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I had to travel last week so I am a little late to the party, but time to drag myself off the couch and get some trees tapped. I should be able to get about 25 taps out today and probably add another 10 or 15 tomorrow depending on my bucket supply.
Sam
Good luck, Sam.
I tapped in Haverhill 10 days ago and have over 150 gallons so far....today is my first boil-and-finish after sweetening the pans wednesday
It looks like we're still very early in the season around here with temps just beginning to get a little milder. This weekend's snow might change that a bit. Welcome to the party and wishing you a good season!
Thanks for encouragement. My youngest daughter came out and carried buckets for me this morning. We got 22 taps hung and ran out of buckets. I may grab milk jugs and hang another 10 tomorrow until I can get some more white 1.5 gallon pails. Probably limit my self to 40 taps this year that is well beyond my reasonable boiling capabilities.
Next year I will build that new evaporator I have been thinking about. This year will be back on concrete block with a 22x40 cross flow as my only pan. It did okay last year and I think I have some thoughts of how to make it run better this year.
Sam
So I decided that I will builda n arch for the 2x4 cross flow pan. I have 70 gallons of sap already and expect to have a at least that many more before I can boil on Sunday. I had better get cracking on building this arch. Steel is already here and I have plenty of tools so hopefully I can pull this off.
Sam
I'm running out of wood!
Time to chainsaw up some more deadfalls.
I should have made my woodpile twice as high as last years instead of the same height :))
Arrrgghhhh....my brand new 2 X 3 divided pan arrived with a quarter-sized dent in one angle....(&%*&$^*%ing FEDEX......should I send it back?
Its a tough call. I am not sure if/how it will affect the performance.
Can they send a new one out right away?
Also I have tons of pallets in Salem, MA if you want to come pick some up. All I burn is old pallets from the shop and I don't even make a dent in our waste stream.
Sam
I let the vendor know I was mulling sending it back for a new pan
I will be happy to take some pallets off your hands...I'm available next weekend...um..what do you do about the nails? do you break up the pallets or saw them up...with what?
Just don't cut any place where there is a nail. I cut all the cross members free of the stringers and then cut teh stringers to desired length. I start with the circular saw and finish with the chain saw.
I can leave some out on Friday night and give you an adress or you can grab them from me during the week. Send me a PM and let me know how you want to hook up.
Any other people who can get by Salem to pick up I will be happy to provide pallets.
Sam
well, the good news is the vendor is willing to ship me a new pan...thought I was going to have a fight on my hands....
Sam. I'll get in touch with you early next week about a pickup... I have to go to maine tomorrow and then have a ton of sap to boil on sunday....
Ric
Sap has been slow since Monday. Still had about 120 gallons af sap to boil today. I ran out of pallets before I ran out of sap, but got a solid 2 gallons of syrup out of the 90 or so gallons I boiled. The new arch is not perfect, but probably runs about 12-15 GPH with flat pans.
Sam
It looks liek we had a little run yesterday, but things have been slow overall for about a week. Is anyone seeing some decent runs?
First batch came out nice and I am anxious to get some more sap in the tanks for another boil. If it ios fast and furious I will boil midweek. If it takes all week to get 150 gallons of sap I will wait unill Sunday.
Sam
sam, I drew a few gallons yesterday, so the rate has slowed way down with the weather....the weekend long range forecast looks better
ric
I tapped 10 more trees yetsreday to bring me up to 32 taps. Some of these trees were is a swampy area that always runs early. They were dripping right away from the time I placed the taps. Collected about 20 gallons of sap from the existing taps. Finished the day by filtering and bottling the syrup from Sunday's boil. I missed the two gallon mark by one 1/2 pint jar.
All in all not a bad few hours of sugaring.
sam
I can't tell if I have a run today, my buckets are under 14 inches of snow :lol:
I would go and check them. I checked a few on the way in the door and they were half full or more. Tomorrow is going to be a big run and Sunday should be a 100 gallon plus boil. I haven't checked sugar yet, but if it holds up I could be looking at 5 gallons finished by Sunday afternoon. That would be pretty cool for 30 taps and my new home brew arch.
Sam
Now I'm tired. Just broke trail to all my taps through a solid foot of snow. Then I buried my sap tanks in a huge pile of snow that should last through at least a week of warmish temps. I'm thinking that wrapping them in a reflective blanket might also be a good idea.
Sam
are anyone's trees budding?
I haven't seen any buds yet, but I also have not looked.
Boiled off about 90 or so gallons yesterday and have about 2 more gallons ready to be filtered and bottled.
sam
Bottled 2 more gallons tonight. That was after losing a 1/2 gallon or so to a boil over in the kitchen. (Wife not pleased, but I was going to upset her one way or another.) I already have 70 gallons of sap in the tanks for next boil. Let's see how long this holds up. I am note sure I will make it to 10 gallons, but 8 gallons might be realistic.
Sam
I dumped about 75 gallons into the tank...this may be it for my season
Nothing today, but the end of the week looks like it could be a decent run.
Syrup was darker this time, but sap is still looking clear. Hopefully another full week here before trees start to bud.
Anyone else expecting another week or two?
Sam
Temps dropped below freezing last night and it looks like we will have temps in the 40's this afternoon with some sun witht he same pattern setting up for the next 3 or 4 days. Hopefully this will give us at least 1 more good run. I am expecting to have 130 + gallons to boil on Saturday so I'd better get to work cutting up some pallets. I'm going to need a lot of them.
Sam
tomorrow is logging day to try to finish one, possibly two more boils....I may be too tired to fire :)
Still not much of a run since the weather cooled down. If you told me warm temps would have been harder to come by than below freezing nights I would not have believed you.
Sam
Boiled about 100 gallons of sap from this week and ended up with a little over 2 gallons of very dark syrup. Weather looks like we should have another decent week and then I think I'll be done.
Sam
I tap in Gloucester; only two. By the looks of the weather forcast, I agree that we probably have another week.
The weather looks like it woudl be good to get one more week in. After making 9.5 gallons this year out of 30 taps i am tired and headed out of town next weekend so my season has ended. This is the most syrup I have produced by far. Next year I'm jumping to someplace between 50 and 75 taps. Now I have to decie if I will expand capacity by going to a bigger arch with drop flues or keep my arch and add RO.
So far I have been using or giving away all of my syrup. If we I expand as plan some of the finished goods will get sold. I just need to figure out what the bets outlet is. I am considering just setting up my daughters with a little road side stand and have them sell for a few weekends and see what happens. The other options is to look at local retails outlets such as teh bakery where people mught grab a pint at the counter when they are doing their shopping.
Sam
I still have not tapped. Based on the weather as forecast today I am thinking that I will tap on Wednesday or Thursday. Probably go for 40 taps all buckets this year.
Where are other Essex County guys at? Have you tapped yet? Have you had many good runs? etc..
I'm feeling a little off my game this year. Its been very cold with the exception of a few days and I'm not sure if waiting to tap was the right idea or not.
Sam
In Haverhill, I tapped 20 taps on 10 buckets during the last warm spell....got 28 gallons dumped into the holding tank which promptly froze. It started running again yesterday so I put out my last five buckets. I need 100 gallons to sweeten the new pan before beginning in earnest.
All tapped in West Newbury just wait for it to warm up.
My spiles leak...I'm sure I have them as seated as far in as they can go yet I still don't grab every drop of sap. 5/16 metal tapping bit, 5/16 Ecolo spiles..what did I do wrong?
Tomorrow is the day. I am taking a half day because the kids have one and we will start drilling holes after lunch. We will have to see how many they hang in for before the get bored.
sam
so here's the horns of an enema: the 28 gallons I got from the last mini thaw froze nicely, in the holding tank....I have no idea how long it's gonna take to melt enough so I can draw it out....and of course the valve is now blocked so what do I do with the NEW sap?
Only another 28 gals for the three warm days.....seems to be happening all over....I just dumped them on top of the frozen stuff in the tank. Doesn't look like I;ll have enough to boil until Saturday.
I emptied buckets for the first time last night and put 50 gallons in my tank. if I had emptied them on Sunday instead of going ice fishing I would probably have another 25 gallons in the tanks now. I was too lazy to put a hydrometer in it and check sugar percentage.
Time to start cutting up pallets and I need to make a new door for my evaporator this week as well.
sam
Boiled 60 gallons yesterday, and will do another 40 tomorrow evening. Still working out the kinks with the new pan. I need to insulate my door. Co-boiler destroyed two coats touching it.
I should have boiled the 80 or so gallons I have on Sunday, but worked on my door instead. I may try and do some boiling one night this evening. The stuff in the tanks should be staying plenty cold, so I may just end up waiting until Friday afternoon. Start then and boil Saturday. I am guessing I will have about 130 gallons by then.
Sam
Holding tank froze up again :)
I'm hoping it thaws by Thursday.
I would say I've tanked 100+ gallons only so far. When it warms, I avg about 3 gals/bucket.