Sweet and Sour Dill 2011

[Dill]

Well I just did the cleaning and test boiling. Since I haven't finished tapping the first order of business was throwing all the barrels and tanks out into the snowbank.
Anyway in deja vu from last year, everything's fine but the preheater leaks, so off with her hood!
I guess that will give me something to work on while I'm sweetening up the rig.
Wow is that wind something else, I thought it was just the snow coming off the roof but it kept howling and then I was getting ice pellets through the unbattened walls.

[Backyard Sapper66]

Chris,
Your reply discussing your adventure with your son made me laugh so hard I thought I was gonna have to go to the bathroom myself!!!
This IS what it is all about. They are only young once so we have to enjoy them while they are here.
Thank you all for having such a great sense of humor, it makes the day go by much better knowing I get to read these posts later on.
Good luck to everyone and let's hope we get an early run over the next 3-5 days!!!
Doug Boisvert

[Dill]

Well my first battery pack last for 25 trees, which ticks me off a bit.
The second lasted for 150, so I'm back at the office while the good one charges.

[palmer4th]

So who is tapping for the warm weather Thursday, Friday?? Will she run?

[Dill]

Arrrgh I still have 20-30 taps left at that sugar bush. The battery was fading faster than the light. It was barely dripping in there today. I'm hoping to have enough to boil saturday night.
A heating guy was over at the house today doing a quote to add heat to the upstairs. He's going to whip me up a new preheater for a gallon or 2 of B so that doesn't suck.

[Dill]

Went out this morning before work and finished tapping. It felt about 45 with the sun but alas only 25. So nothing is running yet. Just have to whip up a cover for the tank before Friday. Unfortunately my supply of plywood is under a snowbank and worse I can't remember which snowbank. I was able to find my gathering tank and dig that out.
Going to tap everything else saturday, its been running down in Lee.

[Dill]

Odd I got nothing in Northwood yesterday, the tank wasn't even wet. I have to go walk for leaks at lunch. And now I'm worried that bush has to be on vac its pretty flat.

[red maples]

I was just wondering how much sap you got??? but you already answered it. Mine is very flat too. Tough to keep out sags and flat spots. if you don't have a site level your screwed. I am gonna walk all my main line again this afternoon and make sure I don't have any dips or anything and tighten up some side ties if need be.

Do you have alot of reds? or mostly sugars?

I 'm telling you its that ice around the base of the tree!!!!

[danno]

Odd I got nothing in Northwood yesterday, the tank wasn't even wet. I have to go walk for leaks at lunch. And now I'm worried that bush has to be on vac its pretty flat.

Sounds like a closed valve somewhere or a pulled mainline fitting to me. Been there ...

[Amber Gold]

Alden, check your mainlines and see if you got all the saddle holes which ended up on the bottom. Also, your woods is pretty cold, so I wouldn't worry about it. I may only have gotten sap because of vacuum