Its sort of mine!

[McDave]

She's a beautiful girl, and she knows it. Looks like she's havin' a great day, and I can see why. Really nice day out there.
Oooooh, new Kubota. Very nice, just try not to put your eye out...... just sayin'.
So, I know basically ZERO about the maple syrple biz, but it seems like 1 day is quick to tap all the trees. So fill me in here. How many trees? How many "tappers"? What size acreage are we talkin' bout. How fast do the buckets fill? Do you still use buckets? Is the sap collected and then all cooked down at the same time? Is this a 1 time a year deal ? How old are the trees that give sap? Do they always give sap as long as they're alive? Is it the freeze/ thaw cycle that makes them produce? Is there "good sap" and "bad sap"? What is the sap to syrple ratio? 1 gal/1 pint? Ya ever seen anything weird in the syrple, like a mouse or bat? Does the sweet smell call in the deer and bears? If you added yeast to the sap and let it ferment would it cook down to shine? Do folks make Maple Shine? Sounds kinda good..
So many questions!! Please....I just gotta know more!

Thanks,

McDave

[Padilen]

I'm sorry if I mislead you. Buckets are still used just not by us at Awesome Woods Maple Syrup. No it wasn't one day to do the tapping. Since Im unable to do that I'm not sure what day they started. I believe it was Monday. I do know that 5 were suppose to work Thursday, but only 3 showed. That's why it was impressive they completed tapping.
Work hasn't stopped over there since last season. Huge investment to increase production. Tank house became a pump house. And under ground lines will pump sap right to tank for filling evaporator. New 2200 gallon sap tank. I will have to ask the minimum size of tree to tap and woods acreage. I do know I assembled 1000 new taps. Not sure how many he already had I l'll ask that, 3000 total sticks in my head but I've bumped my head a lot.
Deer and a black bear are around. Neighbor to the east 1/2 mile, uses corner which is corner of sugar bush. For their garbage pick up, but leaves the containers there 24/7. So the bear visits often. But had not effected sap collection, in the past. Squirrels however chew the sap lines. Jim would also know if shine is made from sap. He was into wine making for years.
I think it's like 40-1 for syrup. Will double check.
Sap runs when daytime temps raise above freezing. But just in spring, multiple days,not one.
Jim will tell you all his trees produce the best sap. But it's really how the seasons are. Don't ask what makes a good season cause Id have to check.
Now for the "stuff". I haven't seen any mice /bats. Ok I've seen them just not in syrup or sap. But those nonladybug bugs and ants and mosquitos I have. All before bottling. That's why a filter press is used. Don't want those in your syrup!
I hope this make sense I'm tired and need to get to sleep. Have a goodnight.


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[flboy]

You make syrup? My dad did that in NY. Nothing like it. Good stuff!

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[Padilen]

Another beautiful day in Michigan yesterday. Unseasonably warm, but I'm not complaining. Sunshine feels so good after not having any for months. Sap ran good and first "cook" was done last night. Produced 30 gallons of syrup.
And McDave -I found out those 1000 extras taps are not done. He only focused on existing runs, to catch this early flow.



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[Padilen]

I caved and fixed the outhouse door.



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[Padilen]

Jim(boss) called had a float stick dumped about 300 gallons of concentrate-sap all ready to "cook", on the floor.. That's about 50 gallons of syrup!
Pump and float had worked fine Sunday. Then today he wasn't right there watching it, and it malfunction.
That loss is more than just sap. The time and all the equipment to reduce to concentrate. He said no point in crying over it. I said he could but to figure out a fix so it doesn't happen again. Seriously I think a cry would be good. Get it out of his system and start fresh. But he'll hold on to it. !


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[hankaye]

Padilen, Howdy;

He said no point in crying over it. I said he could but to figure out a fix so it doesn't happen again. Seriously I think a cry would be good. Get it out of his system and start fresh. But he'll hold on to it. !


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Men do that "hold it in" thing ... main reason why we tend to fart more then y'all do and with more gusto
and feeling.

hank

[Padilen]

Padilen, Howdy;

He said no point in crying over it. I said he could but to figure out a fix so it doesn't happen again. Seriously I think a cry would be good. Get it out of his system and start fresh. But he'll hold on to it. !


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Men do that "hold it in" thing ... main reason why we tend to fart more then y'all do and with more gusto
and feeling.

hank

Yes I know


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[Padilen]

Rerun. So I caved after almost a year and fixed the outhouse door. Because Jim said "I don't use it you do". So the other day we were working. He blurts out "I don't like not being able to look out over the field". Took me just one second .


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[Padilen]

TAZ is coming out of winter hibernation hopefully tomorrow or Sunday. Might be going over to the sugar bush.
Is anyone using taptalk having issues? I'm signed in but unable to post. Using the full forum now but it's difficult, on my cell phone.

[flboy]

TAZ is coming out of winter hibernation hopefully tomorrow or Sunday. Might be going over to the sugar bush.
Is anyone using taptalk having issues? I'm signed in but unable to post. Using the full forum now but it's difficult, on my cell phone.

Spring is here!

[Padilen]

I did pull TAZ out Saturday. Switched the wheels back too. Planned on cleaning and reloading Sunday but played with my TW.

[McDave]

Yep, I got most of the snow/ice off mine, hitched up and pulled her out of driveway so the Sun could melt the chunks off the concrete. I've got a huge list of things to complete, so it's time to get busy! .. ..
Happy Spring, y'all

McDave

[Padilen]

Ordered an accumulator tank and solar motion light. Should have them Friday, just in time fora nice weekend.

[Padilen]

https://youtu.be/tqSSAkjjwr4