Author: SugarMaster Page 31 of 94

670 gallons of sap. 2 Brix. Checked the woods at 12:30 PM. By 3:00 PM when we started collecting pails were fuller. Done collecting my 6:00 PM.

Overnight it was 35. Trees likely dripped all night. Sunny and 40 today. Tomorrow, cloudy with rain showers.

Plan to cook half tomorrow and half on Thursday.

Into the woods at 2:15 PM to light the burners on the finishing pan. Wanted to try another batch. The new, fresh filter aid (DE) arrived today. This DE is white. The other DE was pinkish. Mixed in 2/3 cup per gallon. From the get go it behaved differently. It did not clump. It sank into the syrup. Mixed easily. The next test was how it when through the pump. Perfect. One hand again for the complete batch. Next was how the syrup looked in the bottle: crystal clear for the complete batch. The theory is improper storage of the DE. It was stored in the farmhouse but in the original bag, not a sealed container. It may have absorbed moisture from the environment over the years. Maybe not enough to feel or see the difference but enough to foul the filter papers when used.

Two milk cans done. Two more remain. But we do have two empty and another with only one batch. We could handle about 1000 gallons of sap.

29 overnight. Cloudy and 35 today. But the ground was colder. Ice didn’t melt and ground stayed stiff. Trees had a positive 8 PSI but the trees didn’t drip much. Tomorrow is forecast as 40 and sunny. Hoping we can collect.

Back to the farmhouse by 5:30 PM.

Into the woods by Noon to get syrup heating on the finishing pan. We had four milk cans of syrup and needed to try to bottle. One milk can had finished syrup that we twice abandoned bottling because it wouldn’t go through the filter press or it was cloudy while bottling. That was can was our goal. Since it was already at proper density we had to blend in sap so we did not get over dense which causes crystallization in the bottles. Did not add filter aid either because the syrup already had filter aid mixed in.

Syrup was ready by 1:15 PM. Brought fresh filter papers from the farmhouse to eliminate the chance the papers in the woods had absorbed moisture from the steam generated during cooking. The papers were stored an unsealed plastic bag, not a sealed container. They could have absorbed moisture.

Filtered the entire batch using only one hand on the pump. That’s how it should go. The next test was getting through the bottling pan without turning cloudy. Monitored closely while filling and every bottle was clear. A big sigh of relief.

The variables were fresh filter papers and less filter aid. We’ll need to evaluate the amount of filter aid. The composition of syrup this season may just need less.

Cold overnight 25. Sunny and 36, but didn’t start melting until after Noon again. While the air temperature was 36, the ground temperature was colder. Tree pressure did reach 15 PSI so sap is moving in the trees.

Back to the farmhouse by 4:00 PM.

Into the woods by 6:30 AM. Goal was to cook through the sap we collected yesterday. Washed pans and the concentrate tank. Tried to get the R/O going by 7:30 AM, but had to repair hose running to the water holding tank. It developed a crimp just above the fitting on the valve panel.

R/O ran from 7:45 AM to 1:50 PM. That left 9 1/2” of concentrate to cook out. Seven batches into the milk can.

While cooking looked at the filter press. Filled the finishing pan with R/O water and lit a burner to heat it. Then pumped hot water through press. Cycled through several times to get a good amount of hot water through it. Pumped normally. When we finished the filter papers were clean. No sugar build up. This verified the mechanical part of the press is working fine.

29 overnight. Cloudy and cold all day. Air temperature may have reached 34, but the ground stayed frozen. Tonight’s forecast is 21.

Back to the farmhouse by 5:45 PM.

We seldom mention current events here, but this is COVID-19 virus, also know as cornavirus, is sweeping around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it pandemic. It has symptoms similar to the flu but can be 10x more deadly. Started in China. Iran and Italy were hit hard. There are several thousand cases in the US now. Many schools, sporting events or any large gathering are being canceled to help stop the spread. We feel safer here at the farmhouse. We are not immune but this its more isolated so less change to spread.

Collected 500 gallons tonight. Checked the woods at 12:45 PM and were surprised to find full pails. The past days were cloudy and rainy but there was 7-10 PSI on the pressure gauge so sap was moving.

The stainless steel milk can arrived It actually arrived Monday but was dropped at a door we don’t frequently use. The order status said it was delivered Monday which promoted use to check that door.

28 overnight. Sunny and windy with high of 40. But the wind kept it from melting under after Noon.

Started collecting at 2:45 PM. Back to the farmhouse by 5:30 PM.

Problems again bottling today. Monitored temperatures closely. Started the hand pump for filtering as soon as the filter aid was mixed in to minimize temperature drop off. The hand pump again got very difficult to use halfway through the batch. Abandoned filtering with 2 gallons remaining.

Bottling started okay. Watched temperate carefully to hold between 195° and 200°. The first 6 or 8 bottles were clear but then started getting a little cloudy. After filling 12 bottles it was too cloudy and we abandoned bottling again.

Called our equipment dealer to discuss. They are sending a different type of filter aid (diatomaceous earth.) Apparently different brands are made slightly differently with respect to particle size etc. It causes a different chemical reaction with the syrup.

We are also tying a hot wash of the waffle plates from the filter press. There are small holes in the plates. Its possible sugar built up in the holes and blocks some of the syrup. We’ve had the filter press for 19 years. It seems sugar build up would have impacted it years ago. We have to find a solution. This is frustrating.

35 overnight. Cloudy with drizzle and 40 during the day.

Problems bottling again. The filter press did not push through all the syrup from the milk can. Its a hand pump so it takes physical effort to work the lever. It got hard to pump and we had to give up with about 2+ gallons in the finishing pan. The theory is the syrup got too cool in between mixing in the filter aid and pumping through the filter press.

We had about 5 gallons through the press and into the bottling pan. The first 11 quarts we crystal clear, then abruptly turned cloudy. The temperature was 200°. The theory is this was too hot for too long in the bottling pan. We have to strive for 190° and stay under 200°. We’ll try again tomorrow.

Nothing has been easy this season.

2” of snow overnight. 33 for the temperature overnight. Cloudy and 40 today. Tomorrow’s forecast is rain again.

Into the woods at 2:15 PM to get the finish pan going. Back to the farmhouse by 5:30 PM.

Froze hard overnight. Temperature was about 28 but with the wind it was colder. After yesterday’s rain the freeze created a coating of ice on everything. Ladder to tanks, tank covers, valves, collecting tank cover, flaps for steam on the coopla: all iced up. A hammer tap broke most of the ice, but we had to be careful on the ladder. Didn’t start to melt until after Noon. Trees tried to drip, but not much happening.

Because of the ice it took longer to get the R/O going. We hoped for a short day, but that didn’t work out. It was 9:00 AM before the R/O was going. Finished at 11:30 AM. Four batches into the milk can. Done cooking by 2:30 PM.

We planned to bottle again. But another valve problem. This time with the propane tank. The regulator (a type of valve) failed. Tried lighting the burners to wash out the syrup pan. Got a small fireball because the regulator was releasing too much propane. That regulator was about 45 years old so it served us well. But when things fail as we try to use them, it sets our work back. Got a new regulator this afternoon, but too late for bottling. Try tomorrow.

Snow forecast for tonight: 1”-2”.

Into the woods by 7:15 AM. Back to the farmhouse by 4:45 PM.

Its a nice sound to hear the R/O running. Started at 7:45 AM and finished 425 gallons by 12:30. This is just over 85 gallons/hour. There is one 225 gallon tank for tomorrow. We wanted to bottle today so stopped cooking by 3:00 PM. Otherwise we would have pushed through all of the sap, We got 8 Brix from the R/O. Six batches into the milk can.

Into the woods by 6:30 AM. 38 overnight. Cloudy at low 40s for the day. Started raining around Noon. Rain melts the snow. Forecast is 27 tonight and 40 tomorrow.

Another valve problem. The valve that re-circulates water from the wash tank though the R/O started leaking when opened. Looks like a crack in the valve. It doesn’t get any stress so its not clear why it cracked. Maybe a manufacturing defect. To the hardware store to get a replacement. The hot wash cycle is important to keep the membrane operational.

Bottled 24 quarts and 3 pints. Didn’t mess up the filter aid this time. The syrup is crystal clear.

Back to the farmhouse by 5:30 PM.

Into the woods by 6:30 AM to cook out the remaining sap in the tank. Finished by 12:30 PM. While cooking we prepared for bottling. We got a new stainless steel finishing pan off-season. It needed scrubbing before using. Also checked that burners on the propane stoves worked. By 10:30 AM we emptied a milk can into the finishing pan. It was ready by Noon. Checked the first bottle: cloudy. We didn’t use enough filter aid. This batch went back into the milk can to finish and filter again.

Over night the thermometer said 34, but the ground is cold and ice formed on the puddles. Today was sunny and temperature upper 40’s. The sap run started yesterday but must have ran overnight too. We picked up 650 gallons today. Fortunately the R/O pump is fixed. As long as we don’t have other R/O problems we should ready to use it tomorrow.

Spent some time troubleshooting a valve leak. The brass valve on the 225 gallon tank was leaking. We noticed a persistent stream the size of a pencil lead even when the valve was closed. We close this valve so all he pipes drain and don’t freeze. With empty tanks we weer able to take the value off and check it. The leak is fixed now.

Started collecting at 2:00 PM. Many full and overflowing buckets. We had a good crew and finished by 4:05 PM. Our transfer pump is finally working as we envisioned it should. The quick connects eliminated the leaks by the pump fittings and makes connecting the hoses fast. Emptied our tanks in about 10 minutes.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow. Followed by several days of non-freezing nights.

We are running out of milk cans for syrup. We have to bottle to free up milk cans. Also considering purchasing another milk can.

Busy day cooking tomorrow.