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Another month is in the books. The leaves are gone and it is time to get into the woods and start with the tubing mods and repairs. I have been able to get pretty much caught up with the wood and other stuff so it's go time. March is just around the corner.
Meeting with an abbutting landowner today,,see if I can put the tank/pump on her land and have everything run downhill (the last person to tap, gravity, here had the tank 500" in the woods and pumped sap 10 feet uphill to the road).....the current tank location would be difficult because we check the pumps-releasers sevral times a day-we would be lugging gas out there,,hauling a pump back and forth-ect.,,,,,plus I think we can pick up 100+ taps if I can run out the the neighbors land (mabey even get electricity for the pump!!!) Time will tell..........
Split another 4 cords into the sugarhouse woodshed,,that getting FULL!!
Time to put the head down and lean into the collar!!! Lots to do,and, I like it
Starting to put up wire today to run sap lines. We are putting our whole 35 acre bush on tubing with vacuum. Started with buckets last year. Also bought a 3x10 small brothers evaporator off of craigslist for $2000. Its all stainless with a hood. The guy also gave me his stainless cone filter in the deal and it was already out of the sugarhouse, just needed to be loaded up. So far the 2010 season is off to a good start!!
Spent the day yesterday building our reel. Heading for the woods to try it. Going to be putting up 1 1/2 pipe today. If I can figure out how to post a picture of it will try to do it tonight. MC
I went up and did a little hunting, but I couldn't keep my mind on the deer. I kept looking at the trees. There is a lot of grow-in that we have to tap!
I saw at least 5 more trees that weren't over 10 inches last year, but are big enough to add to the lines now.
I also saw a red squirrel and a partridge.
I was weed wacking today and there was a doe laying down on my lawn sleeping. Get this right out in the open.
She figured she was safe as weed wackers are hard to throw far.
Deer season opened yesterday here and I heard some shooting out behind this afternoon. They had piles of apples and carrots out there last week so some deer have to be coming out in the day light to eat. Must be nice sit in a little house and wait for a deer. They even have a couch in two of the houses and easy chairs in the rest.
Why dont they just go out and buy a deer hunting game and sit in front of their tv Ken? Baiting ain't hunting in my book. Not legal in NY anyways.
Well gents life was good again today. I rattled in and shot a real nice 8 point this afternoon. Been chasing this one around for about 3 weeks and things finally came together. I really enjoy keying in on a particular deer. Wether I get him or not. I seen this one hanging out with a bigger buck earlier in the year but have not seen that one since. She who must be obeyed says the freezer will hold 4 so I got one to go. Gotta keep her happy:D
This weekend was a good one for me. I got 2 275 gallon totes from deffuse sugar shack. I need to clean them now. I stripped the loam and put sand in for the base of my sugar shack I'm starting it is 6" low rite now that will get hardpack later this week. All the sand is compacted. And I got some pine split.
Today I finished pouring concrete sonotubes for all of my storage tanks. I picked up my RO on sat. Just need to get things finished up before frost sets in. I only have a few weeks and then things get crazy with candy, cream etc for craft fairs and Christmas bazars
Keith
Well, I haven't done anything maple lately, been here lurking briefly and see there was a little admin work to do, all is well, getting so many spammers registering for membership it's sickening. all those people who had trouble getting in when I was banning Gmail..well I get about a hundred or more a week and about 3 are for real... so those registering please bear with me, I will get to your registration.
I installed a new oil boiler in the house this weekend, I removed my old one along with my wood boiler, now just on oil in the house... wood in the sugarhouse. the cellar was getting too dirty from years of using wood mostly.
The new boiler heats up so fast and **** it's quiet!
I still have one keg of medium left to jug up. that will be for thanksgiving and Xmas
No improvements this year to the operation, everything went smoothly last season why fix it if it aint broke!
I ran the last of the 3/4" main that I had on hand, I will have to make a run and pick another roll to finish everything up.
I had a few minutes this evening I made up a sign that I am thinking of getting made to hang here at the house, what do you think. Yeah I know it is a Red Maple but tat is what I have, it was actually a leaf I picked up in the woods the other day while running mainline.
I have also been working on cleaning up my new to me canner, a Curtis RU-300 coffee maker, very nice it is just a little dirty and needs a good cleaning.
90% of the people would never know the difference. I went over to a freinds place and he was showing me trees that could be tapped and I asked about the others and said they are not sugar maples and was amazed to find out they could be tapped also. Far as I can tell the Quebecious will not tap anyother kind of tree.
There is maples in his yard that I need to find out about. They are big trees but they have smaller maple leaves and a whiteish bark sort of like a poplar. Anybody know what they are.
I am slowley getting the new expanded evaporator worked on.She who has to be obeyed thinks I need a welder to cut down my frustration level. Hmmmm sometimes you just have to wait a bit to get where you want to be.
Got the releaser hooked up to see if it would work. Worked great. Wife and I desided instead of getting 550 gallon holding tank going with 1100. Its only 200 dollars more for double the storage. Vacuum pump up and running got 27 cfms on it with new vac regulater. This week start to run wires for new main lines. Going what to run the tubing till after hunting seasons done.
Keith, is that 27 cfm's or 27 inches (of mercury)? Running 27" w/ no tubing is a lot different than with. During the season you'll probably run less than that.
I spent some time out in the woods over the weekend. I marked out some more trees and it looks like I should get an additional 50+ taps w/out too much of a problem. Almost all of them will be red maples though and it'll require that I extend my mainline another 2-300'.
Does anyone put ladders in series? The top of my hill is pretty flat so I already have 1 sap ladder. To get the remaining trees, I'll probably need to run sap ladders in series. First section up the hill is 800', ladder, 200' of mainline, then the proposed ladder w/ the last 2-300' of mainline.
This last 3 chord of wood is taking forever. I got another chord split/stacked over the weekend, but I still need to split/stack the last chord...then I'll be done...finally.
Yeah I gotta a friend of mine does the same thing. puts out a crate of apples and 200 # of cracked corn with molasses. built a 8x8 shack with a heater in it a nice cozy chairs and takes it back in the woods with his loader. drops it down about a weak befroe hunting season and he and his kid both fill their tags every year GEEE wonder how they do it:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by 3rdgen.maple
thats not hunting that's target practice for goodness sake!!! just sit in your living room and put your feed pile there. then you wouldn't even have to outside.
I haven't been out too much some chilly mornings but I like hunting when its a little cooler. this weekend I will get out there. sometimes its hard though nice and cozy warm in bed or out in tree windy and cold.
came in for a quick break.
Finished another 400' I started last week.
1 more 250 ft section to put in.
started on leterals got 8 or 9 laid out, gotta get some more tubing. gonna start to put on T's and saddles.
Ithink nov. is the month to tube . just picked up 5500 ft of main line for the new woods. drops have been done since june. gunna set elevations tomorrow the get started with the wire .woods is 2000 tapes so ive got about 2 weeks work. thank god we are slowwing down at work. then to the sugarhouse to set new 3x10 max evaporater and r.o. tty
Hi Josh you are crrect it is inches. Had a brain cramp. As far as your sap ladders in series that is a yes you can.Russ stoped by and helped on lay out. said sap ladders in series would work. Not sure if you remember the slope away from the sap house here. But in order to get it there its going to take about 5 or 6 8 footers if we tap the whole back forty. Looking like maybe a pump here may work better than sap ladders.
helped my dad get his old 9-N started. it hadn't run in at least 3 years. the distributor needed new bushings. i punched out the old ones, tapped in the new bushings, and installed it. darn thing fired up after a few turns, and on old gas, to boot.
pretty soon it was idling nicely. now getting the 2011 sapwood should be easier. my boys helped finish loading the sugarhouse with 2010's wood yesterday.
also scoped out the lines, and discovered that i have some saw work to do. several large trees feel on the mains in various places. at least it's a start to 2011's wood supply. :D
wally
Update on hand break.
Well several hours of general machining and fabrication I made a couple of OK looking bends in some scrap stainless. The bends were a little more rounded than I really wanted but considering I have 72 cents invested so far it may work. This stuff really bends hard. It is stainless off of some bulk tank skins and misc pieces. Not sure of the exact thickness, I think it is about .035 inch thick, I should buy a set of calipers:) I modified the hold down portion of the brake and it is almost functional now, As in nothing broke when I made 4 bends.
Big Eddy would be proud of the effort so far. Now to see if it may actually be able to help make some projects. Kieth was over last night and wants me to help make a hood for his 30 inch x 7 foot, two pan rig. On thinner material I think this break will work quite well!
Pictures? Humm never thought of that! MAYBEEEEEEE!
Anyone notice how dark it was tonight at 6:00? Weird!
Chris
well hi all it been a while sence i be on i think my computer got the hog flu but now it fixed and i back
Dang that must have been one heck of a hog. Welcome back. My comp took a crap about 2 weeks ago and after about 3 days I was thinking WHAT are they saying about my last post:confused:
Welcome back jrthe3
Chris dark did you not see that great big full hunters moon last night?
Haynes there was a couple post were people where wondering if you were okay or not cause there was no post from you.
We are putting in a planter and steel on the door of the sugarhouse. That ought to defend against any stray bullets.
We have had to spend nearly a thousand dollars in defense this season.
We are now into deficit spending.
C'est la guerre.
Revi I hope you can find the bandits.
Got in saddles on 9 laterals and put in all the T's and sloped and tightened everything all nice. and put in about 40 drop lines only 160+ to go. ordering a few more things need more tubing !!!
:)
Finally,after suffering thru a wet September a stinking building inspector and being laid up for better part of a month,The sugar house expansion is complete. I have 725 sq ft of floor space. I know right now that it will not be big enough. Bur there is nothing I can do about it. I built as big as I could. The next construction will be some where else. The Force 5 is due to arrive Saturday. Once it gets here there is more work to be done the entire sap plumbing has to be redone. cant wait to get started. I am looking at Dec 19Th as a Demo day if anyone with in driving distance wants to see one run. I will post more details later.
DaveY,
Glad to see you are back at it. The Force 5 should be real nice with all those taps! You will love the expanded sugar house too.
Spent the day with the wife at the hospital, she is home and feeling pretty good! Not thinking much maple today!
Did get a nice thank you card from local church that we donate syrup to for the town fair. Nice touch!
Regards,
Chris
dave y keep me posted on demo day i would love to see that run
This past weekend we put up 1,000' of wire, tied it back at got it tight. Still have 800' to go, then tie up the 1.5" vacuum supply line to it once I get wire ties. I have to set some fence posts for another vacuum line and figure out how to secure that line through a 5' diameter road culvert. I'm thinking of using a short section of wire, with a hook at the downstream end hooked to the top of the culvert, then pulling it tight to a brace post on the bank on the upstream side. Only catch will be if the township complains. If they do, we'll have to bribe 'em with donuts. Dave Y, I'd like to see the Force 5 in action, thought about going to Somerset to Friedlines this Saturday, but too much to do at home if its not raining. Hope everyone is having fun getting ready for another maple season!
Chris,
Tell your Mrs. I said hello and to get better soon as she has to help you get ready for sugaring season. :) jr ,andy I will keep you posted on the demo I hope to have lots of folks here. I know it will be a blast.
Hi all,
Haven't posted here in some time.
First off want to wish Mrs. Sugarmaker a speedy recovery and glad she's home.
Spitting a little snow here today.
Now for our update; all of the wood is in (1.5 cords), the pans are set ready to go.
Just need to tap and wait for sap.
Going to be adding 50 more taps.
HUH, guess we got a few months before that happens.
Oh well, we can wait.
Guess that's all for now.
Dave
You must have a really good system to only burn 1.5 cords of wood with that many taps. It also must be hard wood. I burnt soft wood and used a lot more doing what few taps I had last spring.
Ken 3% has his EEU which is a homemade version of the Steam Away. It is like a turbo charged pre heater. I used 2.25 cords of wood, mostly pine, to make 162 gallons of syrup from a little over 500 taps last year. I have an RO machine that gets rid of more of the water than 3%'s EEU does.
KenWP,
I think we're about as efficient as we can get.
Last year we made 26 gallons of syrup per cord.
We are hoping for a little better this coming year.
I am hoping with the little tweeking I've done we can get rid of 32 to 33 gallons per hour, it's been running 30 gph.
Also keep in mind we are boiling 3% sap and that is going to make a difference too. What are you boiling for sap?
We burn Hemlock slabs, best thing I have used, just don't like pine, Hemlock keeps a good boil.
Now remember, Hemlock works good for us.
Dave
You are really efficient! We burn just about any kind of wood and only get about 15 gallons per cord.
We did a timber stand improvement and ended up with a lot of little popple that was like balsa wood. It burned pretty quickly and we kept filling the cart.
This year we have more hardwood and a bunch of stuff we found here and there, so maybe our efficiency will be up a bit.
We used up the whole woodshed's worth last year.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachklein/2290782708
The only 3% sap I get is from the 6 silver maples in the yard. The other trees go less. The real sugars went 1.7% or a bit higher most of the time. Usually needed about 50-60 gallons per gallon. I am trying to get a better pan set up for next spring so I can boil at least 9 gallons of sap off a hour instead of 3. Would be nice to not have to work so hard to boil.
Thanks folks,
Cheryl is feeling a lot better and is improving by the hour. I still love her even without her gallbladder:)
Dave Y, I would love to get down there to see you test your new super rig.
Dave 3%, hows that grandson doing? Sounds like you have been busy getting things ready for syrup season.
Gary R, Hows the deer hunting?
Revi, I agree, what every is handy, burn it!
Regards,
Chris
Not sure if I have to go into the sugar inn, and re-introduce myself?
Been pretty busy. Got another 10 weeks or so before the sap hauler shows up. Still "under construction".
Matt,
So the rumors of your demise are false. Glad to see you are still out there. When construction is complete you wont be able to wipe the smile off you face for six months.