Hopefully, I have a couple weeks yet. I am at 1/3 of last years sap. I picked up 315 on 400 taps yesterday, yard trees gave real well but 3/16 on shurflo's were under a gallon per tap. I had a few...
Type: Posts; User: Super Sapper
Hopefully, I have a couple weeks yet. I am at 1/3 of last years sap. I picked up 315 on 400 taps yesterday, yard trees gave real well but 3/16 on shurflo's were under a gallon per tap. I had a few...
It has been a slow week, too cold to thaw enough. I boiled on 17th and 21st and no sap since. Looks like the next 2 days will get warm enough to get some flow if the wind does not hurt it.
I would run 3/16 lines to your taps, especially the ones on flat ground or going uphill some if using a shurflo pump. It will have no problem transferring vacuum to the end of the line. With 5/16...
I picked up another 300 last night and 75 from some farmers that I boil on shares for. I will boil the last 2 collections after work tonight.
Smoky Lake asked me to set up and sell my value added...
I picked up 220 gallons yester afternoon on 400 taps. It was still running good when I left, must have been a later start with as cold as it got.
The next 2 weeks look good. Hopefully the freezes will help the sugar content also.
I collected 500 gallons yesterday after work and boiled it. I am back up to 69% transmittance.
I did not get tapped until 3-3-24 due to vacation. I am presently at 37 gallons finished and packaged. I started out making pretty light syrup at 76 light transmittance and last night was at 57. I...
Make sure you do not have ash buildup under your flue pan or under the stack base. It sounds as if you have restricted draft as you are not getting enough air.
Sorry for your loss.
Typically you would not have 2 float boxes for a drop flue setup. You would have one for the flue pan and it would regulate the level in both pans unless the flue pan was higher than the syrup pan,...
You want the air added below the grates to increase your temperature. Adding over the top would cool your pan. The ramped up portion forces all of the gasses to come in contact with the pan bottom....
Without the restricted area in the back, you may have just been blowing the heat under the pan and out the stack.
You can to straight up, many of the hobby arches are made that way.
I am a big proponent of using 3/16 tubing in the right situations. From the tap to a bucket or lateral line, I would use 5/16 as when the tree freezes it will pull back sap and will pull more from...
Glued PVC has been used for water pipes and even product piping, so you should be good to blue it.
California Maple must be a local term. My guess would be boxelder which is called ash leaf or Manitoba maple in some areas. Boxelder, red, and silver maples are soft wood but burn real hot if dry but...
I'm in Wisconsin, but I will be selling my 2x6 Smoky Lake drop flue with a homemade arch. I am selling the whole thing as a set if possible, pans, arch, hoods, concentric exhaust, pre heater. I...
I would also like to thank Tim for his contributions to the Maple world. He will be missed and I hope he has a long and enjoyable retirement.
I have the concentric exhaust currently and really like it. I am going to sell my home built 2x6 with the Smoky Lake drop flue pans and have ordered a 2x6 raised flue silverplate. The silverplate...
Unless I am wrong, the modulating ones open and close more or less depending on temperature. The more it goes up the more it opens, and the more it goes down the more it closes. The more basic auto...
I also will burn boxelder along with whatever wood is available. Boxelder, when dry will burn very hot but also very quick. This year I burned boxelder, maple, poplar, walnut, linden, and dimensional...
If you were going to put it back up the way you had it this year, reusing would be a good idea. With running a new pattern and having to cut out and repair the old line consider your time and it's...
There are several threads on grates. The most common is to use angle iron in the V position as this allows the ash to fill and insulate it. I have unistrut in mine and is the same as when I put it in...
When yo shut down, do you just cover it and start the next boil with the level in the pans already "full"? I use wood and when shutting down it will evaporate to a lower level than when running. I do...