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Thread: July Journal

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Rock Creek, NC
    Posts
    5,807

    Default July Journal

    This is the first time that I've started one of these in a few years.

    Yesterday I put my releaser back together. I had taken it apart to seal up the seam where the connector pipe goes into the manifold. I still need to order the hinge piece for the internal flapper. It didn't survive the trip back up from the woods.

    I removed the pump for the membrane tower so that I can replace the bearings and seals. I need to figure out how to remove the impeller without breaking it to get to the bearing and seal.

    It's hard to believe that it's July already! I hope everyone is having a good summer.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    NE PA (Pocono's)
    Posts
    1,426

    Default

    I tore my bicep towards the end of sugaring season and finally had surgery the beginning of May that that has delayed a lot of jobs including my firewood preparation. But we forge ahead
    Was thrilled with my 3/16ths bush this year, it is about 8 miles south of the home bush and about 800ft lower so it started much earlier than the trees behind the house and ran when it was too cold at home since it was about 6 degrees warmer on average. Diversification is the word if your committed. Find some trees that will run when others don't and extend your season. Might be lower elevation, north facing vs south etc.

    We will see what second year tubing provides and whether the dreaded 3/16ths line plugs show their ugly face
    CDL 2x8
    Around 4000 taps
    Polaris ATVs, Ski Doo snowmobiles to get around
    Atlas Copco pumps
    Lapierre two post RO




    http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/j...Sugar%20shack/

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    I just had a real nice repeat order for customer pick up. 24 bottles of bourbon barrel aged maple syrup, plus 6 half gal dark and 4 pints amber. Orders like that brighten my day. Now I need to deliver more syrup to my one retail outlet. Sales have been good this month, but were slow the previous 2 months. Things started picking up about July 1.
    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
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    1,349

    Default

    Spent an hour today just getting one of my 3/16 lines out of a big beach top and a soft maple tree. My woods got hammered about three weeks ago. I have two lines still up out of six. What a mess. I think I will just abandon one run and put a new one in more to the back of my woods. I just put them up last fall and now I'm redoing almost all of them,,,,,arrrrgggggg

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    Merrill, Wi
    Posts
    341

    Default

    Averaging 4-5 of sleep a day between bottling syrup, making value added products and working full time. I'm happy to say we've reached a point to where we are ordering jars by the pallet... Business is growing quicker than I'd ever expected and I still have to put our expansion in before next season
    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

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,080

    Default

    Sent a care package of maple products to the wife's nephew last week in Afghanistan. I think it is his 4th tour and supposedly his last. Shipping is pretty good compared to anywhere in the US.
    Smoky Lake 2x6 dropflu pans and hoods on homemade arch
    Smoky Lake 6 gallon water jacked bottler
    Concentric Exhaust
    250 Deer Run RO
    325 taps

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,544

    Default

    I sent a package to my grandson 2 weeks ago, he is in his final stage of training to become a Navy Seal.
    Sales have been very good, we are bottling a batch of bourbon barrel aged maple syrup today. I ordered more labels 2 days ago but I still have a few from my last batch. I have decided to add another size bottle because so many are buying multiples when they reorder. Until now I have only filled 200 ml glass, I will also be filling some 375 ml today. I also need to find another freshly emptied 10 gal bourbon barrel to start another batch next month, if I can't find a 10, I may take anything from 5's up to a 15 gal.
    Then next week I hope to get started sawing some hemlock I took down last fall. I need the lumber for 3 building projects, a loft in my shop, an equipment shed off one side of the shop and a blacksmith shop on the back of the shop. Plus I need to build a ventilation cupola on the shop roof to help it stay a little cooler. Another project I need to get going on is dig a trench from the sugarhouse to the shop to run power for a 100A sub-panel in the shop. Lots to do for sure and the heat slows me way down.
    Then in 2019 I hope to build a walk-in-cooler on the 3rd side of the shop
    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. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Millmont,Pa
    Posts
    563

    Default

    I will have to bottle my last 5 gallon jug this weekend. Sales were slow in June, but have really picked up since.
    I have some more wood to get ready, but have been hampered by problems with my neck. I'm going to the surgeon on Monday
    we will see how that turns out.
    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/

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
    Posts
    1,349

    Default

    Been working fire wood. i think I have all my wood done and just cutting ahead. decided to hold off on fixing lines until cooler weather

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
    Posts
    1,041

    Default

    Just filled a nice order for a wedding. 120 glass 200ml bottles to be given away as gifts. Customer picked out the bottles they wanted and we filled'em up. Just in time for the bill from CDL!

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