Those are nice looking labels and the syrup looks mighty tasty
Those are nice looking labels and the syrup looks mighty tasty
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
Here's a photo of the different styles we offer for sale. No quarts pictured because they are all spoken for and every place is sold out of empty jugs, so we had to do more pints than normal!
Capture.JPG
In fulton county my bud swelled on last fri and sundays rain made them get bigger,done for season,son and myself can't stand the smell of boiling buddy sap,200 gallons less than last year,i called it the season from hell,if it could freeze ,it did,breakdowns were terrible this season ,along with moister in a 700 ft vacumn line 4 times,and the gathering trk,first the starter went in the middle of gathering,the a week later the altanater decided to quit working,ugh what a season
Very worst season ive ever had. Too **** cold till late Feb then a week of above normal warmth with no freeze. Then several days of freeze without a thaw then a week of high 60s and rain. Snow gone, frost gone and had about a week mud season. Yard trees are starting to bud and the sap is cloudy so i pulled the plug on them earlier this week. The trees in the woods are still in good shape no buds and the vacuum is running 24 7 and just a trickle of sap with out a freeze for 3 days. Its 24 right now and just looked at the forecast and not supposed to get above freezing today WTF. Last year i only made 40 gallons and this year will be lucky to finish with 25 unless we get another run. Well ill give it a couple more days and cleanup and spend the year licking my wounds as with retubing the woods and a new double diaphram pump for the filter press i wont even break even this year.
2021 230 Taps on vacuum
Smokylake 2X6 pan set with auto drawoff
Homebuilt 2 4x40 membrane RO
Homebuilt filter press
Rebuilt arch with under and over the fire air we have named V 2.0
Smokylake steam bottler
Hoods and preheater
500 gallon vertical polytank to store sap for RO
Adding a laser eye to my bottler for autofill/stop
Best sap flow off the season today...
2.5X10 HE
600 RO
Vac
Shutting it down this morning after a 3.75GPT run since Easter Sunday thaw.
2.5X10 HE
600 RO
Vac
My altitude (800ft) has given me a few more cold nights and my buds are still tight. Sap was flowing and I busted out a batch yesterday afternoon. The sugar ratio has definitely dropped and although I have more sap I think I am truly done. Made 3.5 quarts yesterday from 50 gallons of sap. Syrup is dark.
Pete
2017- 17 taps, 3 gallons, stove-top insanity
2018- 36 taps, 10 gallons, Oil tank evaporator
2019- 24 taps, 7 gallons
2020- 27 taps, 5.75 gallons
2021- 42 taps, 8 gallons
2022- 48 taps, 8.5 gallons
2023- 50 taps, 15 gallons
2024- 46 taps........ Maybe I should add a few more?
Oil Tank Evaporator build
We are about 1300 feet and there were still small snowbanks in the shade at 2000 feet on Saturday. With the snowpack we had this winter the season definitely did not go as I had planned.
2.5X10 HE
600 RO
Vac
In ballston the reds budded a few weeks ago. The sugars still haven't Budded and are still producing but the sap spoils so fast it's no use.
2023 650+ taps 4-4x40 Frankenstein ro
2022 - 500 taps 77 on shurflo the rest on Gast 3040 vacuum pump 1" main, DIY 2 post 4x40 RO, NEW to us 30"x8' oil-fired with preheat/hood
2021 - 205 taps (150 on shurflo, rest on 3/16 gravity) RO Bucket 4 membrane
L48 Kubota tractor
1954 Ferguson T0-30
www.hopcitymaple.com
As cold as it has been, the next week looks ideal for a sap run temperature wise...if it were later in February I'd feel ready to go but I'm guessing I won't tap until President's Day as it is.
We are running some short (25 tap~) 3/16s lines on natural gravity to try it out in anticipation of a big expansion over the next few years. Will hopefully go up to 200 taps this year, which is big for us now!
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2015: 8 bucket taps (7 red, 1 sugar) on DIY barrel evaporator
2016: 13 taps (bucket and tube) on block arch and hotel pans
2017: SAME
2018: 25 taps on 2x3 flat pan and resurrected barrel arch
2019: 25 taps...same setup plus DIY 3x150gpd RO filter
2020: 50 taps, all buckets..."new" oil tank arch setup
2021: 100 taps (50/50 buckets/3-16 tubing) on 2x4 divided pan
2022: 150 taps (50/100 b/t) on 2x4 pan with sap warmer pan
2023: SAME
2024: 150 taps, added single-post 4x40 RO system