January Journal

Jim,
Very nice!
Have to get back at the work thing! Lunch break is over.
Chris

Well I'm back at school now....Didn't even make it through the first class without getting on the droid phone and checking the trader. Owell I guess thats what it's for haha. Good thing the evap is mostly ready to go.

Jim - the arch looks good!

Just picked up another 25 taps and retained some taps that I thought I might lose to property changing hands. Good fresh taps along a creek that really run good. So I will be moving some lines from a less productive site to those new trees. Also getting some new 5/16 stainless spouts for buckets and may hang the 30 buckets on good trees along the route this year. instead of around the house on reds that just produce a drop more than nothing. Still have a string of maples that I would like to tap but just cant convince the folks to allow it. Need to stop and ask again.
Hope folks are ready. This rain today made it feel like syrup season is just around the corner.
Chris

Things are coming together. RO room is about done, RO is wired and I kicked the feed pump over so all should be good there. SH is a mess and really needs to be picked up. There's still a 1/2 days worth of woods work to do, but now there's 18" of snow on the ground. It can wait until closer to the season. I hope to have the RO plumbed and vac. pump set up on site this weekend. Saturday is the NHMPA annual meeting so we'll see if I get it all done.

I still have the neighbor's property to get online which is a days worth of work for 60 taps on gravity. This will be the last thing I do and those won't be getting tapped in until March 1st the earliest.

In order to be ready on time I have stoped adding to "the list" and am concentrating on wraping up all of the little thing that need to be done before taping. LR pump is finaly fixed and back in service. All tanks are set and level. Evap is plumbed. To do = pick up and install RO, Plumb new tanks to ro, build pump skid for new LR pump, set new pump skid, run power to new pump. That about does it. When those things are finished I will allow my self to set more lines and taps. My prediction ... Feb 17th first boil.

Brian- I have two things I need to make you aware of. I hope you make a ton of syrup this year and I say that becouse your my pal and I hope you well but the other thing I need to tell you is YOUR GOING DOWN AND YOUR GOING DOWN HARRRRRRD!!! I intend to destroy your averages on more taps, probly warmer weather and without checkvalves. Im just going to do whatever it takes to do it, compromise my health, spend less time with my family, or even neglect my elderly parents, WHATEVER!!! Bring on the sap Im countin taps this year Im not drawing candy off my syrup pans anymore, and Im not rounding off the closest 55 gallon drum. Were going tap for syrup, full and accurate records. Three weeks to operation TAPOFF at Pierce and video gaming, boob tube watchin, phone textin wondering what theyre good for Sons.

Were going to burp that six by thunderbolt weekend after this one with about a months worth of salary in fuel oil and see what that thing does. If Im not satisfied were putting two more guns in it.

If I go down, then I hope I do not get back up. The last 600 new taps have used up 300 multi fittings, 4 miles of main line, and 8 weeks to put together. I am ready to put in a Jerry bush just to see if 7/16, 30 taps per lat, and no vac has a better return on the $. Theron, You may have some tricks up your sleve, and I hope they work for you, but if it ends up killing you then was it worth it?

Brian,
Those numbers on the last 600 are sounding like most of my bush. If I ever get them all, there will be about 5500 but it sure takes a lot of tube to reach them all.
Doug

Have you done sap yield test comparing 1/4 spouts to 5/16 under vacuum? If so is there a big difference? thanks