getting ready to go gather

[cpmaple]

Sap was running well yesterday. Gathered yesterday morning and picked up 50 gallons and checked on buckets at 2 and they were half full so gonna get out early to gather no kids home this weekend to help. Gonna hopefully go get evaporator tomorrow in NH sold mine at end of season last year to upgrade from the 2 by 3 i have.

[stoweski]

I tapped on the 20th. Had a couple of nice runs but recently the trees have stalled. I really hope that last night temps were enough to freeze them. I collected around 8 gallons from 50 taps on Thursday. That was after waiting two days.

My biggest problem (besides the slow sap)? Getting my tractor (ie. sap hauler) stuck in the snow at the bottom of a ravine. Thank God for a friendly neighbor with a much, much larger tractor! :D

[cpmaple]

I tapped on the 20th. Had a couple of nice runs but recently the trees have stalled. I really hope that last night temps were enough to freeze them. I collected around 8 gallons from 50 taps on Thursday. That was after waiting two days.

My biggest problem (besides the slow sap)? Getting my tractor (ie. sap hauler) stuck in the snow at the bottom of a ravine. Thank God for a friendly neighbor with a much, much larger tractor! :D

my problem here is dont get morning runs because i'm on the back side of a hill so i dont get any sun till noon or so looking to up the taps soon either this year or next to 250 or 300 love doing this with my kids and other family members

[cpmaple]

cant wait season is coming way to fast. Got the evaporator 95% ready and hoping to make a trip real soon to get 350 more taps which will put me at 500 for 2011. Let it come picked up a few sugar bushes and alway looking for more. Hope every one has a safe and happy new years and a wonderful 2011 sugaring season.

[smitty76]

Sounds like you are doing well. we are moving to a new location and are just painting the inside of the sugar shack. hope to move the 3x10 in this weekend if all the moons align. And to you a safe and happy new year and a aesome 2011 season. good luck.

Smitty76

[cpmaple]

Started cleaning tanks today and worked on a steam hood.I feel it came out great. All thats left is to install it tomorrow morning and test boil. New pans, sugarhouse and hood cant wait to see what i can get out of it. Feed tanks need to be clean in the am and done there preheater pan is almost set and then it goes through 30ft. of half inch copper to the rear flat pan then into my divided front pan hope it works will hoping to get 25gph out of it. i will post pics soon once all set and complete for the season. cpmaple

[maple flats]

If you back and front pan are both flat pans my guess is you will only get 12-15 gph. This is based on what a half pint gets, doubling and adding up a little more. I think to hit 25 (or you could hit even 35 ) is if you have a flue pan, more heat transfer surface. But, push what you have with a blower to get s much as possible, especially if you can rig some over fire air.

[cpmaple]

Adding 400 more taps this season hoping to make 75 to 100 gallons this year. Maybe alot of boiling but, that is what a lay off is for. Next year i may move on to a 3x10 or 3x12 we will see how this year goes and if i can get rid of mine now.hope all fellow traders have a great year cant wait to have the 619 taps out and collecting sap to boil. cpmaple:mrgreen:

[3rdgen.maple]

And everyone says IM nuts. 619 tas on a flat pan. I would put that rig around 12 to 15gph myself seeing how I ran an old oddball 2x7 flat pan setup for years I really had to push it hard to get 12. You are in for a long haul if this season turns into anything better than last year. Best of luck. I will be around 800 with a drop flue and I averaged 40gph last 2 years on it and I bust my tail and had to run it nonstop for a couple times last year in that poor season we had. Finishing up putting a couple hundred on vac this year to boot. I will be living in the sugarhouse.

[cpmaple]

3rdgen.maple,
Yes i'm nuts but, I'm layed off from work starting this past friday just in time for sugaring which happens most every year. So i will live in the sugar house also my other half works nights and i'm alone most of the time so why not be boiling so i can collect during the day. Next year will be my move either a small ro or a bigger evap if i can get rid of my homemade 2x6 with blower and hood. Last year on it i was getting 17 to 17.5gph on it with the blower cranking. It loves the drie pine and cedar and mix in hardhack to make it last alittle longer. Hope you have a good year and make alot of syrup. cpmaple

[3rdgen.maple]

Well if there is a good time to get layed off I guess its now. Lets hope for a banner year. I can feel it. I think after this year I will be jumping up to a 3x8 was going to do it for this year but I will not spend any personal money on Maple. What I make in the sugarhouse is what I have for next year to upgrade, atleast thats what I like to say. So if I want more upgrades I have to push as hard as I can. Hope pricing on equipment drops. This will be the 3rd season on the one I bought and for the same exact one its 1500 bucks more now days. Trade in on it is almost the same price I payed for it. Be sure to post updates as the season progresses. Best of luck.

[cpmaple]

Cant the weekend get here quicker? I'm gonna start tapping at my lower bush of 150 this weekend and my bush up on the mountain following weekend of 400 +/- taps. Finishing up things this week in the sugar house getting organized and cleaned up cant wait. cpmaple

[stoweski]

Sunday is my day to tap. I have close to 75 trees within 20' of the north side of a field. Going to start with those. We'll see how it goes and then add the other 50 once I see how it's running.

It's funny. Three news stations and they forecast three different high temps. One says 33, one says 30, and the third says 40. Arggh.

[cpmaple]

I put one tap out 4 days ago and been checking it everyday since nothing till today. I drilled and tap to other trees and they are soak and running. Cant wait its almost time i planned on tapping this weekend down here low and up in the mountain next weekend so i guess up in the am and get to tapping only 150 to put out tomorrow then 400 to 500 next weekend. I'm going out of my mind cant wait to boil and make some fresh syrup. cpmaple

[ADKMAPLE]

up here we will tap over Presidents week, although next Wed-Friday we might get the 40 degree adn 20 temps

[cpmaple]

Been tapping for the past 4 days now and only got out 160 taps going back at it today. Been sick for a few day with a bug going around so its been very slow going and short days in the woods. Went and got a pair of snowshoes last night from a family member thank god they let me use them snow is kicking my butt. Taking alot longer than i thought to get 400-500 taps out due to the snow. Well off to tap good luck to all this season and hope we have a great year. cpmaple

[cncaboose]

cp, I looked at your photos and have a couple of comments/concerns. Maybe I'm missing something. Nice looking preheater but it doesn't look like you have any system to collect condensate from it. If the condensate just drips back into your pans you are not gaining anything overall from your preheater even if your sap is coming in very warm. You will wind up evaporating the water more than once using up the energy you save by having the sap prewarmed. Just curious, do you have an RO? If not, you are going to be boiling around the clock on your flat pan 2x6 to handle 400-500 taps. Also wondering if your drawoff thermometer has a sensor in the actual syrup pan? Measuring the temp out in the drawoff pipe won't give you an accurate reading at all and could cause you to draw off "syrup" that isn't the right sugar content. If you draw off based on hydrometer readings, or if you finish syrup elsewhere, this won't matter.

[Jim OK]

I've just got six taps in as my antennae - I put them in yesterday. I thought they would be gushing but they're surprisingly slow. I moved last year Feb 1st and had to skip a year and I'm just bricking in the half pint and cutting stove pipe and getting ready on the fly. I know I missed some good days and maybe weeks, but what can you do? I'm an amateur and have to keep the day job happy.

[adk1]

I've just got six taps in as my antennae - I put them in yesterday. I thought they would be gushing but they're surprisingly slow. I moved last year Feb 1st and had to skip a year and I'm just bricking in the half pint and cutting stove pipe and getting ready on the fly. I know I missed some good days and maybe weeks, but what can you do? I'm an amateur and have to keep the day job happy.

I hear you there Jim Ok. When I et everything in my plan done and tap some year I really dont knwo what to expect. I guess I will have to wait and see!

[cpmaple]

Start pulling taps this evening thought i could get one last run. but what i checked today was only .6% so i dumped about 400 gallons on the ground and pulled taps 150 down and more to come tomorrow. Clean up the fun begins then work on wood,wood and more wood.cpmaple Over all i had a great year for me with switching evaporators mid season from a flat pan 2x6 to a 5x10 raise flue and made 38 gallons.:)

[cpmaple]

Well the season is getting closer and closer. Got up 3000' mainline and only have 2000' more to go then lats gonna be pushing it for time but, I know i will make it.Cant wait first year with vac on 600 and i will have 400 on gravity as it stands right now. Well gonna get my things together and head out the door to go get more mainline up best of luck this season to all and let your sap be 3% well we all wish it was. cpmaple

[cpmaple]

well been here looking at the weather since 3am gonna tap in on monday get the rest of the lats done today and tomorrow then monday gonna pull the trigger and tap away. First I'm gonna put the 480-500 on vac on line then wait a week or two and then tap in my buckets and gravity tap. cant wait first year on vac and most taps i've had.let you all know how i do.