Still running nice and clear in Willington. Hoping to get a few more days
Still running nice and clear in Willington. Hoping to get a few more days
Willington CT
2020 - 220 taps bags and lines in newly thinned Bush
2019 - 80 taps bags. 11 gallons syrup
RO - NGMP
CDL 9” vacuum filter
Lapierre mini pro
2020 - 1st year - 14 taps 1 Gallon Jugs + 4x 5-Gallon Buckets + Propane Grill + lots of headaches
2021 - 2nd year - 19 Taps (and some free sap from a friend in the same town!) 145 or so OZ
2022 - 3rd year - 46 taps (3 at home, 2 at neighbors, 38 at friends, and 3 at work) added ROBucket RB10, and Silver Creek 18x34x6 Divided Maple Syrup Pan w/warming Pan+Valve+Thermometer 6 Gallons 6 OZ!
2023 And we grow some more... Starting with OldPostMaple.com!
pulled my taps today. I dumped 40 gallons of clear sap which was still just a hair under 2%. I boiled Friday and Saturday to finish the season. 13 gallons. It was a fast and fun season!
41.457 x -72.907 148 elevation
2x4 wood fired evaporator with the "Hercules Blower"
hybrid pan and backflip preheater by Smoky Lake
103 taps. 44 on gravity
All sugar Maples
7" filter press
10 x 12 sugar shack
two very helpful kids
a wife that thinks I'm nuts
https://youtu.be/7MiY8qzBKk8
https://www.wunderground.com/persona...d?ID=KCTCHESH7
Done for the season - pulled the taps on the buckets yesterday. It was so nice not to come home and first thing have to collect! Boiled sat and sunday, drained as much as I could from the pan and then flooded it with the last remaining sap. Still have to finish and bottle. I had a little over 5 gal from the previous weeks, and I will probably have over 5 gal from this weekend, so I might actually make my goal!
2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing
Great Season
Taps in Feb 24 ... Taps out March 23.
My favorite season so far. Mostly due to the home built RO. The stuff is mind blowing. Thanks to all the MapleTraders for the help on that one. Made about half my syrup using good dry Ash bark and Black Locust bark. Lots of refueling but man what biomass that stuff is when its dry. Had flames shooting two feet out the top of my stack. Looked like the aft burner on a F16! Kept lots of throwable sap nearby.
Had my first cook over out of the steam pans. Lost a quart or two of syrup. Not used to getting to syrup so quickly. Made that mistake one time, hopefully not again.
Finished with 10+ gallons on my 50 taps. Over 80% of my expectations.
More sap then other years. Less sugar content then other years. Never saw more then 2% on the Grand Daddy Maples. Small sugars 1% large sugars 1.5% was the general trend. Saw 1/2% on Red Maples and Silver Maples. Thank Jesus himself for the RO membrane or I would be boiling into July.
My two new Silver Maple taps ran profusely. Even still running today. Did not think they had it in them.
Still have a bit of good sap flowing today but the writing is on the wall.
Peaked at 17 inches of mercury on a 7 tap 5/16 tubing run. Not sure about my other runs. Will check them next year. All my tube runs are still putting out a bit potable sap. Especially the 17 incher. Vacuum gauges are cool. Natural vacuum is even cooler. Now wondering how high people have gotten on 5/16 natural.
Wondering if anybody has ever considered doing union connections between different natural vacuum runs in order to increase sap column size at times of low flow???
Glad I did not tap any earlier then Feb 24! Started to have my doubts in early March, but I suffer anxiety attacks like everybody else.
But anxiety is a killer of good things to come so steer clear of it.
If you think it's easy to make good money in maple syrup .... then your obviously good at stealing somebody's Maple Syrup.
Favorite Tree: Sugar Maple
Most Hated Animal: Sap Sucker
Most Loved Animal: Devon Rex Cat
Favorite Kingpin: Bruce Bascom
40 Sugar Maple Taps ... 23 in CT and 17 in NY .... 29 on gravity tubing and 11 on 5G buckets ... 2019 Totals 508 gallons of sap, 7 boils, 11.4 gallons of syrup.
1 Girlfriend that gives away all my syrup to her friends.
I'm done too, took my last buckets down this AM. Would up boiling just over 1900 gal/sap - Now for the cleanup..............
Definitely was a short season. Had a higher yield last year for sure.
Question, my syrup has an after “bite” this year. Can’t figure it out. It’s not bitter and not sour. Anyone have any suggestions as to why?
All my equipment was cleaned with white vinegar and hot water. Didn’t use spoiled sap. I boil on an evaporator.
Any suggestions?
2017: 7 taps, turkey fryer
2018: 10 taps, turkey fryer
2019: 15 taps, turkey fryer
2020: 20 taps, Mason 2x3
The taste at the end makes it all worth while
2020 ~New Smokey Lake Dauntless w/flat pan
Home made coil pre heater
40 taps on drop lines
7 on hanging buckets