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Thread: Abbott's Family Farm 2015

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sumner, ME
    Posts
    499

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    So I left the vacuum pump running last night not expecting a freeze. Got there this morning at 7 to find only 20 gallons had run overnight. Wet line full of ice as far as the eye could see. A trickle coming out the dry line, which soon was full of ice too. It took until about 10 am for the dry line to clear up and about 12:30 pm the wet line let loose. Quite something to have the releaser dump every minute for 10 minutes.

    Really looks like that might be the last freeze for me - but it was a surprise to get that one. Usually if its borderline we stay too warm up here on the hillside. I have no plans to pull taps yet, though.

    10,000 gallons of sap down, 5,000 to go. Fat chance.
    Steven Abbott
    Over 900 taps on vacuum
    30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
    Half acre market garden
    2 farmers in training

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    maine
    Posts
    376

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    I hope you have more unexpected freezes must be one more

    Quote Originally Posted by abbott View Post
    So I left the vacuum pump running last night not expecting a freeze. Got there this morning at 7 to find only 20 gallons had run overnight. Wet line full of ice as far as the eye could see. A trickle coming out the dry line, which soon was full of ice too. It took until about 10 am for the dry line to clear up and about 12:30 pm the wet line let loose. Quite something to have the releaser dump every minute for 10 minutes.

    Really looks like that might be the last freeze for me - but it was a surprise to get that one. Usually if its borderline we stay too warm up here on the hillside. I have no plans to pull taps yet, though.

    10,000 gallons of sap down, 5,000 to go. Fat chance.
    2 1/2 x 10 with steam away leader drop flue inferno arch.
    550 in gravity

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    maine
    Posts
    376

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    I got 30 at my house and 32 at the bush thats a freeze
    2 1/2 x 10 with steam away leader drop flue inferno arch.
    550 in gravity

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sumner, ME
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    499

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    Quote Originally Posted by twitch View Post
    I got 30 at my house and 32 at the bush thats a freeze
    36 at my house. I'm not feeling very hopeful that it froze.
    Steven Abbott
    Over 900 taps on vacuum
    30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
    Half acre market garden
    2 farmers in training

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sumner, ME
    Posts
    499

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    Sap ran pretty well overnight, boiled off 760 gallons of sap today and made 19 gallons of syrup to bring the season total to 272. Sugar content has been dropping, but still way better than it normally is toward the end of the season.

    Mostly sunny with a high around 50, huh? Try 45 degrees and mostly cloudy. Not that I'm complaining - it was a very pleasant day to make syrup and now that the sky has cleared maybe - just maybe it will freeze tonight!
    Steven Abbott
    Over 900 taps on vacuum
    30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
    Half acre market garden
    2 farmers in training

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Carrabassett Valley, Me
    Posts
    112

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    I was shaken my head also Abbott, it only hit 39 here, some flurry's with the clouds. Dollars to donut's we go below freezing tonight, which is a good thing. And maybe just maybe see some 50's for highs tomorrow.

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sumner, ME
    Posts
    499

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    37* at the top of the hill here - unlikely its enough lower down in the woods. Hopefully some of you fared better. There's still a chance for tonight and Wednesday looks hopeful - I'm sure the buds won't have swelled yet at that point. Until then we'll just have to see how long the vacuum can keep sucking those trees dry!
    Steven Abbott
    Over 900 taps on vacuum
    30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
    Half acre market garden
    2 farmers in training

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Berwick, ME
    Posts
    64

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    27 F. here at 6:00 this morning and ice in all the buckets. It'll be interesting to see how the trees respond today; it's supposed to get up into the mid 60's.
    2015 - 40 buckets w/ drop lines
    275 oil tank evaporator
    2x4 flat pan
    made 5 gallons!
    2016 - 90 buckets
    same evaporator and pan
    hoping to make 12 gallons
    2017 - 85 taps on vacuum w/lunchbox
    50 buckets
    Smoky Lake 2X4 drop flue pan

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sumner, ME
    Posts
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    Well the sap ran quite well under vacuum today and even the gravity line ran a bit. With the ground still frozen I may be able to keep the sap coming with the vacuum, but the sugar content will continue to plummet. It's 2.1 now. Looks like the valleys will get a freeze again tonight, but not me. Good for growing vegetables, not for growing sap.

    With my longest boil of the season I pushed the syrup total to 292 gallons - more than last year even though I've had considerably less sap. The syrup total will at least come close to average with the possibility of going over if the weather cooperates.

    Nearly 12,000 gallons of sap now, just 3000 away from the preseason goal!
    Steven Abbott
    Over 900 taps on vacuum
    30" x 10' D&G Woodsaver evaporator with Steamaway
    Half acre market garden
    2 farmers in training

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    West Sumner, ME
    Posts
    250

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    Good for you! That is a very impressive total! We finished out at about 30 gallons (so no need to worry about us out producing you at this point). We cannot complain since last summer we had doubts any of us would even have the time to do it. Time was short this year and we came out about normal for final product. Hopefully the sap still comes for you this week and you can crack 300 gallons! Good luck!
    West Sumner Sugar House
    West Sumner, ME
    500 +/- Taps - 2 x 8 CDL Venturi - 3 Shurflo Solar Systems - MES Dolly 300
    https://www.facebook.com/WestSumnerSugarHouse

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