I'm trying to be ready to tap 3 weeks from today, far too much to get everything I want, but the season always happens somehow.
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I'm trying to be ready to tap 3 weeks from today, far too much to get everything I want, but the season always happens somehow.
Finally got in some Ice fishing in today with the kids. I wanted to take them earlier but since they are still on the small side It was a bit cold for them and I want it to be enjoyable for them!!!
Will be in the sugarhouse tomorrow!!!!
well found a place to boil needs to be finished like no windows or doors no stack hole good cleaning out and a ton of snow removal but comes with a second 2x6 and tanks and buckets
sounds do-able Peacemaker. glad you found a spot to make some steam this season.
me too ... was starting to twitch a little ... it should only take a few days to get it ready to boil i have a long list of friends that own me some time here or there lol
have 6 cord of wood to move lol
Stringing laterals with 3 feet of snow on the ground is a joy. I have one more lateral to put up tomorrow and my neibors woods is done. Then I need to put the evaporator back together. Mabey ill do that tomorrow. Took care of 4 squirrels with my pellet gun today. I still have my other neibors woods to put up tubing in and a farm down the street. But that farm will probably get buckets this year and I will put up tubing this summer.
Operation Mushroom Cloud big success. Bunch of work but got it running good. Got a few minor leaks to tinker up but nothing serious at all. Seemed to work real good. All I can say about watching it run is "wow". Ive never really been around anything that powerfull before. We ran it for about 20 minutes and by that time I went outside and the steam was pretty incredable and I looked at the flue pan float box and the float was running basically wide open. I had a 55 gallon drum on its side and the condensate lines from the hood were running into it and the 3/4 inch copper had water just pouring out of it. I looked in the flue pan and everything was raging. I had Jerry shut it down and went over to the drum and in 20 minutes max it was probly 2/3rds full of just condensate water from a dead start. It was something to see. Im going to bed very happy thinking no matter what sap I got, piece of cake. Gonna be a lot more fun now with no more concentrating sap around the clock anymore. Cant wait for sap. Theron
Good Hear the special OP was successful Theron.
The only thing is that I was figuring tapping in a week but with all that heat coming down from the north I think the trees are waking early!!
Nice and sunny here but still cold. Will start setting up tubing next weekend, with mike helping out. Heading out to get some new boots and maybe a steak. I did order some parts for my ginned up cream machine from McMaster Carr today. Just need to get a new gear and get that back together for the season.
Hope things are good out there!
I have at least 40-50 taps to add at new locations this year. Big large crown hard maples at two spots and younger hard maples at another spot.
All systems look to be go from North Western PA.
Regards,
Chris
I finished hooking laterals to a new branch line, reducing the number of taps as needed to be in the 4-8 tap range. In the section near the upper end of the branch I have a few new taps to add on 2 or 3 new laterals (up to maybe 12-14 more taps. Then I need to have my machinist make a new motor mount for the vacuum pump. While he is making that I will be making 2 sap ladders, I'm doing the 2 pipe type. I hope to get the pump in place next weekend and start the plumbing on it, as well as a simple roof over it. Time is getting short. I would not have gotten as much done as I did without the help of Yeast Pimp, thanks Tim!!
Dave
Well I made a big enough woodshed 2 bundles of slabs made 2 1/3 rows.
Looks like serious snow for wens, I really have no idea how I'm going to pull off the planned expansion for feb. The bush I want to tap is in a serious hole, and the snow lasts forever, so the good news is it will really run late. I'm thinking buds and snowbanks at the same time.
Yes sir!!! little snow tues. big snow wed. 1-2 ft again!!! Geez man we aren't gonna see grass until june!!!
Got the wire harness for the tractor and rewired that this morning actually went very well. its so nice when that happens.
rePlumbed the Vacuum to the releaser. done.
rePlumbed the head tank to the evap with 1-1/4 pipe.
Started to cleanup and organize the sugarhouse.
All is left is to re plumb the pump from the storage tanks to the head tank and that should be it for the sugarhouse.
The usual pre season stuff cleaning everything flooding the evap with water to get all the dust out and stuff and and stocking with wood. cleaning tanks etc.
In the woods just have to finish about 10 drops, put in 2 more saddles, a 3/4 inch valve at the star sap ladder and put the tubing in that star ladder shouldn't be too bad I have just been putting it off a little because its not easy getting around in the woods. Probably take care of tomorrow before we get that next blast of snow!!!
Finished up one neibors woods today. Now all I need it a tank for there. I cleaned up some stuff in the sugar shack today too. Also I started putting my evaporator back together. I'll finish that up this week and then next week I'll borrow my buddies snow shoes and put up tubing in my other niebors woods and at the farm down the street. I need to get going so I'm ready for the season.
Had our annual work weekend, Went to the sugar shack/hunting cabin on Friday and got the cabin heated up, plowed snow where we pile our wood, then put 425 bags on holders in the late evening. Saturday and sunday my 2 brothers joined in and we cut pallets and put the rest of the bags on the holders (575). Ended with a mountain of cut wood/pallets. (hope we run out, that would mean happy times). 3rd weekend in Feb. will be our next work weekend with washing equipment and putting evaporater together. Got our new middle pan this past week, our old stainless pan ( 5' x 5' ) only had small ripple like flues, maybe 7 feet of surface area. Our new pan has 7 inch cone shaped flues and 24' of surface area. Should up the gph big time. Good amount of snow in the woods, no frost.
Dill, with the good crew we can git 'r dun in a few weekends. With it being in a hole you can get away with tapping it later?? so that gives us some more time. I guess as we get it done, tap in each mainline and we may just be working in the woods during the season addig more taps.
I spent Saturday at Bellows Falls and got a lot out of it. Great topics and looking forward to going again next year. Sunday was a bust for getting sugaring stuff done, but I pick up my hood w/ preheater from Bill Mason. Looks great and can't wait to get everything mounted.
802Maple stopped by on his way back north after operation mushroom cloud completed out at Therons. He gave the 'ALL CLEAR' that the RO is plumbed correctly and ready to concentrate some sap. Just about ready for sap. Have to set releaser and clean bulk tanks one last time. Couple more tweaks here and there and bring on the sap. I am not looking forward to tapping buckets with all the snow on the ground this year, luckily most are roadsides access is pretty good.
Last one for January!!
OK my legs are shot. Started by running 1.5 miles at the gym this morning. Snow shoed for an hour with the wife mid morning took her back off the trail and of course I had to lead and break in a new trail..never easy. Rested a bit had some lunch and saw a coopers hawk take out titmouse at the bird feeder that was exciting!! there is nothing left just an 18 inch cicle of feathers.
Headed back out on shoe shoes to get the rest of my little stuff done on the tubing!!!
Then accross the street to put up the tubing in my neighbor's woods. goona add in a few more taps over there maybe next week. Maybe another 10-15 on gravity or so see how much tubing I have left.
Alomost ready!!!!
Actually is working to support my foolish habits like sugaring. LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by Randy Brutkoski
I had a great time down in PA seeing Jim's new evaporator, meeting Maplewalnut finally, (that is a great operation you have there) keep up the good work, and then great conversations with Sarah after the meals she served to us. Theron is one lucky guy to have a wife like her, to put up with him, she has Sainthood in her future. and oh yeah there was also Theron and 4 wheeling to the cull bush. I thought maybe we were going to die. After working with him my new saying might just be, "we probably won't die". RC and Dave were fun to work with and of course the glue to the operation, Therons dad, Gary. Thanks everyone it was fun.
worked hard Saturday and got the siding on the shack addition. Just need to throw up the ceiling to keep in some heat on the new side..decided to use the 1.5 inch foil foam underneath the ceiling, hoping the mice wont chew the foil side.... unlike Theron i don't think I'lll be able to sell any to the local utility.
out of the blue flue is hitting this evening... hope it's a mild bout.
Watch out guys and ladies, I just read in the PA section that Theron is going for it, and a week before he predicted.
So anyone that is north of him sorry your luck you sap is now being sucked south into PA!!
Spent the moring washing the tanks, thats all done. Going to was the drawoff pails after lunch and the few buckets I use around the house. Hopefully, ill get the evaporator cleaned today but that might not happen till tomorrow. All the lines are tight and ready to go. Still need to run temporary lights in the sugar house and put in the sounter along the side wall. I guess ill be as ready as I can be when the weather breaks. It's sleeting pretty good out right now.