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Thread: CT 2018 Maple Season Discussion

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Ansonia, Connecticut
    Posts
    525

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    Quote Originally Posted by Calycanthus View Post
    Collected about 275 gallons. Sugar was running lower than earlier runs.
    Yes, I take the primitive cup the hand and taste the sap method and yesterday I noticed less sugary sap. Ill check with the hydrometer back at the shack. A couple of sugar moths too!
    12 taps for 2009.
    30+ for 2010.
    30+ for 2011.
    2012- Still holding around 30+ with no help in sight.
    2013-Still a loner but what a Fantastic yielding year
    2014- Forever a loner
    2017-Still here, after trying to kick the habit.
    Down to 15-20 taps with the intent to save my marriage.

    Sap Haulers- Kids NADA, I tried but I'm on my own.
    Buckets and Sap Saks, 4 steam pans, Block Evaporator, and single burner propane for finishing.

    http://s778.photobucket.com/home/Valleyman_bucket

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Quaker Hill, CT
    Posts
    328

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    What 25 taps with 90 foot of elevation drop looks like on a heavy day. All gravity.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    2017 25 taps on buckets got me hooked 1 gallon of sweet
    2018 51 taps on 3/16 tubing/ DIY oil tank evaporator 8.5gallons finished
    2019 60 taps 7 gallons finished ended season short
    2020 New 2x4 divided pan ready to get away from the headache that is steam table pans
    2021 off year due to pandemic and projects
    2022 back at it

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Danbury, Connecticut
    Posts
    331

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    been a busy few days here. have collected about 700 gallons since last saturday and boiled everything so far. I've been doing a lot of data collection this season to see get a better handle on things.

    I now have a wifi enabled device that reads my tank depth via sonar from my main woods and sends information to my server at the house. i get text messages every 10% increase in the tank too. It has been awesome for reducing trips to check on the flow in the woods, it's only 5 minutes away, but it saves tons of time and anxiety. at a glance i can check the level and i can look at the recent history to get an idea how much time i have left until the tank is full and needs to be pumped out.
    20180214_163214.jpg

    We also put tank flow monitors in the shack, one to monitor volume going into the head tank (seasonal cumulative). and then i also have a flow rate monitor going into the evaporator. since i don't have an operational float valve. i control it with a ball valve. this gives me a good baseline to monitor real-time evaporation rates. I monitor the flow rates real-time in the sugar house via a tablet.
    Screenshot_2018-02-17-00-03-21.jpg

    The next phase is implementing another device to run temperature probes and monitor temp in the pans, it will support up to 5 probes. the end goal is to run an auto-draw off valve, but for now the plan is to have an audible tone to alert that it's time to draw off.
    2016 - 36 Taps - File Cabinet Arch + Food Pans
    2017 - 2.5'x10' drop flues - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 122 Taps
    2018 - 16x20 Sugar Shack - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 235 Taps

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Kent Ct. USA
    Posts
    369

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    Busy here in Kent too, finally after almost 2 weeks off - Hope 70 on Wed. doesn't mess things up - 70, really? Well at least this snow will be gone - The ice finally left the driveways a few days ago, tough to get around on it.

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Danbury, Connecticut
    Posts
    331

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    Well, we hit 23 degrees last night, and the woods has been running since 9am. and in 8 hours i've only pulled in 28 gallons off 123 taps. what a dismal day! it is running at 2.25% but still, what a pathetic run for a nice cold night last night.
    2016 - 36 Taps - File Cabinet Arch + Food Pans
    2017 - 2.5'x10' drop flues - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 122 Taps
    2018 - 16x20 Sugar Shack - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 235 Taps

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Weston, CT
    Posts
    473

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    Quote Originally Posted by BSD View Post
    Well, we hit 23 degrees last night, and the woods has been running since 9am. and in 8 hours i've only pulled in 28 gallons off 123 taps. what a dismal day! it is running at 2.25% but still, what a pathetic run for a nice cold night last night.
    I am surprised at your results. I'm about 10 miles south of you. My six tap run into a 30G barrel ran well today. At 10 AM it was nearly a constant stream. Breaking a little. Slowed a bit by early afternoon. Put those taps in on Jan 26.

    Also have 5 individual buckets that went in on Jan 26. Of those 5, 2 are dry and not running. 3 are still running. 2 of those 3 have check valves.

    Put 8 on buckets about 12 days ago all ran well today with at least 1.5 gallons each.

    Also have a 10 tap run in Hopewell Junction NY that went in on Jan 25. It put out about as much or less then my 6 tap run in CT. Little miffed by my HJ grove.

    I'm very surprised to see the amount of sap I saw today in CT. Especially on the 6 tap run that went in Jan 26.

    I'll never figure any of this stuff out.

    Boiled about 9 gallons of slightly cloudy sap off last night and it still made **** good syrup.

    Will boil off at least 25 gallons or so of fresh sap tomorrow.

    I think I'm sold on check valves and well sealed runs.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Kent Ct. USA
    Posts
    369

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    Quote Originally Posted by BSD View Post
    Well, we hit 23 degrees last night, and the woods has been running since 9am. and in 8 hours i've only pulled in 28 gallons off 123 taps. what a dismal day! it is running at 2.25% but still, what a pathetic run for a nice cold night last night.
    That 76 degree last Wed followed by 4 or 5 days with no frost really put a dent in my run too Matt - 130 on a run last week, not quite 50 yesterday. All on buckets, I can tell which ones took it the worst, those tapped on the sunny side. Ones in the shade still doing fine. I've got a bunch farther out I can tap, but for these I think the fat lady is singing. Got rid of the mud here, but took the sap too.

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Eastern CT
    Posts
    3

    Default Low sugar content this year?

    I've been checking the sugar content in my IBC tote and blue barrel and they have been consistently reading at 1-1.5% from late January until now, much lower than last year. Someone said it has to do with the gypsy moths stripping all of the leaves last year in our area and that has affected the content. Anyone else getting similar numbers?

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Kent Ct. USA
    Posts
    369

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    over in Kent on the western side of the state, i've had steady 2% for weeks now.

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Danbury, Connecticut
    Posts
    331

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    Quote Originally Posted by PJTracy View Post
    I've been checking the sugar content in my IBC tote and blue barrel and they have been consistently reading at 1-1.5% from late January until now, much lower than last year. Someone said it has to do with the gypsy moths stripping all of the leaves last year in our area and that has affected the content. Anyone else getting similar numbers?
    One of my new woods is running at 1.5% the trees there are on a slope but have wet feet. never seen such clear sap before. the others are holding at 2-2.25%. I'm on the western side of the state, we didn't have gypsy moth problems here.
    2016 - 36 Taps - File Cabinet Arch + Food Pans
    2017 - 2.5'x10' drop flues - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 122 Taps
    2018 - 16x20 Sugar Shack - 3/16 Natural Vacuum - 235 Taps

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