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Thread: Red Roof Maples 2018

  1. #71
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    Rock Creek, NC
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    I didn't get much of a run today so it looks like I won't be boiling again until Sunday.

    Because of my day job I haven't had a chance to get into the woods but with the vacuum level that I've got it doesn't look like I lost anything in the last storm.

    I've still got some plowing and shoveling to do tomorrow. I got my driveway done but didn't do anything around the sugar house.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  2. #72
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    Dec 2002
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    Rock Creek, NC
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    The sap started running earlier than I thought that it would today considering the lack of sun. I turned on the pump at 10:00 and the ice was already starting to clear. By 1:30 about 150 gallons had come in and by 6:00 there was 450 gallons to add to the 200 that came in on Friday and Saturday.

    Hopefully I won't have to fight with ice in the bulk tank valve in the morning. I took the pipe that runs into the RO room apart tonight and emptied it out so that it won't be full of ice in the morning. The weather channel says 17* for a low, the NWS says 22* and google says 20*. Which one will I actually get? I'll probably get 13* and they'll all be wrong.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  3. #73
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    Dec 2002
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    Rock Creek, NC
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    Getting the bulk tank valve to flow this morning went pretty smooth. I was able to break through the ice in the valve and then get the RO started. I lit the evaporator at 7:10 and flooded the pans at 9:04. I had 1075 gallons of sap for tonight's boil and made 16.5 gallons of Amber. I've been pretty consistent here this year. I'm making 8 gallons of syrup in an hour or a little less and all of the syrup has been Amber.

    The sweet sat in the evaporator for a week since the last boil and the first draws looked like I might be making Dark but Hanna says 58%. It's a darker shade of Amber but it's still Amber!

    The sap ran pretty good the last 2 days and the freezes have brought the sugar up a little. It looks like we are back into a holding pattern as we get hit with another nor-easter.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  4. #74
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    Dec 2002
    Location
    Rock Creek, NC
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    Boiled again tonight and made 12 gallons of .....you guessed it ....Amber. I'm now at 104 gallons which is only 80 less than I made last year. The sap is getting sweeter after this cold and snow. It only took 54 gallons of sap per gallon of syrup when it has taken as much as 75 earlier in the season.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  5. #75
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    Dec 2002
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    Rock Creek, NC
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    There's not much going on here because of the cold and wind. I did run the vacuum pump for most of the afternoon and got about 50 gallons of sap. The weather looks better for next week, Nor'easter number 3 is no longer in the forecast. It looks like the sap should start running again on Tuesday and continue through Maple Weekend.

    I got a surprise phone call from my son this evening. He and his wife are flying up from North Carolina Friday for Maple Weekend. I'll be picking them up at the airport Friday Morning.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  6. #76
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    Dec 2002
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    Rock Creek, NC
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    Short but sweet! I didn't have much sap to boil tonight, only 315 gallons that has been tricking in since last Thursday. Lit the evaporator at 6:46 and was done at 7:29. Made 6 1/2 gallons of Amber syrup. An easy night for a change.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  7. #77
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Barrington, NH
    Posts
    2,762

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    I had about 300 gal in my tank last night when I got there. Not enough to deal with, so boiling it tonight. Tons of vac. leaks again...drops falling off of spouts...again.

    All ready for maple weekend?
    Josh

    2009 - 370 on vac. & 16 buckets
    2010 - 377 on vac.
    2011 - 590 on vac.
    2012 - 620 on high vac., 170 buckets, 110 on gravity tubing
    2013 - 830 mine + 800-1000 others
    2014 - 870 mine + 800-1000 others
    2017 - 920 mine + 500-700 others
    2018 - 902 mine + 500-700 others
    2019 - 902 mine + 700 others
    2020 - 902 mine + ???? others
    Atlas Copco Pump
    2.5'x8' 802maple Special with Dallaire pans
    H2O Innovation 600gph RO
    Spring Harvest Website

  8. #78
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Rock Creek, NC
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    Quote Originally Posted by Amber Gold View Post
    I had about 300 gal in my tank last night when I got there. Not enough to deal with, so boiling it tonight. Tons of vac. leaks again...drops falling off of spouts...again.

    All ready for maple weekend?
    I'm just about ready for maple weekend. I'm making a batch of maple cream now and am going to clean the sugar house tomorrow.

    The sap ran all night and is still running now. My 600 gallon bulk tank is nutted! I'll start running that through the RO tomorrow night so it will be sweetened up for boiling Saturday. What I collect tomorrow and Saturday will be for Sunday.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  9. #79
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Rock Creek, NC
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    Finally a day off from work. It's time for the final push to get the sugar house cleaned up and ready for the weekend. I've got to give the outside of the evaporator a good cleaning too the ash, dust and dried on sugar splatter need to be washed off. I can't be trying to show off my new arch when it looks like it's 5 years old already.

    I'm going to the airport to pick up my son and daughter in law today too. Their plane lands in Manchester at 11:35 this morning. My wife has to work until 1:30 and she's jealous because I get to see them first.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  10. #80
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Rock Creek, NC
    Posts
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    Collected 600 gallons of sap yesterday and another 600 gallons of sap today. The first 600 is sitting in the head tank at 11% ready for tomorrows boil. The other 600 is sitting in the bulk tank waiting until tomorrow night to be squeezed for Sunday's boil.

    I'm as ready for Maple Weekend as I'm going to be. Good luck to everyone doing an open house this weekend.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

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