September Journal
The cooler weather has started making it easier to get work done outside. Unlike 2 years and more ago, I still have more wood to buck and split, however most of what I'll be burning is basswood. Basswood splits easily and dries very quickly. Even what little I have to do yet will be good to burn for the 2020 season. The logs have been cut for 3 years and stacked off the ground, but still hold quite a bit of moisture. I split everything to wrist size and stack it under the 3' overhang on the sugarhouse where it dries well.
This coming season I'll be cutting back on taps. My one remaining lease was up for sale, but now the landowner, who will be retiring in Dec 2020 says he wants to do it himself. He doesn't know yet if he wants to just sell the sap or if he will boil it too. I told him I would process on shares or maybe even buy the sap outright. I can process more, it's just a little too much for me to get all the pre-season repairs done and then keep up with any leaks. Much of his ground is 45-55% slope and my old legs get tired too fast.
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.