well the wall didn't fall over...I finally got some boil in the back of the pan but not as much as I'd hoped so I will raise the height of the baffle one more row....the concrete block is a good idea...I'll give that a try. I'm getting about 10 gph, near as I can tell. I think I could do better.
2025 - 48 taps, all but 8 on gravity tubing
2024 - New Maine resident, 12X16 sugar shack under construction
2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO
Boiled another 30 gallons last night.....I don't have enough AUF so nect year a new blower....I cracked the door open a bit and with the wind it helped a lot. But I need to split another six barrows of wood to get me thru tomorrow night's boil and leave enough for what I expect is the final boil sunday. Looks like temps at night will help but a lot of my buckets are empty. I definitely tapped way too early this year.
2025 - 48 taps, all but 8 on gravity tubing
2024 - New Maine resident, 12X16 sugar shack under construction
2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO
is yellowish sap indicative that rain got into the bucket?
2025 - 48 taps, all but 8 on gravity tubing
2024 - New Maine resident, 12X16 sugar shack under construction
2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO
probly rain, but could be bad its getting to that time of year. to me i would throw it out just on principal, because i look at it like its not worth spoiling 280 gals of good clean sap with 1.5 of bad or dirty sap. but others have interesting methods also of testing, lets see what they say...........
2x6 leader WSE with AUF, hood,preheater
waterguy RO
leader 16 gal custom water jacketed canner
10 in short stack wes fab filter press
540 taps on tubing with vac & always adding
2- benders running 25" hg from GAST vac pumps
few stainless bulk tanks
1978 chevy 1 ton 4x4 dually
IH T340 dozer with 6-way blade
Id dump the yellow. A few years ago before I had a sap hydrometer I boiled 6 gallons of yellow sap down to a half pint. Hardly any sugar in it. Everyone always said dump it but couldn't tell me why, well I found out. Now I dump yellow sap. I don't think its rain because my buckets don't have a way for rain water to get In.
2011-2013Homemade evaporator
55 gallon drum with hotel steam pans. Evaporation rate 2.5 gal/hour
14 taps on buckets
2014 used leader half pint evaporator
20 taps on line, 24 taps on buckets
12x12 shack for the 2014 season
I'll dump the yellow before tonight's boil....I;m hoping it's not the last one of the season
2025 - 48 taps, all but 8 on gravity tubing
2024 - New Maine resident, 12X16 sugar shack under construction
2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO
I pulled about 25 gallons out of buckets last night that was still nice and clear. Temps have been near freezing, but not below the last few nights so hopefully everything stay fresh in my tanks until Friday afternoon when I can start to boil. Should have about 120-150 gallons for Friday afternoon and Saturday session with the evaporator. The wife and one daughter are headed to VT so it will be me and my almost 5 year old daughter for when I am boiling. It will be challenging to babysit the evaporator and parent at the same time. We have already discussed the fact that Saturday I choose what we do and Sunday she will choose. Let's hope she does not forget that by 10am.
sam
Got thru 20 gallons before I ran out of gas so I will finish tonight...most of my buckets are empty so I suspect Sunday I am pulling tapsI have about 8 gallons of sweet to finish, hopefully I can get 4 out of that. Not a great season but wait til NEXT Year!
Lessons learned:
1A) Don't tap too early. I suspect tapping during the February warm spell ruined the end of March for me.
1) Raise the back of the arch another brick width toward the bottom of the pan
2) Get a bigger fan and a better way to distribute AUF.
3) Run the pan a bit shallower....2+ inches is way too much to get a fast roiling boil
4) MORE WOOD! Ima be logging all summer and fall now
I think next year is the make or break year for this stove for this pan. I never got the gradient, I really never drew off anything close to syrup. Part of that is me, but I'm wondering if a bigger stove with a bigger fire will make the investment in the continuous flow pan worth it.
Last edited by eustis22; 04-03-2014 at 07:16 AM.
2025 - 48 taps, all but 8 on gravity tubing
2024 - New Maine resident, 12X16 sugar shack under construction
2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO
i think this would be a great topic for a new thread. THINGS WE LEARNED THIS SEASON. or something like that. i dont want to hijack but i think alot of people can learn from a thread like that.Originally Posted by eustis22
Got thru 20 gallons before I ran out of gas so I will finish tonight...most of my buckets are empty so I suspect Sunday I am pulling taps
Lessons learned:
1A) Don't tap too early. I suspect tapping during the February warm spell ruined the end of March for me.
1) Raise the back of the arch another brick width toward the bottom of the pan
2) Get a bigger fan and a better way to distribute AUF.
3) Run the pan a bit shallower....2+ inches is way too much to get a fast roiling boil
4) MORE WOOD! Ima be logging all summer and fall now
I think next year is the make or break year for this stove for this pan. I never got the gradient, I really never drew off anything close to syrup. Part of that is me, but I'm wondering if a bigger stove with a bigger fire will make the investment in the continuous flow pan worth it.
it is sad to see the season end.
Checked a couple of buckets when I got home yesterday and thought that it had been a decent day. Looked further this morning and it looks as though that good flow was isolated to one small set of tress (7 buckets). It did drop below freezing for several hours last night so I am hoping for one last run today. In any event I have plenty of sap to boil on Saturday and the weather feels like it is keeping it cool enough to stay fresh for the weekend.
sam
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