This will be a great section for the new and little guys and gals out there just starting out. I sure wish this site and this forum was around way back when I was a backyarder!
Steve
This will be a great section for the new and little guys and gals out there just starting out. I sure wish this site and this forum was around way back when I was a backyarder!
Steve
2014 Upgrades!: 24x40 sugarhouse & 30"x10' Lapierre welded pans, wood fired w/ forced draft, homemade hood & preheater
400 taps- half on gravity 5/16, half on gravity 3/16
Airablo R.O. machine - in the house basement!
Ford F-350 4x4 sap gatherer
An assortment of barrels, cage tanks & bulk tanks- with one operational for cooling/holding concentrate
And a few puzzled neighbors...
http://s606.photobucket.com/albums/t...uckethead1920/
I agree Steve. While I was only a back yarder 1 year, *I still identify with the smaller producers. I like to read all of the ways back yarders get inventive in their effort to improve boil rate or syrup quality or both.
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.
We've all got a little "Backyarder" in us down deep.
Ken & Sherry
Williston, VT
16x34 Sugarhouse
1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/
I am a backyarder and will be checking this section for sure! This year was my first. Boiled with steamer pans but for some weird reason I feel a need to expand...just got a used 2x4 flat pan and currently building and arch...2x6 since I might "have to" get bigger pan in future
Will definitely be joining in. Nice addition!!
This will be one for me to follow. I will be starting this year for the first time. I have to build my arch, am going to use a steel drum and 2 steam pans. I only have 12 small trees to tap.
when you say small make sure they are at least 12" in diameter for bucket taps and that would be one tap in that size tree. Once trees get to be 18" you can place two taps per tree. I never use more than two per tree even on my really big trees. If you are running tubing it is a little different scenario.
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
That's what I said when I got started, just a hobby, make a little syrup for home. I now have a lot more equipment, I am adding 50 more taps this year, I picked up a really nice milk cooler tank this past summer for sap storage ( 400 gallons), plus my 275 gallon totes. Yeah just a hobby, and now that I am retired I keep saying it won't grow anymore. Then I always find an excuse to make something easier on myself and think, well now I can add more taps. It is a fun addiction. Please enjoy yourself in everything, and every time you prepare to do anything maple.
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
Im nothing more than a barkyarder with too much ambition. My taps are across the road, but my processing takes place at home.
I only had a wood stove and 2 canning pots 2 seasons ago. Now i have 800 gallons of dairy tank storage in the woods, the same amount at the sugar house, 2 ibc totes for transportation, a brand new CDL 2x6 raised flue pan set, and will have about 500 taps on tubing....
Trust then when they say it is an addiction..
2019 season - 11 taps, 2.5 gallons
2020 season - - 2x4 homemade oil tank arch, homemade raised flue, and syrup pans.
130 taps, 15 gallons of syrup
2021 CDL 2x6 pan set with real raised flues. Hoping to hit 400-500 taps on tubing