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Thread: November Journal

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default November Journal

    Lots to do to get ready for the 2018 season. First I've got to finish prepping the site for my new storage barn, almost ready. This Sat. I'm going to the maple presentations at Countryside Hardware, Deruyter, NY. The first will be tubing and tapping, showing newer concepts and fittings in both 3/16 and 5/16, Then after the FREE lunch is a presentation on RO's, small and large.
    Even though I've tapped every year since 2003 and a few more years before that but not every year, and I have about 1/2 or a little more of my taps on 3/16, I still like to see new ideas and fittings (and a free lunch is a bonus).
    I've got to pack more syrup, both grade A and bourbon barrel aged to have enough to get thru the Christmas season. Then, in the woods I'll check for trees and limbs down. Then I'm changing my leased bush from a vacuum tank operation to a releaser design so I can run the vacuum higher. Then I'm changing the pumps, from an Alamo 30 to an Alamo 75-100. It now has a 6.5 Honda on it but I'm changing that to a bigger size, the 6.5 won't turn it at any higher than 18" or the double belts slip, and when I change the engine pulley to any larger it bogs down. It now has a 2.25 double A belt. I think on the bigger engine I'll run a 3" double A. Then I have new after market adjustable drippers for the oil. Hopefully those changes will let me get 23" or better.
    I'm also changing more taps to 3/16, in the end for the season I should be at about 65-70% on 3/16. I also will be adding a moisture trap, using that tank as a vacuum tank I never had the tank get full in a day's time, thus I had no moisture trap, going with the releaser, I'll need one. I plan to start tapping about the first week in Jan., depending on the repairs needed I'll be tapped in 1-3 weeks (we have had lots of wind events this year).
    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.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Merrill, Wi
    Posts
    341

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    We're finishing up the last of our laterals and then putting up the wet/dry lines. Need to pick up and install a furnace Saturday to keep the sugarhouse toasty warm while making products through the winter months (happy wife happy life ). We've got our inspection on the new sugarhouse 11/6 and will be working in the pump houses finishing up electrical. From there cutting wood and making sure we are ready to run in 2018.
    Maple Man 85
    Anthony & Rebecca Renken
    2017=200 taps
    2018=4000 taps (goal) 3000 taps (actual)
    2019=7000 taps (goal)
    30x45 Sugar House
    4x16 Leader Vortex
    www.northwoodsmaplefarm.com

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Granville, PA
    Posts
    403

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    I’m running late. Got my site preped for concrete today. Weather permitting, floor will be mixed and poured next weekend then cut more firewood for 2 weeks waiting for the concrete to cure. Then assemble and stand up my timber frame and roof and siding. Oh, I still need to do a little more work on my evaporator. With a little luck. I can have everything ready just in time to tap.
    Last edited by minehart gap; 11-05-2017 at 03:21 PM.
    Matt,
    Minehart Gap Maple

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    My new storage shed site is ready. The shed (14x28) arrives later this week. Next I have 2 fairly large dying trees to drop so they can't end up falling on the new storage shed, but before that I need to drop 4 other trees that they would get hung up in or at least get knocked down by. 2 are good size hemlocks that I'll saw to make my loft floors, walk in cooler and blacksmith shop out of.
    Then as soon as gun season is over it's into the sugar woods to get ready for the 2018 season. We stay out during gun season for safety reasons. I need to bottle my last barrel of Dark and my last bourbon barrel aged maple syrup so I don't run out for Christmas sales and hopefully have stock until my new season starts.
    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.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Thetford, VT
    Posts
    450

    Default

    We are still working on the shop in the garage, but will be getting back to the bush soon. We hit the woods and started clearing trees for the new mainline run during a dry spell. The majority of the work is done. Still need to thin out some smaller trees. Then we can put up about 4 telephone poles to support a high run of the mainline and run the wire to the new sap shack. The sap shack site is prepped and ready to be built. It's going to be a 10X12 building to house the 788 gallon tank. We'll build the shack out of pine since we dropped a lot of large white pine to clear the site. We will probably finish up a couple weeks before the start of the season. We had minimal storm damage from last week, one tree on a mainline.

    Mike
    Tapping since 1985 (four generations back to early to mid 1900s). 200-250 taps on buckets and then tubing in the mid 90s. 2013- 275 taps w/sap puller 25 gal. 2014-295 taps w/sap puller 55 ga. (re-tapped to vacuum theory) 2015-330 taps full vac. 65 gal, 2016-400 taps 105 gal, 2017-400 taps 95 gal. 2018-additional 800' mainline and maybe 400 new taps for a total near 800 taps. 2x6 Leader WSE (last year on it) supported by a 250 gph RO.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Granville, PA
    Posts
    403

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by maple flats View Post
    My new storage shed site is ready. The shed (14x28) arrives later this week. Next I have 2 fairly large dying trees to drop so they can't end up falling on the new storage shed, but before that I need to drop 4 other trees that they would get hung up in or at least get knocked down by. 2 are good size hemlocks that I'll saw to make my loft floors, walk in cooler and blacksmith shop out of.
    Then as soon as gun season is over it's into the sugar woods to get ready for the 2018 season.
    Dave, how did the tree removal go? And how do you like the new storage shed? Is it too small yet? Mine always seem to be too small before I even start.

    BTW, what is there to do in the sugar woods before tapping? Other than maybe double checking the existing lines or adding more. I’m just trying to make sure that I’m not missing anything that I should be doing, not questioning you.
    Matt,
    Minehart Gap Maple

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Lawrence County Ohio
    Posts
    350

    Default

    Dropped 800' of 1000' of mainline that I put up last year so i can take it down the hill about 50' and put it up again to gain another 100+ trees. I'm connecting it to 600' that I put up last year and didn't use due to 3/16 yielding 2+ gpt most days- overwhelmed my little 20 gph evaporator. I just bought a used deer run 125 so I'm adding another 200 taps. Ordered another couple 800' rolls of 3/16 and 250 taps and 3/16-5/16 tees. We're goin to try the 5/16 drops on 3/16 this year. My aunt just bought a new house right up the road and gave me the 15x24 metal sided & roofed shed attached to the garage, have to wait til she moves in- next month to tear it down and rebuild it into a 12x16 temporary shack- drew up a blueprint to make the floor framing and trusses so I can take it apart and move it in a year or two- Puttin it in my driveway, need to be able to move it. Will probably use it this year and next til we get our 24x32 built. Picking up 800 and 300 gallon milk tanks in a couple weeks. Put up 330' of 1600' woven wire--wait that's the entry for my wife's sheep forum! So busy this past week, it all runs together. Our second year, felt good last month to be ahead- now I feel behind.
    Last edited by bmbmkr; 11-13-2017 at 08:12 AM.
    '12 15 jugs - Steam pans
    '17 125 3/16 - 18" x 72" drop flue on homemade arch
    '18 240 3/16 - Deer Run 125
    '19 450 3/16 - Converted RO to electric/added a membrane
    '20 600 3/16 - Maple Pro 2x6 Raised Flue, added AOF/AUF
    '21 570 3/16 - Built steam hood, Smoky Lake filter press
    '22 800 3/16 - Upgraded RO to 4 4x40
    '23 500 3/16 - Re-plumbed RO, new "Guzzler"
    '24 500 3/16 - Steam Away, DIY 8x40 RO

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    After 3 weeks of hurrying to get the site ready for a new shed, it is finally in place. I had to move logs, canoes,farm equipment, wood stove, and then remove the top soil. Then I got 16 yds of fill sand and finally 32 yds of crushed stone to make a pad suitable for placing the 14x28 shed. I also had 2 large, real dangerous trees that could have fallen on the shed and my planned additions to it at any time. In order to take those trees down, I had to open a place for them to fall, that involved removing 7-8 trees, hemlocks and beech, plus drop and roll back a mainline to drop the first tree. At first I thought about dropping the second tree in the same place, but as I studied it, I thought that a bad idea. The tree, a large cherry with about 30% of one side of the trunk hollow and/or rotted, and with a lean in a direction facing about 90 degrees off, I decided to go with gravity in my favor. To drop the tree that way, I had to remove 6 or 7 more smaller healthy trees, again, hemlocks and beech. That cherry was 29" across the stump (after cutting) and with the hollow part, the but log was in a shape of the letter C. There was only 5-7" of good wood left all around the remaining part of the tree. On bigger trees, I use my excavator to reach up about 10-12' and push, rather that using wedges like I did before I had the excavator. The hinge ended up being on the very top edge of the letter C, then With some pressure by the excavator, I plunge cut thru the trunk and cut towards the hinge to define it. Then I cut the rest, out from the hinge to the back of the trunk away from the hinge. When I came out the back, it still stood, but just a slight additional push using the boom and bucket of the little 8000# excavator, the tree tipped in the right direction. But before it could bend the hinge, the trunk split up to about 10' high and it barber chaired. With the excavator bucket still there, where it had pushed (I operated it from the ground and was not on the excavator,, as the butt end raised, riding on the top of the barber chair back, it lifted the excavator tracks about 12" off the ground on the end facing the tree. I believe, had I not faced the excavator under carriage away from the tree and put the blade firmly down, the whole thing would have been flipped over. As I barely started to lift the bucket, the butt started to move towards the excavator. With just enough track on the ground, I lifted the blade slightly and backed up. After about 2 or 3 feet back the butt stayed in place and I was able to take the excavator to one side, and use the bucket to push this mess over. Finally 2 dangerous trees were on the ground (plus several others) and nobody nor any equipment got hurt. What could have been a huge disaster ended up to be a good day.
    My shed was delivered the next morning.
    My plans now, are to next year, add a blacksmith shop off the back of the shed (north side), a lean-to roof off the west side for open farm equipment storage and build a walk in cooler on the east side with a wide door that allows me to set drums in it using my tractor forks.
    As it is, the south side is a set of double doors 7.5' high and 8' wide so I can drive my tractor inside. I'll be placing benches and shelves along each long side and across the back end, except where the man doors are on the north and west sides.
    Now, tomorrow, I uncap my last barrel of bourbon barrel aged syrup and bottle it, after that I clean the equipment and then pack my last barrel of Dark into retail containers, since I do not have enough left in retail containers to last the Christmas season.
    Then it's time to split my firewood. The logs have been stacked for 1.5-3 years, but have not yet been processed. This is the first time I've not had all my firewood all split and stacked more than a year ahead in about 6-7 years. Then to the woods to fix lines and remove trees or limbs that fell in all the high winds we've had since last season. Sometime in there I've got to buck all the trees I took down and stack the logs, the hemlocks that are big enough will be sawed into lumber (3 or 4) the rest will all become firewood (unless some of the big cherry higher up is good for lumber).
    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.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Chatham NH
    Posts
    1,308

    Default

    I've been chugging away on my new sugar house. I have a crew coming to put the steel roof on this week I hope, I don't really have time to do it myself, hoping to move the Arch in before new years, then I will start working in the woods. Hopefully get another some more taps out this year. I'll get some more pics when I have time.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Nate Hutchins
    Nate & Kate's Maple
    2022 1000 taps?
    3x10 Intensofire
    20x36 sugarhouse
    CDL 600gph RO
    A wife and 2 kids.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    South Colton, NY
    Posts
    642

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by maple flats View Post
    After 3 weeks of hurrying to get the site ready for a new shed, it is finally in place. I had to move logs, canoes,farm equipment, wood stove, and then remove the top soil. Then I got 16 yds of fill sand and finally 32 yds of crushed stone to make a pad suitable for placing the 14x28 shed. I also had 2 large, real dangerous trees that could have fallen on the shed and my planned additions to it at any time. In order to take those trees down, I had to open a place for them to fall, that involved removing 7-8 trees, hemlocks and beech, plus drop and roll back a mainline to drop the first tree. At first I thought about dropping the second tree in the same place, but as I studied it, I thought that a bad idea. The tree, a large cherry with about 30% of one side of the trunk hollow and/or rotted, and with a lean in a direction facing about 90 degrees off, I decided to go with gravity in my favor. To drop the tree that way, I had to remove 6 or 7 more smaller healthy trees, again, hemlocks and beech. That cherry was 29" across the stump (after cutting) and with the hollow part, the but log was in a shape of the letter C. There was only 5-7" of good wood left all around the remaining part of the tree. On bigger trees, I use my excavator to reach up about 10-12' and push, rather that using wedges like I did before I had the excavator. The hinge ended up being on the very top edge of the letter C, then With some pressure by the excavator, I plunge cut thru the trunk and cut towards the hinge to define it. Then I cut the rest, out from the hinge to the back of the trunk away from the hinge. When I came out the back, it still stood, but just a slight additional push using the boom and bucket of the little 8000# excavator, the tree tipped in the right direction. But before it could bend the hinge, the trunk split up to about 10' high and it barber chaired. With the excavator bucket still there, where it had pushed (I operated it from the ground and was not on the excavator,, as the butt end raised, riding on the top of the barber chair back, it lifted the excavator tracks about 12" off the ground on the end facing the tree. I believe, had I not faced the excavator under carriage away from the tree and put the blade firmly down, the whole thing would have been flipped over. As I barely started to lift the bucket, the butt started to move towards the excavator. With just enough track on the ground, I lifted the blade slightly and backed up. After about 2 or 3 feet back the butt stayed in place and I was able to take the excavator to one side, and use the bucket to push this mess over. Finally 2 dangerous trees were on the ground (plus several others) and nobody nor any equipment got hurt. What could have been a huge disaster ended up to be a good day.
    My shed was delivered the next morning.
    My plans now, are to next year, add a blacksmith shop off the back of the shed (north side), a lean-to roof off the west side for open farm equipment storage and build a walk in cooler on the east side with a wide door that allows me to set drums in it using my tractor forks.
    As it is, the south side is a set of double doors 7.5' high and 8' wide so I can drive my tractor inside. I'll be placing benches and shelves along each long side and across the back end, except where the man doors are on the north and west sides.
    Now, tomorrow, I uncap my last barrel of bourbon barrel aged syrup and bottle it, after that I clean the equipment and then pack my last barrel of Dark into retail containers, since I do not have enough left in retail containers to last the Christmas season.
    Then it's time to split my firewood. The logs have been stacked for 1.5-3 years, but have not yet been processed. This is the first time I've not had all my firewood all split and stacked more than a year ahead in about 6-7 years. Then to the woods to fix lines and remove trees or limbs that fell in all the high winds we've had since last season. Sometime in there I've got to buck all the trees I took down and stack the logs, the hemlocks that are big enough will be sawed into lumber (3 or 4) the rest will all become firewood (unless some of the big cherry higher up is good for lumber).
    What a great "Safe Start" (google it) story you kept your rig out of the line of fire that's what saved you.
    3,100 taps
    60 cfm flood
    HC2
    5 by 14 oil

    Brian

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