Getting ready

[minehart gap]

I really encourage you to get a water jacket bottler.

John, I made arrangements to buy a water jacket canner today. Thanks for the advice.

We found that with flat filters running through twice is the answer to clear syrup

Lano75, have you tried this with a cone filter? I already have one and prefilters. I will certainly try it. Sounds like a great idea, thanks.

Dave, good information, I will search posts for how much filter aid to use. Thanks

Berkshires, my sugar bush is northeast facing but it is on the southwest side of a gap. I typically get sun for about an hour or more before the rest of the mountain. My trees are a little crowded but not much (about 30 to 50 feet between stumps) I’m hopeful that this is a good location but if not, it’s what I have to work with. Do you know if fertilizing helps?

[maple flats]

Here's a link to a thread where mountainvan uses DE (filter aid) with flat filters http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...860#post254860
Enjoy the read.

[berkshires]

My trees are a little crowded but not much (about 30 to 50 feet between stumps) I’m hopeful that this is a good location but if not, it’s what I have to work with. Do you know if fertilizing helps?

I'm the furthest thing from an expert in sugarbush spacing or management, but that sounds much less crowded than my property. Probably just fine.

Fertilizing seems like it would be an impossible and costly task, with only long-term payoffs if any. But I'll admit I know nothing about it in regards to maple sugaring.

Cheers!

[Paddymountain]

Hey Minehart, I built a preheater for my evaporator since you were here this summer! If you want to see it give a shout!

[minehart gap]

Hey Snookie, hows it going? I was near your place about a week ago but was working and couldn’t stop in. I would love to see your preheater. I’ll have to swing over some Sunday. Also, if the offer still stands, I’m hoping that you can come up to my place to show me tips and tricks for tapping.

[Lano75]

Minehart, I have not tried cone filters they might work just fine but I would look at the thread that talks about the stand for the cone filter that essentially makes it into a sailor hat. This utilizes more surface area of the cone filter. I am doing some research on developing a stainless steel mesh filter that would take the draw off syrup to 30-40 microns and then run through the flat filters and bottle. This would save one step in the process. I am not big enough to justify a filter press yet.

[minehart gap]

Had a great but hard day today. With the rain last Sunday, I have not been able to get the rest of the stone up the the build site until today and even then only because of the freeze last night. Decided to take advantage of the situation so I also picked up and took 160 bags of quikrete up too. The ground was frozen up until the last load. I had to take it up 25 bags at at time in the truck. Unloaded and stacked everything then graded the stone on the rest of the pad.

I don’t like to work on Sunday but with the short days and winter closing in, I’m afraid I’m going to have to. So I figure tomorrow I’ll pour the pad where the evaporator will set and the raised pads where the timbers will rest.

Once concrete is done, I’ll be confident that I can finish before season. Lots of work but possible. Next will assembling and raising the timber frame.

Also, while looking for information about DE with cone filters, I have come to believe that you use more than 1 pre-filter at a time. I didn’t know this and am now concerned that I don’t have enough. How many pre-filters do you guys think that I will use with 300 taps? I am trying to plan for a high production season that way I have enough supplies while financial planning for a bad season that way I’m not disappointed. Hoping for around 100 gal. of syrup.

[minehart gap]

1D97F445-A596-4CC5-AD4A-D75889A37F19.jpg sorry everyone, I know how much we all like photos so I took one just for the occasion but forgot to post it earlier. I must be a little tired. And it came in sideways too boot

[Lano75]

Minehart

We use 4 pre filters and the orlon flat filter. Typically we will take one pre filter off after 1-2 gallons of syrup. At the end of the night we rinse all the filters in our kitchen with hot water and hang dry for the next day. We have four sets. Update on the stainless steel mesh filters. I am having a filter built that will take the draw off syrup down to 5 microns. THen we will check density and pour through flat filters. We are hoping that this eliminates filtering twice.

With 300 taps I would try and budget for a filter press. I know if I went any larger than 100 taps which is where I am at I would invest in the press.

[minehart gap]

Lano, I would love to have a filter press. I just get hung up on the price. I’m a little on the cheap side and am getting quite a bit of money wrapped up in this before a drop of syrup is made. A buddy and I would like to build a couple (he is a machinist) but we are having trouble finding a template to work from. Has anyone done this? I have searched the forums and it looks like everyone is trying to buy the plates and build the rest. We could build all of it. Does anyone have the template of the plates or could make a template for me?

Thanks in advance if anyone would do this.