2012 at Morningstar Farm

Hey all..Well, another year is ramping up to begin. Began the preseason Hog out of the sugar shack this weekend...got the final cord of the wood cut and in..so thats finally done..doing a little remodeling now..new work benches..shelves..and a new steam hood. then its time to go through all the buckets and tubing to make the annual trek to Bascoms. This weather is killing me...need at least another 6 months to get everything ready, and its running now..we'll see what happens this week..if nothing else its going to be an exciting winter lol..good to see you all after the summer away...

hey all...finished all the improvements this weekend...temporarily set the pans yesterday..filled her with 40 gallons of water..and fired her up..had about a dozen people either there for the lighting..of come through during it..took aabout 45 minutes to get all the bugs worked out..no leaks, few glitches worked out...the new hillbilly steam hood performed flawlessly..the slabs fired hot..burned her for about an hour all out..and removed about 6 gals of water at the end..drained everything...and pulled pans..headed to have them steam cleaned tomorrow..and a vinegar boil on saturday..picked up 2 new tanks from amber this morning..(thanks Josh)..will set them tomorrow after steam cleaning them tomorrow as well..now for just the final clean up...inventory all the maple stuff..and make the annual trek to bascoms friday...should be ready to tap by sunday...on a lighter side..my son keeps messing with me...the tapping drill appeared beside my bed this morning...then later found it in my truck...he is tempting me...lol

Hold. Hold. Steady.

Hey Chris....hold out a little more man!!! don't give in!!! is beena strange winter though one the the strangest I have seen!!! after this storm it will be close to early srping type weather for a few days... I haven't started my 2012 journal yet. I have been butchering a 1/2 cow for the last week hopefully finish things up tomorrow with the smoker, made bologna, summer sausage, kilebasa, and hot dogs!!! smoker will be blazing tomorrow!!! Then its crunch time for me to get everything finished by tapping time!!! making a hood myself and just little changes here and there nothing crazy for this year. Glad to hear from ya

hey brad..**** kid is messing with me...wife went to bed and found my drill under the pillow...its not fair lol...he knows I am jonesing...anyways, if you want to come check out the hood we made...feel free to give me a yell...it was cheap for a prototype..and works well enough that i may just stick with it...

I am making a metal one I am picking up materials in a few days. It will be very similar to yours. I got the pick today thanks. I have to order a few things that I can't find here (the right size aluminum stack and a fan with a metal blade with a higher heat rating) other than that hopefully I will start on it either this weekend or early next week.

Chris, thanks for stopping over yesterday and bringing your partner in crime. If you/her are interested, you're more than welcome to stop by during the season and see the RO in action. Will keep following your thread.

Remember, no drilling holes until mid-February the earliest, late Feb./early March if you're not on vacuum.

hehe..will be tapped and making s ton of syrup probably by then...last season i had made 30 gals by maple weekend..
andfor the last 4 years i have been all tapped in and boiling on valentines day..
but as I said..my trees are a pretty unique situation..

Hi Brad, what are you using for your hood? I'm also looking to build one before the start of the season. Do you have a lay out of how you are going to make it? Chris sounds like your ready unlike the rest of us. Looks like the little bit of snow we had will be gone soon with this rain. Keith

ok guys..have been experimenting with power hoods for a few years now..and have finally pretty much perfected it..next year i may make her out of stainless..couple suggestions..make your prototype out of 2x2 s and 6 mil plastic..holds up really well to the steam..its very cheap..(i spent 30 bucks)..and best of all..it is light..if you dont like it...just throw it in the arch and burn it..As for alum round stack..its over rated...tried that a couple generations ago..and it is a nightmare to keep attached..just fram in a box out of 2x2's and sheath with 3/8plywood in a square..it fits right into the top of the hood and supports the hood very nicely..the attic exhaust fans are all metal and work very nicely..my roof is a shed roof..so i have the one with the mushroom on it to keep water out..for a cupola they make them horizontal..cost about 100 bucks and has lasted me 3 seasons so far and is going strong..after you figure out exactly what you want and how it will work..then go get the metal...metal is a pain to modify if you dont liike something..and we all know how finicky maple guys are..will try to get some pics up in the next few days...the one i have now handles my 2x6 running full out with no problem..without any blowback from the wind shifting..LOVE IT..