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Thread: Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

  1. #1971
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Bristol, VT
    Posts
    1,978

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    Same thing here. Once it thawed early afternoon the sap ran as hard as it ever does and I pulled in about 500 gal. before it froze up. Sugar snow I guess...

    Last night we made almost 30 gal. AR from about 1500 gal. from the last couple days. Looks like we may get a bit of a break today....
    About 750 taps on High Vac.
    2.5 x 8 Intens-O-Fire
    Airtech 3 hp LR Pump
    Springtech Elite 500 RO
    14 x 24 Timber Frame SugarHouse
    16 x 22 Sap Shed w/ 1500 gal. + 700 gal. tanks
    www.littlehogbackfarm.com

  2. #1972
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Northeast Vermont
    Posts
    655

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    yeah, I was surprised to see the sap running well here to... for a few hours. started here about 1-1:30 and was all done at 6. pulled in a good bit in that amount of time though. I'm starting to not be surprised when the sap runs at 33 degrees in crap weather!
    Awfully thankful for an understanding wife!

    “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
    - Vincent “Vince” Lombardi

    Good luck to all!

  3. #1973
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    East Fairfield Vermont
    Posts
    135

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    I started my pump up yesterday when I left for work hoping it'd get up to 36ish degrees which for whatever reason seems like the magic number this year. At lunch time temp was 33 degrees so I didn't even go home and check it. Got home after work at 3:30 and to my surprise sap was dripping in but I had no vac at releaser. Quick check and one of my elbows was froze solid. After chiseling on it for 5-10min I was back up and running full vac and the sap was just puking in! Couldn't believe it. In the last two days I've had a little over 1500gal picked up. not bad for 515 taps. 425 of those gallons were off my new 3/16 set-up with 80 taps on it. No complaints here.

  4. #1974
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Northern Vermont
    Posts
    65

    Default Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

    I am beginning to think I may have to switch to 3/16 fir my gravity lines next season


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
    10’x16’ Sugarhouse
    18x60 CDL Drop flue Evaporator
    100 Taps on gravity

  5. #1975
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Bristol, VT
    Posts
    1,978

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    Pulled in another 700 gal in about 5 hours yesterday. At about 50% of what we made last year. The vacuum pump has been on for weeks and looks like it may be on until april...
    About 750 taps on High Vac.
    2.5 x 8 Intens-O-Fire
    Airtech 3 hp LR Pump
    Springtech Elite 500 RO
    14 x 24 Timber Frame SugarHouse
    16 x 22 Sap Shed w/ 1500 gal. + 700 gal. tanks
    www.littlehogbackfarm.com

  6. #1976
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Cabot Vt
    Posts
    449

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    Its always interesting to compare output by the different regions of Vt- We're at a little better than 30%- sap barely ran for about 2 hours yesterday, it just wasn't quite happening.
    4X12 A+A Evaporator
    2500 taps, 1200 GPH RO
    Atv w/tracks
    5 generations
    http://www.talbertsmaplefarm.com/
    https://www.facebook.com/TalbertsMapleFarm?ref=hl

  7. #1977
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Norwich, VT
    Posts
    5

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    EBG18T, I switched this year and am blown away by the difference. I had planned to put in 120 this season but am stopping at 60 (okay, maybe I'll throw in another 10-20 in the next week of low temps and low flows...it's hard to resist!) because I have so much more sap per tap than I'd expected frommy 5/16" days.
    2018: 70 taps on 3/16". New sugarhouse with Smoky Lake 2x5' hybrid pro setup.
    (2017: year off; found a pregnant, very skittish cow in our sugarbush! Spent the season drawing her into our barn and learning about cow ownership...)
    2016: 40 taps on 5/16", 2x3 flat pan on cinderblocks.
    2010-15: 20 buckets, 2x3 flat pan on cinderblocks.
    2005-09: 5-10 buckets, stovetop boiling.
    2000-05: Involved with Williams College sugaring operation.

  8. #1978
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Northern Vermont
    Posts
    65

    Default Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

    Got zero flow here yesterday. But between yesterday & this morning we got another 10 inch of snow.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
    10’x16’ Sugarhouse
    18x60 CDL Drop flue Evaporator
    100 Taps on gravity

  9. #1979
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Northern Vermont
    Posts
    65

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by alexa.holleran View Post
    EBG18T, I switched this year and am blown away by the difference. I had planned to put in 120 this season but am stopping at 60 (okay, maybe I'll throw in another 10-20 in the next week of low temps and low flows...it's hard to resist!) because I have so much more sap per tap than I'd expected frommy 5/16" days.
    Are you just doing 3/16 drops? Or everything down to your main?


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
    10’x16’ Sugarhouse
    18x60 CDL Drop flue Evaporator
    100 Taps on gravity

  10. #1980
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Middlesex Vermont
    Posts
    655

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    Alexa I am also being blown away by sap and I have 20 buckets that I never hung because mine 3/16 lines are running so hard. I am also trying to come up with a new pan that might boil faster before the big run next week.
    110 taps W.F Mason 2x3 and two turkey friers for finishing

    2011 expanding to a Mason 2x4 with a blower increasing taps to about 200
    2011 Hurricane Irene rips thru my small sugar bush cost me to lose 20% of taps
    2014 I have reworked my lines for 2014
    32 taps on 5/16 line with check valves
    57 taps on 3/16 line with check valves
    55 buckets with total tapped trees of 144

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