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Thread: Scouting trip = history lesson!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Middlesex, Vermont
    Posts
    320

    Default Scouting trip = history lesson!

    Well we have had some gorgeous weather here in VT the last month. It has almost, ALMOST, made up for the mess we had this spring with storms and every few days of rain.
    Yesterday, stevej and I were out for a scouting trip here and stumbled across an awesome old sugaring setup in the woods, long since forgotten. Stevej did some research and thinks it could be late 1800s based on its English tin, folded and hammered/soldered edges and fin type shape.
    Regardless, brought us directly out of hunting mode to looking around for metal buckets and some giant old growth maple stumps! The pics do not do it justice but the rig we figured was approximately 4x12 or so. Also had a lot of old red brick kicking around so we could only assume it had a chimney of some sorts as well. Hope everyone enjoys a blast from the past!



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Mead Maple "It's for the kids..."
    Paul Cerminara
    2019 - First season ever
    -Goal: 3 gallons
    -Season Total: 7.5 gallons - pulled taps after running out of firewood and time
    2020
    Built 2'x8' Oil Fired with Thor drop flue pans
    -Goal: 20 gallons
    -Season Total: 55 gallons

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Wind Lake, WI
    Posts
    520

    Default

    That's a pretty cool find! Thanks for sharing
    42.82N
    2015 - Small operation. 25 buckets. One excited 5 year old and one 35 year old that feels 5 again.
    2016 - One year older. New Homemade 2x4 Arch, Smoky Lake Pan and looking at 52 maples, 17 box elders and 2 walnut trees.
    2017 - Shurflo 4008 hooked to 42 stingy silver maples and a few Norways. A couple buckets on sugars and Norways. 10 box elders.
    2018 - ...a few more taps.
    2019 - ...more taps on 3/16 gravity. This spiral is heading downward in a hurry.
    2020 - 4x400 RO - RB20 (uh-oh!)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    Nice find!
    I have an old english tin flue pan (3x5) that has about 2" deep flues. It has lots of pin holes, but I still use it when I have an open house to help explain what a flue pan is.
    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.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    North Grenville
    Posts
    1,477

    Default

    That is so cool! I don't see lots of timbers laying around so maybe it burned and was just never rebuilt?
    Been tapping since 2008.
    2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
    2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
    2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
    2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
    2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
    2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Middlesex Vermont
    Posts
    655

    Default

    We where running short on time but at some point it would be interesting to see what other debris may exist. We know the old farm house on this property dates back into the 1800s.
    110 taps W.F Mason 2x3 and two turkey friers for finishing

    2011 expanding to a Mason 2x4 with a blower increasing taps to about 200
    2011 Hurricane Irene rips thru my small sugar bush cost me to lose 20% of taps
    2014 I have reworked my lines for 2014
    32 taps on 5/16 line with check valves
    57 taps on 3/16 line with check valves
    55 buckets with total tapped trees of 144

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,391

    Default

    Cut down that little sapling growing in the center of the arch at the base of the stem and count the rings, add about 10 yrs for building up some leaf litter for it to grow in. That would give you an approximate minimum age of abandonment.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Nashville, MI
    Posts
    939

    Default

    I have an old one back in my woods that I just haven't had the heart to clean up yet. I like the feeling of the old stuff setting there upside down waiting for that next season that never came.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Middlesex, Vermont
    Posts
    320

    Default

    I'll do some background research on it with the property owner as well. I got word last night that there's another one in the area as well.
    Mead Maple "It's for the kids..."
    Paul Cerminara
    2019 - First season ever
    -Goal: 3 gallons
    -Season Total: 7.5 gallons - pulled taps after running out of firewood and time
    2020
    Built 2'x8' Oil Fired with Thor drop flue pans
    -Goal: 20 gallons
    -Season Total: 55 gallons

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    North Grenville
    Posts
    1,477

    Default

    there's an abandoned sugar shack with two arches in it, massive old Grimms...however they're in a very well built shed just a minute's walk from my front door :-) Very handy for photo shoots of weird creepy places but sadly not as romantic as stumbling across one in the back woods.
    Been tapping since 2008.
    2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
    2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
    2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
    2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
    2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
    2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Middlesex, Vermont
    Posts
    320

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DrTimPerkins View Post
    Cut down that little sapling growing in the center of the arch at the base of the stem and count the rings, add about 10 yrs for building up some leaf litter for it to grow in. That would give you an approximate minimum age of abandonment.
    Unfortunately the tree is not on property I (or steve J) own. But I know the owners can shed some light on it along with some other neighbors. Next time I'm out there, and that probably won't be long, I'll get some measurements of the tree and species. Didn't even bother to pay attention to that when we were there. My son and I went by again yesterday and there's plenty of bucket remnants, and lots of metal with handles. I might ask the owner about taking a leaf blower with me next time and just using wind to uncover what time has blanketed. That would probably allow for a lot more interesting pictures as well!
    Mead Maple "It's for the kids..."
    Paul Cerminara
    2019 - First season ever
    -Goal: 3 gallons
    -Season Total: 7.5 gallons - pulled taps after running out of firewood and time
    2020
    Built 2'x8' Oil Fired with Thor drop flue pans
    -Goal: 20 gallons
    -Season Total: 55 gallons

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