November Journal

[heus]

I went in the sugar house last night. Looked at everything and got goose bumps! I haven't sugared since the 2011 season. But going to give it a try this year. May not have as many taps but what the hell.

Mapleman3 its nice to see you posting again. I visit your site from time to time and was wondering if you were going to be sugaring in 2012.

[heus]

Finally did a test boil on my new 2.5x10 made by A&A Metal Shop. It sure puts out alot more steam than my last evaporator. The floats are not as sleek as on my Patrick Phaneuf but they worked ok. I boiled with baking soda to clean the new metal and any remaining solder residue. Rinsed it all out last night. I think I am going to do another boil with vinegar just in case. One thing that suprised me was how long the full size firebricks hold heat. On my last evaporator, with half bricks, it cooled off fairly fast after the fire went out. With these full size bricks, they were still hot to the touch 5-6 hours after the fire went out. Maybe thats also why it took alot longer to get to a full boil compared to my 2x6.

[Gary R]

We got the 3/16" drops cut in yesterday. I'm looking forward to see how they work. I've been working the credit card a lot recently I bought a new 465 CFM blower for the under fire air. This allows my high pressure blower only feed the over fire air. I also bought a 12 VDC bilge pump. I'll use it to pump the sap from my remote tanks (thanks Sugarmaker). Of course a few orders to McMaster Carr for fittings. I bought food grade cam lock connectors for sap transfer and full port SS valves for all syrup handling.

Andy, congratulations on getting married. Are you bringing her to LEME?

[red maples]

yeah money is getting tight here too thanks to the wonderful season of 2012. and I have to go get some supplies next week. for a show in 2 weeks. hopefully that will bring in enough money I can get my projects done for this year although not all of them have to push a few things to next year due to lack of funds!!! but you know its all gonna be over in a few weeks anyway due to the end of the world coming in dec. HA

[Tweegs]

Finished getting the sap hauler ready today.

The crew is coming out next weekend to cut wood. Figure I’ve got enough trees down now that once carved up should be somewhere near 8 cord, I need 10.

Went to a local tubing seminar last Friday, learned a few new tricks.

Still have some work to do on the stack, but otherwise the shack only needs a good cleaning.

Got 500’ of new mainline to run and need to rework the existing mains and a few lats.

Compared to last year, I’m well ahead of the game. Enough to stay busy, but not that wild, winter long scramble that’s plagued me in years past.

[Dennis H.]

I now have all the tubing done up at the cabin. Just needs the sap tank and releaser put in place along with the vac pump.
I am picking up a releaser from Chris at The Maple Guys. I am picking it up at LEME this coming weekend.

I also have been working on my Delaval 73 vac pump. I will be using that pump here at the house.
I have made a new oil feed line and from a remote oil tank. On the 73's the pump as an built in oil tank in it's base, just not enough oil volume for my liking.

Sold a bunch more syrup this weekend, I now have only 4 quarts and 3 pints left. I haven't checked in with the farm store that sells my syrup lately so the rest will most likely end up there.

[Dan W]

I had a tree blown down by Sandy. It hit the wood shed and my canoe but didn't do much damage. Got that all cut up and bottled up the last 10 gallons of syrup on Saturday. Been busy making stuff for a big Fall Festival on the 17th. Still working on getting somebody to work for me so I can go to the LEME-I'll probably have to miss it though. Only about 10 to 12 weeks to go here in SWPA.

[maple flats]

I've got just 1 weekend to install my additional mains, because we stay out of the woods during gun season. Any we don't finish this next Sat. will be done during Christmas break. I still have 3000' of 1" to run if I get that far. I'm also working on finishing running grid power into the sugarhouse. The solar installers will soon be ready to finish that part. Then I'll have 30 solar panels and 6.35KW hooked to my sugarhouse and net metered to the grid. Until I build our home there, I fully expect to get a check from the power co each year for my generated power they used from my panels. After I build the bill should be about even coming in and going out.
We worked in the woods Saturday and it looks like both woods fared well from Sandy. My grandson has been busy when he is not in class or doing homework in college, cutting and splitting evaporator wood for 2014. It seemed with the solar expansion there was an area of clear cutting needed, about 150' long and up o 30' deep into one corner of woods. I actually had to sacrifice 5 sugars of 12-16" diameter in addition to some cherries, silvers and ash.

[mapleack]

@garyr, sadly or not, we are getting back from mexico sat at midnight, so i wont make it to the leme this year! The weather is beautiful here and im eyeing up the palms wondering what theyd do under vac!

[Yellzee]

Not much action here..
worked hard on getting the trail to the bush fixed up for a couple months... put some gravel on top of all the fence rock I had spread on it and it looks pretty good. only about a 100 foot section to finish but doubt it will be done this year. Dug a bit of a hole in the hill to put in a new collection tank and keep the top below my gravity mainline.
No real damage from the winds Sandy brought through my area
Lines look to be in good shape in the woods... need to get up and ensure all the drop lines are off the ground and up high so they don't get frozen into the ground/snow.
Quite cold nights this week, need to get that battery out of the lawn tractor before it gets frozen.

Gun season started Monday for me, so I'll be out this weekend!