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Thread: My plan 2022/23

  1. #481
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
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    1,345

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    My plan for the day was to snowshoe the lines to further compact the trail before the next snowfall and ice fish in the afternoon.

    After seeing the forecast change, I started thinking about tapping the final 70+ taps. I had not made up my mind, but I started to get my two collection barrels and short lines to go to from the main lines to the barrels The whole time I kept saying to myself Stop, stop, but I didn’t.

    I still had not made up my mind as I set up the barrels and connected the lines to the barrels. I shovelled snow around the barrels to help keep them in place in case of strong winds.

    It was beautiful out. It felt very Spring like, so I stopped saying stop and started tapping. It did not take long. The trails I had compacted, supported my weight. If you stepped off the trails you went into anywhere from knee to crotch deep of snow.

    It did not take long to do the 70+ taps. I had no bad feeling in my gut and I am happy with my decision.

    My rationale for tapping was, it was now March and that falls within my tapping parameters, there are a number of flow days coming and at the worst, I have the capacity to store the sap, and I just do not believe the second week of the two week forecast. Also it will give me an opportunity to check out my transfer pump, wiring and hose setup prior to the really big flows.

    When I tapped, no sap came out of the holes and nothing was running down the lines. When I got back home, 2 minutes away, I checked my existing lines and they were just beginning to drip. I had a quick breakfast and got ready for ice fishing. I checked my existing lines and they were barely starting to flow. I swung around to check out the newly tapped lines and as I arrived they started to flow. I really think they will be big producers.

    Whether I decide to do my first boil or not in a few days, I will make that decision then.

    I feel excited and if my decision to tap was wrong, no one dies.

    Now for a flag to pop on the tip up, as I type this in the ice hut. I will check on the lines again later today.
    Last edited by Swingpure; 03-01-2023 at 01:43 PM.
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

  2. #482
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
    Posts
    1,345

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    Quote Originally Posted by DRoseum View Post
    Here are the plugs I made
    Attachment 22960
    Attachment 22961
    Thank you, my holes are more irregular shaped, but you have me thinking.

    Thanks again.
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

  3. #483
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
    Posts
    1,345

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    Today the sap was not flowing like crazy, but I took videos of how it was flowing to show the bubbles. Some of the bubbles looked different than before, but they are what they are. Today reached +4°C/39°F. The sap is still flowing. I will be checking for leaks this Sunday. I was happy that the new lines tapped today were flowing and I think they will produce a lot of sap.

    The first two videos are of the lines I tapped today. On the third video, the first two lines shown were tapped on February10th, the third line shown was tapped on December 27th. Notice how well it is still flowing.

    Line 3 on the Steep Hill Collection area. 29 taps
    https://share.icloud.com/photos/0b3T...mXgbhTYUdLNCQQ

    Line 2 first shown (21 taps), Line 1 second shown (23 taps) from the steep hill collection area
    https://share.icloud.com/photos/0fbU...PhZrEfZCSGhf7w


    The first line shown, Line 2 of the garage collection area has 10 taps, the second line shown Line 1 (19 taps) and the third one shown, line 3 (tapped in December) (14 taps). Not much was happening with line 1 while I was taping, but more sap was on the way.
    https://share.icloud.com/photos/098X...I5LFcWWoS6jq2A



    On the fourth video the bottom line 13 taps, and the top line 11 taps, were tapped on Feb 10. They feed into the driveway collection area.
    https://share.icloud.com/photos/09fh...J4wHu3PBO7rfhA
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

  4. #484
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Nashville, MI
    Posts
    939

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    Gary, I would say you are in business.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

  5. #485
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pdiamond View Post
    Gary, I would say you are in business.
    I might boil Sunday and Monday, just to boil the sap and then draw off the sweet and let it freeze until temperatures rise above freezing again. I will make that call on Friday. Who knows if I get enough sap on Sunday, I might have a draw off or two on Monday.

    I will need the welder to finish the front facade of the evaporator. I thought I would have it by now.
    Last edited by Swingpure; 03-01-2023 at 09:12 PM.
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

  6. #486
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Corbeil, ON
    Posts
    171

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    The temperatures are getting tempting in my area too, but a little too cold right now. I will be doing a test boil with water on the new pan on Saturday. Hoping to tap next weekend.
    2021 - Year one. 15 taps using 5/16" and drop tube into buckets. Homemade barrel evaporator with 2 steam trays. 4.7L syrup.
    2022. 32 taps. Added AUF.
    2023. 51 taps. Ditched the steam pans for an 18x22 flat pan.
    2024. 56 taps. Built a proper evaporator to fit the 18x22 flat pan and 1 steam pan.

  7. #487
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
    Posts
    1,345

    Default

    I will get the welded front facade tomorrow. Today I moved the frozen sap into the heated garage to thaw. The goal is to have my first boil on Sunday. I hope to have 80 gallons to start boiling and hopefully collect another 20+ gallons to finish boiling Monday.
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

  8. #488
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
    Posts
    1,345

    Default

    I got the metal pieces I had welded, back today, but I got them later than I had hoped. I did my planned adjustments for a perfect fit and I then spray painted them, but did not have time to get my pan back on the evaporator and also no time to pre build tomorrows fire.

    The 1/2” thick steel front facade fits as hoped and I will show pics tomorrow. Hopefully it does not do any weird warping stuff. It is robust enough that I do not think that will happen.

    I should start boiling between 10 and 11 am tomorrow and I have about 80 gallons of sap to play with. I will boil until about 5 pm to allow myself some time to collect the sap for the next day.

    (My December 27th tapped lines are still flowing well as compared to the other lines.)
    Last edited by Swingpure; 03-04-2023 at 08:57 PM.
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

  9. #489
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
    Posts
    1,345

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    Today I boiled sap for the first time on my new evaporator setup and on the new divided pan. It went excellent.

    First things first and I will do this on three posts.

    The first post is on my new metal front facade and metal frame. The door fit perfectly looked so much better than the old set up and most importantly worked very well. The concrete door fit well against it.

    The metal frame that supports the pan and holds the top edge of the fire bricks worked well. After cutting it into three sections, there was no warping. I added a bracket to the middle sections so they do not fall forward.

    I was very happy. The concrete door works well, I just grab it and slide it to the side and start loading the wood. The new front facade gives me better access to the firebox.

    799CCBBE-3F82-4A1F-8FE9-191F04F6184E.jpg

    FBE22424-D3B4-4009-9DD0-99E28C6535B1.jpg

    https://share.icloud.com/photos/058P...5A3dXvzrKkIwXw

    https://share.icloud.com/photos/068N..._MwZIwAEsdDOTg
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

  10. #490
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
    Posts
    1,345

    Default

    Part two of today’s boil.

    The evaporator worked excellent.

    Zero smoke from it. It is so different from last year where I had to wear a mask. That is huge for me.

    The evaporator was humming in fact it was red hot, and boiled at 13 gallons per hour. I think for a 2x4 pan, on a cinder block evaporator, that is pretty excellent. The channel where the raw sap entered was not boiling, but the other three were vigorously boiling from front to back.

    I put to boil 110 gallons today.

    The basestack got red hot.

    71F7C850-DF98-4268-93DD-B134E0A8A54D.jpg

    54B77AA9-5594-407F-A41B-CB89D6E7B5BB.jpg

    A3577F4B-E46D-40F0-97F3-3B40D7F1A541.jpg

    https://share.icloud.com/photos/082S...JmNZ5Rpt9Vvb9A

    https://share.icloud.com/photos/0f8M...c0Nu3Ofe2wN3bA

    https://share.icloud.com/photos/032v...Ywgsscy5LQ3EmA
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

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