Hey all, I am sooo frickin excited....finished geting the barrel evap done, fired it up and like within 20 min was going hot enough to boil the inch or so of smow I put in the pan for the test run. And the sides are nice and cool, I don't feel like I'm getting blasted by heat. Just filled the pan with snow to burn to see how long it may take to get a pan of sap going, but I am so happy that it's working so well!!
Oh btw I chose to not mortar the bricks into place. Just wedged them in tight with some sand in between them.
Planning on tapping tomorrow. Later!
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup