SmellsLikeSyrup NH 2020 (SMD Maple Syrup)
Happy 2021!!
Hopefully things get a lot better than this past year and we can return to some sense of normalcy.
Big year for me at SMD Maple, my wife and I welcomed twin boys on Nov 16th. Mom and the boys are both doing well, we are getting a lot less sleep and the house is a bit noisier but overall we are very happy and excited about our new additions.
On the maple side of things, I continue to tinker and try and improve my setup and capacity. I have a new property I am tapping this year that has the potential to be over 500 taps. My biggest issue with it is, 1) its not mine, and 2) the location of where I can put my collection tank. I think I have a solution for this season, but as it expands I need to come up with something better. I will be running a Shurflo pump and 5/16 lines this year on it. I will have 200 taps on this bush and after I see the results I will decide and plan out my expansion to tap it all using real mainlines and laterals for next year and increasing the tap count.
On my own property I ran 1500ft of 3/4" mainline and I have 27 laterals on 3 branches from the mainline for a total of 250 taps. I will run that with a 2 stage 12CFM pump and a Bender Releaser. Im kind of excited and curious to see how this will work out.
I rebuilt my RO again, just laid out the system differently on the dolly I am using and I added flow meters. There is more I would like to do to the RO, such as putting in a pressure switch. I am just hesitant to install anything else that will restrict flow. The switches Ive seen only seem to have a 1/2" port and with everything else on the RO being bigger than that I dont want to risk it being hampered or slowed down.
I'll update as the season goes along.
-SMD Maple
2022 4x40" RO, Welch 1397 Vac Pump, 3 Guzzler Pumps, Lapierre Releaser, 1100 taps
2021 Twin Baby Boys, Close to 650 taps
2020 Upgraded RO to 2 post and 7GBS Pump. 265 taps
2019 Smoky Lake 2x6 raised flue, Autodraw system, Maple Jet Filter Press, a beautiful new bride to be my sugaring partner :-)
2017 Expanded Sugar Shack, new 2x6 with float box, NEXTgen Maple RO, 250+ taps, still on sap sacks
2016 Sugar Shack, 2x6 evaporator, 160 taps, all on Sap Sacks
2014 110 taps
2013 35 taps