OK, we're starting up another season.

We bought all new taps this year, they are aluminum so we have to be careful putting them in so we don't smash them, but they should last a long time.

Michael & Bob put out 167 taps on Monday, January 30 and we collected 500 gallons yesterday. Four trips with the tank completely full from the south woods, and one last one to collect the rest.

We finished putting together the evaporator and started the fire around 2. The wood we put in the barn apparently didn't dry out very well, and the fire didn't really get going until around 3. Unfortunately that took getting the splitter out and re-splitting the wood into smaller pieces, it looks like we'll have to replace the wood in the barn with some we split earlier that should be drier.

I left around 9, Michael said he would keep the fire going for "a while". Before I got home he had texted to say he had syrup coming off. I guess the definition of a "while" is relative, here's the email I got at 4:30 AM:

Currently 30 gal left. Fire dying, coals 205 DEG. Around 2 I gave up on wet wood and filled red wagon with stuff out under tarp. Started burning fast, but still not quick to draw off. Better for sure though.

Pulled trailer in and have a heaping load of wet ready to go back to fence for next year. Close to one normal load after that, then we can bring in older stuff. As I got further in stack the wood got wetter. No way a lot of that would have burned.

Around 4.5 gallons on finisher (not finished) and black pot 4" from top. Real sandy, and really light it appears. We may want to filter twice between finish and canner, especially if it turns up light.

Put two batches in finisher. Didn't check combined, but first one was 1% thick. That's when I dropped temp to 219.8.

Temp now is 206. I may open doors; bed is calling! :-) I'll probably keep feed on but close syrup pan float soon...

Michael

So now we at least have plenty of storage for the next round.