Tapped 36 yesterday in Berlin at around 3:30. Had about 10 gallons by 5:30. My first year on tubing!
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Tapped 36 yesterday in Berlin at around 3:30. Had about 10 gallons by 5:30. My first year on tubing!
What are you using for fuel? JP4 ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cjadamec
Seasoned white pine and AOF/AUF. Had to stop putting the magnetic stack temp thermometer on the stack because the magnet kept loosing it's magmatism. A little bit of engineering makes a lot of heat.
Good morning all...
I tapped last week expecting to fire up my new Mason 2x3. It took longer to insulate and brick than expected. After finally getting it ready, I wanted to do a late boil as a test run and was way more efficient than I could ever imagined, especially coming from boiling on turkey fryers the past 3 seasons.
Anyhow, I made an error and let the sap get too low, noticed it and ran to get more sap and my pan started to burn in one spot. Roughly a 4x6 inch mark that wouldn’t come off using a spatula last night. I have the pan filled with sap/water now. I miscalculated how long it takes for the evaporator to cool down vs how much sap I wanted to boil. You just can’t turn off the heat like a fryer! I’m such an idiot. Hopefully I didn’t warp it day one.
Anyway, i didn’t get much syrup on the first run, but it is golden color (fancy). It took more sap than usual to get the yield I got. Maybe the sugar content was low since it’s early in the year. Anyone experienced this yet?
I have a pan about 2 x 5 ish, on a wood fired arch, and from the time you stop feeding it, until the time I feel safe walking away is at least a half hr to an hour, and only if I filled it up to 3-4 inches of sap. I keep a bucket or two of sap handy just in case, and when I get down to the end, and want to use all the sap, I keep either a few buckets of water, or a hose nearby. It is amazing how much will still evaporate overnight, even when it has been “shut down”. I have come back to 1-1 1/2 inches after filling it to 3-4 inches the night before.
I tapped 30 on tubing yesterday, then sat at the end of the line watching it drip until it turned into a small steady stream.
Things happen fast! With luck you didn't warp it. Good practice is to run your pan pretty deep until you get to know how it boils. Better off with too much sap than too little. Keep a bucket of sap close by and remember you can always throw the door open when things are going bad. Won't cool the pan off to zero but it helps a great deal.Quote:
Originally Posted by aviboy97
I was pulling 1.5% sap last week. Pretty typical for me early in the season. Still managed to finish and bottle a fair amount yesterday.
Attachment 20728
I tapped Saturday, 1st time :-) Just 5 taps total in 3 trees. Mostly just testing the trees to see if they are any good as they are old(er) and I know just enough to be dangerous. My pan for the grill was delivered today and I can only freeze about 10 gallons so i was worried about doing too many and ending up with more than I could handle.
Never got warm enough at my house yesterday for any :cry: BUT when i left for work this morning... I had about 1/2" in my jugs so hopefully they do not over flow while I am at work!!! The fun begins this weekend it seems :-)
Been reading a TON on here, especially the smaller guys. i should eventually have about 10-15 taps. Going to see how the 1st run or so goes.... I dont want to get overwhelmed and have to boil for 20 hours straight... wife might kill me!
Now THAT is an idea!Quote:
Originally Posted by woodguyrob
Sounds like as good a plan as any to start out with. Just wait by next year you will be talking about tubing and how to make a barrel evaporator. Best of luck to you this season keep us posted how it goes.Quote:
Originally Posted by TheNamelessPoet
Collected 120 gallons since Sunday morning. Not to shabby for 75 taps on gravity tubing. Cleaned up my pan and working making it sweet again tonight.
Collected another 275 gallons in the past 4 days with 25in currently on my Shurflo 4008, sap is flowing!
RO started up tonight with the hope to boil off another 60 gallons of concentrate tomorrow afternoon.
Looking out our kitchen window at 5 AM I can see a full 4 gal bucket that had about 3" in it last night. I know whats on the agenda today.............
Entered into the season on Sunday afternoon, couldn't hold back anymore with the weather forecast, Put in 30 taps, on 2- 3/16" nat-vac lines Sunday night. Collected 55gal Monday Morning at 2%. Added another 3/16" line with 15 taps Monday night, Collected 75 gallons this morning 7am, read 2%. I suspect its still running as I type, will check later today. All taps in Middlefield/Durham so far. I'm still waiting to tap in Somers on buckets, and will have a few more lines in Durham/Middlefield to put in.
In other news, I bought and put together an RO kit from the ROBucket, after years of window shopping....And i have to say, I can not believe it took me so long to take the plunge. I'm turning 2% into 8% with one pass. I'm amazed. I cant wait to boil this weekend and make some sweet!
Well, it turns out I did slightly warp my pan. Right by the draw off point. Not too bad though, and taught me to be way more careful.
I was able to get the burnt spots out and had another run today. Boiled roughly 23 gallons. Very happy with my 2x3 so far. Just need to time the cool down/final draw of the day.
That brings me to my next question...I have a few gallons left in the pan and will cap it tonight once my rig is cooled down enough. I can’t boil again until Sunday. Would the sap that’s currently in the pan be ok to start with on Sunday? It’s a mix of fresh sap and reduced sap.
Again, I’m new to the evaporator. I’m used to finishing all I started with on turkey fryers.
Thanks guys!
If you can fit it in a bucket and store the pan contents in the fridge or freezer untill you are ready to boil again that is the safest bet.
Friday and Saturday look to be a natural freezer herewith temps going into the single digits. So chances are your pan will do just fine tomorrow and Thursday. If you have a chance to light a quick fire just to get the pan to boiling even for a minute tomorrow night or Thursday night that will also help keep anything from spoiling.
When it's going down to single numbers [as expected fri night] I drain my whole evaporator. May be overkill, but if the drop flues freeze & crack a seam, you're out of business. It gives me a chance to scrub out the front finishing section, which after 500 gal or so has sand stuck to it anyway. I have had the 5 gal pails i've removed freeze almost solid.
Ill do that today. Rig was still hot last night, so I couldn't drain last night. I appreciate the advice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cjadamec
I agree, best to drain into a pail in the event of a freeze if your shack is unheated or your just open air. Theyre are little tricks people use, like having a lite lightbulb close to the pan so it stays thawed, or start a small fire everyday to keep it warm. The small fire thing also helps keep the sweet in the pan stay 'sterile' so it can say in the pan for a few days without you having to finish it off.....that said, i can only boil weekends so I prefer the safety of draining into a bucket at the end of each run. I made the mistake my first year with my mason of not draining it only to return the next day to find the floor of the shack with 5 gallons of sweet on the floor as the brass drawoff valve froze and cracked, then thawed and drained the pan..... From then, on I drain, and make sure i leave the valve open at the end of the day.Quote:
Originally Posted by aviboy97
Also, I wouldnt worry about the little warps here and there, they can be fixed. My mason pan has all types of 'character' and she still runs great. Youll learn the level you need to maintain so you wont burn. But, little warps in the bottom is inevitable.
Just added a shurflo 4048 this afternoon to my set up what a night and day difference it makes!!
This is my first year with a 4008 and SS3 Controller... Wow!Quote:
Just added a shurflo 4048 this afternoon to my set up what a night and day difference it makes!!
My advice is to plumb in a small recirc line if possible. Yesterday afternoon I checked on my system and sap flow was drastically slowing down for the day. I opened the recirc line a bit, vac increased greatly, and sap was again flowing heavily for a few extra hours. I probably gained an extra 0.5 gallon/tap after opening the recirc. These Shurflo's like to pump fluid a lot better than air...
Enjoy the 4048!
I was going to add one this afternoon!! I want to also get the s3 controller for next year right now I’m just keeping an eye on it, I do have a bypass set up so I can just turn 2 valves manually to keep it going on gravity.
I'm going to tap a new section of maples on my property. When is it best to do so; today, before the deep freeze to single digits, or after when it warms up on Sunday?
Thanks
Glad the controller is working well for you!Quote:
Originally Posted by bryankloos
Dave
I don't think it matters Gord - The day I tapped 80 some of mine, there wasn't a drop of sap all day - just too cold. I did the last 60 on a warmer day, sap was just starting. Right now i'm into my best year ever, 850 gal/sap so far. My back is happy for 2 days off right now. Don't drive the taps in too hard when their frozen, it'll crack the bark and they'll leak for a few days.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gord
Thanks Mike. My first batch of taps didn't run the first day either.
Still a newbie.
Finally, dug out and dusted off my stuff and tapped 20 trees last night - started at 8p and finished at 10p ....wife & neighbors think I am crazy ... but give me some time and I will show them what crazy is!
700 gallons to boil tomorrow. The local Cub Scout Pack (of which my son is a member) is coming over to see how maple syrup is made. Fun stuff!
I drained mine this AM for the big freeze tonight - Got vinegar in the front 2 pans to get rid of the sand before next batch - looking like Monday right now.
Update.
Brrrr....
Lines are frozen!
Great day to boil! Lines and buckets are frozen, you’ll find me cracking a few beers, watching the boil.
I boiled last evening, emptied the pan which is now soaking in vinegar.
I plan to tap a few more on buckets today with my daughter.
Then I'll sit down and enjoy a cold beer myself!
Beautiful day out there today.
Stayed up late Thursday to finish boiling before the freeze. Jarred up a little over 2 gallons of syrup. Makes 7.5 gallons finished and packed so far this season.
It hit 8 here this morning, I'm going to wait till tomorrow to scrub the pan and enjoy a beer inside where it's warm. A nice little pause to get everything prepped up for the next run.
Had 650 gallons to boil yesterday. A chilly start at 8 degrees. Had a heat lamp in the arch and some heat tape wrapped around the milk tank outlet. Was up and going pretty quickly. Wife made dinner reservations for 7:00 so I did what I could and flooded the pan at 5:30. Have a pretty full pan and about 80 gallons of concentrate to finish up today.
Looks like some good flow days coming this week.
Are taps have had varying results so far.
some trees producing a lot and some almost none.
Our 3/16 lines that have good drop are running the best. Next year we plan on running more 3/16 and less bags.
Also thinking about using backflow taps. Anyone have experience with these? I think this may help us by allowing a longer run and not worrying so much about tapping to early.
We have about 300+ taps, most of them in a new area we just started to thin out. We are not getting much from them but hopping thinning other trees out of the bush will help that..
I have not quite figured how to add information to my profile but when I have time I will.
We live in Willington, CT
Boiling today while we bottle :)
Where did you go?Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodsrover
hey I live in Tolland!!! Howdy neighbor!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich R
Anyone have taps flowing today? I thought because of the temp my taps would start flowing again after the past two extremely cold days. Hasn’t happened tho.
My lines are moving today temp has been around 40 since 10am. Not much sun though to really get things moving.
Monday and Tuesday should make for better days