Sugar house is done!

[alan40]

Well there she is all done and ready to go! The boys have already taken over the new addition as there club house. Drawings and Tonka toys all over the place. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif It's now 10 x 26 with plenty of room.
Take care.

 

[DieselnHooters]

Nice sugar shack Alan, have you gone the pipeline way? If so did you need a collector pump or are you going by gravity?Is it mostly sugar-maple or red-maple in your area?
I think you were wise on going only 120 taps,especially if you arent on pipelines, it is fun work but time consuming.

 

[alan40]

No pipeline here yet. We'll stop at 150 taps as that will top out my evaportator. She's good for about 125 taps so they say but I'm going to forced air next year and that should increase my boiling rate. Buckets do take time but to watch my two boys gather is a hoot. 30-40 minutes by myself on 120. About an hour or more with there help. Of course there 7 and 3 so that could explain it but what a way to learn about nature. When I go pipeline it will be all gravity as this is a hobby and we try to keep the budget down. We're 95% sugar maples and may tap a few silvers if we need to. Sugar content is'nt really great in them though.
Thanks for the nice comments. Understand they have some humongous sugaring operations up your way. Have to get up there someday. My evaporator was made in Bedford.
Take care

 

[Boondox]

Looks great, Al! But you'll understand if I don't share this post with Tamara, right? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Pete

 

[alan40]

Hey Pete wait until you see the Christmas card I'm going to send out. Hope you get the mail every day. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Just kidding!!

 

[Cliff_Johns]

That building looks the part perfectly. Very appropriate architecture nicely done. How bout a picture of the inside?

Cliff

 

[SPIKER]

I was at the local fair this weekend, saw some NICE set ups made for boiling it down using wood fired stoves and some were even gas fired! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif they mostly were all polished S.S. and oh so nice to look down into all shinney and such... I've got 500 sugars planted last year and well I think I'll be able to tap them sometime prior to croaking from old age but just the same one day I'll be a getting some of my OWN sweet delightes! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I DO have a bunch of silver maples now, but was under impression it wasn't worth taping as it wasn't enough sugar in it... around here there are about 20 sugar & syrup farms... prices running 18 ~22/ half gallon.

I DO love the stuf from vermont though seems to have a bit different taste! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Mark M

 

[alan40]

Hi Cliff. I'll get some inside shots at a later date. It's empty right now except for the evaporator. Fall cleaning.

Ohio has some big operations down there. You can tap silver maples but like they say sugar content is low and you have to boil longer to get the syrup.
New equipment looks really nice but after a couple of boils it won't ever look the same again. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
They say a maple will gain a half a inch a year. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Take care and thanks for the nice comments.

 

[PhilNH5]

Alan,
Nice looking "shack"! I thought you used it this pass season. Isn't that it in you signature pic?

120 taps. Wow. You are a lucky fellow.

Phil

 

[alan40]

Yep Phil. Last year is was a 10x14 this year it grew to a 10x26. Finisihed up re- bricking my evaporator and now I'm ready to go.
Take care

 

[SPIKER]

Hey GUYS:

since we are on the subject, does anyone have good links for tree identify as far as which ones make better syrup in a ranking and possably WITH photos, as some of the trees I've got I KNOW are mapels but do not appear to be any of the variaties I can find good identify photos of as such. I have a FEW sites but they are poor quality for identifying sub species..

thanks in advantce for any help.

Mark M

 

[SPIKER]

Hey all: any LINKS for how toos and best IDENTIFY and BEST types of trees in rank for the making of syrup??

Makr M /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[alan40]

Let me see if I can do this.
http--ohioline.osu.edu-b856 This contains the North American Producers Manuel.
www.massmaple.org-how.html
Thats two with realated links should give you what you need.

 

[SPIKER]

Hi Alan:

I tried BOTH of the links you posted, but was not able to get either one working. maybe a spelling issue? I re-typed both and clicked both but was not able to FIND the actual pages you were looking to post.


markM

 

[hennydamule]

Spiker,

The Peterson Guides are usually the best for identification purposes. They'll give you bark descriptions, detailed leaf descriptions, as well as other identifiers. Much better than Audubon manuals if you're looking for specifics. The sugar maples are obviously the best for tapping. Red maples (aka Swamp maples) would be the next, but they have a much lower sugar content. I have heard of some people using silvers, but I'd be very surprised if it was worth your time to do so.

 

[alan40]

That's funny they didn't work. Search for University of Vermont and look for Proctor Maple Research. They have related links available there. Hope this works. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif