The Sap Collector's Thread

[chicken pickin]

Thats awesome!! We just got our buckets the other day. Ordered off ebay so the $ wasn't too bad. We got 8 buckets, I wanna double tap a couple of the big ones.

That is great that you are getting your stuff together and ready. We plan to in the next two weeks to pick up more supplies. I know tapping time is right around the corner so we need to get ourselves prepared but this winter feels like it will never end. I think this year we will run lines to 5gallon buckets placed on the ground. Last year we did spigots with jugs hanging from the trees. We will still do that but also plan to try the lines running to the buckets.

 

[Ole and Lena]

Any method of boiling sap is energy intensive. Probably the least costly after wood heat would be natural gas if available in your area. Propane and electric are probably close to equal. You are turning a lot of water into steam.

I do my primary boil outside with a wind screen over a converted old wood stove. I have plentiful firewood available in the area from a neighbors woodlot and a local shipping company. This is mostly low-grade dead wood and pallet stock not very suitable for the woodstove inside the house, but good enough for high volume use in boiling when I can tend the fire. Still feed it some of my good hardwood when I have to leave it to boil unattended as the soft stuff burns off too fast.

An option for lower volume production if you don't mind feeding it propane or nat. gas would be a commercial fish cooker or converted water heater boiler (attempt only if you know your way around propane/nat gas piping). Boiling in your garage with the door open would be a better option than inside the house. Better yet would be a temporary tent/carport/shack set up to block the majority of the wind while still allowing for venting of moisture.

 

[eatwhatyougrow]

Tsc and farm and home have wood stoves for 250 right now..I was going to buy one for this very project...

 

[Tjschicks1817]

Temps are looking up in the high 30's for next week. I think Im gonna aim for then to start tapping. Its getting close and Im getting a Lil anxious..

 

[Ole and Lena]

Looking at a run of 30's to 40's starting Friday through next week. Usually takes several days of above freezing highs to thaw my trees here in the far North, but hopefully by late next week I'll be boiling sap. Getting excited!

 

[Tjschicks1817]

It hit 40 today. This is really the first day we've of good weather. Is it to early to tap ?? Should I wait a couple days?

 

[Ole and Lena]

Where are you at? I tapped most of my trees today. Need to hit the HW store and pick up a few more supplies to finish tomorrow. Got a weak run from one tree today, should get more tomorrow. Usually the trees need to thaw a bit before they'll run. I wouldn't wait any longer, the first run of the year makes the best syrup IMHO.

 

[Tjschicks1817]

Im in Southeast Mich. Yea Ill definitely tap tomorrow. Thanks

 

[Tjschicks1817]

Trees are tapped

Great feeling, We didn't know you could tap Black walnuts too, so when I found out decided to tap those too.

 

[Tjschicks1817]

Started flowing right away lol Some before I got the taps in.

I made a couple homemade taps with the pex nipples and poly line, thanks for the info. Ole and Lena