Got some leaks fixed today and more tapped in. Not pulling super good vac, but I'm sure the other section of woods on the other side of the farm has leaks. Dam main line is under the snow in spots. Keep plugging away tomorrow and making everything better.
vacuum
RO
filter press
auto draw
New leader oil fired
http://s712.photobucket.com/albums/ww123/jtrap/
Late yesterday afternoon I was able to get a couple hundred gallons of snot sap that I will be dumping this morning. The pumps have been on all night and my new woods is running 27.5 inches of vacuum. My other section of woods is only running 16 inches as of last night. I fixed some leaks yesterday and have a bunch more to do. It's hard getting around in the woods with all the snow. My son is staying home from school today to help me get all systems up to 27+. Good luck everyone. We are all living the dream.
Spud
Yesterday was one of those days that sugarmakers dream about. Weather was perfect, 45 degrees, west wind, warm sun, cold beer.....too bad everythinjg is still frozen.
2 1/2 x8 Lapierre Waterloo-Small (oil fired)
Leader Steamaway
1200 gph Lapierre RO
1800 taps
http://s268.photobucket.com/albums/j...ks/Sugarhouse/
Mike Christian
505 Main St. Orwell, Vt.
Wow, what a day yesterday. Trees just started to open up in the evening, but not enough came in to boil. Temps this morning are a bit disappointing. Forecast was for 18, but only dropped to 29. Hilltop living, I guess. Still, hoping for lots of sap in the days to come.
Started up the waterhouse sap puller on just the lower 85 taps and only managed an 8 on the gauge despite going over everything closely before tapping. Guess I'll be looking for leaks and hanging buckets today.
300 on vaccum
300 gravity tubing
200 buckets
100 hilltop acres
16x20 timberframe sugarhouse built in 2010
3x10 Leader max flue & revolution pans w/ Inferno arch - 2013
1998 Kubota M5400
Northwoods Farm and Forestry on Facebook.
I pulled in about 100 gallons yesterday from about 550 taps and the sap ran til about midnight. It should be another decent day but as Mike says things are still pretty frozen up. But, if it doesn't freeze tonight we could get a decent run the next couple days, and hopefully enough to boil. Today I need to finish plumbing a new sap tank and the 500 gallon poly permeate tank so I can be ready to run the ro. Off to it!
About 750 taps on High Vac.
2.5 x 8 Intens-O-Fire
Airtech 3 hp LR Pump
Springtech Elite 500 RO
14 x 24 Timber Frame SugarHouse
16 x 22 Sap Shed w/ 1500 gal. + 700 gal. tanks
www.littlehogbackfarm.com
Same story for me down here in south western VT. Just before dusk, as the winds died down we had some drips. I got home from work and checked my main tank where which covers 270 taps and it was flowing pretty good, but there was only about 5 gallons in there, so it was just starting. Didn't even bother to look at the rest.
This is my first year with an RO, so i actually need a little bit more to start than I once did. Feels kinda wierd.
3X8 D&G with airtight arch, hood and preheater. - 400 Vacuum and 435 gravity. 16X24 sugarhouse. Deer Run 250 RO. DG 7" filter press. Grew up with maple. At 18 months old my Dad frost bit me when in a baby carrier while we were tapping in South Reading, VT...1954 Ferguson with trailer for Sap Collection, JD 850 and a 64 international scout woods buggy.
Pulan Pruning saw, Husky Rancher 455, and Stihl 064av to tame the woods.
Not looking like it's going to drop below 32 tonight. Maybe it will run all night? One can always hope.
173 on 3/16 natural vac for 2023
36 buckets
2 x 5 Smoky Lake Hybrid pan on a custom arch
RB25 from RO Bucket
12x24 salvaged sugarhouse built by wife's grandpa
1965 Massey Ferguson 165 tractor to haul sap.
Awesome day to be in the woods here on the Mtn. Sap was dripping with every hole I drilled. I got apprx 800 on vac now and still fixing leaked. Left the pump house with the pump pulling 18". Sap was coming in very well apprx 7pm. Leaving the pump on all night. Might be surprised in morning what's in the tank. Fingers crooked that I might get to run the RO for the first time. Can't wait.
Weather looks like it's going to be good for the next 4-5 days here.
Have fun
vacuum
RO
filter press
auto draw
New leader oil fired
http://s712.photobucket.com/albums/ww123/jtrap/
We have the vacuum hooked up and turned it on to give a test. We had not put any taps in yet. Then we managed to put in a little over 150 taps before calling it a day. I went back out after dinner and put in another 50 taps before my headlamp died. I hope to finish tapping tomorrow.
Mike
Tapping since 1985 (four generations back to early to mid 1900s). 200-250 taps on buckets and then tubing in the mid 90s. 2013- 275 taps w/sap puller 25 gal. 2014-295 taps w/sap puller 55 ga. (re-tapped to vacuum theory) 2015-330 taps full vac. 65 gal, 2016-400 taps 105 gal, 2017-400 taps 95 gal. 2018-additional 800' mainline and maybe 400 new taps for a total near 800 taps. 2x6 Leader WSE (last year on it) supported by a 250 gph RO.