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Thread: Willow Creek Sugarhouse 2019

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
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    east kingston, nh
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    yeah sucks I'm hobbling around slow going but getting it done. yes Russ Pretty painful. Gonna hit the doc after maple season. I'll make lots of advil. Still exercising it that seems to help get through work which I am on my feet all day.

    Trees are still slow going. Wind didn't help much today but the trees are beginning to get a bit of a ring since the sun is warm so thats nice and sap finally coming in a little better. Not Quite enough to sweeten, looking forward to the big warm up to really get things going.

    Got everything running across the street today after finally getting the darn vac line free of the ice. Kicked my a$$ last night. Ended up splicing it an adding a piece. but its good now got that online fixed a few leaks installed a new saddle found 2 hollow trees pulled those and vac is pretty steady at 26.5" happy with that for now. had to adjust a sap ladder to a loss of .5" but better vac transfer past the ladder so thats the trade off. but getting more sap on those 120 taps. a little more thawing and we should need some swimmies I hope anyway.

    worked on cleaning the sugarhouse a little and bring some wood in setup the filter press. I think I am just about ready a few little things but close very close. just need a little more sap.

    Have fun everybody
    may your sap be at 3%
    Brad

    www.willowcreeksugarhouse.com
    585 or so on Vacuum, about 35 on buckets/sap sacs
    Atlas Copco GVS 25A Rotary Vane vacuum pump
    MES horizontal electric releaser
    2x6 ss phaneuf Drop flue, Leader woodsaver blower, homemade hood
    300gph H2O RO
    husquvarna 562 XP
    Its Here!!! 2024 season is here get busy!!!

  2. #22
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    Apr 2009
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    east kingston, nh
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    ah yes the first boil out of the way. ended up with 444 gallons(nice round number). sugar is high too. averaging I think about 1.75%, bucket sap was 2.25% but there was only 45 gallons of that, across the street I collected 75 gallons and that was about 2% (that is about 66% sugar maples and the remaining are reds) and combine that with my 1.33 remaining vac sap on my reds over here. I wasn't expecting to draw off as it usually takes just over 500 gallons of raw sap to get a draw off and took off about 2 gallons. so that was very nice. looks like its dark but a lighter dark just about amber.

    Even with early sap (which isn't always the best sap some line clean out stuff and holding it for a little longer) I got it up to 16% easy. which really made for a quick boil after filling the rig and sugar rinse I ended up with about 35 to 40ish gallons to boil. It does take a little bit longer to boil when you aren't really drawing off just the 2 gallons right at the end.

    I was surprised how good that sap was coming especially with very little sun and since it got down to 22*F here the night before. I think the trees are just starting to wake up. Even some of the bigger roadside trees arent awake yet but when they run they run. This warm up should get things going for sure. Nice rings around the trees now. Guessing the the sugar will drop and syrup will darken by saturday but hoping for a good run!!!

    Didn't freeze here last night it is bouncing around 32*F this morning. Left the vac pump on last night as it was still coming a little at 35*F last night. curious to see if it was worth it.
    may your sap be at 3%
    Brad

    www.willowcreeksugarhouse.com
    585 or so on Vacuum, about 35 on buckets/sap sacs
    Atlas Copco GVS 25A Rotary Vane vacuum pump
    MES horizontal electric releaser
    2x6 ss phaneuf Drop flue, Leader woodsaver blower, homemade hood
    300gph H2O RO
    husquvarna 562 XP
    Its Here!!! 2024 season is here get busy!!!

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Rock Creek, NC
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    Similar situation here. I had 440 gallons for my first boil. Got it sweetened to 12% in one pass and boiled for an hour and 10 minutes. Drew off about a gallon of Amber which may be Golden when it's filtered.

    It's showing 31* here this morning and like you I left the vacuum pump on last night. Went out at 12:45 to shut it off and found that the ground was still soft and the temp at 33*.
    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!

  4. #24
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    Apr 2009
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    east kingston, nh
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    ended up getting about 100 gallons on the overnight so that was a nice surprise . sap was coming much slower but only managed 275 gallons total with the over night and that was by 10pm. so no boil.

    so got about 75 gal on the over night last night another good surprise. I am hoping for a little more than 600 gallons by the time I finish processing all the sap

    The stuff I made the other night very good flavor and after the crap settled out (not filtered yet) i did a quick test and 55 on the meter... so nice amber. I will heat this and filter tonight.

    in the mean time while waiting for sap I have been getting lots of stuff done and made for maple weekend. I won't be boiling Saturday or Sunday so hoping to get the rest of the stuff made. and get things cleaned up outside he sugarhouse after we get some more snow melt.

    My son has a basketball game sunday afternoon. his team made it to the final championship game. thankfully all of the end of season awards and championship games are on the 31st and not Maple weekend!!! phew...

    Ok off to the sap!!!
    may your sap be at 3%
    Brad

    www.willowcreeksugarhouse.com
    585 or so on Vacuum, about 35 on buckets/sap sacs
    Atlas Copco GVS 25A Rotary Vane vacuum pump
    MES horizontal electric releaser
    2x6 ss phaneuf Drop flue, Leader woodsaver blower, homemade hood
    300gph H2O RO
    husquvarna 562 XP
    Its Here!!! 2024 season is here get busy!!!

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    east kingston, nh
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    my estimate of 600 gallons was a little off. missed out on some sap across the street having releaser issues. my old hobby releaser acting up. dumps but won't break vacuum to reset. doesn't like vacuum over 23-24" which worked perfect for years but now that the system is tight enough and running at 26.5-27.25 it just doesn;t like that. I am gonna try a few more things see if I can get it to work. got rethink it for next year. as well as new set up for my woods here. If I go to an electric releaser I can move the whole set up closer to the sugarhouse. and use my bigger mechanical over there. Had to leave extra sap in the tank because of rising water from the snow melt and rain.

    So boiled out 450 gallons and made some syrup jumped right to dark. gonna filter out the niter out of the back pan today always lots of niter from the sweetening boil and always goes much lighter after I do that. Light on bucket sap too since there hasn't been a freeze in some time. and light sap across the street sugar was lower so didn't make as much syrup. good boil over all though. sap was beautiful nice and crystal clear was able to concentrate to about 16.5-17% first time I ever went that high. what a difference in the amount of concentrate in just a few points there. the last few years I going to 14-15 but 16-17 quite a bit less boiling. need to keep the membranes very clean and do a flushing with some permeate about 3/4 the way through the recirc to keep the good flow. I start it at about 200psi and goes to about 250 psi by the time it hits around 15-16%

    I felt bad for my son yesterday when we were collecting buckets. he was carrying a bucket about 3/4 full and tripped on a vine did a face plant in the mud. spilled most of the sap. He felt bad but we've all been there!! I lost a full buckets once walking through deep snow foot went through a soft spot got my foot caught between 2 rock and lost both buckets. ooops!!!

    and oh yeah my oberdorfer pump on my filter press is going. so need to order one ASAP. It was tough getting the syrup through. It was a little slow last year but I didn;t think anything of it. but trying to filter yesterday was SLLLOOOOWWWW.... and the pressure never went past 50psi. just not enough gusto to get it through the press. I mean there was alot of niter but even charging the press was tough going. and I like to filter my syrup pan at the end of the night and that was slow too and that was thinner and hotter. I noticed it being a little chattery too.

    oh well hope everyone got some boiling done. Freeze tonight and good sap weather on the way. Should make for a fun week. need lots of syrup by next weekend.
    may your sap be at 3%
    Brad

    www.willowcreeksugarhouse.com
    585 or so on Vacuum, about 35 on buckets/sap sacs
    Atlas Copco GVS 25A Rotary Vane vacuum pump
    MES horizontal electric releaser
    2x6 ss phaneuf Drop flue, Leader woodsaver blower, homemade hood
    300gph H2O RO
    husquvarna 562 XP
    Its Here!!! 2024 season is here get busy!!!

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Rock Creek, NC
    Posts
    5,807

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    Replace your Oberdorfer pump with an air operated diaphragm pump. I replaced the hand pump on mine with AOD pump years ago and love it. It's good to hear that you made some syrup. I made almost enough to restock my shelves. Looks like good weather ahead.
    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!

  7. #27
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    Apr 2009
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    east kingston, nh
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    I made some syrup. not enough to restock yet. very slow yesterday 140 gallons and today so far maybe 25. just not enough sun and only 38*.

    i think what I am gonna do actually in a few minutes. is pull out the old bullet proof sp2 and hook that up. run that line into it and that one runs a constant 23-24" then the releaser should work perfectly. never had an issue when it ran at the lower vac. but I don;t want to sacrifice any sap because I have to run 75 on a lower vac. I will loose sap in my woods. hopefully it will work.
    may your sap be at 3%
    Brad

    www.willowcreeksugarhouse.com
    585 or so on Vacuum, about 35 on buckets/sap sacs
    Atlas Copco GVS 25A Rotary Vane vacuum pump
    MES horizontal electric releaser
    2x6 ss phaneuf Drop flue, Leader woodsaver blower, homemade hood
    300gph H2O RO
    husquvarna 562 XP
    Its Here!!! 2024 season is here get busy!!!

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    Rock Creek, NC
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    The sap didn't start running until almost 2 here this afternoon. When it started it came in hard and fast. It wasn't the best run that I've ever seen but it's the best I've seen this season.

    UVM did a study on vacuum levels and sap production a while back and found that 24" was where you get the best results. I don't think you'll leave as much in the woods at those vacuum levels as you will with a malfunctioning releaser.
    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!

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    east kingston, nh
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    I did get the old BB2 working again basically the same as the sp11 I think. good bullet proof old pump. I maxed it out at about 280 taps a few years ago took too long to catch up when the releaser dumped. So I put it all back together switched back the the wiring to the right direction for the setup added oil and ran a little rough but once it warmed up ran great got everything hooked up and on 75 taps very tight system guess what pulling 27" so the releaser dumps once the pressure drops to 24" pop... the releaser resets. So I am just gonna go with that for now. I think I am gonna throw in a little regulator and get it down to 24" so there is no hang up at all just to get through the season.

    Managed only 141 gallons sat. 146 gallons yesterday and only 50 gallons by 3pm today although the sap is still coming in really strong strongest I have seen all season and it only got 38 to 39* and its pretty windy here too. but gonna hold off and do a bigger boil tomorrow. with sap across the street and buckets are filling should have a good amount. took a few days though. OK gotta start cleaning up outside and get more confections done. I think I just have to make a little l more sugar and I am done. just need to package candy, and label stuff. Oh need to bottle some honey too. and yes bottle what ever syrup I can gather too.
    may your sap be at 3%
    Brad

    www.willowcreeksugarhouse.com
    585 or so on Vacuum, about 35 on buckets/sap sacs
    Atlas Copco GVS 25A Rotary Vane vacuum pump
    MES horizontal electric releaser
    2x6 ss phaneuf Drop flue, Leader woodsaver blower, homemade hood
    300gph H2O RO
    husquvarna 562 XP
    Its Here!!! 2024 season is here get busy!!!

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Sunapee, NH
    Posts
    330

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    I have an old SP-11 I got from Parker 10 years ago. I have it on 300 taps. All she does is run every year, without fail with no issues. Oh and maintains 20"+ of vacuum.
    Leader 3x8 Patriot raised flue
    800 taps on vacuum
    100 buckets around the yard
    A lot of help to make it fun

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