Search:

They were saying 20 years ago the maple business would be dried up by now and we are having our best year ever in the Finger Lakes region of NY. Doom and gloom sells in media. They can't even get...

Thanks for the link, Doc! Great tools and info.

Gallons per tap seems like an easy way of measuring success but it really tells you nothing. It does not take into consideration what grade was made or tapping practices, employees or equipment...

Thanks Doc for your very informative response. We switched to a Airtech vane system this year and now I wish we did this years ago. But I am disappointed to learn even keeping 27" hg won't overcome...

Dr Tim, what type of vac are you using for you studies? and do you leave it on all season once it starts? This is very interesting.

I have used Cv2 spouts the last 5 seasons, about 20000 of them. I really like the theory but in the field I'm not so sure. We had many more plugged spouts the past two seasons than previously. Also...

Thank you all very much for the input. I have done the homework and made a decision. I am going with an Air tech L230. I need lots of cfm because my electric is uphill and 1800 feet away from my...

Thank you Doc for the info. I am leaning toward the air tech at the moment. I like the made in the USA label and seems easier to work on. I guess i'll get to climb another leaning curves this season.

I will check them out, thanks.

I am looking at air tech vac pumps. I need a high cfm (100 +) pump with low maintenance requirements. Does anyone have advice on a rotary claw stye or vane style ?

"Map of US maple distribution. The UP of Michigan has lots of untapped trees"

The map is outdated or just incorrect. The area I live in is almost exclusively sugar maple (75%+) from the crown to...

Everything previously mentioned. Plus I really like the flavor of non RO'ed syrup. The longer the cook the more complex the taste. I don't care for studies explaining what I taste, I just know what I...

2" at least

Take a two gallon pump sprayer from the hardware store filled with near boiling water or better yet sap and spray around the ball valve to open it ( or just unthread it if possible). Then spray into...

Its a great little pump for around the farm. Never used it for sap, just gray water. pumps about 10 gallons a minute. For cold sap I don't think it would be much of an issue.

After going through many cordless drills in my business and on the farm I'e settled on Milwaukee. Their drill isn't that much better than Dewalt but their new batteries have no peer as of yet. This...

OK it still doesn't add up. The Federation set 2.95. before the bumper crop. Most of the US buyers paying 2.20 since late January. The CAD/USD has risen over 15% in this time, just about where it was...

It's an OK book once you get past all the doom and gloom climate change BS. Ive been hearing the "end of maple" rant for 20 years as I watch my trees get bigger and healthier. If anything is going to...

Stupid question warning, what is and AOF?

You're problem check valves seems to be the tree not overcoming frozen sap up in the lines. You're right I don't see how frozen sap could be sucked back up into the tree. But of course there's many...

Thanks for the reply. I have redrilled before but I was worried about vacuum leaks in the cambium layer through a non healed taphole and beating up the tree to much.

Around here and other places I've read you want to clean white shavings off the drillbit for every taphole you drill. That is what I try for but of course every now and then I find brown nasty...

I was wondering what everybody does to get the aluminum oxide off of the plates on the filter press? I don't want to damage them using industrial chemicals. But I also don't want any of that getting...

Dr Tim, I didn't intend to imply you were working for the "industry" but in rereading my post I see I could have worded my sentence better. I was simply saying much research has a lot to be desired....

"As far as I am concerned, there is no argument."
I heard the same said about high fructose corn syrup having no adverse health effects based on industry research. Sugar is sugar and all that.
Of...