Got the rest of my 37 total taps put in on Sunday, 2/20/22. Collected ~30 gallons of sap this morning, 2/22/22
Also found a mouse frozen into the ice in the bottom of one of my buckets!
Got the rest of my 37 total taps put in on Sunday, 2/20/22. Collected ~30 gallons of sap this morning, 2/22/22
Also found a mouse frozen into the ice in the bottom of one of my buckets!
Last edited by johnpjackson; 02-22-2022 at 12:26 PM. Reason: Added obituary for mouse.
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5' x 9' sugaring room
37 taps (cast iron spiles), 3 gallon metal buckets
Boiling with a 21" x 24" divided pan, 3 troughs, w/warming tank on top
250K BTU propane burner inside cement block arch, 4 x 100lb. propane tanks in parallel
Sap storage in 44 gallon Brute barrels w/food-safe plastic bag barrel liners
2021: ~8 gallons of syrup
2022: ~11 gallons of syrup (but I lost a 3 gallon batch because I fell asleep and burned it!!)
2023: ~15 gallons of syrup
Yeah, seems like I get a rodent in a bucket most years. One of the things I like about the white buckets at the base of the tree is that they're fully covered, and the critters can't get in (even moths). The downside is that they tend to blow away or fall over from time to time.
GO
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
2024: 17 taps
All on buckets
Collected ~65 gallons this morning!
I'll get started on boiling, this evening
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5' x 9' sugaring room
37 taps (cast iron spiles), 3 gallon metal buckets
Boiling with a 21" x 24" divided pan, 3 troughs, w/warming tank on top
250K BTU propane burner inside cement block arch, 4 x 100lb. propane tanks in parallel
Sap storage in 44 gallon Brute barrels w/food-safe plastic bag barrel liners
2021: ~8 gallons of syrup
2022: ~11 gallons of syrup (but I lost a 3 gallon batch because I fell asleep and burned it!!)
2023: ~15 gallons of syrup
Nice! 95 gallons should keep you busy for a little while.
Gabe
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
2024: 17 taps
All on buckets
We just got another 25 gallons this evening, before the temperature plunges and would have frozen it!
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5' x 9' sugaring room
37 taps (cast iron spiles), 3 gallon metal buckets
Boiling with a 21" x 24" divided pan, 3 troughs, w/warming tank on top
250K BTU propane burner inside cement block arch, 4 x 100lb. propane tanks in parallel
Sap storage in 44 gallon Brute barrels w/food-safe plastic bag barrel liners
2021: ~8 gallons of syrup
2022: ~11 gallons of syrup (but I lost a 3 gallon batch because I fell asleep and burned it!!)
2023: ~15 gallons of syrup
Finally, the sap is starting to run here again!
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5' x 9' sugaring room
37 taps (cast iron spiles), 3 gallon metal buckets
Boiling with a 21" x 24" divided pan, 3 troughs, w/warming tank on top
250K BTU propane burner inside cement block arch, 4 x 100lb. propane tanks in parallel
Sap storage in 44 gallon Brute barrels w/food-safe plastic bag barrel liners
2021: ~8 gallons of syrup
2022: ~11 gallons of syrup (but I lost a 3 gallon batch because I fell asleep and burned it!!)
2023: ~15 gallons of syrup
2024 - Starting with the 25 then more late Feb.
2023 - 25 taps on 11 trees to focus on the process. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast in April
2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
2021 - 20 x 30 divided pan on a Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons for family and friends to judge. Dad hooked as well.
2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer, About 3/4 pint syrup in two weeks - Proof of concept!
Yeah, I put a rock or brick on top too. Never tried pounding in a stake. When there's some sap in the bucket that helps. Not sure if the ground would often be too frozen when I'm putting out buckets for that stake trick to work, but I'll remember it.
Looks like starting this weekend the season is really going to start.
GO
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
2024: 17 taps
All on buckets
No more mice in my buckets, so far!!
Yesterday we collected ~25 gallons of sap. Hoping today will be a solid producer. It's already 35 degrees this morning, before 9am, and the sun is shining. Fingers crossed!
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5' x 9' sugaring room
37 taps (cast iron spiles), 3 gallon metal buckets
Boiling with a 21" x 24" divided pan, 3 troughs, w/warming tank on top
250K BTU propane burner inside cement block arch, 4 x 100lb. propane tanks in parallel
Sap storage in 44 gallon Brute barrels w/food-safe plastic bag barrel liners
2021: ~8 gallons of syrup
2022: ~11 gallons of syrup (but I lost a 3 gallon batch because I fell asleep and burned it!!)
2023: ~15 gallons of syrup
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
2024: 17 taps
All on buckets