Hop Kiln Road 2022

[Hop Kiln Road]

Tapping Below the Bucket

Finished installing the new evaporator ahead of schedule, so I’ve had time to study how to increase my sap production and watch a bunch of youtube maple flicks. Told M it was a good thing these new variants kept me home or I’d have completely missed this tapping below the bucket craze. I mean, what will these Vermonters think of next, huh? Tried to explain to M that these guys have got no choice but to drill below the bucket on the advice of their doctor cause they’ve got a lot bad wood but she just rolled her eyes, which means she doesn’t buy it. Real unfortunate, but can’t help to wonder if they hadn’t exercised a wee little more self-control when they were younger then things wouldn’t have turn out different? And don’t get me wrong, if my wood goes bad I’ll be headed below the bucket too.

[Hop Kiln Road]

Started putting in low holes up on top of the Twist Hill bush yesterday and I got to tell you Traders, things just didn’t look right. Now maybe I just don’t got the hang of it. You angle the hole up or down? Often takes me awhile to figure out new stuff like when those Apple folks update my phone at night – without asking - and when I come to I can’t figure out the weather. Anyway after 5 or 6 butt swell jabs my knees started to act up and I defaulted to my tried and true protocol: just get on with it, everything above the buckets. Good thing too! By the end of the day it looked like 2 gpt. Now I got to get the sugar house dusted off. This is my earliest start since 2012 and that season ended below average.

[Russell Lampron]

Hi Bruce,

I don't know about that tapping below the bucket thing either. It sounds like a plot from the guys in VT to drive the price of bulk syrup up. Kinda like the fake lumber shortage last spring.

Good luck with the new season!

[Hop Kiln Road]

Been out straight, already at 25% of an average season before my average start date. Only have 600 0f my 750 tapped. Sugar content is a little weak, but not unusual for early season sap.
Blew the Reverse Osmosis unit's high pressure pump. Been chasing a bad filter cannister o ring. Really!
One section of the new evaporator's preheater line was only tacked not welded. Blower is significantly undersized, so been boiling some raw sap with a weak blower but grade has stayed above 50%.
Sugarhouse and dump and trailer tanks all dry and buttoned up for the freeze. Field tanks are all 1/2 to 3/4 full. Foot of snow coming today followed by a 7 day freeze. Oh my, going to be quite a season. Nothing better than being a New England sugarmaker.

[Hop Kiln Road]

7F this morning with 8" of nice snow. H2O brought me a 300 pump for my 200 and I'm going to try to install it, only 1/2 hp and 3 amps bigger. I know Red Roof would go for it. Of course, the pump failed when the membranes were sugared but I've got them on ice. Need to make a move before the permeate tank freezes. 8 very cold days still in the forecast, so when we restart there will be little capacity in the field tanks.

[Russell Lampron]

Hey Bruce what are you waiting for? Red Roof would have had that pump installed and that RO squeezing ASAP after it was delivered even if it meant staying up all night! I wouldn't be talking about it here.

[Hop Kiln Road]

A Hare was making fun of the Tortoise one day for being so slow.

"Do you ever get anywhere?" he asked with a mocking laugh.

"Yes," replied the Tortoise, "and I get there sooner than you think. I'll run you a race and prove it."

[Russell Lampron]

It looks like my reply was a little dickish and I apologize for that Bruce. I hope that the new pump is easy to install and that you can get back to the fun part of sugaring.

[Hop Kiln Road]

Russ, I didn’t read it that way. Since we had similar sized operations I always used you as my yardstick. You’ve seen my operation, I have 3 gpt field storage. I wasn’t even all tapped out when 50F then 60F days hit and got 3,000 gal, with one tank overflowing a little. The new evaporator had two glitches to deal with and then the 8 year old pressure pump failed midstream. H2O brought right down a new pump and are dealing with the blower issue. If I get behind, I let the field tanks freeze and keep the sugarhouse dry and ready to roll. And yes, I installed the new pump in the freezing dark with my headlamp and barehands. Hope to be able to wash the membranes when it warms today. But we’ve got a serious 5 day freeze coming.
I did make 40 gal of medium, a lot of it raw boil with a faulty blower.
Heard some of the Ridge isn’t going to be tapped this year.
I’m sure your family is pretty happy to have your energy and expertise nearby these days.
Bruce

[Russell Lampron]

I'm glad that you got the pump installed and applaud you for doing it in the cold and dark. Those headlights work good don't they.

It's nice to know that you used Red Roof as a yardstick. I always thought of you as the benchmark for what someone could do with a small number of taps. You've always had great numbers for a small producer.

I never got the tsunami sap that you did but it wasn't because I didn't give it my best effort. I was always a little jealous because you got the perfect temperatures when it was just a couple of degrees too cold for me.

Who's not tapping on the Ridge? With the turmoil up there I can't say that I'm surprised.

When we get some sap I'm going to hold a filter press school for the guys here in PA. It turns out that they all have trouble with it. We did an experiment the other day and when Theron was ready to change the papers in his press I showed him how I ran my press and we got another 20 to 25 gallons through it. We're going to try using less filter aid and add it differently to get more syrup through before it clogs up.