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Thread: 2021 Season

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    315

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    Chris is a legend. Much respect for him. Working on my sap ladder 🪜right now. Hoping to get more than 15 pounds beyond the ladder this year.
    Remember to keep on ticking while the sap is dripping.
    2016- 50 buckets. Made 4 gallons.
    2022- 3900? taps + Smartrek! Made 1300 gallons.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Cabot Vermont
    Posts
    584

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    If it can be done, He will make it happen!
    Blaisdell's Maple Farm
    started on a 2x2 pan in 2000 and now
    custom built oil fired 4x12 arch by me
    Thor pans Desinged by Thad Blaisdell
    4600 taps

  3. #23
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Cabot Vermont
    Posts
    584

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    Two woods so far that are pretty tight , I got them up to 26.5 the last woods is up to 22 inches and ran out of time in the woods. I then had to haul in sap. I hauled in about 5500 gallons of .8 or so sap, That was dissapointing, but got some more bugs worked out. Ro'ed it to 8% tonight and will go to 20% in the morning and boil. Thank God my wife helps me. She does the filter presses and unloads the sap, and keep an eye on the ro and the tanks to make sure they don't run over or that I send it down the drain by accident.
    Blaisdell's Maple Farm
    started on a 2x2 pan in 2000 and now
    custom built oil fired 4x12 arch by me
    Thor pans Desinged by Thad Blaisdell
    4600 taps

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Vermont
    Posts
    315

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    Your a lucky guy Brian. My wife hasn't shown much interest the last few years. The other day she surprised the hell out of me when she texted me a video of the sap slamming the releaser and she was all excited. There might be hope for our relationship yet! 🤣
    Brought down 4000 gallons so far and have a few more thousand in the tank but my dump truck broke down. So, now I'm scrambling to find an alternative...
    Remember to keep on ticking while the sap is dripping.
    2016- 50 buckets. Made 4 gallons.
    2022- 3900? taps + Smartrek! Made 1300 gallons.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Cabot Vermont
    Posts
    584

    Default

    That sucks that your dump truck broke, I got the pan sweetend yesterday and hauled in more sap. I ro'ed it once and thought I would get up this morning and ro again and also though it was going to be 28 not 18 deg, well that said I didn't drain the line from the ro to the tanks. This morning it is frozen so my wife and I removed it and have it in the garage thawing out. I hope the feedline from the tank is not froze solid. I bet with snow shoes you can move now, probly some can put them away for the season.
    Blaisdell's Maple Farm
    started on a 2x2 pan in 2000 and now
    custom built oil fired 4x12 arch by me
    Thor pans Desinged by Thad Blaisdell
    4600 taps

  6. #26
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Cabot Vermont
    Posts
    584

    Default

    Well the taps are pulled and the lines are all washed, the tanks are all washed. The only thing left to do is pull down the Ro and wash the pans. We made 6.5 barrels of ropey surup so that went to Bascoms. they treated me good on the price. I think we did good this season over all we made 31 barrels this year. I hope to change out some more tubing this year and a bunch of drops. Our last boil was April 8.
    Blaisdell's Maple Farm
    started on a 2x2 pan in 2000 and now
    custom built oil fired 4x12 arch by me
    Thor pans Desinged by Thad Blaisdell
    4600 taps

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Location
    Danville
    Posts
    5

    Default Ropey syrup

    This year was the first year I had plenty of sap to make not great tasting maple syrup. It didn't come out ropey but was pretty rough smelling cooking. Should I have continued? This is a no judgement really just looking for advice.

  8. #28
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Cabot Vermont
    Posts
    584

    Default

    That is a hard one, there are alot of things to consider in that question. Can it be sold? What it cost to make, and so on. I don't like to make crappy syrup because of the risk of burning my pans, but as long it boils ok and filters ok I will boil it because it helps pay the oil bill or power bill.
    Blaisdell's Maple Farm
    started on a 2x2 pan in 2000 and now
    custom built oil fired 4x12 arch by me
    Thor pans Desinged by Thad Blaisdell
    4600 taps

  9. #29
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Cabot Vermont
    Posts
    584

    Default

    The woods all got walked around the first of nov. Now it is time to walk them again.The lines are hard to get up out of the snow at tapping time so I walk them a few times in the fall to make it easier. I will start tapping around the middle of jan. I bought my neighbors sugar house, Kenny Bean's. He passed away. The sugar house sat Idle for the past 15-20 years. It was not looking so well so his son Eric still runs the farm and I asked about it and we made a deal.The roof is about 18ftx 18ft. I had a friend of mine look at it ,he moves houses for a living. He said leave the roof in one piece and take the walls apart. That is what we did,he brought in his crew and we set the roof on my trailer and headed for home!! I called my insurance agent and he said don't call unless you have a problem. We brought the walls home and poured more cement and hooked it to our sugar house. now we have more room.It still looks like Kenny's sugar house and I didn't want to take that away. Eric came over and saw it and was pleased with how it came out. It still needs the wiring done, but I ran out of time. I hope to get the time before the sap starts to flow. SO THERE WENT THIS YEARS PROFFIT AGAIN!!!! Yes I would do it all over again. It was a neat project. I now have a loading dock for loading drums in my truck with out using the tractor. That will save alot of time.
    Blaisdell's Maple Farm
    started on a 2x2 pan in 2000 and now
    custom built oil fired 4x12 arch by me
    Thor pans Desinged by Thad Blaisdell
    4600 taps

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Wakefield,New Hampshire
    Posts
    504

    Default

    Sounds like quite the project, glad to see you keeping the same look. I'd be happy to see a few photos of the process.
    6th season solo sugar maker in a young sugar bush of mostly red maples
    320 taps
    2x6 self built arch, Flat pans w/ dividers
    New 12x16 sugar house
    CDL hobby 250 RO

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