Northern Ontario 2022

[Swingpure]

I added the “phone booth” shed to the evaporator shelter today. The phone booth shed houses the three induction elements that I will be using to preheat the sap to a boil, in three pots. I should be able to bring to boil about 9 gallons an hour with the three elements.

Right now the support blocks on the low side look a little redneck, but as the snow melts, I will adjust them and make it look more professional. The added feature will offer some protection for the RO that will be tucked in the corner of the shed and shelter. During the night the RO will stay in the heated garage and will only come out when I am ready to start it.

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I just now have to add a half wall to the back of the shelter to help keep snow out and it will be done.

Today is one day closer to the sap running.

[4Walls]

Both those ideas work great with still, no wind conditions. I learned the wet way that with a certain type of wind the steam likes to stay in the shack. My metal roof pitch is 6/12 which is nice for the snow to slide off. It is a lean to type roof with the southern side high and open all along the top and length of that wall. I had to build a second sub roof inside that guides the steam out between the outer roof and the inner. I have it sloped slightly and run an eve trough along to catch all the condensation and drain it out the back of the shack. Works great and a constant supply of distilled water for cleaning and drinking. Either way it is so much nicer to boil off while being out of the elements.

[Swingpure]

In 2020, my friend near Parry Sound started tapping on February 23rd. Right now the 14 day forecast does not make that a possibility, but if days 11-14 warm up a little, you never know.

Today I put the metal roof on my shelter. Tomorrow I will put on the plywood ceiling, which will have an airspace between the plywood and the metal roof. Depending on the snow, I may also attach my stove pipe. I added another 3 feet to it and the rain cap. It will be 15’ high.

Looked at a few more trees today, I will only add one more to the count, but will also not double tap some trees. So 111 taps, 75 on lines and 36 on buckets.

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[aamyotte]

With the weather forecasted for this weekend it doesn't seem like we are close to tapping at all.

The shelter is looking good.

I made myself a poor man's hood this week with a leftover roll of flat stock flashing material. I have a 200 cfm inline fan to exhaust the steam buildup in the hood. That should be coming in soon. Then a test boil with the hood to see how the steam builds up in the shack.

[4Walls]

For what it's worth, I have about 400 taps to go. Most on 3/16 lines and I am not tapping for at least 10 days or so. Weather is just too cold and could 'Pop" the taps out creating vacuum leaks.
I will admit that I am getting itchy to be out in the bush. Can't wait to use the stainless vacuum filter that I built. I have done a couple of "dry" runs and filtered a batch of beer through it. Seems to be a big improvement to the one I mashed together last year. I seriously considered the CDL version last year but couldn't justify the 2500$ for the filter so I made the prototype. Got all the kinks worked out and have the final version.
Sap is just around the corner because my chickens have started laying eggs again. Always a good sign.

[Swingpure]

For what it's worth, I have about 400 taps to go. Most on 3/16 lines and I am not tapping for at least 10 days or so. Weather is just too cold and could 'Pop" the taps out creating vacuum leaks.
I will admit that I am getting itchy to be out in the bush. Can't wait to use the stainless vacuum filter that I built. I have done a couple of "dry" runs and filtered a batch of beer through it. Seems to be a big improvement to the one I mashed together last year. I seriously considered the CDL version last year but couldn't justify the 2500$ for the filter so I made the prototype. Got all the kinks worked out and have the final version.
Sap is just around the corner because my chickens have started laying eggs again. Always a good sign.

Never knew about taps popping, another lesson learned.

Two years ago, two days from now, my buddy near me, started tapping.

Any pictures of the vacuum filter you made, or a link to something similar? I never will be able to afford the CDL one.

[Swingpure]

Temperatures forecasted for the beginning of March are starting to moderate and if they moderate a little bit more, maybe sap will flow.

I have never done this before, but I think I will tap my buckets 4 or 5 days ahead of when I think the sap will flow and get that work out of the way and when I see the first drip go into a bucket, I will start tapping my lines, which should take the most part of a day.

In between tapping the buckets and lines, I will start outfitting the shelter with all of the tools I will need for boiling. I will also start to set up the evaporator and have it all set to go. I will also get the collection barrels into position and the ends of the tubes connected inside them.

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[Swingpure]

Mine is also a lean to style. The walls are already pre cut so is I’ll have to stay with my 4/12 pitch. I will have 3 foot openings on the three sides, which I can adjust close if it helps with wind flow direction. Right now the front would be mostly wide open, but I can play with that. I could add a fan and could play with the roof panels.

Today I finished moving wood from a pile that just had a poly top to a covered wood shed. There are 5 face cords of mixed wood in there, mostly wrist sized and I have a half of facecord of ironwood with poly on it.

I also marked 13 new trees today, 9 of which can be double tapped for a total of 22 more taps. All that’s can drive my ATV and trailer beside. There is one more spot with five trees, two that can be double tapped for apoosible 7 more taps. Making the RO allowed me some more free time for collection.

Not counting the last 5 trees, that will give me 105 taps, 75 on lines and 30 on buckets. (Hmmm, I better count my buckets, I might only have 26 buckets.)

Edit: I have 36 buckets, so I am good. I do also have three other trees, one a double tap. So that would take me to 35 buckets. Combined with the 75 taps on line, that would make it 110 taps.

[Swingpure]

One other advantage of doing a fifth test boil, besides checking to see how the roof might drip and testing the fifth pan for boiling, is I am still thinking about doing two batches during one boil. The downside is ash rising into the other pans.

I designed my evaporator so I can easily lift the pans, I want to see how that works in practice and if I have ash rising into the pans. I will have steam pan lids that I can place on three of the pans to help prevent that as well.

I might find with a lesser boil time because of the RO, that I might not have to go for two batches.

[Swingpure]

Temps just above freezing today with wet snow and light rain. -25° C (-13°F) on the weekend. Long range forecast it is getting warmer, as would be expected, but no real trends above freezing, but that forecast can change.

Today I added the plywood ceiling with the air gap between the plywood and the metal roof. I also added some additional plywood sides to help keep the snow out and I added the smokestack. Previously I said it was 15’ tall, but it is only 12’ tall, but it looks taller. This summer when I did my tests, it was only 9’ tall, so with the additional 3’ and colder temps than the heat wave in the summer, I should have excellent draft.

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