-
Use RED electrical tape to repair mainline leaks
during the season so they can be easily found for later repairs.
-
Toothbrushes make great cleaning utensils for
hard to get places.
-
When washing lines, carry needle nose pliers to
work the tubing around the trees and fittings to help loosen any
bacteria.
-
A small pair of vice grips on a rope around your
neck acts as an extra hand to hold onto a loose tubing end when
doing repairs.
-
A tee handled nut driver helps to avoid skinning
your knuckles when tightening pipe clamps.
-
Use your diatomaceous earth sap filter for
clearing up your well or creek water when washing lines.
-
Use a syringe to draw syrup for testing with
refractometer. Syrup will cool without evaporation and give a
true reading.
-
Defoamer in a small-necked bottle suspended over
the back pan does a great job controlling the boil.
-
When making maple candy, use plastic light
fixture tiles for your cooling racks.
-
Cut 2 x 4 sheets of square florescent light
covers (used in suspended ceilings).
-
Preheat small glass jars with a heat gun to help
sterilize jars when bottling.
-
To avoid syrup going cloudy after hot packing
(especially glass), cool quickly with the use of a fan.
-
When making maple taffy for on snow; cool to
room temperature and pour into pyrex measuring cups; freeze till
ready to use. Heat in microwave 1-2 min. till boiling and pour
over snow.
-
If using candy machine to make maple butter,
tilt the whole machine by 2-3 inches so that butter will flow
out of trough.
-
When cleaning filter presses, run five gallons
of hot water through it and add the water and syrup to your back
pan. This removes syrup from the filter and filter aid, which
makes cleaning easier and results in less wasted syrup.
