If you want to squeeze every drop of sweet out of the pan, drain the front pan into a bucket. I'm able to tilt my pan to get most of it. Set that bucket aside. Add about a gallon of hot water to...
Type: Posts; User: SeanD
If you want to squeeze every drop of sweet out of the pan, drain the front pan into a bucket. I'm able to tilt my pan to get most of it. Set that bucket aside. Add about a gallon of hot water to...
Phaneuf pans, here. Exactly 24". Sorry for your mishap. I'm wondering, since it was someone else dealing with the pan order, if that info wasn't shared or advertised and they just missed it. It...
That's the press I have (if half-bank means only 4 hollow plates). It has an electric diaphragm pump, so no separate compressor needed.
https://www.cdlusa.com/produits/cdlwesfab-filter-press-7/
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Assuming your plates, paper, and pressure are all good, I'm guessing it's related to the DE as well. I use 4 cups of DE to 3 gallons of syrup to charge then the 1 cup per 5 gal for my 7" with 4...
It sounds like your fire/heat is not getting pulled back to the flue pan where the vast majority of evaporation happens. The added stack height will be a big help and you'll see a big difference...
Either the niter got through your filters or you created the niter when you reheated and bottled. The best way to tell would be to get a sample between steps. I'm guessing since you've been doing...
I did that very thing. I used a Mountain Maple S3 for years swapping out batteries. Last year switched to an AC/DC and haven't looked back. I have this transformer powering the S3 and a Shurflo...
I did that very thing. I used a Mountain Maple S3 for years swapping out batteries. Last year switched to an AC/DC and haven't looked back. I have this transformer powering the S3 and a Shurflo...
Age definitely plays a part. UV breaks down the plastic significantly in a few seasons. The plastic gets brittle and will crumble under force. I think you just have to collect more frequently...
I had a similar issue in my first pump box with a Shurflo where I used an old computer power supply as my ac/dc converter. It turns out it was the power supply that was getting too warm. I ended up...
Got about 250 in today before I ran out of daylight. Will get the other 60 after work this week. Most holes were wet and some were dribbly. I think I'm getting in right at the beginning of the...
I have a mark on my feed line for when I need to stop firing and flood. If it's been a longer boil and I know the box will stay super hot, I may be more conservative and stop a little earlier. I...
Woo hoo! Lots of similarities to last year, so far. Let's hope that bears out for the rest of the season!
Ditto on the Optimizer. There are some things in this industry you pay a lot for and get a little back. Or you pay a lot for and you make it obsolete with upgrades the next season.
This is the...
Are those results with the Arc spout and tee together or does just using the spout result in those increases?
No, the biggest factor affecting sap flow is the weather during the season. Last year was a good example for my area. We had a generally mild December and January. Like this year, I was working in...
I use https://syruplabels.com/ for my glass bottle labels. I made my own for years and just got sick of the hassles I always ran into with my printer, ink, laptop getting older, etc. The labels I...
I use the thin 6" bungees to wrap a bundle of about 30ish. It works well to get where I'm going and when the bundle is full and I slide out the first 10-15 or so. Then it gets loose and they get...
I ended up going with the Misco. I was leaning that way then I found it a little less expensive here and that sealed the deal.
https://selectumllc.com/i/Misco-PA202X-304-305
I'd still be...
I put a single layer of 1/2 fire brick on top of vermiculite. I wanted something lighter than sand and my experience with outdoor boiling taught me that sand absorbs moisture something awful. The...
Yes, the brown and down is from all the rain. Maple News had a story on it. It shouldn't affect next season.
https://www.themaplenews.com/story/producers-worried-about-terrible-looking-trees/489/...
The two-hand one-belly tool is a must for cutting in drops. Having a flare is really important too esp working with 3/16. For the last few years as a little cheat move, I've cut out the drops on...
I stole and modified this idea from someone else:
I have a 5/16" 2-hand tool. For 3/16" tubing, I cut a 2" piece of 5/16" tubing the long way and insert the pieces into the tubing grips in the...
Thanks, John. How do you clean out the well where the sample drops go? Does the whole stainless piece lift out of the reader?
Thanks for posting this question. I've been thinking about digital refractometers recently. I really like using the Hannah Checker for grading syrup and it would be nice to have something quick and...