Schenectady-Albany-Saratoga Counties

[MRFNY]

So, the short answer is this unit processes about 60 gallons per hours of sap at a 50:50 concentrate to permeate ratio.

The longer answer is: the kit I bought is a slightly different version of the 4x40 single post that many DIY-ers have been making...it doesn't have the big, noisy, high capacity ProCon "vane" pump but instead uses two high-flow diaphragm pumps plumbed in parallel. Everything I read explained how sensitive those vane pumps are and the initial cost is a lot more because of the need to buy a large motor to drive them and they also need ANOTHER low-pressure pump to feed the sap in because they don't have suction, only outfeed.

I really like the one I got because it's SO quiet and will have it right next to the evaporator while hanging out with family and friends. Plus, I have small kids and they are SUPER distracting in the sugaring process so I don't have to worry if a tank of sap runs out and the pump runs dry for a minute or two.

It was over $1000 for the kit but I was able to sell my original 4 membrane RO that I made years ago for $500 the day I posted it on FB Marketplace...

60 gallons per hour, holy smokes! That's pretty amazing!

[MRFNY]

Bottled just shy of 5 gallons of golden delicate today. I've made some golden before but not this much. Delicious flavor! Can I attribute this to the new RO?

Also collected 90 gallons today and will probably have 40 or so in the buckets tomorrow I'm assuming. Still not even close to our annual average of 20 or so gallons of finished syrup, but we'll see if the forecast changes at all.

[MRFNY]

Holy smokes, I don't think the trees went to sleep last night. I probably have another 75-100 gallons to collect and RO today.

[Aslowrie]

Holy smokes, I don't think the trees went to sleep last night. I probably have another 75-100 gallons to collect and RO today.

Same here, or at all today. I collected this morning since I didn't want to go out in the rain yesterday and got 17 gal. Just went out again and got 7 more.

[MRFNY]

Same here, or at all today. I collected this morning since I didn't want to go out in the rain yesterday and got 17 gal. Just went out again and got 7 more.

Just got back to the house now. Ran 125 or so gallons through the RO today, collected another 100 gallons and left probably 30 or so in buckets to collect tomorrow, boiled 62 gallons of concentrate. Productive weekend!

[ADK_XJ]

Another crazy run of sap...I had collected an IBC full and about 70 gallons from buckets on Saturday, then was surprised when the 275g tank filled AGAIN yesterday and most of the buckets were near capacity, too.

The new RO is making a huge difference in my ability to process this volume but my real worry is the concentrate may spoil before I can finish boiling it in the evenings...

Happy sappin!

[MRFNY]

Another crazy run of sap...I had collected an IBC full and about 70 gallons from buckets on Saturday, then was surprised when the 275g tank filled AGAIN yesterday and most of the buckets were near capacity, too.

The new RO is making a huge difference in my ability to process this volume but my real worry is the concentrate may spoil before I can finish boiling it in the evenings...

Happy sappin!

That is a lot of sap, awesome!

[MRFNY]

So I took a half day from work today thinking I'd have about 40 gallons on the trees in addition to the 50 gallons held over from Sunday. NOPE! 100 gallons on the trees! What is going on? Have they run non-stop since Friday? It didn't get below freezing all weekend I think? All I can say is thank God for RO. Having an abundance of sap is not nearly as stressful as it used to be!

[ADK_XJ]

So I took a half day from work today thinking I'd have about 40 gallons on the trees in addition to the 50 gallons held over from Sunday. NOPE! 100 gallons on the trees! What is going on? Have they run non-stop since Friday? It didn't get below freezing all weekend I think? All I can say is thank God for RO. Having an abundance of sap is not nearly as stressful as it used to be!

Yep, our trees ran straight through yesterday afternoon / early evening. The issue is preserving the quality of any sap that sat out in the woods during that crazy warm spell.

Hoping we get a good cool down here next week and a restart to the process...

[ADK_XJ]

This is always the time of year when I start wondering "how far along in the season am I?" and worrying it's closer to being over than I want. I actually think this warm spell portends good things, and we will get some cold temps blowing in the rest of March.

We have friends from Maryland who are coming April 5 and really, really want to see maple sugaring in action...if it holds out till then I will be mighty pleased.