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Thread: Fall is in the air

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
    Posts
    1,044

    Default Fall is in the air

    Wake up fellow Mainers! Sure felt like a nice fall morning at my house today. Thought about working on sap lines but then realized leaves are still on the trees so went to my real job It won't be long though. Hope everyone is having a good summer in these nutty times.
    305 taps on 2 Shurflo's, 31 taps on 3/16" and 229 taps on gravity. 565 in all
    Mountain Maple S3 controller for 145 of the vacuum taps
    2x6 Darveau Mystique Oil Fired Evaporator w/ Smoky Lake Simplicity Auto Draw
    Wesfab 7” filter press

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Freeport,ME
    Posts
    78

    Default

    Still making plans for the upcoming season. Considering downsizing a bit since I have my RO now.
    Changing any of the gravity to 3/16 this year??

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    Just realize that 3/16 is great in year 1, but it requires more work in the following years. I have quit a bit of 3/16. After the first season it seems to help if you clean the tubing 2x, once shortly after the season and again mid to late fall. I like using 5/16 drops into the 3/16 laterals best. I also change every fitting before every season, after the second cleaning. That way there is very little debris left in the lines to flake off and create a blockage in the tees or connectors.
    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.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
    Posts
    1,044

    Default

    We are going to put 1 small line along a rock wall on 3/16" tubing, about 30 taps with 5/16" drops. Not quite 30' of drop but close so we'll get some vacuum. This line runs unbelievably well and sap yield per tap is double or more over some of our other lines so I am excited to see what we get with vacuum. Easy to replace every 3 years with the drops. That's all I'll ever do 3/16" on. The other bushes are too flat and maples too spread out for it. Other plans are to run all new lines in one bush and add a shurflo. Put solar power to it and to the other bush we had a shurflo on last year. That would give us vacuum in 3 of 4 bushes. If money allows, the 2 shurflo setups will have controllers from Biz on them as well. Had to buy some syrup a couple weeks back but we are inching closer and closer to making what we sell retail which is the goal.
    305 taps on 2 Shurflo's, 31 taps on 3/16" and 229 taps on gravity. 565 in all
    Mountain Maple S3 controller for 145 of the vacuum taps
    2x6 Darveau Mystique Oil Fired Evaporator w/ Smoky Lake Simplicity Auto Draw
    Wesfab 7” filter press

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Norway, Maine
    Posts
    43

    Default

    Looking forward to a good season as well, I ran most of my 3/16 a few weeks back. I've been getting conflicting information, some use 5/16 taps and others 3/16. What do we think the sap yield differential would be year 1? Then would it be different year 2 & 3 as long as we change them out?
    Tucker Adams

    2022 - 105 Taps, 58 on buckets, 40 on shurflo, 5 on 3/16 gravity across southern Maine with primary bush in Norway. Aiming for 30 Gallons this Year.
    2021 - 64 Taps in Norway, ME (mostly on 3/16 tubing) - 16 gallons with a 225 gallon sap donation.
    2x4 AOF/AUF Oil Drum Evaporator with Badgerland Pan
    1/2 finished 12x16 Sugar Shack

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Greenwood, Maine
    Posts
    466

    Default

    Go with 5/16 drops with a 5/16 tap. Stop up this coming weekend we are on the maple tour.
    Brian
    Velvet Hollow Sugarworks
    Greenwood, Maine
    900 taps
    CDL 2X6, leader RO

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Norway, Maine
    Posts
    43

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by western mainer View Post
    Go with 5/16 drops with a 5/16 tap. Stop up this coming weekend we are on the maple tour.
    Brian
    . Would love to join you some weekend in Greenwood. Unfortunately my ACL rebuild has got me propped up for the new few weeks. Hope the Maple Tour goes well for you!
    Tucker Adams

    2022 - 105 Taps, 58 on buckets, 40 on shurflo, 5 on 3/16 gravity across southern Maine with primary bush in Norway. Aiming for 30 Gallons this Year.
    2021 - 64 Taps in Norway, ME (mostly on 3/16 tubing) - 16 gallons with a 225 gallon sap donation.
    2x4 AOF/AUF Oil Drum Evaporator with Badgerland Pan
    1/2 finished 12x16 Sugar Shack

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