Sap's still flowing clear and sweet at the higher elevations. Not great, but today didn't go above 34*, it's snowing like crazy and the wind is nuts-o. But with 5/16" tubing, natural vacuum, it still gave about 0.7 gallons (sap) per tap overnight.
Sap's Still Good in SE Oneida County
Sap's still flowing clear and sweet at the higher elevations. Not great, but today didn't go above 34*, it's snowing like crazy and the wind is nuts-o. But with 5/16" tubing, natural vacuum, it still gave about 0.7 gallons (sap) per tap overnight.
"A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." - George Washington
Great. I pulled the plug after we had an 80 degree day, thinking there would be far too much spoilage in the lines to be worth it after that. I guess it's easy to dump enough if necessary when you are on a single line of 5/16.
Tim, have you measured the vac. you get with that steep long grade on 5/16 and have you ever considered going to 3/16 for higher vacuum? That is sure a sweet set up with the big LOOOONG slope in your favor.
Dave
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.
What is your elevation there, my higher bush that you helped locate the boundary lines (the EDDY lease) hovers between 1260 and 1320'
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.
Hi, Dave. First, I do plan to go to 3/16, probably next year. I just about used up my last roll of 5/16 this year, repairing damage from deer and squirrels. I haven't measured vacuum, but it is pretty strong. When I tap, I start at the bottom and work uphill; by the time I get to the highest tree/tap, and I pull the spout off it's "sealer" (?) on the tee, there's a loud and looong >whoooooosh!!!< from the vacuum that's begun.
As for the elevation at the top: According to Google Earth, at least, the ground elevation of the maple at the top of the line is 1,491'. I know, I know, I called that, "higher elevations." Well, with respect to the rest of the area, it is.I have about 40 other maples on the far (easterly) side of the hill that I don't tap because even though the length and degree of slope is nothing compared to the westerly slope, plus all my line is along the long southerly side and maples are on the northerly line as well, so I'd have to do them on buckets and - yeah. Getting a tractor or anything else reasonably within my "budget" up that hill when there's anything from neck-deep snow to inches of soft frost-made mud - not happening. I'd have to walk it all, maybe carry the sap to a dumping station at the top of the hill, or pump it up to the top, and then --- well, if I'd have to do a different set-up to handle that, I can't justify having two separate tubing lines, one on natural vacuum and the other for draining/pumping a tank or tanks. I'm certain I'm missing all other alternatives, what I've described is the only way I can see it working and it's not worth the extra expense... as long as things are the way they are with the Town. Any other suggestions, and I'm wide open.
Now, that said: There are, literally, thousands (possibly tens of thousands, seriously) of maples on adjoining properties. Now, theoretically, IF I were to lease those trees, and IF one of the owner's were to allow a certain someone to "construct" a sugar house as an "accessory building" behind their home, and IF I were to have a very long-term lease on it, well... that's a lot of "if's."But, that's also moving the thinking process in a positive, constructive direction and taking the power away from the tormenters, instead of taking their bait every time they wave a red flag in my face. I may have been born a bull, and maybe I have been reacting like a beat dog, but I'm learning to be a lion. And real lions don't need to roar.
Yes, there are some serious risks inherent with that idea. That's why -- well, I'm sure some of the views of this thread may be from less-than-friendly eyes. If you know what I mean.
More later. I'm late for the hill and there's sap to boil!
- Tim
"A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." - George Washington
Hmmm, I forgot that this was on a different thread! Forgive me but I'm going link it with the other.
http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...701#post282701
"A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." - George Washington
35 gallons on the 23rd, 50 gallons the 24th, 75 gallons the 25th, 75 gallons yesterday. That's sap, of course; hey, there are only 44 taps! I haven't been up there yet today but I'm overwhelmed with sap, given the tiny and extremely inefficient "setup" that I have to work with. The sap is still sweet and clear, hasn't gone buddy, colored, cloudy or rank, but I have to pull taps. Letting it continue to run isn't an option, it'd just get dumped and between check valve adapters and natural vacuum it'll just keep on pulling sap. Better to let the tap holes shut down and leave the sap in the trees.
Lessons learned:
1. Where there's a will, there's a way.
2. Boiling in the barn can work, but so can boiling in the open air. It's way down near the bottom of the list of desirable buildings; the steam has plenty of places to escape but it prefers to rise; the barn is not a well-designed sugar house design and the steam still gets into the joists and floorboards of the old hayloft above (cleaned, sanitized, and slowly but surely becoming a rather nice woodworking workshop) and they swell. Not good.
3. Copper is outstanding. However, I do believe that this old flatpan is best used as a finishing pan. That may have been its original intent.
4. My first purchase - difficult decision, either an evaporator or an RO unit. I think if I had an RO that this issue with too much sap on this setup would be less overwhelming, and maybe I could go on boiling and not stop until the sap ran out.
5. I've had to adapt, and I'm running the sap only to about 21%-23% sugar, and am fermenting it (maple wine, so to speak). That's the only way I'm able to even halfway keep up with it. Meh, it works. Time will tell if it was a good idea.
6. I DID SOMETHING. That sure has a lot of curative powers for frustration and discouragement.
"A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." - George Washington
That's a pretty good idea of boiling the sap down to 23% and having it to boil later.
No no, Revi, that's not the purpose. I'm reasonably certain that you can't even do that without freezing it, or somehow otherwise stabilizing it; what I'm doing is literally fermenting it into a beverage, i.e. the likes of wine or mead and that would be the final product. Sorry, I didn't mean to make that confusing!
And just to be clear, that's for personal consumption and is perfectly legal. Unless Dave or Steve want some...
"A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government." - George Washington
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