Getting Ready?

[bryankloos]

Hey All,

Just curious how everyone is doing this year? It seems we are in a great cold spell, hopefully setting us up for a good season.
Is everyone prepared for the season? Much still to do?

I'm probably replacing the bulk of my 3/16th lines this year as well as adding new drops. There are a few small falls that need to be cleared up and I have a fair bit of washing to do.

I'm hopeful this cold spell lasts and I get a few more weeks to get caught up.

Hope everyone is well and looking forward to a good 2022!

Bryan

[therealtreehugger]

I feel like I am so far behind!

This past summer, the roof in the barn-turned-maple shack started to leak, so I had a metal put on. And what better thing to do while a brand new roof is going on, than to put a hole in it! Now my stack can go straight up though it, instead of two 90 deg turns out the window then up. But this involves double walled ss stack, a ceiling support, more double walled ss up top, stack supports above the roof, all of which is proceeding at a snails pace. Oh yes, and move the evaporator, full of brick, 6" to go directly under the stack, between the ceiling joists.

I have to prep the drops into the trees I have on buckets, about 25 trees, I do two taps that tee into one tube so there is only one hole in the top of one bucket, per tree. I have yet to wash out all the buckets or the sap collection tank, and fix a small section of tubing. Just got a 500' roll of 5/16 tubing to play with!

I am doing a LOT of upgrading this year - I hope I will be able to restrain myself for the next few years and just enjoy what I have done/am doing this year!

[SkunkWorks]

Basically ready, could add another lateral. Lots a single digit nights, I think it’ll be a while to thaw the permafrost.

[Mike Van]

Hoping we don't get a lot of snow this Sat. Fun when you were a kid, but it sure makes life harder over 70 - with 100+ taps on buckets.

[Gord]

Not mine, but happened to see this on CL this morning. Seems like a pretty good deal.
https://newlondon.craigslist.org/grd...437270092.html

I am pretty much ready. New for this year are, I converted an old garden shed in to my mini sugar shack. Mostly just to be in watching the sap boil. My barrel stove will still be outside, but all my supplies will go in the shed, along with a nice pile of dry wood.
Also added a toy to my collecting chores. A MAX ll 6X6 I picked up and fixed up. That will add a little fun to collecting sap this year.
Looking forward to the season!

[Pdiamond]

Gord, That CL item would look awfully good in your little sugar house, wouldn't it?

[Cjadamec]

This weekend is looking like a pretty big snow event. Forecast is for a good 12+ in my neck of the woods. Mid to end of next week looks like there is going to be a pretty big warm up. It's got me wondering if somehow I have enough time to get my lines squared away to catch it and start my season. I missed last year's season due to taking on way too many other projects that took too long to finish. So my tubing lines have 2 years worth of maintenance to catch up on. Not enough time in the day.

Spent all last weekend cleaning up my evaporator, pan, and barrels.

[Gord]

Gord, That CL item would look awfully good in your little sugar house, wouldn't it?

It sure would! But I'm happy with my barrel stove and flat pan. I like the simplicity of it, and the easy clean up.

[CTfarm]

Pan, tanks and lines are all cleaned and ready. New RO Bucket rb15 kit is assembled and ready. Still need to cut up a bunch of pallets I'd like to burn and get rid of and vacuum the syrup making area of spider webs.

[Trapper2]

Pan, tanks and lines are all cleaned and ready. New RO Bucket rb15 kit is assembled and ready. Still need to cut up a bunch of pallets I'd like to burn and get rid of and vacuum the syrup making area of spider webs.

You will love that R.O. bucket! I love mine so much that I purchased a 2nd one and added 100 more taps. A viscous circle.