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Thread: January journal

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

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    Snow:

    Regards,
    Chris
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

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    Will be out working today, but not exactly maple yet. I've got a plow frame and wiring harness to put on my 2011 F350 so I can mount the plow from my 2001 F250. It is for maple though, I plow my at sugarhouse (way faster than plowing with the tractor and FEL) and at my leased sugar bush I have to push back snow banks so I can park off the road enough to hopefully not get hit by traffic. When I finish that I'll be working maple, tubing repairs first then tapping.
    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.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Knapp, Wis
    Posts
    1,872

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    Quote Originally Posted by maple flats View Post
    Will be out working today, but not exactly maple yet. I've got a plow frame and wiring harness to put on my 2011 F350 so I can mount the plow from my 2001 F250. It is for maple though, I plow my at sugarhouse (way faster than plowing with the tractor and FEL) and at my leased sugar bush I have to push back snow banks so I can park off the road enough to hopefully not get hit by traffic. When I finish that I'll be working maple, tubing repairs first then tapping.
    I looked at your website....what size of propane tank outside? bulk truck fill?
    Mark

    Where we made syrup long before the trendies made it popular, now its just another commodity.

    John Deere 4000, 830, and 420 crawler
    1400 taps, 600 gph CDL RO, 4x12 wood-fired Leader, forced air and preheater. 400 gallon Sap-O-Matic vacuum gathering tank, PTO powered. 2500 gallon X truck tank, 17 bulk tanks.
    No cage tanks allowed on this farm!

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Northeast Vermont
    Posts
    649

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    Happy new year. been at it getting wood out of the bush for next year and the year after. -28 this morning. highs of -8 over the weekend. too **** cold to run/repair lines. it's supposed to be colder this coming weekend but warming up shortly after that. if it stays this cold, my trees might not thaw until July...
    Awfully thankful for an understanding wife!

    “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
    - Vincent “Vince” Lombardi

    Good luck to all!

  5. #15
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    West Danville VT
    Posts
    29

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    We started drilling trees today in Eden VT. And no, we aren't the earliest tappers in the area either, I know a few operations that have been tapping since a week before Christmas. Wish it'd warm up some though, man was it bitter this morning. Tomorrow and Thursday look like prime days, we'll be hitting it hard.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Merrill, Wi
    Posts
    341

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    We pushed hard this weekend putting in saddles and line supports where we didn't have the option to side tie. By Friday we'll have saddles done and on to the putting pumps in the pump houses. We had more trees than I figured and had to order another 500 fittings for drops.
    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

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by markcasper View Post
    I looked at your website....what size of propane tank outside? bulk truck fill?
    Mark, my bulk tank is a 50 gal, truck fill. They are set up to fill it only when I call, since my use is so varied (except for what little the small heater use). I only seem to need 2 fills a year and the avg. bill is $100-120. If I run low and need to, I can unhook that tank, then carry one the same size and already full I have hooked to a 5th wheel about 200' away. That's an option I never had to use.

    Now the the Winter Maple Conference is over, and the weather has warmed up, I'll be working on the plow wiring on my truck. Then it's maple all the way. The forecast this week looks good here. We only have about 12-15" of snow on the ground at the sugarhouse, I'll work that first. When that's done, the snow at my lease up in the hills should be better, right now that's at 24-30", but this week should get it down to more manageable. Might be able by then to go without snowshoes, time will tell. After the hard cold snap we had, it will take a while for the trees to thaw out.
    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.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
    Posts
    1,044

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    Wow was it tough going today in the bush........2.5' of snow with the top foot plus being powder. Slow going....one of those days where you say "I should get #11, #18 and #19 done" and all you get is #11. 1.5 rolls of tubing in a 200 tap area. Thats the way it goes, try again Sunday. Beautiful day to be out, nice to come out of the last 2 weeks' deep freeze.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Millmont,Pa
    Posts
    563

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    Took advantage of the warmer temps to sweep out the sugar shack with the shop vac. Also gave everything a preliminary wash with Clorox
    water. Hopefully will finish up a little tubing work on Saturday, need to put on about 50 spiles and set a cage tank. At that point I believe I'll be ready
    to set back and watch the weather.
    115 red maples on vacuum
    100 taps on 5/16 gravity
    35 taps on 3/16 gravity
    50 taps on shurflo vacuum
    about 60 buckets on giant roadside sugars
    neighbor bringing from 45 taps
    30'x 8' Aof/Auf Evaporator
    Homemade 125gph Ro
    Lots of Homemade Equipment!

    http://s848.photobucket.com/albums/a...%20Sugarshack/

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
    Posts
    1,044

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    Another month gone and closer to sugar season. Last 2 weekends have been really good going in the woods. About 75% done line work. We will finish that over the next couple weekends while tapping begins behind us. Nice day out there today, pretty sore because the snowshoeing was good so I worked 9 hours. Up next......February with sap right around the corner!

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