do you get condensation running back down the steam stack. The way I designed my preheater pan is that it is exactly below the steam stack and just a little wider on each side, so it should catch any and all condensation that runs back down the stack. I didn't think of this when I designed it, but it worked out this way. 8O

Just wondering if this is a problem?? I know an old sugarer who had a 3x8 and a 4x14 sitting side by side in his sugarhouse and he had water/condensation running back down the stack and he installed a "J" channel in the stack and caught all the water and sold it for distilled water. :)

[michaelh05478]

Ran another main line yesterday! Added another 40 taps...Hope to add 50 more by the weekend...This should get me up to 700 taps...450 on vacuum and the rest on gravity feed... Hope to tap in 2 weeks or so...Its been nice this week with plenty of sunshine and no wind.... :D ..Having oil delivered to the sugar house this friday and hope to have all of the little things done by this sunday!!!!!Mike........3x10 Algier oil fired with a preheater..700 taps and room for a lot more.......

[mapleman3]

Just cuious Mike, what did they quote you for oil per gallon?

[michaelh05478]

$1.85 a gal.........it was $1.69 a week ago... :evil: ....what about you??

[mapleman3]

when I bought mine it was in Nov. at 1.64 I think, but I only had to get 175 gals already had close to 100 gals in the tank. I will pre buy for the house and sugarhouse this summer. around 600 - 800 gals.

[Al]

Hey Jim what did you do with your blower set up if you went to oil? Was a nice day here today. Puttered around the sugarhouse and got all excited. Had a gathering tank in the paper today but called to late. Would like to get away from the plastic tank someday. Also looked at a old round bottom tank but it was mostly ready for the scrap pile. If I buy a tank I'm going with the round bottom tank for inside the sugarhouse. Easier to clean.

[mapleman3]

Hi Al, I ended up leaving it connected to the arch just incase I have to make a mad dash back to wood! I would just have to pull the burner plate off the hige pins, pull the ceramic blanket off and put the doors and grates back in, prolly take me about 1/2 - 1 hr to do in emergency... so that way the blower is ready to roll too.

[Brian]

finally finished getting the arch together, got the pans back on, the rail gasket in place. The pans still need to be cleaned, the oil burners all on and hooked up. I also got an oil delivery today, at $1.80 a gallon, last week it was $1.55, crap :oops: should have been on it lastweek. I have to put my hood back on after the pans are cleaned. Hope everybody's looking forward to 6 more weeks of winter :lol:
p.s. we're missing out on all the snow, only plowed once this year and have maybe 4 inches on the ground.

[themapleking]

Your drip tray should be a little wider than the preheater and just as long. You get tons of condensation off the pipes. Your preheater should be center in the hood and under the steam pipe. Also put a damper in the steam pipe this will help control the steam on the preheater. and help get max temp out of the preheater.
When I have my damper closed about 1/2- 2/3 way The sap temp is 200-205 degrees. With the damper open the temp is 180 degrees.
If your putting in 200 degree sap in your evap. how long will it take to get to 219 dgrees syrup. If your putting 180 degree sap how much longer does it take to get to 219

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Joe,

Do you have any kind of vent on your preheater to prevent vapor lock?????

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Kevin,

I have a parallel preheater, so sap comes in at the lowest point of the preheater and exits at the highest end. :? I don't know why I would need a vent for air, but wanted to know for sure. I would think if it becomes vapor locked, I could hold the float wide open where the sap comes in for a few seconds and this would take care of it??

[Parker]

The evap. I got in VT has a paralel floe preheater,,the diagram for setting it up was stapled on the wall of the sugar house and I took it,,it shows a vent pipe on the hot sap out line,, between the preheater and the float box

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

In my opinion is that the vent pipe will vent the air quicker so there is more time for the sap to be heating up rather than the air taking up space trying to work its way out. Just my 2 cents.

[forester1]

The vent on my factory made preheater is just a tee before the sap inlet. Then I just hose clamp clear plastic hose on it and run it up to higher than the sap head tank level. Seems like not a lot of money to make one. I think it would depend on the angle or amount of drop from the feed tank to the preheater. If you don't have much of a drop than there may be more of a chance for vapor lock as air tries to escape back. Just my guess, I'm no expert on it.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Guess I know for certain in about a month. I am going to try it without it, and then go from there. I can always add one if needed, so we'll see what happens.

Thanks everyone for the great info and ideas. You guys are always awesome! 8) :D

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[mapleman3]

I'm beat 8O Got all the lines tight now, added a few and shortened a few, I think the line will produce a bit more this year since I shortened the amount of taps on each line, last year I had figured going gravity so the lines had 10-15 taps on them... now I'm down to 5-8 on each with only a couple lines over 100ft. plus the 3/4 mainline now... lets hope the sap ladders perform well. well back out to plumb in the vacuum system.. and build my moisture trap too!!! My wife and kids took off for the day to leave me to my work..... I could do this all night :lol:

[PrimitiveOperation]

Got the itch real bad in western ma. Sap is running but i'm still trying to hold off for atleast another week. Hopefully everything will work out :wink:

I did make progress today. Went out and looked at the buckets, kicked the arch and then cleaned the barrels. IT'S A START!!!!!

[mapleman3]

Primitive... good to see another western ma. guy here, also glad your holding off, makes me feel a bit better about my deciding doing the same.I just am sure we will still get anouther cold snap before tapping time in ohhhh a few weeks.

I just got in almost finished pipng the vacuum, just a couple ball valves for the bypass for cleaning and wire it up!!!

I should be in pretty good shape after tomorrow(hopefully if all goes right)

[themapleking]

Power washed the 1000 gal. poly collecting tank and got it set up in the woods. Made a nice moisture trap only cost $30 compard to $220 dealer cost.
Put 1 test tap today, already have about 1/2 gal sap sugar is at 3%. This is a big shadey lawn tree. I wish all my trees were like this one. Be making 1 gal syrup per tap.
Removed gas tank on vacuum pump and installed a 5 gal gas tank. We'll let that pump run 24/7 if weather permits.
Might tap next weekend feb 12 the weather looks like sugar season is here guys.

Joe

[mapleman3]

Joe, I have my Vac system almost set, just have to get a thermostat for it and wire it in, I'd like to have it turn on and off on it's own, and just check it a few times a day for oil and vac level... I too made a moisture trap too, made it a bit longer for extra protection :D my vacuum regulator worked great.. dialed in at 18" sucked up a bunch of water from the lines.. I'm all set plumbed in so I can do a quick wash of the tubing in the woods and then suck it back out with the Vac pump and releaser!! still have to insulate the arch some night this week.

don't know about tapping yet, supposed to stay warm this week but get cold again next week... we'll keep watch for sure!!

[Al]

Moved a counter in the sugarhouse today to make room for more wood. Need to build a connected woodshed next year. :D Made a smaller counter space and as I was walking thru the garage I happened to look up in the rafters. There was a partial roll of left over wood grained vinyl flooring. Guess what's covering my rough cut counter tops now? :D Boy is that going to make cleaning up easier. No one is tapping up here. I guess we're all holding our breath. Still haven't got my flue pan back from my dealer. They've had it since Dec. 13th. About time to light a fire I suppose.
Take care

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Al,

Better get after them as it might be 2 weeks after you lignt a fire under them until you get it back. Your a lot more patient than I would be. I would have been calling them every day for the past month and that is what you better do until you get it back. Maple people are some of the biggest procrastinators in the world. :(

[ebourassa]

Did my first test boil on the new evaporater, everything look good, I have a question about my float box, Should the float stop the water completely or just let it trikle in slowwly? I can not stop mine for trickle at all even if I lift it with my hand, Just wondering if that is normal.
I am going to set up the tanks this week and sit and wait :roll:
Cant wait to tap

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[themapleking]

Yep 4" pvc about 18" long. Drilled and fitted bottom cap with 1/2" drain valve. Drilled and fitted 2 threaded pvc couplings on top for the hoses. And tossed in a plug ball from a shop-vac.

[backyardsugarer]

All of my buckets and lines are lined up in the garage so they can be cleaned. I plan to give my syrup and sap pans one more good cleaning with lemon juice this weekend and bring some water up to a simmer to test things out. All of my batteries are charged and the bits are sharp (Boy that drill doctor works great). I was on weather.com today and we are heading in the right direction. From this point on we gain about 1 degree every 4 or 5 days. It won't be long now guys 8O .

Chris

[jmattice]

I guess we're almost ready to go! Lines are all set, buckets cleaned, etc.
I'll be rinsing the pans out one more time before boiling. I bought a filter press this summer, so I just need to set up a work station for that and I'll be ready to go. Good luck to all!!!
John

[Al]

Well the weather is crazy here. Some are tapping some aren't. Who knows? Off to Florida tomorrow for 5 days to see my parents. Hope not to miss any big runs but if I do I do.
You all have a good week and take care.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Al,

Any luck with getting your pan back??

[Al]

Nope, maybe another week. One thing though he has an evaporator sitting in the shop with a back pan on it. Happens to be just my size. :D
Maybe we'll have to do a little horse trading!

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[themapleking]

I got the pump, moisture trap, and releaser set up. Just waiting on the weather now. Only have 2 gals from the test tree. tapped it saturday. I should of had over 6 gals. from this big bastered.
I also set up my new computer "dell dude" I just need to figure out way the speakers don't work. The headphones work on the jacks. Nobody speaks english at those **** tech lines.

[Parker]

worked in the sugar house yesterday,,got the arch level,,cleaned up the sap pan and found some holes,,started bricking the arch,,,pan man comming tommrow to fix up pan,,were going to have to make this one work,,,,got the blower hooked up,,starting to look like something now

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Parker,

Sounds great and just in time. Can't wait to see pics of everything and we are all pulling for you as it will be your first year in the big house and on your own evapator!!!!!!!!! :D :D

Go!!!!!!! :D :D

[Parker]

Got the windows in the back of the sugarhouse,,started bricking the arch((that takes a while)) the pan doctor came and worked on the Waterloo flue pan,,,Looked like a cloender when he was done sandblasting,,2 rolls of solder,and a water test,,just 4 major leaks left,,looks doable,,,,i think,,just have to be REAL easy when we put it on the arch,,looks like it might happen this year :)

[syrupmaker]

Happy Valentines Day to all my valentines out there ! YOU know who you are. :wink:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I 2nd the happy valentines day and this is an awesome website and I feel very priveleged to have met some of you in person and many more via this website! :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

[Michaelh05478]

VACUUM TEST DONE......... :D :D .......Started the vacuum pump today after a couple of days of pulling. Must of been air locked.....Finally got gas to go to the carb!!!! Vac gauge read 17.......with out checking for leaks....looks like it will work nicely....Question on the vac gauge... Does it have to be calebrated or do I zereo it out????? Or do I just leave it alone....Any info on this will be appreciated......... :D :D ..............Mike

[brookledge]

If your gauge has an ajustment screw on the back you would want to set it to another gauge that is accurate. As with any type of dial gauges they can lose their acuracy if they are banged or dropped

[Parker]

I have been playing hookie from work since sat....got the 1350 gal bulk tank on the hill set and the feed line running into the sugarhouse,,house is wired,,lights,,blower,,lots of outlets arch is bricked and has 2 propane heaters blasting in it as I type,,stack base on,,going thru roof tommrow,rigged up my portable welder to run the elc. in the shack,building tank stand in shack tommrow,,walked 2 of my lines and got them set to tap,,got to get ahold of the pan doctor to finish that flue pan up,,still have not started the 1000 tap set up 8O ,,might be the 500 tap set up if I dont get into high gear here!!!!!!!!!!!lots to do but making serious progress

[brookledge]

Parker sounds like you have been busy. Today nothing went right for me today,I broke my quartz tube in my UV light had to order a new one cost me $ 50.00 don't want to do that again.
Keith

[themapleking]

Started tapping today got about 250 done. Late start had to pick up a new spark plug for the tapper. I'm glad I have a gas tapper because those trees are frozen. You would rip the gears out of a battery drill in about 20 taps.
Heavy lake affect snow today, have about 12" new snow last 3 days on top of 6" of frozen pack ice. Got a good frost in the ground this year.

[syrupmaker]

Tried tapping today but the wind was justa blowin.Between the snow falling and wind blowing, it turned out to be a splendid day to rearrange some things inside the shack. Replumbed the feed from the tank and set the new grates into place. Had a sandwhich and a beer and called it a day. Well had a couple more then called it a day. :wink:

Rick

[michaelh05478]

All ready to go.....Vacuum all set, just need to adj vacuum after tapping! Tanks all cleaned and ready to go. Sugar house all set and cleaned....500 gals of Oil and propane tanks full....rd to sugar house plowed out today and will bring tractor down to bush next week.......IM READY!!!!! :D 8O 8O 8) :lol:

[JohnM]

Mrs. and I visited DougM and his partners Open House today near Coatesville, IN.

DaveY was also there picking up the old arch used last year.

Great setup Doug and thanks again for the syrup :!: :D

[mapleman3]

yep still chilly today, maybe got to the freezing mark, I finished up installing the saddles on the mainline and final hookups with the 5/16th runs.. the bush is all set, **** if I didn't drill clean through the mainline on my second saddle tap though :evil: , quick repair of that and move on... my tank plumbing is all set, and after leveling the evap I need to replace a peice of stack that ended up about 1.5 " too short after I lowered the back... so a few things to do tomorrow before the race

[brookledge]

Jim,
Take electrical tape and rap around your drill bit about 10-12 times to act as a depth gauge. You will never drill through the main line again. It works good for me.

[syrupmaker]

Another easy type of depth guage is to slide a piece of copper tubbing over the drill bit and secure it with tape. :wink:

Rick

[mapleman3]

Great Ideas guys... where the heck were ya when I was in the woods doing it 8O :wink: :wink: :lol:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Rick already told you what he was doing, keeping his buns warm as it was too cold to tap! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink:

[mapleman3]

:lol: :lol:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Go 24 go! He da man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :wink: :wink:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Supposed to warm up here some tommorow and Tues and then cold into the first week of March. Colder than normal this time of year, no need in getting in a big hurry. The thing that concerns me is that it doesn't go from 1 extreme to another. Sure has been weird weather down here. 8O 8O

[gmcooper]

Brandon, I talked with friends tonight from VA and they mentioned the ground had only frozen a few time then thawed. I know they are east of you. Does your ground freeze up solid where you are? If not how does it effect sap runs? Just curious.
Mark

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ground is normally not frozen much this time of year. It is frozen some now, but will probably thaw today with all the rain we are supposed to get. Last year it was frozen probably a foot deep and it was extremely cold here in Dec and Jan and it was a bad syrup year. Go figure. 8O They say the more thawing days you have during winter, the more runs you will have. If that is the case, it should be an awesome year everywhere as this winter was totally opposite of last winter.

Where are your friends at in VA :?:

[mapleman3]

well we got a fresh coating of around 3 inches of snow this morning, temps still cold, I will take tomorrow off regardless if I tap or not, thinking maybe just tap the woods on vacuum not the roadsides, do those on sat. I am worried about tapping frozen trees, so thats the only thing keeping me from starting to tap. hopefully your right brandon about the runs, I remember being told that also. hopefully it will be warm enough to flush my lines tomorrow but I think they will still have water frozen in them and not allow me to put the pessure to them.

[Ed K]

Went to Bascomb's today, what a ride! They have some taps in and had a run or two. I got 100 more health spouts and excessories, I wanted to get one of their used gas drills, but only had a couple left, that didn't apeal to me. Guess it'll be the old bit brace again this yr.
Ran into a friend who's just over the line in Vt. they're all tap 2500. Now it's a waiting game. I'm waiting till next week. Just don't seem to be an end to this cold weather.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ed,

Why not use a cordless drill?? I used one of the Craftsman 19.2 EX series to tap with this year and can get about 75 to 80 taps one a battery. Sears has them on sale this week with the worklight for $ 79.95, charger and 2 batteries, reg price is $ 119.95. I like the gas tapper a ton as I had one last year and sold it to maple king, but a lot of the areas I tap are really steep and a cordless drill does better when I am tapping by myself.

Get a good titanium 5/16" bit and you are all set for around $ 90. Keep the drill and batteries inside the house where it is heated year around and it will last you for many years!!!!!!! :D :D

[themapleking]

Trees are all plugged in, vacuume is set just waiting on the weather. Saturday I'll start cutting down the hemlock thats in the sugar bush. Let the sun light in there. If I have time I'll start cutting down those dead beech. Best time of the year to drop trees.

[steve J]

Well my evaporator is all hooked up ready to do a test boil but from looks of weather it might be two weeks before the sap will run. When spring breaks late I would think that would mean a short season amd I correct?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Steve,

Don't know if that is the case. The season is normally over down here by 15th to 20th of March, and the 15 day forecast down here looks cold with no sap weather in sight. I doubt this will hold true, but it seems winter is just really late this year and the groundhog is right. I have had two weeks of pretty decent sap production so far, so we'll see. Might turn out to be a long season that drags out until the middle of April up north. 8O

[brookledge]

Usually the later it starts yes it can be a short year. But only mother nature knows. I have had some years where I only boiled for 15 days. Some times even with 15 days with great runs you can make a good crop.It is certainly nerve racking though. Welcome to farming
keith

[sweetwoodmaple]

In my neck of the woods, if I'm not tapped and have a run by early February, it's not going to be a wonderful year.

Last year was the latest I ever tapped (24th of Feb). Just too much risk of a warm up being that late.

Guess that's why there's not too many people that tap in my area.

Brian

[mapleman3]

well it's looking cold here for another week, really don't know what the heck to do now.. I will most likely tap on Sunday just because I'll have time and help :?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Brian,

Where are you in PA?? I am in Beckley, WV and about 3.5 hours south of Pittsburg?? I usually tap around the middle of Feb, but the 3 syrup weeks here are the last week of Feb and the first 2 weeks of March. :?

[Al]

Well just got the call and my rear pan is in!!! :D Now to get on with my other projects. Cold weather here until at least the 10th. Talking to some of the guys at Leader they said about 5 years ago alot of guys here didn't tap until late March. The more I look at my wood pile the more I don't think it's enough for this year! :D Of course I think that's just one of my normal worries for this time of year. No time for maple this weekend. Re-carpeting the cellar from our little flooding episode.
Take care

[gmcooper]

Today we took trip to Bascom's to pick up some supplies there. On the way there, About 3 hours no traffic, we only saw buckets hanging in 2 door yards and bascom's had only tapped on their road. Didn't see any of Clarks trees tapped or the rest of that area either. Word there was most will be tapping this week regardless of weather as normal end of season is getting closer.
Mark

[sweetwoodmaple]

Brandon,

I'm about one hour north of Pittsburgh. About where I79 and I80 cross. For those outlet addicts, I'm about one mile from the Grove City Factory Shops.

Took a look at the pics of your operation on the web. Very nice setup. Let me know if you are ever up this way.

Brian

[emericksmaple]

Hey guys,
Just to give a little update. As of today we have a little over a 1/4 of a crop made, but a lot of the guys just north of us (about 20 miles) Haven't even tapped yet. The runs we are getting are small for the amount of taps we have tapped. It is funny what a difference 20 miles make. My vaccum has also made a difference so far this year. The 2100 on vac has produced 7800 gal of sap while the non vac 1600 has only produced 4600 gal of sap.

How bout you other guys that are tapped?? How's it going?

Brandon, just for your info Henry has 4 tapped so far. And he said that you are donig great getting 50 gal/hr with that setup. With this cold weather coming he said he may start next weekend depending on the weather. Tonight they are calling for us to get 8-16 inches till Tues night.

[sweetwoodmaple]

I'm at about 1/3rd of the crop assuming 10 gal per tap. Just went over 1150 gallons of sap this afternoon (ice and all). I was pretty surprised that I got much of anything today considering it barely got above freezing.

I'm fighting with my firewood supply this year. Didn't do enough planning for doing extra taps. Makes me envious of you guys with oil. Instant on, Instant off must be nice.

Brian

[mapleman3]

Brian, get yourself free palets if you are getting low.. quick hot fire!!

[sweetwoodmaple]

I have a supplier of very seasoned wood at $60 per truckload delivered and split. I can mix this with some of the greener wood.

Plus, I am going to fab up a fan and sheet metal to make my own woodsaver this week.

Has anyone heard of how many cfm's are needed? My stack is 10" dia for my 2 x 6 D&G. I've heard of 1 CFM per square inch of flue area, but I figure I need 2X that?

Brian

[syrupmaker]

OK this is getting old quick! Were is the warm weather? Today i am cleaning the house just looking for something to do. Now i know what Al means by domestic engineer. :lol: Swepped the floors and mopped,fixed the leaking toilet ring,smootzed the drywall pulled loose from the hand rail and reattached that. Now the Mrs thinks she might want to paint the hallway. 8O (Ruuuunnn) I hate painting.
(THINK FAST) maybe it's time to feed the kids some lunch. Get to the fridge,open the door and guess whats burping down the inside of the fridge? You guessed it, (if you did congrates) THE MAPLE SYRUP PITCHER :twisted: I love my kids dearly :roll: So now the fridge is cleaned out too,even got the dust bunnys behind and under it.

Oh look now it's starting to snow AGAIN. Have to see just how good these weather people are. Predicting 9-15" between this afternoon and tommorrow night. Bring it on we got the room for it. Besides i just bought snowshoes for the whole family.Guess we need the snow to use them huh.

Rick

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Rick,

Still looks cold here for the next 10 days and I am too scared to check out the accuweather forecast. Looks like it may be the 1st of April before any of you tap. The longer it stays cold, the more it scares me that once it does warm up, it won't want to get cold again. 8O 8O 8O

[mapleman3]

who knows.. I keep telling my help that we will tap, then I change my mind about 15 zillion times...the neighbors son who likes to tap and boil with me is getting anxious too, unfortunately I keep putting the tapping off!!! Next Saturday??? Sunday????? arrrrggggggg :? 8O

[mapleman3]

I hear you on the plowing.. just that I don't get paid for it.. being salary sucks :evil: one of our guys who normally plows a couple propertys is out with a hurt back, so I had to take the plowing for tonight :?

[themapleking]

The temp got up to 35 sunday and 36 today ran the vacuum when I could. Got maybe 50 gals sap. Trees are still sleeping. WHAT TO DO?

[mapleman3]

nothing to do Joe.. but wait!! :lol: shine up the stainless...

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Snowed all day today here and the temp topped out at a balmy 34 as the snowed poured and the sap ran. Yes, the sap ran even though it poured the snow all day and the temp was 31 or 32 most of the day, the sap still ran. Just never know, when you least expect it, it will run! 8O :D :D

[emericksmaple]

Brandon,
On Feb 17 it was about 34 degrees and a strong, bitter, cold west wind, But my 2100 on vac did the same thing they ran 800 gal in about 4 hours. My relaser was dumping once a min, the best I saw it run so far this year. The funny thing was that the taps we have here around home are just a bit colder than the ones on vac, and they never did a thing that day. Funny what a certian wind will do!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It didn't get very warm here on Sunday and had a fairly cold breeze blowing, but with temps in upper 30's and some sun, the trees still ran fairly well. It was down to 10 on Friday night and had been cold for 3 days, so I guess the trees made up their mind that they were going to run regardless as they needed to dump sap. The ground it wetter here this year and I have ever seen it and water is everywhere. On top of that, we now have several inches of snow. It is 16 this morning, so the snow will help insulate the ground. Hopefully it will warm back up next week and get a good run. Gotta warm up sometime, we're running out of time here. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: