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Jeff- Thats a heck of an upgrade for one year. You going to be all ready by season? I hope this year is more relaxed for me. That first year is a humdinger learning everything. Just wait till your first run. You wont believe your eyes. Splush, splush, your going to be thinking holy guakamoly when you see that coming into the releaser. I didnt have that many taps last year and I was pretty impressed. Theron
Brought 3 more cords to the sugarhouse yesterday,,I have 6 cords cut 4 foot to split and 6 to cut and split,,,,I am going to try to cut and split it all this week comming up,,,just have to hook the crane back up to the slasher,,,I havent been in any of the sugarwoods in over a month,,need to do line patrol,,,ect.......lots to do,,,,oh, yeah,,,and that airtight front,,,,better get off the computer and get to work !
VVS - Tree rat recipe - chop off hind legs with hatchet, chop off tail pull,off hide cook like chicken wings. Maple hill - there is a great business oppertunity at a cock fight , TAKE OUT "LOOSERS BB-Q " Work is slow so maybe Id go down with some paper plates and napkins and set up for the winter. -SS
Headin back in the woods. Should have used up 1200 drops in another hour or so. Using quarter inch spiles for these drops and cut out the old for consistency. Going to reuse the ones I took out which are only probly 300. Going to put them in a different spot. Then 800 new and done unless I come up with more money. Hoping to have my side of the road done this week. Have a lot of mainline connections to make. Probly wont be on the trader to much for a little while. Big tank is coming today. Pretty excited about that. Not sure about tap numbers but I should have 4300 gallons of tank and I think it may be possable to fill them in a day. Not sure about the culls but the good ones are really good so I think things will kind of even out. Have to wait and see. Gotta keep on keepin on like Joe Dirt says. I love weekends. To bad a guy couldnt make a livin at this. Theron
Hi PA,
Seeings that I am a "Raw Sap Boiler", after that clear liquid comes out of the RO, what's the %?
I am having a bit of a job thinking about you boiling all that and working a full-time job too!!
Then again, I understand about ROs and what they do, just never been around one that's all!!
I guess I'll have to go hang out with the Gov next spring for a day!!
It's raining here, 54 degrees and the temperature is supposed to drop big time tomorrow and Monday.
Thanks for the info.
Dave
Parker,
I remember you have gone through ungodly cords of wood in previous years and you seem to be preparing for the worse again this year. Do you have any idea how much efficiency you will gain with the air tight front? What do you think the minimum gain should be in order to make it worth the effort?
Make sure you keep us posted on efficiency gains.
3%-Im not sure what the percent will be but it will have to be high. Im going to have to recirculate pretty much just to keep up. Itll be kind of a new thing for me. Im just going to let it run getting rid of water a lot and then rinse it and hopefully it will be good and high when I put it in the head tank. Next year Im going to get another vessel but I really cant afford it right now so Im just going to make do. Ill take a lot of time off if I have to. I want to make as much syrup now while the prices are high. Plus mainly I just want to see huge sap which I think I should see. Huge for me at least. Just thinking about those releasers dumping really gets me under motion in the woods. Theron
So is this month's official Mapleholics meeting being called to order on Sat Nov. 15th at 8 am @ Red Roof Maple on Pleasant St. Extension in Loudon, NH? If so then mapleman3 will have to list it on the calendar.
3%- You could hold the sap in the vessel and keep recirculating it in a sense to make it come out sweeter=like 20%+ in one pass if i was to turn down the concentrate leaving the vessel to like 1/2 to 3/4 GPM/but things slow down bigtime as it doesn't like it above 20%. Most would do it in stages like letting out 3 gpm concentrate and then send that concentrated batch through the RO again and up the brix to say 15% and then do it one more time and it's around 20% then. Generally your letting out about 3 gals+ a minute of 8% concentrate on the first pass and the permeate-water is leaving the vessel at like 7 gals a minute=600 GPH flow RO machine.
You know what it is doing what by watching your flow meters and PSI gauge's on the machine. Can't really blow it up as there are safety features so that if it gets too high of a PSI on the membrane it will shut down/no sap coming into the feed water pump to the high PSI pump=it shuts off. Just got to watch the flow rates and you'll know when the membrane is clogging up with bacteria and then you'll need to do a rinse/maybe a wash to get it back up to it's max. flow rate again. After about the first 5 minutes of operation things will level out PSI wise and flow rate wise and then you won't even have to look at the RO=It's on auto pilot-;)
Things are speeded up 10 fold with 20%+ concentrate on the evaporator when drawing of syrup. The 2X6 was making around 10-12 gals of syrup per hour with the concentrate over 20%. About enough time to run syrup through the filter press and get right back on the handle for the next batch to come off. :)
It's all about letting the machine do the work and save on energy/fuel/labor and time spent boiling sap into syrup.
Fittings went together easy today, a little help from the rain. New expansion is taped out. Just need to finish the main lines, maybe dry line, 1400', down to the road in the valley. Too early to post final tap count. If you build it they (Taps) will come.
Having the Mapleaholics meeting here at Red Roof Maples on this coming Saturday the 15th at 8 am sounds good to me. Bring your mainline/tubing tools and some water proof boots. If you have a 4 wheeler bring that too.
spent yesterday afternoon and today burying some conduit and wiring out to the sugarhouse...still a bit sketchy, but at least now we are not on extension cords that run across the driveway and in front of the plow...
Well Chris, I've got a few day's off next week. I'm coming to Albion to shoot one. It will be nice to be home.
well just finished up packing away 291/4 pounds of venison burger ....yippie
Finally got the storm damage cleaned up today. I brought in 2+ cords of beech and apple for next year, and my son and I cut all the trees off of the mainlines in the big bush. Took yesterday off, other than delivering syrup, and spent the day with my wife shopping. She's getting used to my weekly stops at Lowes for mainline and fittings.
Gary,
Hope you were sucessful at the deer hunting in the Albion area.
Sorry I nmissed you Sunday night. Cheryl and I were out to dinner.
I did get to go to local turkey shoot today with son (Eric) and grandson (Nic) they each won a turkey. The old Winchester moldel 1897, 16 gauge pump, I was using just doesn't pack as many BB's on the paper as those new 12 gauges:)
I did get the snow fence up and there is a toasty wood fire in the furnace.
We had a fun day at Ausbury Woods telling wood be sugarmakers the story of watching water (sap) boil and getting to play with fire. A dozen folks came to the class and seemed to have a good time.
I did have a minor set back when I tried to jump a boulder along the driveway at Asbury. There may be pictures of the "Chrysler on the Rock" coming. One lady asked how I parked on top of that rock. If Jim Bortles would have been there he would have said S_ _ T happens! :p No seroius damage, not even my pride. I laughed as much as the rest of the folks. The real question was how many sugarmakers does it take to get a 97 Chrysler pushed off of a boulder. Answer about 6!
Chris
chris i stoped by asbury woods saturday did not see the car on rock i thought you guy would be out in sugar house but did not see anyone around
also my mother in law is looking for some maple whip powder do you sell any or do have to get that for jan
Chris,
It would take more than a driveway rock to damage that tank! Drive it till the wheels fall off!
Jim
I spent yesterday working on more wood for the sugarhouse and some things in the sugarhouse like filling some cracks in the floor and also put up a tree trunk for demo taps in the sugarhouse. no more spouts and buckets hung on the wall.
Hi Russ,
Just got off the phone with NHMaplemaker.
He may try to move his schedule around so that he can ride down with me for the MA meeting.
I won't know for sure until like Thursday or Friday night.
You won't know for sure till I drive in, or I can PM you when I find out!!
Everyone that is going to come should be wearing red or preferrably orange that day!!
Tis the season to hunt the ellusive white tail!!!!!
Dave
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russell Lampron
jrthe3,
If you have some syrup left just boil to 260 take off the fire and stir and you can make your own sugar about as quick as driving some where.
Missed you at the Asbury event we may have been done at the sugarhouse> we finished in the maple room at about 12:30 with pancakes and good NWPA syrup. The car was in the back perched on a 2 foot high boulder.
Jim,
The rock didn't phase the Chrysler much. I turned the front tire into the rock for traction and it climbed back over it with a little help from Burton and the Durfee family. Drove it to work today with no noticeable change.
Jim,
Keith wants you to come over and see his arch and your door! Hard to believe he built a outfit around that door! Still looking for pans for him.
Chris
chris
maple sugar is that what jan has that you mix with cool whip i did not see what the mother in law got but she got it from jan she said it was a power
Got the crane moved over to the woodpile/slasher,last night ,,crane carrier (1976 Autocar with 350 cummings) starts real hard and its always a job to get running,(should have some better-more batteries, but big $$$) last night I stacked all the dumptruck loads I had trucked home over the last month or so,,,looks more like 10-12 cords???to cut up,,,still have 7 or so to split (all cut),heading out now to hook the crane to the slasher and cut up the pile,,,gotta have a littel fun-cant log everyday
Parker- Good work on the wood. Glad to see that your getting ready for the BIGSAP. I notice that some of you guys have been having a good time hunting and spending time with your families and thats real nice. Im sure that youve had some real good times and some special moments that you will treasure always but ive got one thing I kind of need to say. WHAT IN THE SAM HILL ARE YOU GUYS THINKING???? BIGSAP JUST AROUND THE CORNER, NO TIME TO WASTE!!!!!GO!!!GO!!!GO!!! Things are going good down here in Pa. Trying to get something done. This last weekend finished up the young stand saturday. Only thing left is saddles. Went across the road sunday. Worked from about 4 am till dark and got about 14 or 15 rolls of 5/16 in the air. Im having a hard time remembering exact numbers. Looks real nice. Went to the boys basketball game and came home and made mainline connections till I went in to work at 10pm. Worked till 2pm monday and came home and ran another 4 rolls. Thats sugaring my friends. Freaked out pretty mommy this morning. Told her im totally broke now and cant buy any more syrup stuff. She was so happy. Then I told her I was going to every restaurant and bakery getting buckets and was figuring on putting a few out. Like 800 maybe. I think something snapped inside her pretty little head. She started making loud noises and kind of started twitching. The kids thought it was neat. Shell come around. I explained how easy it would be and I think that reassured her. Looks like just guessing were looking at +or - 3500 taps on the big pump, probly more + than -, and all the buckets I can come up with. Keep the kids off the streets. Keep me posted on all things syrup. Zar
valley view, saw your tanks from the highway yesterday as i headed for maple grove quite a shine comming out of the valley
Gravel pit- I dont think Ill have 9000 next year unless I hit the lottery or score more buckets. Ill see what I can do. Maybe Ill get burnt out this spring and say the heck with it. That would be a heck of site to see 9000 buckets to collect. Id either be the toughest guy around or dead.
That would be neat to see. I wonder how they gathered it all. You better keep those tanks Andy. Your a serious producer and your going to need them with your lines all fixed up. Theron
Scored 6 beer kegs some 13+gal the others 15+ gals. I have 4 cleaned out with the pressure washer , no beer smell left at all, picked up some rubber expanding plugs. I still have to pick up one of them from a buddy and the other I still am trying to get the center out.. it's a weird type I think it's screwed in but you cant get anything on it to screw it back out... I will post a pic here soon (my camera broke-have to use phone or daughters cam) maybe someone else has seen the type. it is on a guiness stout keg.
Also when you store them empty till you fill them do you keep them plugged or open? I would think they will need to be open to air out any moisture??????
can u imagine 10000 buckets 10000 taps and hooks and lids ... u would need a barn just for them then imagine washing them ... wow that would be wild to see
Guys- This is a little peak into what was going on in my little pea brain today. I think this is what Im going to do on the buckets. Ive got permission to put in another 1100 taps. Im broke. Let me translate that for the bigsapzar impaired. Flat stony, zilch, nada, financially embarrased. This is the plan. I cant live with the fact that I can tap these trees but I cant afford to so this is the brainstorm. All of these taps are in perfect concentrated little areas. So Im going to put drums for dumping stations so I can collect easy and it will run gravity out to the road. Then Im going to get 1100 or 1200 spiles that I can use in the bush when I tube it next year. Put drops on them. Got tube for that and get all the large containers I can get before season and put them on the ground with the tube in them on the big trees and put milk jugs on all the little ones and tell the kids to get it. Thats the plan. Ill probly lose a lot of sap but oh well whatever I get I get. If I have to keep the kids home from school and compromise thier education than I guess thats how its got to be. Every night when I ask them what they learned that day they say "nothin" anyway so I guess its no great loss. Anyway as of right now thats what Im thinkin. If Im not on the trader Im probly on bucket patrol. Gonna try to make dreams come true for maple grove this year. Zar
fl
u are sicker then we thought here comes the white suited men lol
PAThczar, I suspect you don't sleep well, and get by on about 4 hours of shut eye a day, and that filled with amber gold visions!!!
Do you have aspirations of dropping the day job and personally flooding the market with PA syrup?
Jeff- Id do it in a heartbeat but I know its the wrong thing to do. If I go to work I know I get a paycheck every friday. I am very gratefull to have a good steady job. If I could afford it though Id quit tomarrow morning and do the syrup. There is nothing I enjoy doing more. Id give anything to do like Scott Wheeler or Richard Patterson and run a big operation. Im going to put whatever I make in syrup right back into equipment and keep putting taps out and whatever happens happens. Im hoping to put a bush a year in and do it totally right and upgrade equipment as I go to keep it pretty easy. I think you can run quite a lot of taps if you have the right equipment. I also have some ideas to streamline things and try to eliminate as much of the labor as possable. This year will be a little tough becouse I think Im somewhat under equiped but next year is another year and Ill be able to buy a few more things and keep working my way ahead. Im willing to work hard this year becouse I want the money and right now syrup is worth a lot. Plus its fun. Ill be on here belly aching though after a few weeks. Right now Ive just forgot how much work it was. I only remember the fun parts. Theron
Theron I sure wish I was a little closer to you, I would be glad to give you a hand setting up that little bush.
Theron, I might be able to hook u up with buckets for ur new bush let me make some phone calls. I might even have a few u could have. I have had enough of collecting them and gettin the 4 wheeler stuck in my bush. It shouldn be that bad tho if u have dump stations. My neighbor did that until they tubed there one bush.
Tom- That would be great if they werent being used. Im only probly going to use them this year and then I could give them back becouse next year I should be able to tube all that right. Thanks a lot Tom. Theron
Gravel- Your nuts. Ive got to get up there and check out your operation. Your tank inventory has got my mouth watering but I dont know How id get them down here. Next year gonna need some more stainless. If you get all your lines fixed up your going to need those tanks. I know what you mean about the little ones. Im lucky mine are old enough now to go out and help. Just cant get anything done when there little. Theron
Pa,
Have you changed too many transformers with PCB's in them????
I have 50 more taps (I know that's not many for you, but ....) out back and I'm really going through a thought process on whether to do them or not ....................
I bet they are going to win out .......... I just keep running the numbers on the calculator!!!!!
Just think, there isn't any anti-maple serum known to man!!!!!!
Next spring I'm going to remember these post we're making!!!
Dave
The weather forecast for this Saturday isn't looking too good. If the mapleholics meeting gets rained out it will be held on Sunday instead.
I found these 2 gal plastic pail do you guys think if i drill a hole in them they would work for sap
http://www.uline.com/Product/Product...-9941&ref=8150