February Journal THE COUNTDOWN!!!

[3rdgen.maple]

I suddenly am feeling like I am not going to be able to fill all the preorders this year. The B&B next door uses it for their breakfast and alot of their guest have requested orders to take home this year. Seems they all want a gallon or more. After a long visit with them we walked their woods and I quit counting potential taps after 300 and did not even cover a 3rd of their property. So a deal has been made and they will tap 200 in trade for syrup to feed the guest and the rest will be sold. They refused to take any of the profits they just want a few gallons for to feed their clients. Bonus part is they are gonna collect and deliver that and also offerd to collect the 300 taps that I am putting out that borders their land. I warned them of the maple bug and they are all for it. Just gotta keep them from buying a evaporator now. So my tap count just went from 600 to 800 on a 2x6. Bring it on I am ready.

[Farmboy]

Started tapping today. Not sure how many. Meand my brother put up all the taps on my land and all the ones on one of my neibors land. Tommorow I will tap my other neibors land and report back with a tap count. My guess is Between 80 and 100. Moved tanks around today. Also welded my evaporator. Nothing like last minute. Tomorow ill brick it and level it. Hope to make some syrup soon. My pump came today all im waiting for is filters they were shipped out yesterday.

[PerryW]

So my tap count just went from 600 to 800 on a 2x6.

Your gonna be busy. I tried 275 gravity taps on a 2x6 in 1989 and that was too many. Bought my 3x10 the next year and now have about 800 on it.

[KenWP]

Only 800 on a 2x6. Thats not bad. Hope you like to boil that much. My buddy is really on my case to tap his trees this year. Hes got thousands of them to tap in places. I have to go over this weekend and see what I can do about it. The biggest problem is what to use for storage over there until I can pick the sap up. that and it can only be done after the 15th of march as my truck can't be legally droven till then.
I have to find more pint bottles as I have a order for a bunch more again. Mine are all quarts left and gallons so I have to break a few down again to sell. have to keep the coustomers happy.
Really getting close to go time and not ready to go yet. Owell Theron taught me every thing I know.

[Revi]

We have 300 on a 2x6, and it seems like the perfect number. Now we're thinking of adding vacuum, but that will have to wait until next year.

We have tapped a few test buckets, but still nothing in them.

We're thinking of tapping this weekend, but the weather will have to warm up a little to get the sap flowing first.

[PerryW]

Just make it through one year of round the clock boiling and invest the money back into an RO system.

With RO and a 2x6, you can handle 1000 taps.

[DanE.]

I added another 30 tap on Saturday, I was short 6 tees and about 100 feet of tubing to finish the job. I only have a few stragglers that need to be after this set. Mostly trees I plan on culling next year. I might just use my old 7/16 taps on those. Sunday I built a sap tower to hold the 55 gallon head tank and spent the rest of the time figuring out how to plum it. More pluming supplies needed. I took Monday off to get caught up on things. I started working on the tractor to convert it over to 12 volts to run the sap pump. I spent more time on the road getting parts than I did rewiring everything. The tractor has a new 12 volt 60amp alternator to run the sap pump and 3 55 watt driving lights. You know, the lights are need to track down my wild maple trees at night, they are tough to spot compared to the domesticated maples that most people tap. .. It all works with the exception of missing one relay for the lights. I also stop by my welder to have him touch up some pin hole that I could not get with my mig welder (the same work I paid him fix a few weeks ago and I got them back with the same pin holes), and he blew me off, told me he was out of ss rod and take the pans somewhere else. The owner is on vacation this week so, I'm not sure what is going on, but I did take the pans to another machine shop (C&C).

Dane.

[vtsnowedin]

I went to the barrel guy (Charlie Hall West Topsham VT. 802-439-5519) and bought 5 plastic drums. Three blue juice/syrup barrels and two black pickel barrels with wide screw on lids. $18.00 a piece plus tax. He had a lot of other sizes there all food grade including 55 gal steel epoxy coated maple syrup drums and cage totes.
Then I went down to So. Royalton to Welches and picked up five rolls of 5/16 and some fittings. They still don't have any end rings or any plain Ts and had only one type of 5/16. It makes choosing a lot easier
When I get all this washed and set up in place I should be set to go. Have to be as the checkbook getting mighty thin.

[Sugarmaker]

Oops,

I just realized that the NWPA Maple Taste and Tour is MARCH 20 and 21. I may have mentioned in another post/s that is was the weekend prior. I was wrong!

Have a great day,
Chris

[3rdgen.maple]

Just make it through one year of round the clock boiling and invest the money back into an RO system.

With RO and a 2x6, you can handle 1000 taps.

Perry I had 400 on it last year and wanted more. You know what really sucked last year was that my dad was able to boil thursdays and fridays and all last year I think there was only one day he had sap to boil. He kept saying the trees hate him. There was basically 3 really good runs that had me up round the clock so it was not too bad. I also reinvest every dime back into it to keep it growing. Next year on the upgrade list was a 3x8 but now I am thinking maybe a 3x8 with a steamaway. We will see what this year brings in profits maybe have to hold it and wait till 2012 profits gets me there or get the 3x8 in 2011 then the steamaway in 2012. No offense to annyone at all but an RO is not for me. Call me old fashion but I have no desire to have one at this point in my life. I will not be gathering this year so it will save me a few hours a day for boiling. She who must be obeyed tells me keep adding taps so we can make enough money for her to quit her job. Still trying to figure that one out. Work harder so she can work less hmmmm.