The OFFICIAL MAPLE SYRUP thread

Studhauler · #**161** 03/25/13, 06:47 PM

Congratulation Forerunner on the record setting year! You are done for the year and I haven't even tapped a tree yet. Speaking of tapping, what size drill bit should I use for 5/16" spiles?

Forerunner · #**162** 03/25/13, 08:23 PM

Not sure.....I use conventional sized spiles and they take a 7/16 bit.

michiganfarmer · #**163** 03/26/13, 06:54 AM

...and I dontknow the exact size either. I bought mine from a syrup equipment supplier locally

Studhauler · #**164** 03/26/13, 06:49 PM

OK, I will do it the pre-internet way... trial and error.

free-2-b-me · #**165** 03/28/13, 08:53 AM

I was asked to post this here and add updates .

Wanted to try this for some time so we took the plunge . Gathered 21 gallons sap . Froze it in gallon plastic jars in the freezer for 24 hours . Poked a hole in the ice and poured off the fluid - discarded ice . Ended up with 9 gallons of concentrate . Those 9 gallons froze on my back porch waiting to be boiled . So poured off fluid but , this time I let the ice sit a bit and when the ice got crispy I drained them again wanting to get all the sugar . Ended up with 5 gallons of concentrate .
Boiled it down and got 10 cups of maple syrup . Success !!! This method really works and cuts way down on boil time !

Made my second batch yesterday . 20 gallons of sap frozen and condensed down to 5 gallons = 6 cups syrup . I probably would have gotten more but , I was playing around with the frozen sap and probably lost some sugar .
We are on a run here so I asked my husband to put in 4 more taps yesterday . I wanted to get about 2 gallons to get us to next year .

RomeGrower · #**166** 03/28/13, 08:59 AM

Do any of you sell your syrup? It's hard to find in the South and we sure do miss maple syrup.

tab · #**167** 03/28/13, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RomeGrower

Do any of you sell your syrup? It's hard to find in the South and we sure do miss maple syrup.

Michigan Farmer does.

Hey, didn't Meloc always post in the maple syrup thread? I think it was him that posted a few years ago about the guy on ebay that sells ss pans. Gave me the idea of the local welding shop. It was a pretty nice set up iirc that he posted about.

Weather here is better but sap runs are not consistent. It's almost like the trees know it is almost April....have to see what happens. We are finally loosing the two feet of snow, down to patches of it again.

stanb999 · #**168** 03/28/13, 07:50 PM

Trees are running again!

Yesterday, I got 3 quarts. Today just under 3 quarts. The new pan is working great. I made a concrete block fire box lined it with tin. Put 10 foot of stove pipe. I'm boiling in the range of 4 1/2 gallons an hour. I built it in our "mule" shed. Keeps the wind down and the snow off me. Did I mention it snowed off and on all day.

Here is a picture the DW took this morning just after I had started the fire going.

michiganfarmer · #**169** 03/29/13, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by free-2-b-me

I was asked to post this here and add updates .

Wanted to try this for some time so we took the plunge . Gathered 21 gallons sap . Froze it in gallon plastic jars in the freezer for 24 hours . Poked a hole in the ice and poured off the fluid - discarded ice . Ended up with 9 gallons of concentrate . Those 9 gallons froze on my back porch waiting to be boiled . So poured off fluid but , this time I let the ice sit a bit and when the ice got crispy I drained them again wanting to get all the sugar . Ended up with 5 gallons of concentrate .
Boiled it down and got 10 cups of maple syrup . Success !!! This method really works and cuts way down on boil time !

Made my second batch yesterday . 20 gallons of sap frozen and condensed down to 5 gallons = 6 cups syrup . I probably would have gotten more but , I was playing around with the frozen sap and probably lost some sugar .
We are on a run here so I asked my husband to put in 4 more taps yesterday . I wanted to get about 2 gallons to get us to next year .

Very cool! hahaha I love to see people making syrup

michiganfarmer · #**170** 03/29/13, 08:01 AM

we made 50 gallons Wed and 50 more yesterday. 4 more days like this and I can fill my yearly obligations.

7thswan · #**171** 03/29/13, 08:37 AM

The trees are running to fast for my set up so called the neighbor Kids.They are excited this year,and are sapping in their garage. I'll stoke up my outside woodcookstove, I'm boiling on the inside one right now. I'll have to scroung the neighborhood for pans tho. Next year I'll have a stack of these.http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/.../p1454440.aspx

paqcrewmama · #**172** 03/29/13, 04:47 PM

I'm joining in late here. Sorry.

I just finished boiling today. Record here in my little corner of CT: Just over 5 gallons of syrup from my 14 trees and 20 taps. With such a haul of sap this year, I gambled on a new skill today and made maple cream! Outstanding and tasty! It's a special treat on the hm bread.

7thswan · #**173** 03/30/13, 12:08 PM

So far 17 pints,6 quarts and this morning 2 1/2 gallons.Cooking down on 2 woodcook stoves and the final burn on my gas stove. I'm going to let the gallons sit over night,then pour off the syurp. Tired of dealing with the filters ,they clog when I filter after the boil. I still filter before the boil. I certinaly am not going to eat all of this(don't like sweets), but I sure like the smell,it's like cotten candy to me.

HappySevenFarm · #**174** 03/30/13, 01:52 PM

Well my season is finally wrapped up as I did the worst part of it all today. I finally got around to cleaning my pans and cleaned up around my boiling area with every thing stored away for next year. I think I ended up making a little over 6 gallons. And once again I can't wait till next year gets here!

HuskyBoris · #**175** 03/30/13, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanb999

Trees are running again!

Yesterday, I got 3 quarts. Today just under 3 quarts. The new pan is working great. I made a concrete block fire box lined it with tin. Put 10 foot of stove pipe. I'm boiling in the range of 4 1/2 gallons an hour. I built it in our "mule" shed. Keeps the wind down and the snow off me. Did I mention it snowed off and on all day.

Here is a picture the DW took this morning just after I had started the fire going.

good pic,we sat around the fire all day cooking down maple syrup,it's only the 2nd time I have done it but it's well worth it,we get 3 pints and wifeys cousin takes the rest with him,3 is all we need anyhow.does anyone use different wood on open fires?,we cook on an open fire and use a mixture of pine,apple,cherry and soft maple for flavoring,I guess the smoke comes up and swirls around the inside of the pan and adds different flavors into the syrup.

Joe_Dirt · #**176** 03/31/13, 06:42 PM

With all this syrup making going on, I'm gonna have to buy some sugar maples. I found some online for 12 bucks a tree (3-4 ft). A little up front investment will hopefully get me in the ballgame in a few years.

DarleneJ · #**177** 03/31/13, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe_Dirt

With all this syrup making going on, I'm gonna have to buy some sugar maples. I found some online for 12 bucks a tree (3-4 ft). A little up front investment will hopefully get me in the ballgame in a few years.

Everything I've investigated indicated that the tree must be between 40 & 50 years old to be large enough to tap. A 3 - 4' tree would only be a few years old max. You'll be an old man before they'll make a sugarbush for you.

Prove me a liar though. I would love to plant them and retire. I was dissapointed when my brainstorm didn't pan out...

stanb999 · #**178** 04/01/13, 10:54 AM

Well I added a further bit of "tech". I suspended a pail with a small petcock, It's from my beer making supplies. I ran the sap into the pan at the rate it was boiling it away(well close to it) It worked great. No more stopping the boil when you add. It just kept right on going. It increased the boil rate a bit. It made the finished syrup much lighter. The best part was it made it so the only chore that need frequent attention was adding firewood.

michiganfarmer · #**179** 04/01/13, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanb999

Well I added a further bit of "tech". I suspended a pail with a small petcock, It's from my beer making supplies. I ran the sap into the pan at the rate it was boiling it away(well close to it) It worked great. No more stopping the boil when you add. It just kept right on going. It increased the boil rate a bit. It made the finished syrup much lighter. The best part was it made it so the only chore that need frequent attention was adding firewood.

very cool.

**Kris in MI** · #**180** 04/01/13, 12:18 PM

After a stretch of below freezing weather, we had a few nice days where my 10 taps each gave me a gallon a day. So I'm now up over a gallon of finished syrup.

However, we had three days in a row over 50, with two nights above freezing so not only did the sap flow slow down, the buds on the trees really started to swell. Looking ahead at the forecast we have an not so great looking spell coming: nights above 40 and day time highs in mid to upper 50s. I think I might pull my taps mid-week this week. If I get two gallons of finished syrup, that should be enough for our use for a year.