Schenectady-Albany-Saratoga Counties

[crzypete]

That's a nice season MRFNY! I believe you are quite close to a quart per tree? I was off from that and we are so close, so odd all the micro climates. I have been slowly getting everything cleaned and put away. It's been a stop and go process where the buckets were finally dry today and I stacked them. I ran the evaporator with vinegar in my pan today too. I already miss sugar season. The trees look naked without their buckets.

Pete

[MRFNY]

That's a nice season MRFNY! I believe you are quite close to a quart per tree? I was off from that and we are so close, so odd all the micro climates. I have been slowly getting everything cleaned and put away. It's been a stop and go process where the buckets were finally dry today and I stacked them. I ran the evaporator with vinegar in my pan today too. I already miss sugar season. The trees look naked without their buckets.

Pete

Thank you! Yeah right about a quart per tree. I'm doing the same with the clean-up process. Buckets, lids and taps are done. Evaporator and collection/storage tanks will be taken care of this weekend.

I drive by a wooded lot on my way to work every morning, buckets still hanging from the trees. Sure hope the owners pull the taps soon!

[ADK_XJ]

Hello, all - what are folks thinking about the season ahead? I put a new set of lines in and ran all the way to the base of our woods for collection this year so I am entertaining tapping a bit earlier than my usual President's Day weekend to see if i collect any early runs.

Hoping for a good year but worried about the weather...it's early yet.

[MRFNY]

Hey ADK! I'm a little worried about the season as well, but like you said it is still early. Extended forecast looks fairly warm, hopefully mother nature cooperates this year.

Made one improvement to the sugar house this summer. Replaced the old galvanized roof jack and pipe on the roof with all new stainless steel. Stack is 100% stainless inside and out now. I might add one more 3' section on the roof though.

[eseerup]

Pre Season update.
We're gearing up for the season. Added 150ft to driveway and installed culvert to make a horseshoe driveway for maple weekend parking. Ditched the shurflow and 3/16 replaced with 5/16 and mainline, overall added 1000ft of main Adding another 100+ taps. In the process of upgrading the RO, plan on replacing the procon with a used 5hp Gould's multistage pressure pump and adding a membrane. Built a 12x24 addition( that needs finishing) for the evaporator to have its own area. We'll see how far we get tidying and finishing before the season kicks off.

[Pdiamond]

Great to hear, growig ,growing, but never done it seems. That is the way I look at it.

[ADK_XJ]

Pre Season update.
We're gearing up for the season. Added 150ft to driveway and installed culvert to make a horseshoe driveway for maple weekend parking. Ditched the shurflow and 3/16 replaced with 5/16 and mainline, overall added 1000ft of main Adding another 100+ taps. In the process of upgrading the RO, plan on replacing the procon with a used 5hp Gould's multistage pressure pump and adding a membrane. Built a 12x24 addition( that needs finishing) for the evaporator to have its own area. We'll see how far we get tidying and finishing before the season kicks off.

Out of curiosity, why did you make the switch from 3/16 to 5/16?

[eseerup]

Out of curiosity, why did you make the switch from 3/16 to 5/16?

Simply put From a business aspect it doesn't make sense for us. We successfully have retailed every drop and there is more demand. We watch profit margins And hours spent.

More continuous vacuum at the tap every tap will get whatever I set the pump at. 3/16 was clogging, 5/16 laterals are easier maintenance. Less walking checking for leaks. Seems like twigs take down every line of 3/16 every year I'm redoing them. Branches lay on the 5/16 and you just pick the branch off. The mainline is also obviously more robust. It's cheaper and more productive to do mainline than make multiple long runs of 3/16. I can have a leak with the larger pump and it doesn't effect the whole system like a shurflow or even when on natural vac. You also dont lose all vac or sap if a 5 tap lateral goes down.. with 3/16 you loose what's on that line then lower vac on the rest of the shurflow. Consolidated only one pump to worry about. Streamline all fittings and drops. One tool one supply of "tubing" for repairs and drops one supply of fittings and taps.
With three kids time is more important... all under the age of 3.5 I can hop on a quad or sled drive down the mainline and check for leaks (vac gauges and ball valves)instead of checking thousands of feet of 3/16 on foot for a pihole or hollow tree etc

[sugarman3]

hello, all - what are folks thinking about the season ahead? I put a new set of lines in and ran all the way to the base of our woods for collection this year so i am entertaining tapping a bit earlier than my usual president's day weekend to see if i collect any early runs.

Hoping for a good year but worried about the weather...it's early yet.

winter will come,but it will be short,we will tap as usual,presidents weekend

[ADK_XJ]

Long range forecast looks right to keep my mid-to-late tapping plan in place. I may put up a string of check valve taps on the new 3/16 runs to see if they really do extend the season, otherwise it's my SS spouts from SmokyLake for everything else!