Things seem a little slow around the forum these days, so I thought I might share my maple syrup adventures, 2014 style.
Last year was my first attempt as a sugarmaker, and I was hooked from the get go. I vowed to go bigger on my next attempt, so to follow through, I tapped 25 trees this morning....up from the 4 I did last year!
No sap running yet, but the forecast looks good later on this week.
You can see parts of two snow covered ponds in the background. A watched spile never drips:
Buckets with covers:
In anticipation of increased production, I decided to move the boiling operation indoors. I built a new evaporator out of a used fuel oil drum, lined it with firebrick, and installed a custom stainless boiling pan. I finally broke down and purchased the pan, having no reasonable way to work the stainless sheet myself. It nearly broke my heart, (as well as my wallet) having to buy it:
