What I learned from the 2010 season (long-winded)

[heus]

1. Close valve on the feed line to evaporator when filling head tank.
2. Its a pain dealing with tubing in-season.
3. I dont need to flood my evaporator much at shut-down, maybe 8-10 gallons (not 30-40)
4. Boil synthetic filters and prefilters before using for first time. Added a nasty taste to my first batch of syrup that was already ruined when I did #5.
5. Dont try "chasing the sweet." It only made motor oil dark, terrible syrup.
6. I need to split my wood smaller, and not use so many rounds.
7. When my doors glow red Ive let the fire go too long between firings.
8. My trees have verry low sugar content (at least this year): Averaged about 1.8% all season.
9. The sugar content of my reds is not much lower than my sugars
10. Just because a red maple is giant doesn't mean it will give alot of sap.
11. Dont boil with hard water to clean pre-season.
12. My tractor handled the mud well. I was expecting to get stuck. I was able to get through a valley where my best trees are located.
13. Too much foaming in the syrup pan means its time to clean the niter off the bottom.
14. Sap stays clear and clean in 5 gallon buckets with drop tubes and in the plastic totes, as opposed to metal buckets with lids.
15. Don't put too many taps on south side of trees. Mix it up for consistent runs all season.
16. My sap still smelled like plastic even at end of season from my 30P tubing. Didnt affect syrup though.
17. Visitors love to show up for boiling but not the collection part.
18. I need a better syrup filtering system. What a pain to try to filter 4-5 gallons at a time through cone filters into a turkey fryer.

Improvements for 2011:
1. I need to move the back wall in my arch about 4" closer to stack for better boiling in the rear of my pan.
2. Sugar house will be bumped out 6-8 feet in the front.
3. I dont think I am going to do tubing next year. Looks like msotly 5 gallon buckets and drop tubes.
4. 300 taps next year
5. I will remove the roof over my head tank. Too little clearance to even be able to see into the tank. Will just cover it with a piece of metal roofing next year.

[Gary R]

Filtering advice; you could go to flat filters. You would have more surface area and should filter better. You are up to a fair amount of syrup. The next step could be a filter press. A trader member "Daryl" is a tool shop owner. He makes hand pump filter press'. He lives in Meadville PA. Father and son own one. I seen it in action and it is sweet. If your interested send him a PM.

[KenWP]

Also if you can figure out how to have the filters down inside something so they stay warm helps a lot. I have been filtering 3 gallons at a time now and it all flows thru now. Last year it kept gelling on me when everything was in the open air. I have mega niter this year again also.
I finally put a sight tube on my head tank today. Got tired of climbing a ladder to see whats inside of it. Learned a lot this year again.

[sweetwoodmaple]

Yes, the flat filter is the way to go. I used to hate filtering when I had a cone tank and my 2x6 evaporator.

The current filter tank I had is an old Cherry Burrell with a 18 x 36" x 10" deep tank. Yes, it's a bit large for my sugarhouse, but you can't beat the large surface area. It has casters and can wheel right under the draw off.

Keep plenty of prefilters handy and you are all set.

What I learned this season? I need to tap earlier and run the vacuum when it's above 32 degrees. I underestimated the power of sunlight far too many times, and with limited runs this season I probably lost 500 gallons of sap by messing around.

Perhaps with spring being such a pain, I should try tapping in the fall just for kicks. I've heard of people doing that, but was never brave enough to risk it.

[3rdgen.maple]

I learned mother nature can and will kick your but whenever she feels like it. Mostly when you have big expectations in your head is when she strikes the hardest.

[red maples]

I also learned weather can make or break or at least shortened an already short season.
Don't stack your wood in a flood plain.
you can get 10 inches of rain in 48 hours.which transfers in to 6 feet
I learned what buddy sap is
I learned that buds can break in march(although I have never seen it before)
I learned that you need to clean every chance you get and it can't be scheduled.
Always go in expecting the worst and you will always have a great season.(in other words low ball it and you'll do fine)
If you bottling on the kitchen stove make sure you close the valve BEFORE you dump the syrup in the pan!!!
And always and I mean always put raw sap in your syrup pan when visitors are coming down the driveway.

there are other too but these are the main ones.

[Keyes Hollow Gold]

I learned don't put your phelt philter in your washing machine on the "easy care" setting:cry:

[Buckshot]

This what I learned this year so far.

180 liters last year took from sun up to well after sun down to boil down.
This year I can boil 220 liters in 6 hours with the shop vac on blow mode used as a blower.
And with the shop vac I use a lot less wood.
but I use gas in the generator but also learned the genny can run 18 hours on 15 liters of gas
at that rate I beleive the gas is money well spent when you add it all up

cuting the fire wood/ hauling the fire wood /spliting the fire wood/ stacking the fire wood

And 12 hours saved boiling time with 40 more liters boiled down.:)

[Saw Filer]

A few of this years lessons:
I'ts NICE to have a sugarhouse.
If you biuld it yourself it is the best thats ever been.
I'ts nice to have an evaporator that will handle the amount of syrup you want to make.
It WOULD BE nice to have that much SAP.

We had a great time anyway.

george

[BryanEx]

1) I learned that my maple business is far more dependent on people weather than sap weather.

2) I learned that my dog will not come along to collect sap. He just sits on the lawn watching me make the rounds yet my three ducks follow me from tree to tree eating everything interesting they find along the way.

3) The Chinese do NOT make a good flannel shirt. :D

[3rdgen.maple]

I also learned alot about what is food grade and what is not.
toilet brush -food grade
radiator hose-food grade
flannel shirts for filtering syrup-food grade
ants-food grade
non food grade rubbermade tote-food grade
nails-food grade
fuel in a tanker truck-food grade
5 gallon penzoil gathering pails- food grade
garbage cans-food grade
Maple syrup made with all these food grade products-non food grade lol.

[red maples]

so if you eat the squirrels that chew through your sap lines since they are food grade then that makes the squirrels food grade right even if they swallow a little of the plastic tubing.

now I know ants are food grade but what about all the bugs you find in your buckets and tanks...moths those little thin wirey looking bugs are they food grade?

Oh you forgot food grade cat litter scoopers. saw that on here somewhere.

YEAH FOOD GRADE!!! joke of the year right???:lol:

[DaveB]

I learned the value of vacuum. It was too cold in February and early March. Then it got too warm and the temps stopped going below freezing. My understanding is that the guys with vacuum are/did better than those without. I have about 550-600 taps and I've only made 15 gallons! I have one bush with 200 taps that only gave me about 200 gallons all season. I know that vacuum could have improved that.

I also learned:


Need to tap earlier - The big guys start tapping in January, so why not me?
Need a sap level indicator on my feed tank - I never ran out, but climbing a ladder every couple of hours is a pain
I need a sap tank pump - I manually have to fill up my feed tank. I have a pump up switch for the feed tank, but I couldn't find a submersible pump for the sap tank
Need to finish my homemade Auto Drawoff - I have all the components, just need to put them together


I could probably add to this, but this is all I can think of now.

Dave

[S Culver]

Being new at this I learned that it's very addictive.

The 9 and 11 year old boys are good sap getters. The 4 and 7 year olds drink most of what they collect.

My dog has no intrest but the cats will collect with us.

Don't buy taps from someone who dosen't send them for 3 weeks and when you call them informs you that they are on BACK ORDER. I was waiting when they should have been in the trees. No wonder the hair is thin up top.

Friends that weld are good friends. (Thanks again to Dane for the pan)

Dry wood is a must

Can't wait to do it all over next year


______________
S Culver
2010 25 taps
5 sq ft of flat pans on block firebox

2011

150+ taps Oh boy here we go I have lots of trees
Evaporator: Duno yet
Sugar house ? I'll come up with something I own a constuction company.

[waysidemaple]

I learned that you can never have to much wood (I was cutting up and burning the old pine kitchen cabnets we replaced over christmas)and no matter how careful you are with a hydrometer they will still break.

[collinsmapleman2012]

I also learned alot about what is food grade and what is not.
toilet brush -food grade
radiator hose-food grade
flannel shirts for filtering syrup-food grade
ants-food grade
non food grade rubbermade tote-food grade
nails-food grade
fuel in a tanker truck-food grade
5 gallon penzoil gathering pails- food grade
garbage cans-food grade
Maple syrup made with all these food grade products-non food grade lol.

lol dont let your customers see that lol hahaha

[ejmaple]

i learned i
really need vac!!!!
more taps
larger rig
preheater
filterpress
oh boy the wife's going to kill me

[3rdgen.maple]

lol dont let your customers see that lol hahaha

Trust me when I say you will not find any of that stuff in my operation. I was just quoting some questions and comments that have been posted on here. LOL kinda scary isn't it. I hope most of them was a joke I take that back I hope all of them were a joke.