I'll give you a tip. I keep a thermos of hot water or sap that I keep my hydrometer in when I'm making syrup. It keeps it clean and hot..[/QUOTE]
THIS is a very good tip, do not rinse your hydrometer in cold water- it will crack. I know this lol
I'll give you a tip. I keep a thermos of hot water or sap that I keep my hydrometer in when I'm making syrup. It keeps it clean and hot..[/QUOTE]
THIS is a very good tip, do not rinse your hydrometer in cold water- it will crack. I know this lol
'12 15 jugs - Steam pans
'17 125 3/16 - 18" x 72" drop flue on homemade arch
'18 240 3/16 - Deer Run 125
'19 450 3/16 - Converted RO to electric/added a membrane
'20 600 3/16 - Maple Pro 2x6 Raised Flue, added AOF/AUF
'21 570 3/16 - Built steam hood, Smoky Lake filter press
'22 800 3/16 - Upgraded RO to 4 4x40
'23 500 3/16 - Re-plumbed RO, new "Guzzler"
'24 500 3/16 - Steam Away, DIY 8x40 RO
I use a 2x4 WSE and let it freeze, sometimes for days and have never had problems. To shut down I’ll draw a 5g pail of sap & set it aside before I start to boil. When the tank is close to empty I fire only with softwood. Once the tank is empty I’ll, let the fire go out, draw off a gallon of sweet and flood the pans with the 5g pail of sap. The embers and heat in the firebrick will steam the pans for a while and will loosen any niter.
2013 Started with 6 used buckets, 6 sap sacks, concrete block fire pit in the woods and a 20g Agway galvanized tub for boiling - made 8 quarts campfire grade syrup and got hooked. Over the years I acquired or built a 2x6 Leader evaporator, 20x30 barn/sugar house, home-built RO with 1-4x40 membrane and Kubota L3200 with log winch. In 2020 I was certified by VT Audubon as a bird-friendly producer.
2021 250 taps on 11- 3/16" lines hoping for 80 gal.
Out of control hobby, not a business!
This is great! THANK YOU for sharing
very helpful thread, thanks to all.
Heat lamp is good idea
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