Red Roof Maples

[Sugarmaker]

Dave,
Let me know on the EEU. Cant wait to hear the results! Hope you get a run tommorrow.
Regards,
Chris

[Russell Lampron]

Dave I've had plenty of those days too. The work usually wins out and by the time I sit down to enjoy a cold boiling soda I end up falling asleep 1/2 way through it.

I am sick of moving snow. Every weekend it seems like I have to devote 1/2 a day to that before I can do my maple stuff.

Saturday the snow was getting sticky by the time I got home from work so I decided to get some trees tapped. Plowed the snow yesterday morning which worked out good because it got cold enough over night to dry it out.

Only got stuck twice going through my fathers woods with his tractor. It is a good thing it is a High Clearance tractor. After that I put the snow shoes on and got about 100 taps in. I have got about 100 more down there to finish up.

Russ

[Giffpc]

i tappd the trees last weekend and collected about 20 gallons. i boiled it down and finished on the stove. when the temp was right, i took if off and sent it to through the filter. i ended up with a gallon of light amber. is it possible the sugar content is that high that i can get 20 to one.

this is the first year for me trying this out, so i have a lot of questions. thanks

[gearpump]

Russ you going to be buying sap from the Red Baron down the road?! Man don't cross to the dark side.....

Marty

[Russell Lampron]

Marty,

No, I'm not going to buy sap from the Red Baron. The Mudget Hill Mumbling Maplers have got Harry O's trees as well as their own. At last count they had 1300 taps of their own and only have a 2.5x8 evaporator. My father tells me that they bought a Steam Away but they don't have an RO.

Giffpc,

You can't go by temperature alone as water boils at different temps depending on the barometric pressure. You need to get a hydrometer to test it with. Your sap would have to be at 4.3% sugar content to make 1 gallon with 20 gallons of sap. That is possible though.

I have about 40 gallons of sap in my tank on vacuum. It tested at 3% when I checked it tonight. Not bad considering that 1/2 of the trees are red maples.

Russ

[3% Solution]

Hi Russ,
Got a bunch of stuff done today, finished tapping, fitted the EEU,
Almost ready, by Wednesday night won't anything left but the boiling itself, I hope.
I figure I'll boil Friday or Saturday.

Giffpc; I have a tree that is real sweet like that, it is a front lawn and with the dogs around you have to watch where you walk.
Many, many land mines!!!
Keeps the tree fertilized!!!!

Dave

[Russell Lampron]

Had the best run of the year so far yesterday. I have about 200 gallons of sap plus what runs today to boil tonight. Spent the last 2 nights working in the sugar house. Got the evaporator all plumbed back up and ready to go. Dug a 20 foot trench to unbury the pipe that I use to drain sap into my bulk tank. Put the membrane back into the RO machine and hooked up the plumbing to that. My wife is going to gather the sap today so we don't have an overflow down in the woods. Going to pick up some boiling sodas on my way home from work tonight and sweeten the pans.

Russ

[royalmaple]

Russ-

Time to make some quality product.

I think today is going to be good. Sun's out now. Gotta get stuff ready today.

[Russell Lampron]

The report from home is that it is indeed running good today. Can't wait to get home and start making syrup.

Russ

[Russell Lampron]

Boiling sodas and steam at Red Roof Maples last night! Sweetened the pans and made a little syrup last night. Had 365 gallons of sap to boil in. Made about 2.5 gallons of syrup that looks to be medium but will grade it later. There was still some in the filter when I came in last night.

Looking for another run today and will see what the vacuum brings in tomorrow during the rain then boil again Saturday night. Royalmaple called just as I was getting the first draw off. The RO shut off while he was on the phone too which meant that the bulk tank was empty and that I had about 1 hour left before I was out of sap.

Russ