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Thread: Introduce yourselves....

  1. #1131
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Location
    Intervale, NH
    Posts
    32

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    Quote Originally Posted by maple flats View Post
    Welcome to the Maple Trader.
    For that size I suggest a Honda WX10 to load the truck tank and at least a 1" pump line, a 1.5" will load lots faster. For at the sugarhouse I suggest a 1" SS sprinkler booster pump like this one https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...1411_200311411
    I have used one of these for about 9-10 seasons. Northern also offers their own product (likely made in China), a 1.5 HP similar unit, I have no experience with that pump and thus I don't suggest it.
    Thanks for the input. I may go in that direction, I think my debate has more been because I'd prefer to only buy one pump. All my roadside tanks will very close to, and uphill of my truck, so I am wondering if an electrical pump off the truck's power would work, then I'd just use the same pump when I get to the sugar house. It's less about cost and more about having less stuff.
    '

  2. #1132
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    16

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    New sugar maker here. Have spent hours and hours learning from this site. Live in east central Wisconsin but am tapping on my property in upper Michigan. Started out with 100 taps on 3/16 natural vac. 30 buckets. 3x4 flat pan on barrel arch. 12x20 sugar shack. I get lots of winter free time and tend to dive into things. Hopefully this works out, was addictive before I even drilled a tap hole. Already have eyed up a few potential tube sets for next year and I've only boiled once!
    2020 first season ever, wife to be said she wanted to give out maple syrup @ upcoming wedding. I get carried away easy.
    100 taps on 3/16. 30 buckets. 12x20 sugar shack. 3x4 flat pan on barrel arch. Rb 20 kit RO. Tapping in iron county Michigan.

  3. #1133
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Central MN
    Posts
    3

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    Hi everyone, I'm new here, in my third year tapping. Just want to introduce myself and thank you all for sharing so much knowledge and information, it really helps us new producers.

    I currently have 38 taps on buckets in the center of Minnesota. My sugar shack this year is an old corn crib. Its working pretty good so far, I have a concrete floor, a roof over head, and excellent ventilation.

    Most of my taps are in silver maples in a farm yard. This year, for the first time I tapped a few reds and sugar maples in the forest, snow was way too deep last year. I'm only able to get to the farm on weekends, the yard trees started running good last week, woods trees have not given anything yet, bit I'm optimistic that i'll have a lot to boil tomorrow. I always seem to be behind everyone else in Minnesota, even those farther north.

  4. #1134
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Northwest PA
    Posts
    684

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    Welcome.
    Being the late one in my area I know where you are coming from.
    Keep it fun and enjoy. The maple bug has bitten you!

    Jim
    12 x 16 Sugarhouse, 12 x 16 Woodshed
    2 x 8 “The Mutt” Evaporator with Marcland Drawoff
    Leader oil fired arch, Dallaire raised flue, Smoky Lake syrup pan and hoods with pre-heater
    New Leader Clear Filter Press/Air Diaphragm Pump
    5” Hand Pump Filter Press from Daryl-One of the first three! On loan to a friend.
    Deer Run 250 gal/hr RO
    A Very Understanding Wife
    "At any time during the day you're only 10 seconds from disaster!"

  5. #1135
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

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    Welcome to the new folks on the Trader forum! The maple thing can be addictive for sure. Lots of good info here too. Do a search on your topic of interest. Then jump in and start a new thread.
    Regards,
    Chris
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

  6. #1136
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Muskoka
    Posts
    9

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    New member from Muskoka here.

    My son first tried his hand at making small batches a few years ago when he found some taps and rusted out buckets in the remains of an old collapsed sugar shack he found on his property. The buckets were useless, and so were most of the taps as it turns out, so he hung juice pitchers from the dollar store from new taps. The evaporation equipment (an old oil tank) in the sugar shack was equally useless so he just boiled the sap in a roasting pan over an open fire outside. A lot of effort for little syrup, but fun.

    The next year he was up to 80 taps, so I rigged him up a home-made RO inspired by designs found on the internet. It used 4 150gpd membranes in series (since expanded to 8 membranes, 2 series of 4 in parallel). Last year I welded up a 2' x 2' stainless steel pan with a draw-off valve which he perched on a cinderblock rocket stove, but the weather went from sub-zero to hot overnight, so he didn't get much sap.

    This year, we added 40 taps on my property. My bush slopes down to the driveway with about 15 or 20' of fall total, so we thought we'd try 3/16" lines. They dump into 5 gallon buckets which I haul over to his place. Of course, since we added more taps, we're having good sap-producing weather this year. Kind of an inverse Murphy's Law I guess. Time to upgrade the boiling stage so we can keep up!

    Last edited by torch; 03-30-2020 at 05:42 PM.

  7. #1137
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    northwest CT
    Posts
    74

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    good morning, great to be here...this upcoming season will be my 3rd first year was a couple cheap pans over an open fire pit, made just enough to get hooked, last year was a homemade barrel evaporator which was a huge upgrade, this year will be a new Mason 2x3 and a building in which to boil in !

    I,m from Litchfield county CT and cant wait to learn all I can to make next season even better !

  8. #1138
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

    Default

    Welcome!
    Regards,
    Chris
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

  9. #1139
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Corbeil, ON
    Posts
    171

    Default

    Hello all,
    I’m new here and going to try my hand at making syrup in the spring. As a little kid I used to help at my grandfathers sugar shack drilling the trees with a hand drill and steel spiles and steel buckets.
    I am only tapping 12 trees this year since the trees on my property are still small and will use 5/16 taps with drop lines. I don’t know how much sap I will be collecting.
    I picked up a 55 gallon drum to start building an evaporator and will try to have a local shop build me 2 pans, thinking of using a 2 pan setup I have been reading about.
    I’ve started collecting food grade pails to collect the sap.
    Still so much to learn here, a lot of terminology on the site.

  10. #1140
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    Welcome aboard. You still have time to get out. This is very addictive. But, if you really want the enjoyment of making maple syrup we can help.
    If the local shop has made a few pans, OK, if not I suggest you try some from the lower cost evaporator companies. Get them in 20 or 22 Ga, not heavier and if soldered it must be lead free solder. Welded is far better. To name a few options, try Bill Mason in Maine, Badgerland in Wis., Thor in Quebec, A&A in Pa to name a few. Likely there are more.
    The finish is mainly for appearance, bright or polished costs more but is most common, dull is next. It just needs to be food grade SS. If you need more ideas, make a post in the evaporators section on the Maple Trader.
    I strongly suggest you avoid the Ebay pans made in China.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

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