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Thread: Long cold intermission

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Washington County, VT
    Posts
    195

    Default Long cold intermission

    I'm hoping that when we finally warm up, my taps will still run. Does a long solid freeze slow the healing process of a tap hole?
    173 on 3/16 natural vac for 2023
    36 buckets
    2 x 5 Smoky Lake Hybrid pan on a custom arch
    RB25 from RO Bucket
    12x24 salvaged sugarhouse built by wife's grandpa
    1965 Massey Ferguson 165 tractor to haul sap.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Washington County, VT
    Posts
    195

    Default

    I guess what I'm asking is, does temperature affect the rate of healing?
    173 on 3/16 natural vac for 2023
    36 buckets
    2 x 5 Smoky Lake Hybrid pan on a custom arch
    RB25 from RO Bucket
    12x24 salvaged sugarhouse built by wife's grandpa
    1965 Massey Ferguson 165 tractor to haul sap.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,390

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by billyinvt View Post
    I guess what I'm asking is, does temperature affect the rate of healing?
    "Healing" is kind of an odd way to think about it. If what you're asking is, "will cold weather retard taphole drying?" then the answer is yes....to a fair degree. It does so by both slowing (greatly) microbial growth and also slowing the tree "walling off" response to wounding. So as long as you used very good taphole sanitation practices, you should be fine. I do see that you use buckets....which are naturally more prone to taphole drying. Even so, this cold weather shouldn't be too problematic.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Charlton, NY
    Posts
    12

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    Thanks Dr. T, I'm a bucket man as well and was wondering the same thing. Now if I could just figure out an easy way to walk on 2' of snow to collect the sap! Hoping that it will melt enough to be able to use my 4-wheeler but I doubt that will happen.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Washington County, VT
    Posts
    195

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins View Post
    "Healing" is kind of an odd way to think about it. If what you're asking is, "will cold weather retard taphole drying?" then the answer is yes....to a fair degree. It does so by both slowing (greatly) microbial growth and also slowing the tree "walling off" response to wounding. So as long as you used very good taphole sanitation practices, you should be fine. I do see that you use buckets....which are naturally more prone to taphole drying. Even so, this cold weather shouldn't be too problematic.
    Great. Thanks. That was the answer I was hoping for. I know that long warm spells can end a season much sooner than we'd like. I was speculating that long cold spells might prolong it some. my sanitation practices are pretty good for a bucket guy. I scrub, boil, and then bake all my spiles soon before tapping. I can usually get fairly good production from a high percentage of taps for 6 weeks. I'll be at four weeks tomorrow.
    173 on 3/16 natural vac for 2023
    36 buckets
    2 x 5 Smoky Lake Hybrid pan on a custom arch
    RB25 from RO Bucket
    12x24 salvaged sugarhouse built by wife's grandpa
    1965 Massey Ferguson 165 tractor to haul sap.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    While it's harder than walking on hard ground, a proper pair of snow shoes is how you walk on 2' of snow. We've only had to use them once so far this year, but after getting about 30" new snow in this last storm, I'll bet that will change real soon.
    For snow shoes I have 2 sizes of Tubbs type shoes, and I have an Alaskan show and a few pair of military magnesium snow shoes. Which pair I use depends on the snow conditions, While the Tubbs type are far easier to turn, with practice you can navigate with either. I use the military surplus type the most, like these: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/produ...s-new?a=771260
    I use the Marc's snowshoe binding https://www.amazon.com/Marcs-Snowsho.../dp/B00BG9KGF8 Have tried these https://www.amazon.com/GV-Snowshoes-...T9MXXAVJGBB1HM but while they were easy to put on, you don't have the control you get with Marc's.
    If you can only afford one pair I suggest the mag's with Marc's bindings. Then when you can get a second pair get one weight rating higher in a Tubbs style because you will be carrying extra weight for sap etc.
    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.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    North Bangor, NY
    Posts
    28

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    I bought a 30 inch pair from L.L.Bean with the boa bindings . I have 2 sets of the modified bearpaws with the leather bindings . After using the ones with the boa bindings I will never go back to the others.
    3x10 INTENS-O-FIRE
    1100 taps on vacuum

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Charlton, NY
    Posts
    12

    Default

    Thanks for the snowshoe advice maple flats but I got lucky with the warmer weather and was able to get the 4-wheeler through the snow to collect. It helped that I just put chains on the tires too. I'm glad that I was able to use the wheeler because collecting 80 gallons of sap with snowshoes and a sled would've made for quite a bit of work. Let the sap flow!

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