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Thread: Finished tapping

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    colrain,ma
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    Boiled for around 7 hrs. today,my arms are aching big time! Made a drum of dark then lightened up to med. w/wonderful flavor,a couple drums of that.Big time bummer around 4:30 this afternoon, the big 80 cfm Westfalia vac. pump blew a vane or something, sounded nasty. Had to rig up an old wimpy pump to keep the sap coming in,3000 taps on the releaser.Should be able to get parts by late morning tomorrow,we almost all got herias getting the pump head up onto a makeshift workbench. Don't know how much we'll have to boil tomorrow,the farmer I work for was heading out to gather tonight.Looks like a busy weekend!

  2. #22
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    Sep 2003
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    Whately, Ma.
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    I boiled on tuesday and thursday of this week with 1000 gallons each day I made about 30 gallons each day but I'm still below average. I will boil again on saturday and hope to make another 30 gallons
    Keith

  3. #23
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    Mar 2003
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    colrain,ma
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    Nice freeze last night,should be a good run today,24 a 0645.Made some medium yesterday then made a drum of dark, but flavor is excellent.Got the vac. pump going ,vanes were ok just stuck w/gooo,put in new bearings and all set for todays run.Talked about relocating this pump,the longest line off it is about a mile long, but @ $1000 for electrics etc. it might stay in the sugarhouse and the dry lines might go up in size. Maple weekend in Vt.,may zip up north for a bit this Am. Ate to much @ Davenports this morning!

  4. #24
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    Mar 2003
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    colrain,ma
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    Took a run up to Guilford vt. this Am, and visited @ Franklin Family Farm Sugarhouse for a while. Nice little operation,2200 taps on vac. right into the sugarhouse,must be nice no driving to gather.They have a Grimm 4 x 14 w/a 10 or 11 foot flue pan,I like the long narrow flue pans to grab the extra heat out of the flue gases. We boiled for about 4 1/2 hrs. and caught up to the R O,to much to finish tonight so run it through tonight and boil tomorrow.Went to dark but still excellent flavor,hope this rain changes to snow!

  5. #25
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    Sep 2003
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    Whately, Ma.
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    Well as of yesterday I made a quart per tap but that is still lousy for me as I should be around .4 gal per tap. I thought the sap would run good today with freezing temps last night but it didn't run that good. With the high temps I have began making commercial and my sugar content has dropped to 1.8
    Keith

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Belchertown Ma.
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    2,660

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    I picked up only 100 gals in the last 2 days. I think I'm pulling the taps tomorrow, it's not worth the gas to go collect and boil.. very cloudy and buckets are dirty now... time to hang it up. I'll boil what I have today and maybe be around 67 gals made , wonder if it will be B today, I havn't made any yet.... I would keep going if I had the sap but......

    on another note, We are going up to Tom's (South Face Farm)this morning for pancakes and check out his new sugarhouse!! I saw it partially done when we had our last Board meeting... what an awesome place... hope to see it in action !
    Jim & Charlene Desjardins
    Belchertown MA.

    Had a good 13 year run, but circumstances ! and loss of tree use.. we are ending the Maple thing for now... maybe be back in a few years

    www.Desjardinsmaple.com

    facebook Jim Desjardins

  7. #27
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    Mar 2003
    Location
    colrain,ma
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    Boiled fpr about 4 hrs. last night,made soom decent flavored B.The farmer I work for was out checking lines yesterday and in the open pastures 3-4" of mud on top then frozen like a rock,in the woods 1" of mud then frozen.We need a good warm rain after a good freezing night to get sap flowing.last 2 days runs have been disappointing.Checked back in the record book @ the sugarhouse,this year mimicks 2003 when most opf the crop was made in April.Cold north wind blowing again today,run or not to run who knows?

  8. #28
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    Sep 2003
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    Whately, Ma.
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    My sap seems to keep running enough to keep me going. Yesterday the sap had a lot more solids in it. I have a 20 micron filter before it goes through the UV light. Well even with fresh sap I couldn't get it to go through. As for the syrup the color came back and was a nice B compared to the commercial that I had. Also I can only put half as much through the press as before.
    Keith

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Knapp, Wis
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    I like the term "solids". Good way of putting it.
    Mark

    Where we made syrup long before the trendies made it popular, now its just another commodity.

    John Deere 4000, 830, and 420 crawler
    1400 taps, 600 gph CDL RO, 4x12 wood-fired Leader, forced air and preheater. 400 gallon Sap-O-Matic vacuum gathering tank, PTO powered. 2500 gallon X truck tank, 17 bulk tanks.
    No cage tanks allowed on this farm!

  10. #30
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    Mar 2003
    Location
    colrain,ma
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    Boiled again yesterday,good flavored B, no "pucker" taste @ the finish like last friday's B. Still lots of frost in the ground,I think the drinking roots are still locked up by the frost. Will it thaw before the taps get old??

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