The flow has been pathetic over the past few days but the temperatures have hovered around freezing. I expect it to flow this weekend with a high of 40*, and then gush on Monday when the temps are above 50*. I just hope my silver maples don't bud
The flow has been pathetic over the past few days but the temperatures have hovered around freezing. I expect it to flow this weekend with a high of 40*, and then gush on Monday when the temps are above 50*. I just hope my silver maples don't bud
2021: 28 taps. 18"x36" flat pan and dual natural gas burners.
2020: 31 taps. 3 full size steam table pans on a custom 6x water heater natural gas burner setup.
2019: 31 taps on silvers. Back porch gas cook top with 2 full size steam table pans. An amazing 14.9 gallons in my backyard!
2018: 22 taps on 9 silvers. Propane turkey fryer and full size steam table pan on electric stove. I made 4.25 gallons in my backyard!
Dave Barker
2014 30 taps, steam tray pans
2015 ~100 taps, in conjunction with University of Louisville
2x5 Smoky Lake hybrid pan
2022 150 taps
Well for all the grumbling about small runs now it's too much sap in a sap tsunami. Had 100 gallons this morning and the lines are all running like freight trains all day so tomorrow I may just drown in sap. I managed to get the 100 gallons done with 10 left for cool down in 6.5 hrs so that's pretty efficient for my little full pint (just shy of 14 gal /hr). Sugar has not come back up though, I'm averaging 1.3 -1.5%. It's making good medium and so far filtering pretty well. It looks like a big sap week and then temps in mid 50s to 60 next week. I may just call it a season if it gets that warm and I have at least 15 gallon made. Sitting at just under 10 now and my pan is super sweet, so tomorrow will be a big day if I live through it.
125-150 taps
Smokey Lakes Full pint Hybrid pan
Modified half pint arch
Air over fire
All 3/16 tubing
Southern Ohio
So I have 52 taps in 43 trees. So far I made 9.9 gallons of syrup. It's been an ok year! The flow right now is spectacular. Should have another 60 -80 gallons ofsap by morning. Going to be a long couple days.
Just passed the 100gal mark of sap on 41 taps and having a very low sugar content around 1%. Thank goodness for RO it’s saving me a bunch of time boiling it down. Hoping to draw off next boil and I will see how much syrup I have doubt it will be over 2gal.
Buckeye I know how you felt. Fired pump up afternoon of 9th. had brought up 600 gallon sap by evening of 11th. got little over 30 gallon syrup so far, sugar at 1.6%. looks like this Sunday thru Tuesday be another long run of pump.
Niter has gotten pretty bad right now.
24"x57" homemade evaporator
with forced air
24"x24" syrup pan with hood
24"x33" drop flue pan with hood and pre-heater
Homemade 12 gallon canner with steam heater
UV light for 2011
homemade RO for 2012 (no more raw sap for me)
Added 2nd RO membrane in 2013
Gas powered Gast Vacuum Pump
Built RO room for 2020
MFarmall - Did you get those squirrels spiced up
I had over 100 gallons of sap three days in a row off 78 taps on 3/16th. The biggest day was 130 gallons, but I pushed my little evaporator to the limits and got it all done in daylight hours each day. I finally just give up on the 40 early taps, because the main woods was producing so well. If this coming week does what I think it will I'll call it quits at the end of the week. I'm just shy of 14 gallon now with a super sweet pan that I probably should have drawn off of yesterday. I'm guessing there's at least a half gallon sitting in it ready to draw.
125-150 taps
Smokey Lakes Full pint Hybrid pan
Modified half pint arch
Air over fire
All 3/16 tubing
Southern Ohio
Got them spiced up where they are the worst. Have to get back and check if need to do it again after next rain. Must be working, last year could tell with vacuum dropping they were busy. Find holes and fix them. So far vac levels holding where started.
24"x57" homemade evaporator
with forced air
24"x24" syrup pan with hood
24"x33" drop flue pan with hood and pre-heater
Homemade 12 gallon canner with steam heater
UV light for 2011
homemade RO for 2012 (no more raw sap for me)
Added 2nd RO membrane in 2013
Gas powered Gast Vacuum Pump
Built RO room for 2020
Glad to hear your making some headway against the bushy tailed devils. I had to declare all out war after they eat all my peaches last year and chewed up so much line.
125-150 taps
Smokey Lakes Full pint Hybrid pan
Modified half pint arch
Air over fire
All 3/16 tubing
Southern Ohio