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Type: Posts; User: C.Wilcox

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  1. Replies
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    I had always heard that birch syrup was nasty...

    I had always heard that birch syrup was nasty stuff so this past summer while in Alaska I made sure to stop in at a big name birch sugarhouse and try some. All I can say is that anyone who thinks it...
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    I also tapped earlier than usual and am glad I...

    I also tapped earlier than usual and am glad I did so, but I don't think you can use this season as a typical year to judge by. If I had tapped early February last year I would have been sitting...
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    I get the same thing and use it as a gauge of...

    I get the same thing and use it as a gauge of when I'm firing right. No Mt. Vesuvius? Add more wood. :-)
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    Nice video Don. That's how it all starts and the...

    Nice video Don. That's how it all starts and the next thing you know you're dropping major $ on new taps, buckets, bag holders, stainless this, stainless that and counting the months until the next...
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    I'll second the vote for this being a strange...

    I'll second the vote for this being a strange year. I tapped 2 weeks early just on a hunch that if I didn't I might not see anything and I am sure glad I did. Our forecast also looks bad for the...
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    That's a box elder. I've tapped them for years...

    That's a box elder. I've tapped them for years and I can tell you they are a finicky tree. Some days you'd swear they would be pouring sap and there's none. The next day you have to empty buckets...
  7. Thread: Fire Brick

    by C.Wilcox
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    2,622

    I had the edges of the front door on my arch and...

    I had the edges of the front door on my arch and the firebricks that line it glowing red (approx. 1500 degrees) the other night. My standard grade firebricks survived it just fine. I don't think...
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    pwm, Glad to hear it's working out well. Any...

    pwm,

    Glad to hear it's working out well. Any pics of that pan in action? Or at least sitting on the arch?
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    I believe I used a 3/4 or 1 inch hole...

    I believe I used a 3/4 or 1 inch hole approximately. I use Leather 5/16" tree saver taps with them. If you've got time/energy, you might consider drilling the hole in the PVC and then elongating...
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    Another vote for 5/16. The decrease in sap is...

    Another vote for 5/16. The decrease in sap is small and the holes heal much faster.
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    I would say you were correct with this statement....

    I would say you were correct with this statement. The firebox is pretty short so both pans will likely be "hot". If the back one seems hotter it's probably due to the fact that you have a good...
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    You sure you tapped maples? :-)

    You sure you tapped maples? :-)
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    It's all about temperature. You have to filter...

    It's all about temperature. You have to filter and bottle hot (approx. 185), but not at boiling temps. If your syrup is too hot you'll precipitate more niter out of it in the jar even though...
  14. Wash your pan with hot water and a drop or two of...

    Wash your pan with hot water and a drop or two of soap. Rinse well, add sap, boil, make syrup. I see no reason to throw out sap that you've cooked down to syrup.
  15. Is the sugar actual crystals sticking to the side...

    Is the sugar actual crystals sticking to the side of the jar or just a thick gray/white blanket laying on the bottom of the jar? If the former, just add a small amount of fresh sap and thin it back...
  16. Replies
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    I put out all my south facing taps last week. ...

    I put out all my south facing taps last week. Got about 0.5 to 1.0 gallons per tap per day until Saturday and then everything shut down. Too much wind... Hoping things settle down a bit today so...
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    Not sure if you're taping sugar or silver maples,...

    Not sure if you're taping sugar or silver maples, but if they're silvers they always look like they're budding out. I wouldn't worry either way really. With your location in Beloit I would say you...
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    My arch door is plain mild steel about 1/16"...

    My arch door is plain mild steel about 1/16" thick. We made it so that we could line the inside with archboard and brick. No signs of wear over the past 2 years.
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    I agree with ignoring it during the season. ...

    I agree with ignoring it during the season. After the season you can scrub it off pretty quickly by scraping off the big chunks and then using wet/dry sandpaper on the rest. Start at 220 until it's...
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    Keep a handful of wooden wedges near the arch. ...

    Keep a handful of wooden wedges near the arch. When it's time to draw off you drive the wedges under the lip of the pan to raise it up enough to get a grip on it. I recommend you get a pair of heat...
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    No knowledge about anyone in Athens, but Kevin (I...

    No knowledge about anyone in Athens, but Kevin (I think his member name is "maple connection") in Marathon City has supplies for maple syrup. Maybe PM him and see if he can help.
  22. Search the barn for some old vermiculite. It's a...

    Search the barn for some old vermiculite. It's a common material used for both insulation in houses and potting plants. If you find some you can mortar your firebrick in and the fill the space...
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    That's one pretty looking pan. When you say...

    That's one pretty looking pan. When you say "welded" do you mean soldered or did you actually TIG weld it? Where did you get the copper sheeting?
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    What you're doing is pretty much the same as what...

    What you're doing is pretty much the same as what the guys with the concrete block arches do and those work just fine. I had one for a season or two and there are things about it that I miss. If...
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    I'd recommend rinsing off that plastic sheeting...

    I'd recommend rinsing off that plastic sheeting as well. There's no telling what might be on that from the factory.
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