I'm done. The sap I was boiling yesterday and this morning smelled good. The stuff that I am boiling now smells buddy. Fortunately, I've largely got the two separated. Tomorrow, I'll make the syrup from last night and this morning, then I'll start putting everything away for the season.
680 5/16 taps on gravity
red and sugar maples
2 Homemade ROs
Stovetop evaporator
Filter press by Daryl
Star San Tube Pump
Drying rack for hydrometer
Loves tapping in snow
I’m still in the game! Right now boiling 180 gallons before I go to work. 50 degrees today, I think I’ll make it to the weekend.
115 red maples on vacuum
100 taps on 5/16 gravity
35 taps on 3/16 gravity
50 taps on shurflo vacuum
about 60 buckets on giant roadside sugars
neighbor bringing from 45 taps
30'x 8' Aof/Auf Evaporator
Homemade 125gph Ro
Lots of Homemade Equipment!
http://s848.photobucket.com/albums/a...%20Sugarshack/
Looks like my season is done here in Harrisburg. Most of my trees are in a tree line and close by a stream... Just a few in the woods. It looks like the buds will be popping open this weekend after the rain is gone.
I tapped fairly early this year and glad I did. Had pretty solid run of sap since mid January (minus the frozen week we had late January). Time to clean the buckets, RO, and pull the taps this weekend.
I'm done. My reds quit running last weekend. Clean-up this weekend.
Made almost 3 gallons of maple walnut syrup this year.
2020 - 1st year - 13 black walnut taps - 4 bottles syrup
2021 - 50 taps, 22 black walnuts/28 red maples - 4 gallons syrup
2022 - 54 taps, 11 black walnuts/41 red maples, 20 on solar shurflo vacuum - 8.5 gallons syrup
2023 - 47 taps on 45 red maples, 43 on solar shurflo vacuum
Still making syrup here! Just got done going through about 150
gallons of sap. Need to filter and bottle after I get something to eat.
Looking good here for the weekend, Possibly into Monday.
After that it will be time to pull the plug. Might hit 60
gallons, we will see!
115 red maples on vacuum
100 taps on 5/16 gravity
35 taps on 3/16 gravity
50 taps on shurflo vacuum
about 60 buckets on giant roadside sugars
neighbor bringing from 45 taps
30'x 8' Aof/Auf Evaporator
Homemade 125gph Ro
Lots of Homemade Equipment!
http://s848.photobucket.com/albums/a...%20Sugarshack/
Meanwhile, in Harrisburg...
7A67EC2C-16EA-4394-B285-9E05CC3CC0B7.jpg
Last edited by Manada Hill Maple; 03-20-2021 at 10:10 AM.
Looks like the flower buds are just starting to open. I have made perfectly good syrup when in full flower. The issue is if you have viable taps or not or if it just stops running. My reds and silvers here at the Ohio/ Mi. Border are not far behind that. I am boiling today, just only on half the taps I started on. To warm for to long. Taps with a more northerly aspect are running strong. I will be done on Monday, no cold on the horizon.
Just finished boiling, probably made another 3 gallons.
Looks like tomorrow is the last day. We are going to gather late
and get it by boiled. After that its finish out what’s in the
evaporator, filter/bottle, and then start on tubing and buckets.
It seems like we just got started, barely a four week season!
Would have liked to make more, but got all nature allowed.
115 red maples on vacuum
100 taps on 5/16 gravity
35 taps on 3/16 gravity
50 taps on shurflo vacuum
about 60 buckets on giant roadside sugars
neighbor bringing from 45 taps
30'x 8' Aof/Auf Evaporator
Homemade 125gph Ro
Lots of Homemade Equipment!
http://s848.photobucket.com/albums/a...%20Sugarshack/
Lost a third of our tap count this year. That being said we have almost made what we did last year. Upgrades to vacuum system has helped.
Boiled 2x today. 1st thing this morning and just finishing up now by cleaning ro. Hoping to get a couple more boils till mid week. As always, looking forward to finishing up but also have grand schemes for next years improvements.
After 15+ years of talking about it my wife and I are finally gonna head to tioga county for open houses. Boys are old enough to get the chores and manage the littles while we leave for the day and the sap can wait till Monday.
If you stop by Millers introduce yourself. I will be in sugarhouse boiling.
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