Addison County

[SteveD]

Hi Daren...That evaporator was an 18"x60" L.S. Bilodeau from Quebec. Here is his website... http://www.lsbilodeau.com/anglais/ev...economique.htm

We liked it very much, but we knew we wanted to get up to about 300 to 400 taps some day. It would do about 10 to 12 gal/hr. So, we sold it last spring and bought a Dominion & Grimm 2'x6', which hopefully will do about twice as much.

Thanks for reminding me that the "for sale" album was still up there...I will remove it now, and start replacing it with photos of the new evaporator and the 2007 season.

Hope you have a great year.
-Steve

[sweetvt]

Daren,

I currently am boiling on a 18X66 Lapierre drop flue evaporator, I have forced draft on it and last year with good dry wood I was getting about 15gals/hour. I am planning to try and add a steam hood and preheater and hope to get upwards of 18gal/hr. My advise, if you plan to ever get to the 150 tap mark go with a 2X6, they have a bigger firebox, more evaporation rate and a host of other advantages for a minimal price jump. I am still kicking myself for not spending the extra money to get a 2x6. The Lapierre is a nice little rig for 75 -100 taps but much more and one will be spending alot of time tending the fire and some long nights, but hey its a short season and we all anxiously can't wait for it start and then equally look forward to end after several big runs !

[Daren]

sweetvt....thanks for the info with your setup. 15 gal/hr sounds great to me right now with my average of just over 6 for last season. My biggest problem is with space in the sugar house. Mine is only 10x10 outside dimention, so interior is slightly less than that. A 2x6 would be an even harder fit than the 2x5.5. Splitting hairs I know, but along with a plan of only 100 taps, I dont think I could adequately feed a 2x6. If you are looking to upgrade someday, let me know. I would be interested in your hand-me-downs. I will continue to look for a used setup in the flue/syrup 2x4 or 18x66 preferred. My system works great for 50 taps, but I will be pushing it hard this year with about 88 taps this year. I might even have to haul some sap to a buddies place if I get too far behind this year. I have lots of days off to boil as I work three days a week. Do you have any pictures of your present setup? I would love to see it.

ps. I know the plan for 100 taps has a tendency to change rapidly with anyone who has this particular sickness, but being the gather guy and the boil guy mean I have to keep things partly under control.

[oneoldsap]

Well it looks like next week at this time we should be right into it. Is everybody ready? Gonna be wicked cold tonight though. I don't remember it being this cold in March, neither do most of the people I've talked to. We will be tapping all weekend should be fun if the snow will hold us up.

[oneoldsap]

We're going to start tapping tomorow. If the four of us can each do 300 per day we'll be done Sun. evening. Good tuck every one. I can see me on line late at night after boiling.

[oneoldsap]

We finished tapping today, right on schedule. Didn't get the releasers hooked up yet, First order of business tomorow, hook up releasers. Maybe we'll get enough sap tomorow to sweeten the pans. Got just a little more cleaning to do first, should be ready to boil tomorow night. COME ON WEATHER!

[oneoldsap]

Got the rig sweetened up and drew off 10 Gal tonight, nice Med. Amber.
Boy the weather doesn't look very promising, no freeze again tonight. then I guess it's going to get cold day and night for a few days. I dont like the warm nights following the warm days, This is exactly the weather we had 6 years ago (our worst season ever ). Time will tell!