Grimm's Maple Products - Maple Syrup - Blossvale New York
grimmsmapleproducts.com
is another possible source
I aged my first 3 batches in my unheated sugarhouse, since then, because my sugarhouse is quite crowded, I've aged all but one batch in a back corner of my unheated shop. I found no issue aging in unheated locations. That one other batch was aged in my brother in laws cellar. I do turn the barrels every few days, and I spray them each time if I have water with me. Early in the aging I turn and spray every day, after a few days, I go to every other day. Then after about 8-10 days I go to 2x a week and finally once every 7-10 days. As I said, each time I turn the barrels. To do that, I made up 3 "moving " dollies, well sort of like that. I use 4 rigid casters on them, then I lay them in large baking sheets I bought for that purpose. The casters are facing up, then the barrel gets set on the casters making the rotating easy. I've noticed no difference in the temperature as relating to the time needed to age the syrup, I do see a difference in how much water spray I need to use to keep the staves tight.
Grimm maple products says to fill each barrel with hot water before filling it with syrup, to swell the staves, if it still leaks, repeat, I never tried that method, thinking it would remove some of the bourbon flavor that is in the char in the barrel.
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.