About the hardest time tapping trees in 23 years at this location. 3-4 feet of snow, but wait; there's more! There is slush layer over a breakable crust down about a foot with light, unconsolidated snow underneath. So about every 3rd step (even on big snowshoes), you break through and sink to your upper thigh and beyond. A couple times it took me a couple minutes of wallowing to get out of a tree well, made all the worse by lugging 6 cordless drill batteries, lunch, drinks, spare tubing, fittings and other paraphernalia up the steep hill up to my maple trees. Going down the steep hill was actually worse, as when you broke through the crust, you slid forward untill the crust stopped you (about mid-thigh). Then you had to back uphill to get out.
Anyway, all tapped out now with about 700 taps and made my first 3 gallons of syrup today.
Let's see if this video works....
Sugarhouse in operation:
Back Pan Boiling:
here's the front pan of my evaporator in full boil:
But I bet it is SO worth it!!! 🙂
Wendell and I would love to buy some off of you if you sell it? He's been ranting and raving about your syrup everytime we see those "store bought" syrups. 😉
Looks eerily similar to what's going on in those reactors in Japan, at least you can eat this finished product.
Keep up the good work Perry, Not much else to do this time of year.
Jim
Good luck with the season Perry. Down here (Springfield, MA area) they have been sugaring for about two weeks but the weather is getting bad, hot 50-60 deg. days and some 40 deg. nights forecast. It seems that with the multiple days of rain we have had a lot of the snow is out of the woods, bad! Too bad it was so difficult to tap the trees I hope they are all on tubing so you don't have to go back and collect the buckets everyday. At least the snow will help extend your season. It was really bad around here last year and a friend of mine with a sugar bush near Syracuse NY was down 50% last year.
Thanks for the photos, let us know how the season is going.
T.W.
Get some Angel. Perry's syrup is awesome!!!
I still have some in the frig from last year. It has really good flavor and goes a long way. About 2 or 3 shot glasses heated in the microwave goes for about 3 or 4 slices of french toast.
My Dad was up in his area a few months ago unbeknownced to me. I called him on his cell and he was up there. I told him about my maple syrup "supplier" and he offered to pick up some local store bought. I declined. I know who to go to for quality product. 🙂
Maple Sugaring Season a.k.a. another "paperweight"
Perry,
While I imagine you are on vacuum lines for collecting sugar, not to long ago they would use one of these to haul a collection wagon around to the trees to pick up the sap. Even use to outfit them with tracks. Here is a fully restored Jubilee that I could part with, would be just the trick for clearing that long drive of yours.
Here is it's twin sister that I use regularly around the house:
Jim Vianna
Jim
That looks very similar to the old 8N's that I drove as a child. Wasn't the Jubilee the 50th anniversary edition?
Andy
Jim
> That looks very similar to the old 8N's that I drove as a child. Wasn't the Jubilee the 50th anniversary edition?
>
> Andy
Andy,
Bigger machine, 30hp vs 20hp with live hydralics (independant of clutch) and yes the Jubilee was the 50 anniversary edition. See my newer post for more tractor pics.
Jim
Maple Sugaring Season a.k.a. another "paperweight"
I'm pretty much all on pipeline, but I don't use vacuum. I have thought about it, but I have no power at my sugarbush and my pipeline would have to be completely upgraded to handle a vacuum system. I already use 8-10 cords (of softwood slabs) to produce between 100-140 gallons of syrup so with vacuum, I would have to also get a reverse osmosis machine to handle the additional sap.
What a beautiful tractor! One of the sugarmakers in my hometown in Marlborough NH used to use a similar tractor with tracks that he installed for sugaring season. B.T.W, I quit shoveling my spec house driveway after the last big storm. I have snowshoed in to work on it, but now the project is on hold until the sap stops running.
Maple Sugaring Season a.k.a. another "paperweight"
Perry:
I "have been told" that the RO units can be a PIA requiring constant cleaning. I know the big producers use them a lot but then they are in it for the money, maybe they can justify the cost. I have also heard that the Steam-Away system works pretty good, but then still more money to invest.
Let's hope the season is long this year.
Keep boiling.
T.W.
Maple Sugaring Season a.k.a. another "paperweight"
Haven't really seen an RO in operation, but they do need cleaning and periodic rinsing along with 220 volt power in the sugarhouse. I think I could buy a small one for maybe $5,000. They will concentrate your 2% sap to 6% thereby reducing your evaporation time and costs by 2/3.
The steamaways are really expensive, probably at least $7,000 to add to my 3' x 10' evaporator. It is also one more thing to clean, plumb up and it covers your back pan which scares me (i want to SEE the sap boiling). THey do however, give you a 60% increase in boiling rate with NO additional fuel.
Both of these technologies are important if you are using oil to evaporate as with straight evaporation, it takes about 4 gallons of fuel oil to make 1 gallon of syrup. As I use waste wood from my sawmill, fuel cost is not an issue. Just the work of putting up 8-10 cords of softwood slabs each season.
