Getting Ready for a Final Boil
March 12, 2013
It's getting to the end of the season. Despite the many inches of snow, the temperatures have been reaching 50 degrees and the sap flow is slowing. As the temperature warms, the trees begin to bud, and the chemistry of the sap changes, which results in dark and bitter syrup. It's also more difficult to keep collected sap fresh.
That said, Sunday, March 17th is planned to be the last boil of 2013. The proof will be in the pudding, so to speak, so the end result will speak for itself. But sometimes it's not all about the end result. It's still a great time to hang outdoors pre-Spring and work on process improvement. It’s also St. Patrick‘s Day, so Dannielle is planning some corned beef, and I will have plenty of brew on tap.
One improvement already made is the extension of the smokestack from 6 feet to 10 feet tall. This should improve airflow across the fire to keep it burning hot in order to maintain a constant boil. I may need to put some safety lights on it to warn low-flying aircraft. I have a few more adjustments to make on the filtering rig, but the wood is split and stacked.
Wood pile
I have also created some product labels to add to bottles and jugs.
New labels
Stay tuned...