Tree sap gathering and syrup making

[duluthralphie]

This is a weird year.

I collected 30 gallons of maple sap 20 from 2 silver maples and 10 from 2 red maple.

The one silver tested nearly 4% sugar and the other maples under 3%.

I got 60 gallons from the boxelders. But it was spotty, some had over flowing buckets others had nothing in the bucket. I did not test each boxelder but overall my sugar content on them was 3%. Which is higher than the maples.


I should get over a gallon of syrup tomorrow.

 

[duluthralphie]

I got over a gallon of syrup, and it did not take that long to boil down, I used the Reverse Osmosis on the sap and raised the sugar content from 2% to over 5% without boiling. That takes out about 60% of the water and saved a ton of time.

I am going to take a picture of the system Incase anyone wants to make one. The little it costs to make it is worth the savings in time and fuel cost.

I will post it in another post with instructions on how to build it.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am going to start with a diagram, forgive my drawing and printing skills, artistic and neat I am not.

this should be fairly self explanatory.

The raw sap is the green line coming from the storage tank. What I did not show or get a photo of us the screen and weight on the end of the intake line. The screen is needed because no matter how hard you try there will be foreign objects like sticks and bark in the sap unless you are using a vacuum line system to collect sap.

I use a diaphragm pump I bought at Northern Tool for around $80. This pump shuts off at 100 psi if I recall correctly. You need at least 60psi for the sap to be forced through the membrane. A pump is only good for one season (if that). It is harder on them than pumping water or the short time you use them spraying. I bought a two year replacement warranty, I normally do not buy them but I went through 2 pumps last year.. so it pays on these.

more to come I hit entry by error..

 

[Kusanar]

I wonder if you could use hydraulics and 1 way valves rather than electric, would be easier on the pump. I'm seeing two 1 way valves on either side of essentially a syringe made with a piston going into a tube. It draws back and sucks up sap from the bucket, then plunges and forces the sap into the filters and repeats. It wouldn't be steady flow but it would be stronger and less likely to burn out due to back pressure.

 

[duluthralphie]

This is the discharge end of the line. The shut off is needed to:

A) shut the flow off and the pump
B) maintain pressure on the membranes
I crack the shut off valve about 1/2 open when running the system. If you open it up the water just circulates and will not go through the membrane.
If you build one do not get worried if it does not appear to be working at first it takes a 5 minutes or so to fill everything and push the water through the membrane. You will get discharge sap much sooner than water.

Below is the pump.

Simple in line and out line.

Here is the mess.
It does not matter how you do it but you need to have a larger line that acts as a manifold so all the membranes have equal pressure.
I used a 3/8” Inside diameter line as the manifold and added two tees that tees off from with1/4 lines. I want to make a 2 inch PVC line as the manifold. I will do that after the season hopefully if it is safe to go to Menards or Home Depot again.

It would not function differently, but would be neater with less lines. I would also like to use a manifold on the discharge side so I would have one 1/2 inch line instead of 4, 1/4 inch lines dumping water.

When making one of these remember they might be marked backwards. What the membrane instructions considers waste water is what we need to save.

At the end of the “manifold” I have a line running to a small pressure tank. This buffers your pump so it is not constantly starting and stopping.
Remember at the end of the year you have to flush that with pure water ( actually you need to do the whole system) which is why I collect the “distilled water”.

After flushing with clean water pull out the membranes and allow them to dry, then store them in the freezer so no mold can start inside them. Do not use bleach on the membranes it will destroy them.

After pulling the membranes flush the system with a bleach solution. Then put it away for the year. Rinse the bleach out at the beginning of the next season. You do not want mold ruining your syrup.

Below is the small pressure tank I use. Note the mess of hoses, which is why I want a manifold.

I use a small garden tractor battery to power the pump. I keep the battery hooked up to a trickle charger during the season.

Last but not least is my pressure gauge.

It is reading over 60 psi. Which means I have no leaks!!

Good luck if you decide to built one, they will save you time and money. As I recall I got the membranes and cases for $13 each, the pressure tank at a unclaimed freight or home store and was about $10. I might have $50-$60 in lines and connections.

Which means I have around $200 total in the system, but to buy an RO system will run $600 or more.

This system will serve my needs for years. Last year I just had one membrane to test it and see if I could get it to work. I am not sure what the limit for the number of membranes would be, I am guessing the discharge hose on the pump would decide that. I think the pump has a 1/2 discharge if you wanted to make a larger system.

 

[duluthralphie]

I wonder if you could use hydraulics and 1 way valves rather than electric, would be easier on the pump. I'm seeing two 1 way valves on either side of essentially a syringe made with a piston going into a tube. It draws back and sucks up sap from the bucket, then plunges and forces the sap into the filters and repeats. It wouldn't be steady flow but it would be stronger and less likely to burn out due to back pressure.

I will know more at the end of the season on the life of the pump, I did a lot of playing around with it to get it to work last year. You need the steady pressure to get the system to work would be my guess.

I suppose you could use a larger pressure tank and use hydraulics to fill and keep the tank filled, which should help buffer the ebb and flow.

 

[rbigokie]

Hello, I tried Birch syrup while living in Alaska it was good , I got to using it all the time.

 

[duluthralphie]

Hello, I tried Birch syrup while living in Alaska it was good , I got to using it all the time.

I hope to make a few gallons this year, depending on the weather and other commitments.

From what I have read an RO system is almost a necessity for birch syrup.

 

[rbigokie]

https://practicalselfreliance.com/trees-species-tap-syrup/
https://wildfoodism.com/2014/02/04/22-trees-that-can-be-tapped-for-sap-and-syrup/amp/

I have a lot of black walnut, hickory and red oak, I'm going to have to try tapping them next year see how it taste.

 

[Tre3hugger]

This was my second year tapping. I tapped 7 trees with 12 taps. 3 buckets, 9 plastic tubes feeding to milk and juice jugs. I hand collected about 70 gallons of sap, which I boiled over a diy cinder block and buffet pan evaporator. My evap costs 55 bucks. I boiled for two days outside, and finished inside on the stove. i ended up with almost 2 gallons of syrup. It took a fair amount of work and time, but tapping is the first chore that gets me outside after a long NE winter. I look forward to going out and connecting with the trees(see username lol). I plan on exannding next year and trying to sell some syrup.It's a really fun hobby, and the syrup is just delectable.