156 taps all sacks and buckets hung Saturday, trying to get this early run...over 200 gallons of sap this morning, haven't tested the sugar level yet...boiling soon.
156 taps all sacks and buckets hung Saturday, trying to get this early run...over 200 gallons of sap this morning, haven't tested the sugar level yet...boiling soon.
2016:100 taps added a JD 1023 sub compact tractor
2015:break (new baby)
2014: 70 taps, replaced my concrete arch with a manufactured
2013: Added 15 more taps and a 18x24 warming pan
2012 : 36 Taps, 2x4 divided pan on a concrete arch
2006-07: Assisted an 'Old Timer' with 200 tapps, and his wood fired evaporator up in Wis.
1986-1993: 5 taps, Boiled on a wood stove in Northern Mich.
Well, made about six gallons in the last week...now it's going to get cold again, figured it would but it looks like this cold spell might last 3 weeks or more...hope we don't have a short season where it goes from really cold to full on spring/now it's time to plant, glad I started early, in case the regular season only lasts a week or two. Guess we'll find out when it gets here.
2016:100 taps added a JD 1023 sub compact tractor
2015:break (new baby)
2014: 70 taps, replaced my concrete arch with a manufactured
2013: Added 15 more taps and a 18x24 warming pan
2012 : 36 Taps, 2x4 divided pan on a concrete arch
2006-07: Assisted an 'Old Timer' with 200 tapps, and his wood fired evaporator up in Wis.
1986-1993: 5 taps, Boiled on a wood stove in Northern Mich.
Yeah the weather doesn't look like it will be good again untill the last week of Feb. Probably gonna finish up the sweet in my pan this evening when I get off work, and clean my pan and storage tanks
I finished off what was left in the syrup pan in the evaporator at the house and looks like everything will be on pause for a while. It was the first January syrup we made before and it was nice to run everything and know it is working.
Sap is just starting to flow but I got 200 Gallons this morning...trees have finally thawed out again...should be a great week!
2016:100 taps added a JD 1023 sub compact tractor
2015:break (new baby)
2014: 70 taps, replaced my concrete arch with a manufactured
2013: Added 15 more taps and a 18x24 warming pan
2012 : 36 Taps, 2x4 divided pan on a concrete arch
2006-07: Assisted an 'Old Timer' with 200 tapps, and his wood fired evaporator up in Wis.
1986-1993: 5 taps, Boiled on a wood stove in Northern Mich.
Thanks Valmere, I'll be trying those out next year. Perfect timing, I almost completely depleted my current bottle supply. Andrew, what size bottle are you using? I'm using 8 oz. I was planning on selling at farmers market (where my wife sells bread) for $8, but may up it to $10.
2014 - 30 taps
2015 - 50 taps
2016 - 140 taps
2017 - 115 taps - 85 taps on 3/16, 30 buckets
2018 - 150 taps, all 3/16
Smokey Lake 2x3
Homemade 2x XLE-4040 RO Unit
Kubota L3940 - big sap hauler
Polaris Sportsman 570 SP - little sap hauler
I'm 1:20 remote from sugarbush, so I let run awhile between boils, and time is at a premium, so I try to oversize things
All vaccumm taps in and full throttle. Already RO about 400 gallons and boiled off and will have another 400 by morning. If there was a perfect forecast the next 10 days look like it. Get some sleep while you can. Good luck!
2011 forest inventory
2012 feet wet with 30 taps
2012 friends 2x4 pan
2013 all in 250 taps on buckets
2013 Patrick Phenauf 2x6 with steam hood
2014 350 on vac and buckets
2014 Indiana Vacuum 20cfm
2014 Deer Valley RO250gph
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Valme...18208831548247
I hadn’t looked at weather, I could get another run in this week. Not sure I’m still up for it. I’m down at my land this weekend, but was here to clean up and start flushing my lines. I pulled my RO membranes and put them in storage; but I could pull them out and re-flush them. Doubt I will, but will look at trees tomorrow to see if there are signs of budding. Flower bulbs are up, so it’s close to done. Plus, already in enough political heat for being gone from home too much; so pretty sure I’m done.
2014 - 30 taps
2015 - 50 taps
2016 - 140 taps
2017 - 115 taps - 85 taps on 3/16, 30 buckets
2018 - 150 taps, all 3/16
Smokey Lake 2x3
Homemade 2x XLE-4040 RO Unit
Kubota L3940 - big sap hauler
Polaris Sportsman 570 SP - little sap hauler
I'm 1:20 remote from sugarbush, so I let run awhile between boils, and time is at a premium, so I try to oversize things
Personally, I would put not being up for it and political heat tied at the top of the list - lol! Excited about two things...my first batch was off due to mold not being flushed out but I took it down to sugar. My wife is blending it with coconut and almond oil and some other things and has made a maple scrub that all her friends want to buy...a new reason to boil everything, even if not good for syrup. She is selling 3 ounces for $15 and has already used up all my "off" sugar. Second, just made a fantastic batch of maple bourbon. Can't give away all my secrets, but it's Jim Beam based with two other bourbons and then about 10 ounces of syrup to make a little over 2 liters of bourbon...pretty tasty!
2014 - 8 taps, turkey fryer, 130 gallons sap, just under 2.5 gallons syrup.
2015 - 50 taps and counting.
2016 - 60 taps on 3/16 and a Bill Mason evaporator on order.
2017 - 115 taps on 3/16, homemade r/o.
2018 - 150 taps on 3/16, r/o a big help, but lots of leaks killing yield.
2019 - sticking with 150 taps or maybe less, focusing on good vacuum and less waste to increase yield. Doubling up my r/o, and made a vacuum filter that looks promising.
Valmere Farms, good luck on your season up north, we're done down here in the south. If you don't mind sharing, where do you get your printed bottles?
2014 - 30 taps
2015 - 50 taps
2016 - 140 taps
2017 - 115 taps - 85 taps on 3/16, 30 buckets
2018 - 150 taps, all 3/16
Smokey Lake 2x3
Homemade 2x XLE-4040 RO Unit
Kubota L3940 - big sap hauler
Polaris Sportsman 570 SP - little sap hauler
I'm 1:20 remote from sugarbush, so I let run awhile between boils, and time is at a premium, so I try to oversize things