Boiled down about 180 gals from the weekend. Nice sap, just like we were getting back in February. Nearly as clear as water. Nice to see a lighter grade later in the season.
This will most likely do it for me. I'm nearly out of wood, and the taps have slowed down significantly. And the weather is supposed to stay warn. And the buds are ready to pop. I should finish with about 20 gals.
Boiled off all the remaining sap. The woodpile is nearly gone. Shut down the vac on my nearby taps. The others are slowing way down after 5 weeks, and warm weather. I now have many gals to filter and bottle.
I will spend a few days in the finishing room (kitchen), then tally up the results.
The new equipment preformed well. The SL pan is great, but my arch leaves room for improvement. The AUF/AOF worked great, well worth the investment. The hood/preheater didn't make it into service due to tech issues, but there is always next year. If not, I'll have to invest in indoor rain gear. The lunchbox vac worked great; saved many field trips into the bush and increased the yield, but there was no snow this year.
As an aside, on a warm day a week or so ago, I gave a tour of the near bush to a group of friends. Two of us came out of the woods with deer ticks. Very early for this, but a warm sunny day has them stirring.
Looks like those north of here will enjoy another week or more of the season. Good luck.
I'm looking at a row of jars, one form each bottling run (there were 11), sitting in the sunlight, and it looks like several need to be refiltered. Batches 4, 5, 6 & 7 look cloudy. I guess the old flat filter is worn out. I switched to a cone filter after that, and those batches look clear. Something for a rainy day, like Monday.
Gary / Zena Crossroads / 42˚ 00' 24" N / Hobby in Early '70s, Addiction since 2014
175+ taps on 3/16 (60 of which are on two Lunchbox Vac/Releasers)
12x34 timber framed sap house w/attached 10x34 shed roof for storage
2 x 6 Smoky Lake hybrid pan on Corsair arch with AUF/steam hood/preheater/concentric exhaust
7.0 KW Sun Power PV System, Smokey Lake Filter Press/Steam Bottler, Modified NGMP RO - 2 4x40 posts 200 gph
IMG_2023.jpg
Sample from each batch. #5 was right after the heat wave on 3/9. It did lighten up after, but still darker for the rest of the season.
All done. Ended with 12 batches, 24.75 gallons.
Tapped - 2/21/2016 Shut down - 3/23/2016
Total Gals sap = 1179
Avg. sugar content = 1.81
Gals sap per tap = 10.43
Gal syrup per tap = .22
5/16 lines are down, still need to do the 3/16. All tanks power washed. Pan is not cleaned yet.
I don't clean pans till June or july. Leave sap in them, it turns to an acid that makes cleaning very easy!
Scrap pile built 2.5 by 8, induced draft, preheater, separate finishing pan
brick sap house
I've heard that. The pan is pretty dry, but I do have some sap in a remote drum not cleaned yet.
How was your season? This was my biggest year, despite a late start and equipment issues.
We got 4" of snow today. Where was this weather three weeks ago when it was 70? It's not helping us now, with most of the trees pushing out leaves. The temp is supposed to drop to 20 tonight. The last time it did that here was 3/5. I know, I know it's over; let it go. Such is nature. Hope it kills some of the ticks and bugs killing my pines, but they are tough and will probably thrive this year. Now I feel like a farmer.
I made less than half of last year, started late due to improving the evaporator. It didn't work as good as expected tho, so I'm pondering a better design. I just got back from visiting my sister in Tennessee, where there is a scrap yard that sells back to the public- picked up six 5 by 10 sheets of 20 gauge stainless for 200 bucks- so I have material to play with. Need to learn to weld better. .... Gonna expand our use of line next year too. I hope to be better prepared for next year!
Scrap pile built 2.5 by 8, induced draft, preheater, separate finishing pan
brick sap house
Your maple syrup for sale sign got blown over.
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