January 2017 journal

[adk1]

I have done nothing maple since cleaning the Evap last April. I did just order my new stainless stack for the evaporator though. Bought a use spring tech elite last spring. It still sits in the same location.....oh brother........

[n8hutch]

Gave up on getting the New Sugar house ready for this season, I just don't have the time to do a nice job and be ready for Sugaring season its self. Walked a new piece of woods Sunday and flagged out A main line. Think I'm going to try and get 200 taps over there this year, but could easily get alot more if I have time.

[sugarman3]

adk1-you better get your act together,if need help sett'in up ro,let me know

[Dennis H.]

Been kind of lazy here, it kind of catching me off guard. The forecast for the near future looks really good.
I have been busy the past few days trying to get everything on my checklist checked off.
This past weekend I got the sap tank and vac pump placed and repaired any major issues with the tubing. I will just need to search for leaks the same day that I tap the trees.
The past 2 days I have been working hard to get everything at the sugarhouse done. The evap is cleaned and ready the kitchen area is clean and ready. The only thing left to do here is to get the RO ready.
I am waiting till the day before tapping to do that, don't want to take the membranes out of storage too soon.

SO, as of now I am really aiming for Friday to tap, but I am waiting to till Thursday to make that choice. I really want to see if the forecast is worth starting now or waiting.

[Sugarmaker]

Folks,
The weather is about right for some early runs. Hoping some other folks get the itch and tap early, so I can go and visit.
For our operation: I power washed the steam away, removed it from the evaporator and cleaned the flue pan too. everything is back together with the stacks in place. The plan today is to put up some of the road side tubing. Not sure about tapping yet lots of moves to make in the sugarbush prior to that. I like to have all the tubing and gathering containers in place and then try to tap in one day. With only 650 taps spread out in 30 locations I spend a lot of time just moving from one spot to the next.
We have two new sugarhouses in the area and I would like to spend some time helping them a little too.
Looking forward to getting our great grandson in the sugarhouse this season. He will be two in April.
Regards,
Chris

[wnybassman]

Took advantage of the warmth and finished up the plumbing of the pump out line from the tank to the road. It's about 140' of pipe and 35' or so of elevation. I mainly just had to put the Banjo fittings on the ends today, and fabricate a section at the top to go to the truck tank. Once done, I gravity fed about 75 gallons of water down to the tank and pumped it back up to the truck, just to make sure I could. I could. The new Honda WX10 worked nicely. It surprised me when I turned off the pump and none of the water remaining in the pipe returned back to the tank like my other pump did. That prompted me to put in a valve so I could unhook the pump, then drain the pipe into a bucket or directly into the top of the tank.

[n8hutch]

Ran 1200 ft of mainline wire Saturday, cut down a few standing dead trees before I ran the wire. Did some more scouting around the lot and there sure is alot of Maples, probably could get 1000 taps pretty easy, we'll see how much I can get done. It's moderately steep and faces south it's another 1000 ft to the top of the piece but I don't think I will get up there this year. Fealty great working out doors yesterday.

[Maple Man 85]

Should be thinning but there's no frost so logging has been pushed back two weeks. Getting quotes worked up for a 3500-4000 tap increase. Purchasing another property to double the tap count for next season.