Tree sap gathering and syrup making

[duluthralphie]

It froze last night.

My trees ran today. With the exception of the Silver Maples that decided to bloom. I pulled their taps.

I started tapping Birch today, about half of them were dripping.

 

[mowin]

Everything is budding out fast in my area. Our final boil will be tomorrow afternoon.. we'll drain the sweet from the pans once we're out of sap, and finish that on a propane burner.
Clean everything up, pull the taps, and wait till next yr.

 

[duluthralphie]

Everything is budding out fast in my area. Our final boil will be tomorrow afternoon.. we'll drain the sweet from the pans once we're out of sap, and finish that on a propane burner.
Clean everything up, pull the taps, and wait till next yr.

You don’t have birch trees there?

 

[mowin]

You don’t have birch trees there?

Lots.
Not a lot of lawn care to do while the maple sap is running, but my busy season is here. Next week I'll be full swing doing cleanups and plow damage repair. By mid to late April I'll be mowing full swing.

 

[duluthralphie]

Lots.
Not a lot of lawn care to do while the maple sap is running, but my busy season is here. Next week I'll be full swing doing cleanups and plow damage repair. By mid to late April I'll be mowing full swing.

I see, I was wondering because of the price of Birch syrup over Maple if you did them.

This is my first year trying them, I have a neighbor that does them so I am trying to get some knowledge on evaporating them.

 

[mowin]

I've got a client that is starting construction on a rye whiskey/bourbon distillery this spring. I'm hoping in two yrs to get a used whiskey barrel and fill it with syrup for a few months. The prices of bourbon syrup is crazy.

 

[duluthralphie]

A very weird spring. It turned cold again.

I got 65 gallons of maple/boxelder sap. I pulled about 10 taps the other day as I thought they were done.

I left the others in because they were still dripping slightly. Today they ran fair.

But the weird thing is I picked up 20 gallons of birch sap today have around 15 trees tapped is all.

so tomorrow I make birch and maple syrup at the same time.. weird.

 

[duluthralphie]

I bought new (used pans) today. I don’t think the guy new what he had.

3x6 divided flat pan (four channels), 3x6 divided flue pan, two channels. Auto magic filler, piping, and all the tools.

He thought the flue pan was a pre-warmer of some kind, it very good condition.

It is an older Leader 3x12 system which should do 325 gallons an hour, if I read everything right. I will be boiling for 16 minutes next year..,

Of course, it’s all stainless. No bends or kinks, set me back $300, but he threw in 2 nearly new “Snap On” ratchet tie downs.

 

[mowin]

What a buy. SS non lead solider pans for a 3x12 are not cheap. New there probably 4k plus.

 

[duluthralphie]

What a buy. SS non lead solider pans for a 3x12 are not cheap. New there probably 4k plus.

They are all welded, no rust. Not even silver soldier as far as I could see.

I will know more when I get it shined up. I don’t think I paid for the float box, with cold and hot floats, the skimmer and scoops and cleaning brushes. I finally didn’t get taken!

It’s older but very serviceable.
I am tempted to build a 3x12 arch but have no idea where I would find the trees to fill it.