Willow Creek Sugarhouse 2021

[red maples]

Well didn't get all the taps in yesterday. Ran into a bunch of drop line damage and small branch blow downs and trimming. Slowed tapping way down... have to get out today and change out a few more drop lines. Squirrel population is back up. Saw so many while deer hunting this fall counted 12 at one time in december. the last few easy winters with big acorn crops surely didn't help. increase in Deer population as well. took out 15-18 squirrels about 3 years ago and that helped but its right back up.

But got all trees on my property tapped. with the exception of those few drops I have to fix. I also have about 75 across the street. only got in about 10 of those. it was like a giant bird nest in spots of small branches down. tough to get through to clear branches of the lines. but I'll knock that out today.

[red maples]

had a few things to do yesterday other than maple. messy weather so didn't do anything in the woods. but sodered a pin hole in a seem in my drawoff tank. so thats done. Pulled out all the hoses just warm enough to get some water through and get those defrosted so I can start cleaning. filled the SS tank last night so I can put my RO together get that flushed out today heading out shortly to do that. turned on the heater in the pump room to get that warmed up and ready to go. Once the Vacuum pump is all ready we can start chasing leaks(probably my least favorite job!) Hopefully I can get my woods all tightened up then I will head across the street. my small collection tank is frozen in the ice and the line under the culvert is completely frozen too so I won't get those taps until probably tomorrow or thursday anyway. then I can get the buckets in.

I also wanna run a few more laterals to pick up a few of the matured trees. that should make up for the trees I lost the few years.

[red maples]

Well got the RO put together, ran water through to get permeate and then did a wash and rinse to clear anything else out of it. Got Vacuum running, did a quick clean on the releaser(was really already clean just a wipe out) and things were frozen pretty tight. just had wet line open but wouldn't defrost so let it sit and came back after lunch still frozen was pinned at 28.5". Opened the dry line and POP 7" HG... yay... So out to the woods. missed 2 taps on one line drops were dangling. then 3 really big chews replaced 2 more drops. and a section of tubing and was at 23". SO getting there. ran out of electrical tape. back to the house for more supplies. turned on another line and 15" **** so found T that was chewed through changed the drop. had 1 more inch long chew through 1/2 the lateral line got that fixed and a few more little chews here and there and we are up to 24" but it clouded up.

Poor sap flow yesterday. things are still frozen up tapped a few that I had to change out drops and that was about 2PM and they weren't even glistening. what sap was in the lines almost completely stopped about 4PM it clouded up there wasn't enough sap in the lines to see if there was a leak. So packed it in for the day. Ended up with maybe 20 gallons of the nastiest bright green sap... that went on the ground.

The forecast looks great and is getting even better but I know it will change because the forecast is never that good for maple. But hey I had 2 outstanding seasons in 10 maybe this will be one of those years!!! Fingers crossed!!!

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

Fingers crossed!!

[red maples]

Everything is tapped across the street. but not online yet. needed to get vacuum up here first... its all on the same system. Up to 25.5Hg getting there. Sap is finally flowing pretty good. I still have a more to check over here. but we'll get that done tomorrow, power wash the tank for across the street get that releaser set and turned on tomorrow.

found I leak I have been looking for for 2 years. always thought it was a hollow tree and there is a hole that I kept missing. there was ice in the line so I knew where it was. started collecting today and have about 150+ gallons still has a green hue to it but its starting to clear out. found another chewed T changed that out and little chews here and there.

Friday is sap sack day. have to get those put together and in on Friday. coldest day of the week so not expecting too much after cold thursday night. forecast says no freeze tonight but we are already at 37* so we'll see. that would be OK trees need to thaw.

[red maples]

Took a ride up to Sunnyside to get some supplies Thursday morning. Mike actually wasn't too busy so we talked about hunting a bit His dad got really nice 8 pointer. Got home and power washed the tank for across the street and got that releaser set and on line.

had some running around to do on Friday, our husky is over 15 yrs old now and has developed a skin condition its really bad. Might have a zinc deficiency, We have been trying to figure it out for a few months now. so took him back to the vet on thursday afternoon and then back again Friday to do a biopsy and a few other things to try to get some answers. He's a tough old bastard and still acts like a jerk Same old timber getting into stuff. In his prime he was the strongest dog I have ever had I would load up the jet sled with wood and we got him a harness and he would pull it like it was nothing!!! couldn't pull the kids when they were really little because he was too fast and strong they would fall out and he would take off with the sled.

Anyway Got vacuum up to about 24-24.5 need to get it up to 26-27 so still some work to do there.

Got the first boil out of the way yesterday. had 500 gallons and 100 gallons across the street but the 100 well thats still there it barely got above freezing so my hoses were frozen up and couldn't empty that out. but 500 gallons not the nicest sap on the first boil and not a whole bunch of sugar either I did a check it about 1% so thats nota good start hopefully that will come up.

Since the temps never came up I had no hose to rinse out the Evaporator and tanks in the sugarhouse so I just used the buckets and got water from the house. I was aiming for a 4:00 start but you know that never happens fired up at 7:00. I always forget how much defoamer it takes when you first get things running. and as usual after ringing out the water in the RO and filling the evap had 30 gallons to boil off. got it just to sweet and shut 'r down. Tastes good. and always love that first smell of sweet off the evap. aahhh nothing like it.

[red maples]

Well second boil done!!! Sap just kept coming in had a about 825 gallons total since sunday morning. Sugar still low about 1.25 So after finishing off the sweetening of the pans ended up with about 12 gallons or so. lots of niter and combined with drawing off heavy as I usually do early in the season kept plugging up the press had to stop half way and redo which I hate when I am boiling, ROing etc etc... Was upset that my little firing timer died after 10 years. That was a bit of a pain trying to use the clock especially when things get a little crazy and I forget to add wood. but overall things still went pretty good and made syrup!!! Much cleaner clearer sap yesterday and established evaporator so much less defoamer!!!

Man the wind was CRAZY last night sounded like a jet engine outside the sugarhouse it was circling around and kept filling the sugarhouse with thick steam.

[Amber Gold]

I was in the same boat as you with the wind and steam...makes it interesting. I took a pic of my sugarhouse that night, and sometimes I couldn't see the opposite wall of the sugarhouse through the steam.

Lots of niter hear too. Plugged up my 10" press in short order on the first draw. Substantial increase in DE fixed that problem Monday night. Pulled out a nice, dry, tan cake from the press.

[Russell Lampron]

Sounds like you're off to a better start than me. I tapped on 2/23 and 2/24. I had 475 gallons for my first boil last evening. The forecast is calling for below freezing temperatures until Monday. If I'm lucky I'll be boiling again in a week.

Good luck with 2021!

[red maples]

got some sap on Tuesday a little on Wednesday but not enough to do anything with. Was able to walk the lines a little before it froze up found a few more leaks and 1 loose tap 1 hollow tree. Walked across the street which I knew there were leaks over there a few little chews and 2 nice ones line was filling with ice so they would come and go but I found them. Hard to say because it was getting cold but I might be back up to 26-27". we'll see when things break loose again.

So taking advantage of the freeze up and Made a gallon of maple candy on Wednesday and 2 gallons of maple cream on thursday the cream machines are so fast I swear it takes longer to clean the machine than it does to actually make it. This particular batch stiffened up really fast so it was a 2 person job usually I can handle it myself. 233-234 is usually perfect. have to go 232-233 and that should do it.

working this morning then I get my first shot at 2:15 today. Then need to bottle some syrup. and get the farm stand stocked up people have been asking!!! So hopefully my side effects won't be too bad and I can get some more stuff done on Sunday.