No action up north yet still frozen solid and 3ft of snow.
+7*C and rain today and looking better next week although it may be awhile before the roots thaw with all this snow.
Gives me time to test my barrel arch I just finished 20190303_130526.jpg
No action up north yet still frozen solid and 3ft of snow.
+7*C and rain today and looking better next week although it may be awhile before the roots thaw with all this snow.
Gives me time to test my barrel arch I just finished 20190303_130526.jpg
Just got back from our cabin (near mattawa) agreed, winter is still healthy up there. Nice work on your new arch!
2022 - 21 taps: 470 litres of sap / 15.75 litres of syrup (stopped season short)
2021 - took the season off
2020 - 20 taps: 524 litres of sap / 18.75 litres of syrup
2019 - 14 taps: 416 litres of sap / 15.25 litres of syrup
2018 - 9 taps (309 litres) + a generous neighbour (114 litres): 423 litres of sap / 14.5 litres of syrup
2017 - 4 taps: 55 litres of sap / 1.5 litres of syrup (just enough to get us hooked)
www.fort-wisers.ca
Thanks Fort Wisers,
Did a few mods this weekend, added an auf using 2" threaded black iron screwed into the barrel bung hole, connected to a piece of flexible exhaust pipe, all removeable, which then goes into a 2" hole in a piece of 2x8 wood, fastened to a 12 volt dc old truck heater fan I had lying around with the off, low, med., high switch, man does that get the fire roaring. I will have to see how the battery holds up if I use it sparingly when I add wood. For backup, I have a 6 Amp 110volt small shop floor/leaf blower I picked up at Canadian tire for under $10 (in store clearance), just don't really want to go that route as I have no electricity at my shack unless I run extra long extension cords. Also added more firebrick and a stepup firebrick as a baffle on the channel under my flue steam pan to slow the heat instead of just having it go straight out the flue.
May also remove the gasket I have siliconed on as a pan sealer and just stuff the little gaps with aluminum foil to keep the heat and smoke contained.
All this with most materials I had lying around and a lot of research/reading on mapletrader for guidance/ideas.
Now I have ants in my pants and need sap.
-20 last night but the next 2 weeks are looking real good, here's hoping it's not another spring like last for us Northerners.
20190315_144058.jpg20190315_143919.jpg
Sounds awesome!
Any sap yet your way? My brother is up near North bay and is wondering about tapping soon.....
A lot of snow this year.
2022 - 21 taps: 470 litres of sap / 15.75 litres of syrup (stopped season short)
2021 - took the season off
2020 - 20 taps: 524 litres of sap / 18.75 litres of syrup
2019 - 14 taps: 416 litres of sap / 15.25 litres of syrup
2018 - 9 taps (309 litres) + a generous neighbour (114 litres): 423 litres of sap / 14.5 litres of syrup
2017 - 4 taps: 55 litres of sap / 1.5 litres of syrup (just enough to get us hooked)
www.fort-wisers.ca
No, just put a test tap today on a southerly sunny tree at +5 but still nothing.
Night temps are still in the -10 to-20 past couple nights and snow tonight.
Snow banks are going down but the Bush snow is not.
Thanks for the update, much appreciated....I'm sure you're itching to get your rig fired up.
I'm sure that AUF addition will help your evap rates!
Good luck this season
2022 - 21 taps: 470 litres of sap / 15.75 litres of syrup (stopped season short)
2021 - took the season off
2020 - 20 taps: 524 litres of sap / 18.75 litres of syrup
2019 - 14 taps: 416 litres of sap / 15.25 litres of syrup
2018 - 9 taps (309 litres) + a generous neighbour (114 litres): 423 litres of sap / 14.5 litres of syrup
2017 - 4 taps: 55 litres of sap / 1.5 litres of syrup (just enough to get us hooked)
www.fort-wisers.ca
Sap soon I hope. Tapped 42 yesterday and had some moisture / pooling at tap holes on south facing taps. Have a new home made RO to test out this year , maybe save some wood
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Nice looking operation.....we're hoping over the next few years to get a sugar shack built at our cabin in Mattawan Twp and move all our equipment there.....good to hear from a "fellow neighbor"
Good luck with the new RO, my brother in-law just built one as well but has to test it out.
Best of luck on your season.
2022 - 21 taps: 470 litres of sap / 15.75 litres of syrup (stopped season short)
2021 - took the season off
2020 - 20 taps: 524 litres of sap / 18.75 litres of syrup
2019 - 14 taps: 416 litres of sap / 15.25 litres of syrup
2018 - 9 taps (309 litres) + a generous neighbour (114 litres): 423 litres of sap / 14.5 litres of syrup
2017 - 4 taps: 55 litres of sap / 1.5 litres of syrup (just enough to get us hooked)
www.fort-wisers.ca
SmartSelect_20190321-141317_Facebook.jpg
Dont have this problem in the South!!
2023 - 130 taps, 90L from 4,000L as of mid March
2021 - 84 taps, 50L from 2100L
2020 - 100 taps on buckets, 21L syrup from 2700L so far (FEB 26-Mar 13) and then the pandemic hit! End of our season!
2019 - 62 taps on buckets, 95L syrop from 3215L sap
2018 - 62 taps, collecting by hand, 90L syrop from 3200L sap
2017 - Lapierre Waterloo Small mini pro with 40 taps
2014 - 2016 40 taps making one or two batches on a 2x6 flat pan over an open arch as it would have been done in 1900
Ouch that hurt