Members that make Maple syrup....

[michickenwrangler]

Hi, I was given some plastic taps last summer and I have not been able to find any resources on how to tap trees with them. All the books I have talk about metal taps.

Do I use the 7/16 bit or something else? How do you prop a plastic bucket with them? We've got lots of wire here.

 

[bernie29]

Wow, I wish we could have maple trees here in Southern California...but no.....we're too sunny here! But I do have my lovely goats!

 

[gracie02]

Are they check valve type taps? I would check with your local extension agency about bit size. These types of taps are the newest "technology" in taps. They are supposed to prevent the tree sucking the sap from the tubing back into the tree thus introducing bacteria into the tap hole and triggering the tree to start closing the hole up. They aren't meant to use with buckets, but if you could rig something up I don't see why it wouldn't work. Also, I know they are designed to be thrown out after one sugaring season so you might want to sanitize them somehow if they were used last season.

 

[cybercat]

I would love to learn this as we have lots of sugar maples here. I know of a few locals that do it but not in person. What are some good resources to learn about this?

 

[gracie02]

It's a lot of fun. Your state university should have an extension service. I would look them up and give them a call and ask. In Vermont we have a Sugarmaker's Association which is a great source of knowledge, as well as the extension agency. Cybercat you are in TN? The season up here (and everywhere else that I know of) starts when the sap starts traveling back up into the tree from the roots where it stays while the trees are dormant in winter. Up here, that is typically when the nights are below freezing and the days are above freezing. Once the nights consistently start staying above 32 degrees, season is generally over. Sugarmakers in VT are in the middle of it right now. We have anywhere from 18" to 4' of snow still on the ground in the mountains here. The snow cover helps keep the ground frozen. It takes about 35 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup, but it depends on the sugar content of the sap. It's a lot of boiling and best done outside or in a sugarhouse because it creates so much humidity. It really is fun though. We use buckets to collect; they're hung from the taps that are in the tree, and on sunny warm spring days the sap practically runs out of the tree. We're not boiling this year because we had to move our pan from the carport to outside, and we're just not set up, but we'll have a sugarhouse some day.

 

[cybercat]

Ispent about two years in St Johnsbury VT. back in 82 thru 84. Was my last year of HS. I remember seeing all those trees tapped. It was great to be ble to have maple syrup without having to buy it Remember a bonfire where we had snow candy. yum

We just must have past out of tap season for our night are still at 32 or below for most but some are above now. Thanks for all the infomation that is alot of help

 

[gracie02]

Yeah, sugar on snow!!

 

[OHhappychicks]

Anyone getting ready for maple syrup making? I want to try my hand at it this year. I have a some questions. Since I'm going to start small, how long can I keep sap and store it? I will probably just use a large kettle on a wood stove outside. I want to try to make a gallon of syrup, so I know i will need about 100 gallons of sap. Since I will have 1 or 2 large kettles, will the sap keep, and how often can I add sap to a cooking kettle?

 

[1876 Farm]

Anyone getting ready for maple syrup making? I want to try my hand at it this year. I have a some questions. Since I'm going to start small, how long can I keep sap and store it? I will probably just use a large kettle on a wood stove outside. I want to try to make a gallon of syrup, so I know i will need about 100 gallons of sap. Since I will have 1 or 2 large kettles, will the sap keep, and how often can I add sap to a cooking kettle?

I can't wait until the trees start to flow...it's a little reminder to me that spring is around the corner. I have ~10 sugar maples that are over 100 years old, so they are huge and give me lots of sap. We make only enough for us and for Xmas presents. We've made as little as 2 gallons of syrup to over 7 gallons.

You will need around 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup!

We use a 3 burner camping stove and picked up 3 - 10 gallon pots from a kitchen supply store, we have a octogon building we use as our sugar shack. My DH has a method where he keeps track of the amount of sap he boils down before we bring it in the house to finish off. He will use 2 of the 10 gallon pots and start them boiling together. When boiled down enought he pours the sap from 1 pot to another and adds no more to the pot with the sap. Otherewise you forget how much you have in there. When we first started to boil sap we would just keep adding and testing. At least 1x per season we would be outside and think, boy does that cooking syrup smell good. That is NOT a good sign, it means that it has boiled over. One year the syrup was burned hard to the pan, we left the pan sit for a year and had to use a sandblaster to get the burnt sugar out. What a mess!

How long can you keep sap and store it? That is a tricky question, because it depends on the temperature it is kept at. But the longer it sits the more cloudy it gets and a stronger flavored syrup you get. The sap will go sour if left sit too long.

Let us know when the sap starts flowing in your area!

 

[OHhappychicks]

I can't wait until the trees start to flow...it's a little reminder to me that spring is around the corner. I have ~10 sugar maples that are over 100 years old, so they are huge and give me lots of sap. We make only enough for us and for Xmas presents. We've made as little as 2 gallons of syrup to over 7 gallons.

You will need around 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup!

We use a 3 burner camping stove and picked up 3 - 10 gallon pots from a kitchen supply store, we have a octogon building we use as our sugar shack. My DH has a method where he keeps track of the amount of sap he boils down before we bring it in the house to finish off. He will use 2 of the 10 gallon pots and start them boiling together. When boiled down enought he pours the sap from 1 pot to another and adds no more to the pot with the sap. Otherewise you forget how much you have in there. When we first started to boil sap we would just keep adding and testing. At least 1x per season we would be outside and think, boy does that cooking syrup smell good. That is NOT a good sign, it means that it has boiled over. One year the syrup was burned hard to the pan, we left the pan sit for a year and had to use a sandblaster to get the burnt sugar out. What a mess!

How long can you keep sap and store it? That is a tricky question, because it depends on the temperature it is kept at. But the longer it sits the more cloudy it gets and a stronger flavored syrup you get. The sap will go sour if left sit too long.

Let us know when the sap starts flowing in your area!

I know! SPRING!!

Can't wait! Its been a long cold winter here in sw ohio. I'm probably a little ambitious in wanting to make 1 gallon of syrup for our first time, but that is what goals are for!!
Actually, the sap has started to run a little here. This past saturday it was running, but this week it dipped down to single digits and high in the upper teens and low twenties. Today was 31. It is supposed to warm up starting tomorrow. Just right for sap to flow. So hopefully we can get our taps in tomorrow morn. We are still undecided as how to evaporate it. We have a wood stove we were going to use, but talked to a neighbor who is tapping, and he said it might take more direct heat than the wood stove would give. He tried it before and said it took forever. How much propane do you use in the camping stove? Our neighbor said he tried the turkey deep fryer once and said it was very expensive. We are thinking of making a pit out of concrete block. Still not sure of the type of pan to use. Another friend has an evaporator with the spigot. We might ask him to borrow his, if he isn't using it. We better make our minds up soon!! Should have a good weekend for running sap. Where are you and have you started this year?