Got 230 taps in on Friday and Saturday. Just have a few buckets to go when the sap starts to run. Will work on tanks and pumps today. Looks like we will still be froze up until next weekend.
Got 230 taps in on Friday and Saturday. Just have a few buckets to go when the sap starts to run. Will work on tanks and pumps today. Looks like we will still be froze up until next weekend.
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
Finished our first 2019 syrup today - one gallon off our 15 taps. With some more cold on the way it looks like the tap holes will freeze up again for the next few days.
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Finally tapped the rest of our trees, 20 in total. Sap was running on all but the largest trees in the shade. First time I had the kids out tapping with me, they had to "taste the syrup" on each tap before moving on.
Happy sapping!
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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
I finally tapped my trees Saturday, and so far (have not checked today) my trees have not produced. Between 24 taps I may have 10 gallons, I think everything is still frozen. Hopefully this heatwave of today and tomorrow help open things up.
Boiled about 30 gallons yesterday, got 3 quarts. Checked today, 30 more gallons in the buckets. Looks like a busy week. Need to figure out my setup - last year we got 5-6 gph on block arch without grate; this year seems like 3-4/hour with high temp (for kiln use) bricks and a grate. AUF and all that as well. Always fun to play with configuration...
2023 - block arch, 2x3 flat pan, 30 maple, 40+walnut - ?
2022 - block arch, 2x3 flat pan, 36 maple taps, 25 walnut taps - 5 gallons between each
2021 - block arch, 2x3 flat pan, 30 taps - 8 gallons
2020 - block arch of high temp bricks, Badgerland 2x3 flat pan -8.5 gallons
2019 - block arch of high temp bricks, 2 hotel pans - 8.5 gallons
2018 - 33 taps, block arch with 2 hotel pans, 9.25 gallons
2017 - 5 taps, big pot over the fire, 1.25 gallons
It's been running like a faucet here in Northern Saratoga the last few days. I filled up my 35 gallon tank on the back of the ATV last night and imagine I'll have close to that again later tonight. Looks like I may do a boil tomorrow to get a good batch of the golden stuff while it's fresh. From there I'll probably batch boil for the strong Amber we like in our house.
Happy sapping!
--
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
Wife boiled 30 more gallons today, 3 quarts finished. Buckets full when I got home from work, like 50 more gallons. Looks like another busy day tomorrow, hopefully boil 40+ gallons, starting before sunrise. "Hobby!"
2023 - block arch, 2x3 flat pan, 30 maple, 40+walnut - ?
2022 - block arch, 2x3 flat pan, 36 maple taps, 25 walnut taps - 5 gallons between each
2021 - block arch, 2x3 flat pan, 30 taps - 8 gallons
2020 - block arch of high temp bricks, Badgerland 2x3 flat pan -8.5 gallons
2019 - block arch of high temp bricks, 2 hotel pans - 8.5 gallons
2018 - 33 taps, block arch with 2 hotel pans, 9.25 gallons
2017 - 5 taps, big pot over the fire, 1.25 gallons
First boil of the year today, spent sun-up to sun-set out of doors and it felt great. Beautiful day to be around the ol' barrel stove.
Cranked through a good portion of 100 gallons of sap that I measured at 4% and will boil off the rest tomorrow, we'll see what we yield when finished.
IMG_20190323_171838.jpg
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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
Officially done for the year. It was a short but intense season. Wish I'd been able to get an earlier start but mother nature just wasn't having it.
I introduced a small RO into my setup for the second half of this year's boiling and learned a lot by doing that...excited to work out some kinks and use it for all of next year.
Anyone else in the area still at it?
--
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
We are in Albany county up in elevation a bit. Looks like Sunday will be it for us. Overall looks like and average syrup year with good sugar content. I agree, always looking to smooth out a few parts of the operation for next year.
2.5X10 HE
600 RO
Vac
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