December Journal

[Maple Man 85]

We finished up our 40th bag of wood today which should be more than enough to get us through the 2018 season. On to installing drops!IMG_1920.jpg

[maple flats]

Good job, my logs have been piled for 2-3 years but I only have about 1/3 of what I like to start the season with split and stacked. I'll do more Monday and some Tuesday, on Tuesday I'll also be packing more Dark in retail containers. I'm also putting another 2 bourbon barrel syrup in the bourbon barrels. They will be 10 gal each, should be ready in 6-7 months. The bourbon barrel aged syrup has been a winner since I put my first batch up in bottles last August.

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

75% done clearing trees and limbs from the big wind storm in October. More damage from one storm then from all summer and early fall. Hope we don't see 70 MPH winds again anytime soon. Went from a good early start to being behind because life gets in the way again. Line work starts today. Hopefully the 3 of us can get it done before the snow gets too deep.
Also hope to run some more mainline and change around some lines that are too flat and were never quite right. Looked over the new toy, CDL spinseal tool to install the fused saddles. Definitely think its the way to go, just need to play with it and figure it out.

[VT_K9]

We picked up the CDL monitoring system, spin seal, and SS tank on Friday. We still have a little work clearing the way for the new mainline to the new sap shack, but it should not be too hard beyond simple clearing. We need to set about 7 telephone poles to run the vacuum line and pump line high in a couple spots. Then it is the running of wire and lines. In the sugar house we need to build a cabinet to house the monitoring hardware there. The cabinet will be screened to keep critters out and then have panels to put in place during the summer to keep dust out. Oh and we need to install the tubing for the about 400 new taps. Plenty of time.....I sure wish it was August and I am where I am on the projects.

Mike

[mspina14]

We finished up our 40th bag of wood today which should be more than enough to get us through the 2018 season. On to installing drops!Attachment 16882

Anthony:

Why do you put your wood in bags?

Mark

[maple flats]

How do you keep the rain and snow out of them?

[Maple Man 85]

Anthony:

Why do you put your wood in bags?

Mark

I have a 3 point carry all on my tractor I can pick up a face cord at a time and set it right next the evaporator. It comes down to less work

[Maple Man 85]

How do you keep the rain and snow out of them?

We have extra sheet tin I place on top the bags to keep the rain and snow out.

[unc23win]

A good couple of days in the woods here in PA nice to be back at installing lines. My helper and I pulled out about 1200' of 1" and got a bunch wire tied. One section we are upgrading and picking up some new taps and another section will be all new taps. We are just going to keep going at it every minute we can.

I realized to that I am going to have to install another booster/manifold as we are out of inlets on the releaser. A little extra work but it will probably be worth it in the long run.

[Maplewalnut]

Finished our 3/16ths bush over the weekend. Have about 300 taps but only 3/4 of them have good slope, the bottom 1/4 of taps have only a couple feet drop til mainline so I am going to augment the system with a 12V Shurflow pump. It will certainly be pushing the upper limits but I figure even if I only get pump vacuum half way up the hill I will be winning, the top of the laterals have plenty of steep drop and hence natural vacuum. We will probably have some challenges logistically this year as we will for the first time we have more taps that will need sap trucked in than we have at the sugar house. For once it may be good to have teenage drivers.