Still going
Yup, your story sounds familiar. I now have a sugar shack, wood fired double pan boiler, and 160 taps. Started with 15 experimental taps and a big pot over an open fire. Took me all weekend to boil away 15 gallons. I have had pretty good luck with Sap Saks. I've used a few buckets and much prefer the bags. They are just easier to deal with. My bags have been filling this week. I tapped early and thought they were about done already. Nope. They woke up last weekend. They should run some more after this weekend's deep freeze. I'll boil again next weekend and that'll probably be the end. Good luck. I hope you can fight the urge to expand. It gets even the best of us.
2011 15 taps.
2012 40 taps.
2013 100 taps, all sap sacks. Custom built 2x6 wood fired evaporator and sugar shack.
2014 125 taps.
2015 145 taps
2020 175 taps
2021 70 on 3/16 gravity lines 70 on sap saks
2022 100 on 3/16 gravity lines. 40 on saks