You can still make it, back in Dec. 2003 I was no where near as far along as you are. I was held up by building permit issues and approval, which I later found out that according to NYS law, ag buildings do not need a permit. The codes inspector held it up from early July until the Tues. before Thanksgiving, only agreeing after the build was completed that I had not needed to get a permit. I made my own trusses and got some help from my kids a neighbor and his friend on 12/31/03 and we set all the rafters. Then during the week following I put up the purlins and I got my son to volunteer one more day the next Sat. to put up the steel roofing. From then on I was on my own, I put up the board siding (no batton that first year) and since I had no time nor money to put in a concrete floor, I made a wooden platform that was 12' x 16' inside my 16' x 24' shell. I then set concrete blocks as a base to put my 2x6 arch on, covered them with 16Ga sheet metal and I then put the arch with evaporator on that. I then tapped the trees and I was ready(?). Then I built a raised platform on the North wall outside for my head tank, plumbed it into the evaporator, bricked the arch and waited for the first sap to run. I was barely ready but I did get the first sap of the season. I had 135 taps that season (about 60 on tubing and the rest on buckets) and made some great syrup. You are at least 3 weeks , maybe 4 weeks ahead of where I was back then. Have fun, that's what it is all about.
Last edited by maple flats; 12-07-2016 at 08:30 AM.
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.