The Official 2010 Maple Syrup Thread.

Jo in PA · #61 02/22/10, 06:21 PM

What type of fabric to you use to strain the syrup?

michiganfarmer · #62 02/23/10, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jo in PA

What type of fabric to you use to strain the syrup?

when I started I used clean cotton T shirts. it worked fine but its kinda time consuming

michiganfarmer · #63 02/23/10, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mistyf

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?

if the sap gets 40 or 50 degrees it will grow backteria and get milky colored. it only takes about 3 days for that to happen.

If you can keep it cold, near freezing it will last a week. Keep it in an un heated garage or someplace out of the sun.

If you get ice on it, throw the ice away. the ice is mostly water, and by throwing it away you can reduce your boiling time.

michiganfarmer · #64 02/23/10, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MELOC

bascom has the new spiles with the check valves. i saw some mention that they would work with a gravity system, but another portion of the catalog mentioned that they were for use with vacuum systems. something tells me you would need to have a good gravity system for them to work properly...but who knows?

hey max...what's your handle on mapletrader? i forget, lol.

its michiganfarmer. how are things with you my friend?

luv2farm · #65 02/23/10, 09:26 AM

Do any of you sell your syrup? I'd sure be interested!!

MELOC · #66 02/23/10, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michiganfarmer

its michiganfarmer. how are things with you my friend?

still kinda bummed this year won't live up to my hopes, but such is life. lots of other stuff going on right now and money is tight as well. the work schedule isn't helping much, lol.

i tapped several trees, maybe a dozen, sunday. a few were running great and a few were dry as a bone. i'm starting to learn which of the trees are good and which are not so good. the dry ones must be tight ringed and must have grown slower as they do not produce very much.

i was not able to clean my tubing, so i will probably hang 20-30 jugs on the trees closest to home and get what i can from it. perhaps i will be able to clean some of the tubing and put small groups of trees together and collect with some of the 18 gallon christmas storage containers i got from walmart for $3 each. the price was too good to pass up, lol.

i wasn't able to build the arch i wanted this year, so i rehabilitated the outdoor woodstove once more. it does fine, i just wanted to increase the gph a bit with a new unit.

the hope for next year is to have wire stretched, tubing hung and 100 taps feeding into three collection points. i also plan to build a new evap either out of an oil tank or from block and firebrick. we will see, lol.

michiganfarmer · #67 02/23/10, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luv2farm

Do any of you sell your syrup? I'd sure be interested!!

I do, but Im out

stirfamily · #68 02/23/10, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rose2005

I reduce our sap in a turkey fryer over propane outside, and then bring it in, in a smaller pot, for our gas stove when it is 'close' to being syrup.

Remember to watch when it gets close!

Rose

Rose, we do the same thing. Works well for us and tomorrow I'll be boiling down about 5 gallons.
Was wondering, are you close to Max Meadows? My folks moved from there about 2 years ago up to Ohio. They were born and raised in Tazwell County.
Karen in NE Indiana

lonelyfarmgirl · #69 02/23/10, 10:46 PM

I am interested to know, how do others here 'know' when its time? do you choose a date, do you choose a temp, whats your method?

Happy7Farm · #70 02/24/10, 08:40 PM

Have produced just about 2 1/2 gallons of syrup over the last two days got a little chilli today did'nt get much sap. But the 5 day forecast looks awesome for sap runs! Sapping season is late but well under way here!

Drewusa81 · #71 02/25/10, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lonelyfarmgirl

I am interested to know, how do others here 'know' when its time? do you choose a date, do you choose a temp, whats your method?

I watch the extedned weather forcast really closely in our area staring the last week of February. When I see a few days when it looks like the high temp is going to get up to 40 or right near or we have a streak of days where its near 40 I will tap. If we have a day where the high is 38 or so and then it gets back down into the 20's for a high I wait for a warmer streak. I don't see the point in tapping when it's going to be warm for only a day then go back to freezing. It does look like here where I live in Western NY that I probably will be tapping toward the end of next week.

stirfamily · #72 02/25/10, 06:30 AM

Was wondering how do your filter your hot syrup? We have a very small backyard operation and don't make a lot, maybe 2-3 gallons a season.
Karen in NE Indiana

Charly · #73 02/25/10, 07:14 AM

Thanks Happy7Farmer for the words of encouragement and telling me about the holes. Now I just have to have someone tell me what kind of trees we have

stirfamily · #74 02/26/10, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rose2005

It's over an hour away but a wonderful part of the country. Did they tap maple trees here?

Our weather is not holding good for tapping as it is 18F and not expected to get very high right now, but I have 10 gallons sitting on the back porch from 5 trees x 2 days which is not bad. (One of the trees is a poor producer even though it is a sugar maple).

Rose

No, they didn't tap any trees while living there. Dad taps a few trees now at their place in Ohio.
Looking for our weather to warm up next week here in NE Indiana. Boiled down 1 pint yesterday. Didn't want to do such a small batch but was getting antsy to make syrup!
Karen in NE Indiana

Charly · #75 02/26/10, 07:53 AM

Thanks Rose2005. I'll check it out.

KentJ · #76 02/27/10, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stirfamily

Was wondering how do your filter your hot syrup? We have a very small backyard operation and don't make a lot, maybe 2-3 gallons a season.
Karen in NE Indiana

We run our hot syrup through commercially made filter cloths. (no endorsement ment, http://www.snowssugarbush.com/ has them) We use a single layer, and then a double layer. Rinse them often. After this we put the syrup in an old 30 cup coffee perculator. This keeps the syrup warm and the spickit works great for bottling.

KentJ · #77 02/27/10, 08:37 AM

I apologize Snowsugarbush.com was incorrect. It is http://www.sugarbushsupplies.com/ that has the filter cloth. I am sure you can get it other places as well.

stirfamily · #78 02/27/10, 05:46 PM

Thanks KentJ for the info.
Karen in NE Indiana

Happy7Farm · #79 02/28/10, 08:11 PM

Been chilly last couple of days but was able to make a little more than a half gallon of syrup today. Next week to 10 days look good for the sap to run. Its the 1st of March and we are still making syrup here! Very odd.

misplaced · #80 03/01/10, 01:48 PM

We have officially started tapping today.
We are doing one small grove today and planning on doing many more in the coming days.
It is so exciting after this long winter of being trapped indoors most of the time.
I can't wait to get out there and start carrying buckets full of sap!

I blogged about it a little today

http://frmerswife.blogspot.com/2010/....html#comments