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Thread: Tapped in Rowley

  1. #61
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Essex County, MA
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    5

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    Finally got my first boil in yesterday. First day I was off from work and my sap wasn't frozen solid. This year I lined my cinder block arch with bricks and it seemed to really help keep the heat up and help keep the steam table pans at a full constant boil. I seemed to use a lot less wood this year as well. The sugar content seemed higher this year. Last year I averaged 40:1 and this year closer to 20:1. The sap is still running so I am hoping to get one more boil in before the season ends.

  2. #62
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Greenwood, Me
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    974

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    so yesterday I pulled 13 unexpected gallons out of the trees and today may be more....it's gonna be tricksy to calc when to time the stop of the boil so it coincides with last of the sap. What'll I'll prolly do is finish off all the sap at 2+ inches in the pan and then boile that down to the last inch and hope to time it so I draw out 99% of the concentrate and reflood the pan with water to avoid scorching.

    I'm gonna need more boiling sodas, I can just tell.
    2024 - New Maine resident, 12X12 sugar shack under construction
    2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
    2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO

  3. #63
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    rowley, ma
    Posts
    195

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    I just boil down to a comfortable level and then let it cool. Once it is cool I boil it all down and then finish it on the stove or turkey frier. That's tonight's job for me is bringing down the last 5 gallons of concentrate to 3 or so gallons of syrup. Then bottle up and clean everything to get put away for the summer. Then its boat time.

    sam

  4. #64
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Greenwood, Me
    Posts
    974

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    yeah, I shoulda done that..I let it cool down and with an inch left started taking it out....of course I had to raise one side to get the last of it and for a brief moment the uplifted side started to foam and burn...dropped it in a hurry, leaving possibly 1/4" in the pan and dashed 4 gallons of water in there as a buffer...I am sure the maple gods decreed that that last 1/4" was my best syrup, too. so now it's on to finishing all the concentrate I have. I also pulled buckets and taps and NATURALLY every tree was running. Mother Nature laughs at me. Used to be when I looked in the mirror, now it's just all the time.
    2024 - New Maine resident, 12X12 sugar shack under construction
    2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
    2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO

  5. #65
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Greenwood, Me
    Posts
    974

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    2015 is HERE!

    a) I have a LOT more wood stacked...about twice as much as last year, and cut wrist sized vs arm sized...even then I am not quite sure I have enough

    2) I altered my arch from a sand ramp to a brick wall in order to get more flame closer to the pan.

    c) I chanced on some stainless stove pipe on craigslist vs the black and like the look/gauge a LOT better.

    d)I have a new blower and now need to decide if I want to try that square angle iron grating someone elsethread recommended. The cast iron gets bendy

    V) marked 10 more trees for tapping so more buckets! if I have a good season I will strongly consider relocating the sugar shack to the bottom of the hill for gravity feeds.

    And, in a sad note....my sugaring partner and Maple Muse passed last June suddenly. I will dearly miss her companionship, inspiration, and inputs. Godspeed, Shauna.
    2024 - New Maine resident, 12X12 sugar shack under construction
    2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
    2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO

  6. #66
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Pepperell, MA
    Posts
    79

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    Sorry to hear of your loss but I appreciate your honoring her here with us. All the best to you and hope your season is the best ever!

  7. #67
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Greenwood, Me
    Posts
    974

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    well here I am eager to boil and the cold weather is holding off my tapping. so I'm mulling that I have about 3 feet of snowpack nearly level with old tapholes and should I dig out my trees? I don't want to tap too high and then have the snowmelt drop my buckets away from my tubes. Also if I dig them out they'll be sheltered from the wind as I still don't have an anchor method perfected.

    The good news is the sap pump works and the new bilge blower I am using for AUF is almost all put together (I had to rework the piping from last years gutter downspout jury rig to accomodate the new fan).

    The g/f dug out the sugar shack and I gotta say, looking at it half buried behind the snow berms she shoveled makes it look kinda cool. Pics later.
    2024 - New Maine resident, 12X12 sugar shack under construction
    2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
    2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO

  8. #68
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Essex County, MA
    Posts
    5

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    Placed my first tap in my largest maple yesterday although I think the weather does not look too promising for the next week or so. Mostly did it for my kids. I am going to have to do a lot of digging out to get to my wood pile and to clear a spot to make my boiler. I lined my concrete block arch with brick last year which seemed to help a lot with heat retention. I still plan on having five buckets this year, some day I will try to move up to ten.

    MT
    Topsfield, MA

  9. #69
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    rowley, ma
    Posts
    195

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    From 10 it goes to 20, from 20 it goes to ..... I was able to handle about 15 taps on my block arch with catering pans until I stepped up and built a real evaporator. I'm planning to tap as much as I can get to on Staurday. My sister is getting married the weekend after and we've got plenty of snow to keep the sap cold and fresh.

    I also need to get going on some arch upgrades before I am ready to boil. I need a new door to keep the flames inside the unit instead of losing heat out the front. I have been using galvy duct mterials for my stack and I am tired of replacing it each year. My plan is to build a steel pipe lower section and then use galvy for the top 6'. Hopefully i can find it under all this snow.

    sam

  10. #70
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    rowley, ma
    Posts
    195

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    I made big progress today. I found my tapping bit and the work belt I use to carry spouts.

    Sam

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