Gary, one thing you are going to learn is the weather is never going to be exactly what they predict. When I see a perfect week of sap weather coming up, I am "certain" that it will NOT be just what is predicted. It is not unusual to see 6-7 perfect days predicted, and we get 2 or 3. Watch the forecast but don't bet your life on it.
2x3 Patrick Phaneuf Divided Pan
Homemade arch
RB20 RO Bucket
121 taps total
Sugar Shack in future
Wife into it as much as me
Also do homebrew
http://s928.photobucket.com/albums/ad121/ZMANSYRUP/
Ain't that the truth. In my area we were expecting to get 12" of snow and now it's just rain. I held off tapping till tomorrow because of that forecast and tilting my solar panels to summer angle so they would have shed the snow easier.Originally Posted by Z/MAN
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.
That’s the rub, you can understand them being wrong 14 or 7 days away, but when they are wrong a half a day away or less, it is a little frustrating. But it is what it is.
I collected 15 gallons yesterday and 5.5 gallons early this morning during a pause in the rain. I will have a brief boil after lunch, when the rain is supposed to slow.
I will at least get the fresh sap to a boil and get the entire sap in the pan closer to syrup. The sap in the pan will freeze this weekend with cold weather returning for two days. I will boil again sometime early this coming week, but that forecast is changing each day as well.
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.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
Although I was disappointed with yesterday’s flow, I was grateful for the 15 gallons I collected. I collected another 5.5 gallons in the morning, I had about 2 gallons worth in ice form, I was lowering my sap level in the pan from 3” to 2”, and later on I collected a valuable 1.5 gallons.
This sap was added to the boiled down 150 gallons in the pan. I knew I was close to making my first syrup from the new pan. Later I collected another 1.5 gallons which proved to be key.
Just as I was getting to the point where I had stopped adding wood, I could see the temperature rising in the pan and the trademark large bubbles, indicating that the sap was becoming syrup. I tested it on my refractometer and it was at 63 Brix. I decided I had to draw it off the pan now, as I was afraid if I waited any longer my sap levels in the pan would get dangerously low.
I drew it off and you look for the temperature to drop before closing the valve. The temperature had not dropped when I decided to close the valve, because once again I was concerned with the sap levels in the pan as it cooled off. The last 1.5 gallons I collected gave me the confidence I would have enough sap in the pan for the cooling off period.
I was able to make 8.5 L of syrup. Now each time I boil, I will be able to make syrup.
Colour me amber happy!
My wife tasted it and she went Mmmmm very good, very good!
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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.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
Just had the new syrup and it is best described by me as maple smooth. It was excellent and likely fair better if submitted to a syrup tasting contest than my last year’s syrup.
My next boil will be Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning and then most days after that.
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.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
On yesterday’s boil I think I nailed down my firing interval. 8 minutes seemed to work well to maintain a good boil, but avoid the jet affect. I did not have enough sap to see if it affected my rate of boil. I hopefully will be able to measure that on Tuesday afternoon.
I placed a trouble light in the evaporator under the pan. I only had a 60 watt bulb, so it may not be enough to preventing the sap from freezing. We will see. Starting Tuesday, I should be boiling every day or every second day, so it will not be an issue after the next two nights.
I will clean the pan on Monday and will start with a clean pan, for what might be many days of boiling. It I’ll be interesting if the large dark floating areas of nitre will return with steady boiling and draw offs.
The only thing that did not go perfect last boil was when I drew off I had a filter in a filter basket on my pot collecting the syrup just to catch the easy nitre. It quickly got washed away. I remembered then, when I saw the you tube video of someone doing it similar, he had clamps holding the filter in place. I now have the clamps at the ready and will try them next time. I think it might take a trial or two to nail it down.
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.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
I use a kitchen wire mesh strainer with clothes pins for clamps if needed holding filter .Then filter as i draw off rinse filter as needed or swap with clean one.really helps with filtering after finishing .
Thanks, the clothes pins might be a good back up choice for me. I am going to try these spring clamps, holding the filter in a filter basket.
This is just for a quick filter to get the big stuff when I draw off the syrup.
We will see how this works either this Tuesday or Wednesday depending on Monday flows. I want 50+ gallons to start a boil now, so I suspect I will be boiling Wednesday instead of Tuesday. I still plan on cleaning my pan Monday, but that could slide to Tuesday.
I had a good chat with some neighbour’s who have been tapping for generations. They just use the syrup for family and friends and determine if it is syrup by temperature or how it looks dripping from a spoon, which has met their needs for generations. When I talk Brix, they just politely smile at me. They will start tapping Tuesday or Wednesday and they use buckets.
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3A6F414C-23D0-4A43-9798-B3973E403CE5.jpg
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.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
yup used a thermometer for years no problem only make syrup for my personnel use and friends it all tastes good on pancakes.
I like the wooden clamp on clothes pins. I have used them since I have been making syrup.
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
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