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Thread: Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

  1. #2391
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
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    Bristol, VT
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    1,978

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    Quote Originally Posted by woodfordmark View Post
    What is the best to use on getting the stainless clean?
    I soak syrup pans with vinegar or permeate at least over night and then use a scraper made with a copper pipe to remove any lingering niter deposits. I learned this trick here on the trader...

    http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...r+pipe+scraper

    Pulled in about 1 gpt yesterday despite the cold wind. That March sun sure is powerful! Had another big boil and made over 45 gal of AR.

    The ice block in my bulk tank from february finally melted and I was able to clean the tank for the first time since we started collecting sap. Maybe that will lighten up the grade a little bit...
    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. #2392
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    May 2009
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mead Maple View Post
    Dr. Tim, how is your north face woods running up there?
    Not very well today. Still in the mid-20s up here.

    We still have 1.5-2' of dense snow in the woods. Tree bases had mostly thawed out, but this last snow filled those in a bit. Trees ran fine last week, but certainly took a bit to thaw them out. Sun (with no wind) makes a bit difference this time of year, and the vacuum gets things moving at a lower temperature than you'd think.

    Shouldn't matter much in a few days. Temps will be well into the range to thaw things out well, and the sap will be flying into the releaser soon enough.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  3. #2393
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
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    bennington vermont
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    I do switch sides frequently and have used stainless steel wool....looking for a quick fix and thank you!!

  4. #2394
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Middlesex Vermont
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    655

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    My sap drop to 2% yesterday it had been 3%. And niter has been a big issue so far. I am going to have to empty pan and filter as well as reverse it before boiling today.
    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

  5. #2395
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    Sep 2010
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    Vermont
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    Sap is starting to roll today. About 300gph and climbing. Still testing at 2.1%. Monday I only got 450 gallons and yesterday I got about 100 gallons. I'm at 25% of what i hope to get for the season. Lots of great sugaring weather to come. Running 28.5hg at the releaser and 27.5 in the furthest section of the woods.

    Spud

  6. #2396
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    Mar 2013
    Location
    Thetford, VT
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    450

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    Found a couple of squirrel chews in one line which resulted in icing in the mainline. This was plaguing us for the last week or so and finally had a chance to walk some of the lines last night. Our vacuum was staying just shy of 26" so it was a smaller leak, but enough to freeze. I hope to find some time later tonight to walk more lines. We found three taps to add which we left out of the sap lines when I replaced them quickly for a repair.

    Sap is finally flowing decent around here. Still quite a bit of snow in the woods. We are at 15 gallons (last three years were were around 80 gallons now) of syrup so far and hopefully will still get close to 100 gallons of syrup.

    Mike
    Tapping since 1985 (four generations back to early to mid 1900s). 200-250 taps on buckets and then tubing in the mid 90s. 2013- 275 taps w/sap puller 25 gal. 2014-295 taps w/sap puller 55 ga. (re-tapped to vacuum theory) 2015-330 taps full vac. 65 gal, 2016-400 taps 105 gal, 2017-400 taps 95 gal. 2018-additional 800' mainline and maybe 400 new taps for a total near 800 taps. 2x6 Leader WSE (last year on it) supported by a 250 gph RO.

  7. #2397
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    Quote Originally Posted by VT_K9 View Post
    Found a couple of squirrel chews in one line which resulted in icing in the mainline.
    Hey Mike...or anyone else. Should you happen to see this again, get a few good photos of the squirrel damage, but especially get a few shots of the mainline freezing. We've seen this a couple of times over the years, but haven't recently. We're working on a series of videos on different factors important to high production, and this would be a good shot to include.

    First one who sends me a good photo of these (squirrel chew and/or mainline freezing due to a nearby leak) that we end up using in the video will receive photo credit in the video and a Snickers bar!
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  8. #2398
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Bakersfield, VT
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    47

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    Quote Originally Posted by spud View Post
    Sap is starting to roll today. About 300gph and climbing. Still testing at 2.1%. Monday I only got 450 gallons and yesterday I got about 100 gallons. I'm at 25% of what i hope to get for the season. Lots of great sugaring weather to come. Running 28.5hg at the releaser and 27.5 in the furthest section of the woods.

    Spud
    Spud, we seem to usually have similar weather and runs. Curious where you are at lbs/tap? Im certainly not that close to 25% of a crop here, although I do often lag behind other producers until later in the season in years past, seems like it's just not thawing out here.
    4700 hundred taps
    7.5 hp Airtech Liquid
    2- 1.5 hp CDL electric releasers

  9. #2399
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    Sep 2010
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    Vermont
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    I am at .13 gpt so far. Sap in now running 500 GPH. I was just told that my friends in Bakersfield are not running great yet. My woods faces South/East so I get early sun .

    Spud

  10. #2400
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
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    Middlesex, Vermont
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    We saw 6° this morning here in Middlesex. There was no skimming the ice off the top of the bucket, just a giant icicle. But was running well this afternoon. Best running trees are roadside where the back slope of a ditch is south facing. Hoping it will continue to run well for us bucket boilers! Neighbor had me jealous with his Surflo just moving bubbles like an assembly line! Got over 50 gallons in the IBC tote so another gallon of syrup ready to boil. Taking the day off Friday to boil in the driveway.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Mead Maple "It's for the kids..."
    Paul Cerminara
    2019 - First season ever
    -Goal: 3 gallons
    -Season Total: 7.5 gallons - pulled taps after running out of firewood and time
    2020
    Built 2'x8' Oil Fired with Thor drop flue pans
    -Goal: 20 gallons
    -Season Total: 55 gallons

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