The Official 2010 Maple Syrup Thread.

JimB · #41 02/01/10, 09:17 AM

I you want to produce a few gal maybe up to 5 the way I do it is a bit slower but it works I use the stainless commercial pans taht are atleast 4 in. deep but prefer the 6 in. deep pans over a concrete block fire spot. 1 pan to warm the sap another to evap. to syrup. Cheap an easy to get not the $$$ some has in it but its for family use only.

KentJ · #42 02/01/10, 09:36 AM

We had ours made by a welder. Most welding shops have access to all the stock to make a pan. Ours is 5'x5' with 8 inch walls. That was as large as he could bend so that was the size we took.

lonelyfarmgirl · #43 02/03/10, 09:00 AM

We are tapping 65 trees this year. that might be all we have in our small woods. we have a 3X6 ( I think) stainless evap pan with a finishing pan attached to the side. Its all one unit, with the fire box and flue built in. We bought it used from a guy who had it made and used it one year. we got it for 1500$. An incredible price I think.

Happy7Farm · #44 02/12/10, 03:40 PM

A little late getting on the thread this year had computer problems.
We put our first taps in on January 31st, January weather did not cooperate with us so we are about 2 weeks later than normal this year. We have had only 1 good run and made about 2 gallons of syrup then the weather got frigid again, but should get back to normal this coming week. We now have 50 taps in this year, the most we've had in the 3 years we have been here, all nice sugar maples too.
Next year we plan to get alot bigger by building a "Sugar Shack" and a bigger evaporator. We have some folks around us that have alot of maple trees and hope we can tap them, but just did'nt have the money this year to get big. And also there is the possibility we could start making Sorghum Syrup this fall by using the same equimpment as Maple Syrup.
But this year we did get 3 new 12x20 stainless steel pans for our homemade cinderblock evaporator. Let the sap flow!

Ohio dreamer · #45 02/16/10, 04:02 PM

Rats, this thread if falling "behind". I was hoping some place global warming was actually taking hold and someone was tapping. Guess you all are as cold/snowy as we are. I have a real taste for REAL syrup....and not a sugar maple tree in sight, so I'm just sitting here twiddling my thumbs waiting on you all to start producing then start selling!!

stirfamily · #46 02/17/10, 10:15 AM

I'm in NE Indiana and hope to tap this weekend. Highs in the low to mid 30's and lows in the 20's. I'm like you, Ohio dreamer, I'm getting antsy to start.
Karen in NE Indiana

Mistyf · #47 02/17/10, 08:30 PM

I'm in Maryland, and I think I will tap this week too. We are supposed to have highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s.

Happy7Farm · #48 02/19/10, 07:55 AM

Finally! I think we might have a few days with some good runs. I just hope the taps we put in are still good and not dried up.

Happy7Farm · #49 02/20/10, 08:44 AM

Yesterday the sap finally ran a little but today it is going to get up to 50 and can't wait to start boiling tommorow! This whole next week the highs are in the high 30s and 40s and lows in the 20s to low 30s.

Happy7Farm · #50 02/20/10, 05:57 PM

Got 35 gallons of sap today almost enough for a gallon of the liqiud gold! Will boil it down tommorow.

Charly · #51 02/21/10, 08:07 AM

Ok, folks, I'm another newbie. We are getting ready to close on our home in the country in another couple weeks. Not sure what kinds of trees we will have on our property, but would eventually like to try this. I've watched a couple videos on tapping and boiling the syrup down, but I have a dumb question or two.

After tapping a tree, do you need to do anything to the hole left in the tree?
Can you tap the tree more than once and if so, for how any years?

Sorry to be so dumb, but I'm hoping to learn.

Just discovered your great site here and will probably be asking lots of dumb questions as we embark on our new country-living journey.

Thanks.
Charlene

stirfamily · #52 02/21/10, 11:24 AM

Tapped 7 trees on Thursday. It ran good on Friday and yesterday but still not enough to really do a boil. Hopefully after today and tomorrow--highs near 40--I'll get a little syrup made. Whoo hoo! Love this time of year!
Karen in NE Indiana

weever · #53 02/21/10, 01:05 PM

Nothing to say. Just commenting so I can find this thread back. Talk on--I may learn something!

Happy7Farm · #54 02/21/10, 08:02 PM

Boiled down about 45 gallons of sap and got 1 gal and 1 1/2 pints of syrup. Got 45 more gallons to boil tommorow! The sap is flowing well!

Happy7Farm · #55 02/21/10, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charly

Ok, folks, I'm another newbie. We are getting ready to close on our home in the country in another couple weeks. Not sure what kinds of trees we will have on our property, but would eventually like to try this. I've watched a couple videos on tapping and boiling the syrup down, but I have a dumb question or two.

After tapping a tree, do you need to do anything to the hole left in the tree?
Can you tap the tree more than once and if so, for how any years?

Sorry to be so dumb, but I'm hoping to learn.

Just discovered your great site here and will probably be asking lots of dumb questions as we embark on our new country-living journey.

Thanks.
Charlene

Charly, you don't have to do anything to the hole in the tree after you are done with the tree for the year, the tree will just close the hole back up during the summer. And you can tap the same tree for years on end, as I know a producer in NY that is using the same trees every year his grandfather and father used.
Don't worry about not knowing much as we were just like you 5 years ago when we started but now we have about 50 taps set and make around 10 - 15 gallons of syrup a year.

**Kris in MI** · #56 02/22/10, 11:12 AM

Those of you who do this just on a small scale, did you buy a flat pan for evaporating in, or do you use something else?

Just got ahold of a couple dozen old spiles and dh and I are going to try this for the first time. We have or can jimmy-rig everything needed exept the long flat pan for doing the boiling in.

majik · #57 02/22/10, 11:51 AM

We tap 5 trees and boil down outside over a fire in a large stock pot. I really want a rectangular "evaporator" but that down on the spening list. We usually do the last bit of boiling down in the house and can right away. You can pretty much jerry rig anything so that it suits you.

**Kris in MI** · #58 02/22/10, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by majik

We tap 5 trees and boil down outside over a fire in a large stock pot. I really want a rectangular "evaporator" but that down on the spening list. We usually do the last bit of boiling down in the house and can right away. You can pretty much jerry rig anything so that it suits you.

thanks. We're homebrewers and have a beer keg retrofitted to be a boil pot on our turkey fryer, can boil 10 gallons of wort at a time no problem, probably more but haven't tried since we only have enough fermenters to hold 10 gals of beer. Thinking if we can't get ahold of a pan we will try boiling the sap in our keg.

stifflej · #59 02/22/10, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris in MI

Those of you who do this just on a small scale, did you buy a flat pan for evaporating in, or do you use something else?

Just got ahold of a couple dozen old spiles and dh and I are going to try this for the first time. We have or can jimmy-rig everything needed exept the long flat pan for doing the boiling in.

This is my first year, and have heard that 6inch deep steam table pans (full length) work well for small batches. The more heat that can be applied over a wider area decreases boiling times, but as longs as it boils, and you got the time, anything will work.

Mistyf · #60 02/22/10, 05:42 PM

I tapped yesterday. Getting a little sap. Weather forecast has changed, and now we have a couple of warmer nights than I expected. Hope this doesn't mess my tapping up. I've only got one tree. How long can you keep your sap before you have to boil it?