I'm at about 1400ft elevation outside of wardensville. We run about 10 degrees colder than in town. And our direct sunlight is limited because we are down in a hollow.
I'm at about 1400ft elevation outside of wardensville. We run about 10 degrees colder than in town. And our direct sunlight is limited because we are down in a hollow.
2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
2020 - 32 Gallons
2019 - 27 Gallons
The life of sugar maker with out auto start vacuum pump, went to bed and the temperature was 22 degrees, wake up because I’m a old guy that has to wake up every couple hours, always check the temperature at 5:09 35 degrees, time to turn the pump on! Every season it will do this, warm up in the middle of the night.
Mark 220 Maple
1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/
Today was the first use of my RO, and all i have to say is WOW. we were able to process 317 gal of raw sap, through the RO, feeding the 2x6 evaporator, and we were done in 4 hours.....what do i do with the rest of my time??? i guess i'll cut firewood and put out more taps! Looking forward to another boil later this week hopefully
Jacob
2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
2020 - 32 Gallons
2019 - 27 Gallons
Darkmachine,
Yes my world changed three years ago, bought a used well kept RO from a Highland County, Producer, boiled twice so far this season, total sap around 3000 gallons! Never recorded exact time boiling, guessing 6 to 7 hours. How sweet are you concentrating, my RO will go to10 percent first pass thru. I have to keep exact count of taps in due to leasing of trees. I’m at 1699, today or tomorrow I will add at least one more to get to 1700. Jacob add taps you didn’t burn much firewood I’m guessing due to the RO?
Mark 220 Maple
1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/
Yes the RO is a Magic machine when i talk to people about it even my home made one with 2 4x40's does decent and has made a huge difference time, firewood and now even get to see the wife sometimes in the evening after coming home from work ! My CDL 2x6 is rated at 250 taps i think and i am over 300 which i know is an 8 hour day rating i guess and i am still getting done in way less time ! Now for the negative part... this season is not a good so far in Wood County i have made 10.5 g so far and this time last year was at 28 but then i tapped 2 weeks later due to freezing. Hope everyone has a great season ...
Rockport,
Just picked up a long stem 0 to 15 sap hydrometer, my old one only went to 8, when ROing it would float it way above the 8 so therefore sort of a guess how sweet I was actually making it one pass thru, Our mutual friend Ed near Sistersville just boiled two days ago, I was sorta surprised when he told me that, he usually gets a jump on me!
Mark 220 Maple
1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/
Last run of the RO I went from just under 2 to just over 4, single pass. I am setup for recirculation so the next time around I'll be tinkering with that. By my figuring it was able to do a little better than removing 50% of the water. I think I can get 5 or 6% if I slow it down and open the recirculation a bit. Even feeding the fire every 5 minuites by the clock I still didn't burn much wood, it's got me pretty excited to boil again, and raised the eyebrows of the guys who used to help me but left off because it was too much 'work', lol.
2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
2020 - 32 Gallons
2019 - 27 Gallons
Darkmachine,
For your post it seem your having fun, the last post from me suggested tapping more trees, after three boils of OMG (one man gang) I’m having second thought about tapping more trees! My helper passed about a month ago after a two year battle with cancer. Even though he was not much force last season he was there every minute, took care of RO which was a great help. One thing that you have going for you is youth, enjoy it why your young! The WV hills are much steeper at 63 than they were when I started at age 40.
Mark 220 Maple
1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/
Sorry to hear about your help, sometimes just having another person around to talk to makes the work light.
I have about 150 buckets out on mostly level ground, in addition to the taps on tubing and vacuum. I get lots of help at the beginning, everyone likes to tap, see the trees start dripping, maybe collect sap once. After that I have to be more strategic with asking for help, lol, and really grateful when i get it. Took me about an hour yesterday to collect sap. I had planned to boil, but the county had planned for me to take the boys basketball team to a game in Petersburg, so boiling got delayed until today, at least it was nice and cold last night. I have to bring in a load of firewood, set up the RO, get the head tank full and connected. I'll get into a nice groove feeding the fire, and then i'll have some company/help. Part of that is my own fault, i'm the guy who knows all the 'things' . Automation helps, my brother and my stepdad are pretty good at the sugar house when i can get them. Everyone is afraid of the RO, so that chains me to the sugar house so i almost have to alternate days, collect one day, boil the next. already feeling in over my head, I have 500 gallons at the shack to get through today. and more in the woods!
2024 - 57 Gallons - Short season, many and varied problems remedied in short order! - No buckets!
2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
2020 - 32 Gallons
2019 - 27 Gallons
Get ready Darkmachine, this may be the first warm up after being in the teens that we don’t have wind gusts above 20 mph! I got some sap yesterday in high winds, nothing like trying to look for vacuum leaks when every tree is a potential widow maker. As a friend always said it could be loud singing and slow driving!!
Mark 220 Maple
1100 taps on low vaccum, 900 on gravity.
900 plus taps leased and on high vacuum
35 cfm Indiana Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
80% Sugar, 20% Red MAPLES
http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/g...Maple%20Syrup/
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