Questions for those who make maple syrup

[stirfamily]

Last year was our first year and we used buckets--cheapy plastic ones but now we're thinking of going to bags. Which do you prefer and why? Oh, and I could use advice on filtering too. I didn't filter last year and ended up with sugar sand. We just strain it off but would like to make some nice clear syrup next time for gift giving.
Thanks!
Karen in NE Indiana
aka grandma chicken

[MELOC]

i used plastic jugs a few times with success. the deer park one gallon jugs used to have the plastic handle like the hawaiian punch jugs have now. i bought the plastic spouts intended for use with tubing systems and cut short sections of tubing that would fit from the spout into the jug. i hung the jug directly on the spout. it worked really well for me.

they make a wool filter for filtering maple syrup. it works well, but i have seen a very small amount of sediment make it through on occassion. you need to make the filter damp before use. the filters are intended for use with a container that is about 2 feet high and has hooks to hang the filter from. i try to use my largest canner or stock pot and it is cumbersome. i need to buy or make a proper container for the filters.

gravity works great if you are patient. the problem is that you need to reheat and repack the syrup after you allow it to settle and draw from the clear syrup at the top. i am thinking of buying large canning jars to match the size of my batches of syrup. i usually make 1/2 gallon to 2 gallons per batch. by doing so, i could still seal the hot syrup in large canning jars and leave it indefinately until i am ready to repack it. when i repack syrup from the jars i store it in currently, i often siphon off the clear syrup with tubing, taking the clear syrup and leaving the "sludge".

[ET1 SS]

We use 3 liter soda bottles.

[Chixarecute]

We use bags, although at one time DH's family used buckets, and did use a pipeline for a couple of years.

Problem with buckets (uncovered) is when it rains, you either toss or boil a LOOOOONG time. Problem with bags (we don't reuse ours - cleaning & drying enough so it doesn't mold inside is a pain), is the critters that like to chew on the bags, especially near the bottom corners. We KNOW red squirrels chew, and we have seen crows/ravens picking at bags, but don't know if they started it or are finishing it. One especially bad year, we replaced 50 bags EVERY DAY!

We will occasionally use duct tape to reinforce the bottom corners, however have learned NOT to use grey duct tape, it drives the red squirrels bonkers, because they think GREY SQUIRRELS have invaded their turf. (I kid you not!)

Issue we had with the pipeline was the deer running in to it and pulling it down.

Plastic milk jugs & 2 liter soda bottle may just combine the best of both worlds, but they take more room to store.

We use an old milk strainer with a 6" or 7" milk filter to pre-strain at collection (mainly the odd moth). Syrup once at the right temp gets filtered again through the wool funnel filter before reheating to bottle & seal.

We had a lot of sugar sand this year, too, up from last year, & way more than a decade ago. I think it is because where we are is getting less snow in the winter, less rain in the summer. This past sap season we never had to wade through snow...could do it all in hiking boots.