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Thread: Hudson Valley

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Catskill Mts, Ulster County NY
    Posts
    602

    Default

    It's so odd that over here in Kingston/Woodstock there was no snow. I did not loose power, but plenty of others did.

    Boiled all afternoon yesterday and now pretty much all caught up.
    Gary / Zena Crossroads / 42˚ 00' 24" N / Hobby in Early '70s, Addiction since 2014

    175+ taps on 3/16 (60 of which are on two Lunchbox Vac/Releasers)
    12x34 timber framed sap house w/attached 10x34 shed roof for storage
    2 x 6 Smoky Lake hybrid pan on Corsair arch with AUF/steam hood/preheater/concentric exhaust
    7.0 KW Sun Power PV System, Smokey Lake Filter Press/Steam Bottler, Modified NGMP RO - 2 4x40 posts 200 gph

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Dutchess County NY
    Posts
    71

    Default

    Up to 30" of snow so far this month and the sap is flowing good. Sugar content is rising, mostly 2% now. Still can not get to 10 buckets that are in the woods. Collected 90 gallons from the other 20 in the last 4 days. Thinking about taking next week off to get-er done.
    2014 - 6 Taps (and some borrowed sap) - Barrel evaporator - 1 1/2 Gallons syrup
    2015 - 30 taps - block arch -7.5 gallons syrup
    2016 - 20 taps- fire bricked arch - 5 gallons syrup
    2017 - 20 Taps- still boiling outside - 5 gallons of syrup
    2018 - 30 Taps - Mason 2x4 XL inside Garage - 10 gal. syrup
    2019 - 2 Taps - Propane stove and pot - 1 pint syrup
    2020 - 4 Taps - Propane Stove and pot - 3 Pints syrup
    2021 - 6 Taps - Stove/Smokey Lake Star Cat evaporator - 8 Pints syrup

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Hillsdale, New York
    Posts
    4

    Default Tapping Now?

    Last year was my first time tapping and I tapped in late January. With how crazy the weather is this year, is anyone considering tapping earlier? Some people in the other NY threads have tapped early, but I'm concerned with how warm the weather has been.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    Where in NY are you? In the warmer areas many are tapping now, if in the colder regions it will be a while. Give us more info on where you are, it will help us answer all of your questions much better.
    Dave
    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.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Hillsdale, New York
    Posts
    4

    Default

    I'm in Columbia County near Hillsdale. It's been pretty warm around where I am. Thanks a lot.
    Also Dave

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Hillsdale, New York
    Posts
    4

    Default

    I got about 85 gallons of 3.5% sap off of 27 taps this past week. Really happy we had the freeze in mid February.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Holmes, NY
    Posts
    26

    Default

    First Timer here!
    I'm in the Holmes NY ( Pawling ) and I put in 6 taps on Feb 20th , each with 5 gallon food-grade plastic buckes, and on the 24th had 10.5 gallons of sap to boil. Sorry , no starting % was done.
    Being a newbie I hadn't anticipated I'd need to move quickly ( didn't want to overflow my buckets ) so I pulled out my beer brew pot and boiled it down on a propane King Cooker ( from my beer rig ). Boiled it all down with about a half tank of propane , and finished the last 3/4 gallon indoors on the gas stove. Total time about 9 hours, and I ended up with a bit over a quart. I like the results ( hey, it's my first time!), but find my first batch to be very light in color, very sweet but not the deep maple flavor I enjoy. I did the final pull based on the boiling temperature increase ( and also since bubbles started to cover the pot and rise in the pot ), but maybe I should boil down a bit more? Or is this light flavor and color because it's early sap? Will later batches this season give me more robust flavor and color?
    Thanks!!

    --Peter20190224_145444.jpg

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Holmes, NY
    Posts
    26

    Default

    March 11, 2019 in Holmes NY , Dutchess County. Last week we had quite a cold snap--single digits in the evening, and only in the teens in the daytime for 3-4 days in a row. I checked my 6 buckets today ( in the 40's all day ) and found massive ice cylinders in each one, but they were loose. Using the applejack analogy, I tossed the ice out of each, hoping that what's left is more concentrated. Ice was at least 1/3 to 1/2 of the volume in each bucket. I was tossing probably 1-2 gallons of ice out of each bucket. Hopefully that wasn't a dumb move.
    Any comments on this practice? Is this the poor man's RO?
    Hopefully another boil this weekend--this time instead of my propane burner I'll build my cinder block arch, but will keep 10 gallons on propane to feed my 4 inch deep Vollrath full-size SuperPan 2 steam trays (x2)

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    At those percentages of ice to liquid you did the right thing. The ice contained only a trace of sugar, the liquid held the bulk of the sugar. You just used the poor man's RO effectively and saved plenty of time and fuel.
    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.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Broome County NY
    Posts
    12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by PeterHolmes View Post
    March 11, 2019 in Holmes NY , Dutchess County. Last week we had quite a cold snap--single digits in the evening, and only in the teens in the daytime for 3-4 days in a row. I checked my 6 buckets today ( in the 40's all day ) and found massive ice cylinders in each one, but they were loose. Using the applejack analogy, I tossed the ice out of each, hoping that what's left is more concentrated. Ice was at least 1/3 to 1/2 of the volume in each bucket. I was tossing probably 1-2 gallons of ice out of each bucket. Hopefully that wasn't a dumb move.
    Any comments on this practice? Is this the poor man's RO?
    Hopefully another boil this weekend--this time instead of my propane burner I'll build my cinder block arch, but will keep 10 gallons on propane to feed my 4 inch deep Vollrath full-size SuperPan 2 steam trays (x2)
    Pete- you did the right thing. In this forum go to MAPLE TALK and under the heading ITS ALL ABOUT MAPLE SYRUP AND JUST SYRUP look at the thread SUGAR CONTENT it may help you. Using a sap hydrometer can be time consuming but you learn a lot first hand.
    2016 1st year open fire pit 2.25 gallons
    2017 open fire pit with tarp around it 4.5 gallons
    2018 built shed and homemade evaporator 8 gallons
    2019 7.75 gallons

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