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ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: danno on March 01, 2010, 09:07:55 am

Title: its maple syrup time
Post by: danno on March 01, 2010, 09:07:55 am
Yesterday it was mid 30's and the sun popped out.  I took the snowmobile back to my woods and tapped a few trees.   The sap was really running
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: asprince on March 01, 2010, 09:30:16 am
Do you make your own maple syrup?

Steve
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: danno on March 01, 2010, 10:24:50 am
yes just for home use.  I collect about 100 gals of sap to make about 2 gals of syrup
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: Natalie on March 01, 2010, 11:13:43 am
I am sooo jealous!  I would love to have some trees in my yard to tap.
Unfortunately all the trees in my yard are so ancient that they either fell down or needed to be taken down for safety reasons and the ones I planted are way too young.
I have been thinking about my neighbor's tree next to my fence however  :-D
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: danno on March 01, 2010, 11:30:05 am
Most years I tap trees on other peoples property because mine can be hard to get to with deep snow.  Just like keeping bee's on someone elses place, a small jar on syrup will get you in.  I have one farm that I use in most years because the trees are right along the plowed driveway.  My new 1978 arctic cat has opened up a new world
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: Hethen57 on March 03, 2010, 03:02:26 pm
Dano, so does it come out of the tree with alot of moisture that you need to evaporate off?  I had no idea that you needed to collect so much to get a little syrup...no wonder it is so expensive.
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: danno on March 03, 2010, 03:36:44 pm
Dano, so does it come out of the tree with alot of moisture that you need to evaporate off?  I had no idea that you needed to collect so much to get a little syrup...no wonder it is so expensive.
It about 2% sugar so it takes about 50gals to make 1 gal.  A large size pan with a big surface area results in more steam and makes it go quicker.  My pan is 20 X 24 X 6 deep.
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: GaryMinckler on March 03, 2010, 08:36:50 pm
I hang 50 buckets and boil it down on this hobby size evaporator.
Making Maple syrup (part 2) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag3E8Ig4YWI#)
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: Cindi on March 03, 2010, 09:37:21 pm
Oh Danno, oh so cool!!!  You still got snow? smiling that big smile.  Spring has come really early here, the tree frogs are croaking their brains out!!!  I envy that you have that skill to tap the trees, the knowledge of how to do it especially, that is such a wonderful thing.  We don't have that species of tree to tap sap here for that syrup, that is in eastern Canada (I think).  But I surely do believe it would be a whole lotta fun!!!  Go, Dan, go!!!! (and you too Gary!!!).  Beautiful days, to love and live, to share, with that beautiful health.  Cindi
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: danno on March 04, 2010, 09:06:48 am
Gary
very nice!!  What do you heat with?   
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: GaryMinckler on March 04, 2010, 01:20:05 pm
Except for a pan on a kitchen stove, this is probably the smallest evaporator on the market...wood fired.  More videos to come on youtube.com/user/gminckler

Making Maple syrup (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt3Mk6ScGHw#)
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: danno on March 04, 2010, 01:55:21 pm
Gary did you make it of buy it?   What is the logic of the partitions.   I have some big pans in my barn about 3 X 4 X6" some with and some without the partitions
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: GaryMinckler on March 04, 2010, 03:58:26 pm
I bought this evaporator from leaderevaporator.com about 13-14 years ago.  The new hobby evaporators are much nicer now.  The channels have cutouts at certain ends to allow sap to flow from one side to the other as it becomes syrup.  The density of sap and syrup are so much different that it allows it to remain seperate.  In the videos raw sap is being fed into the evaporator on the right hand side and syrup is being drawn off the left side of the unit.  Each channel is in different stages of syrup. As the unit is being run you can more clearly see the difference in each channel. With only 50 buckets and a small set up like this I am clearly only doing it for the fun of it. A little bit of excercise to relieve cabin fever and a little beer drinking while tending the fire makes for a nice spring day.  Some of my friends have 10-12000 taps to work on. Sap is running fairly good the last few days and should stay that way throughout March.
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: danno on March 04, 2010, 04:36:41 pm
"a little beer drinking while tending the fire"   
I told my wife that beer drinking was the reason syrup is so expensive.  It takes a 12 pack to make a quart
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: GaryMinckler on March 04, 2010, 05:35:41 pm
 :chop: :cheer: :chop:
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: mastro on March 05, 2010, 05:12:05 pm
Gary,
I've been looking for reasonably priced land with tapable trees on them.  What are prices like around you for land with mature sugar maples?
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: GaryMinckler on March 05, 2010, 09:23:01 pm
It must be cheap because, I swear, half of Connectict and New Jersey now live right here in St Lawrence County.  Better act quick they're driving the prices up.  I paid 21k for 58 acres seven years ago. Those prices are rare.  The most expensive piece I looked at was 1650.00/acre.  I looked for hunting properties with no structures, the maple trees were a bonus.
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: danno on March 08, 2010, 09:15:19 am
that cheap  Here in michigan farm land is going for 3000/acre
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: hankdog1 on March 26, 2010, 04:01:49 am
Somthing i've always wanted to do but never knew anybody to ask about.  So how does one get into making maple syrup?  Where can i get the equipment to tap the trees and so forth?  I've seen the taps around in people's frount yards but didn't want to get shot for trespassing for a closer look.  Been planning on going to a maple syrup festival here sunday maybe i can get some good information there but any help you guys could lay on me would be greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: danno on March 26, 2010, 09:02:29 am
Somthing i've always wanted to do but never knew anybody to ask about.  So how does one get into making maple syrup?  Where can i get the equipment to tap the trees and so forth?  I've seen the taps around in people's frount yards but didn't want to get shot for trespassing for a closer look.  Been planning on going to a maple syrup festival here sunday maybe i can get some good information there but any help you guys could lay on me would be greatly appreciated.
All the equipment and info is available on line.   Taps or spiles as they are call come in metal or plastic.  Get the plastic!!!!    These use tubeing and several can be linked together and ran into a single tube that runs into a bucket on the ground.   I use plastic 5 and 6 gal buckets w/ lids.   I drill a hole in the lid to run the tubeing through.   this keeps out dirt, rain and bird crap
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: Scadsobees on March 26, 2010, 09:54:16 am
Somthing i've always wanted to do but never knew anybody to ask about.  So how does one get into making maple syrup? 

Hank,
I tried it just for fun...got about 15 gallons of "sap" and boiled that down to 1 quart (and boiled and boiled and boiled!!))

Not the right way, but if it is something you want to try before spending a lot of money on it....

I just drilled a small hole (3/8 or 1/2) about 1 or two inches deep.  Pounded in a small piece of copper pipe I had laying around.  I put a long screw a bit above this and hang a 1 gallon bucket from that.  Two of those per tree.  Can get about a gallon per day from a tree.  Three trees, 5 days.  Boiled all that down on the stove for a long time.

It was really cool ending up with syrup.  I think it is because I have silver maples, the syrup, while sweet and mapley, has a weird smell.  If I had some sugar maples I'd probably invest in more equipment.

Rick
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: joker1656 on April 17, 2010, 12:45:30 pm
Those land prices are shocking.  I wish we could come close to those prices.  usually $10k/acre and up around here.

My buddy made maple syrup last year.  1st year.  Looked fun, but I don't have that kind of time right now.  Sure was tasty though!!!

Someday.....
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: skflyfish on August 19, 2010, 11:31:44 pm
Danno,

I would suggest you try some of the sap cows that line a lot of the country roads. My yards trees consistently make a gallon of syrup from 25 gallons of sap. But they are big ole sap cows. Our ancestors planted so many along the roads, at least around here, and they have a huge canopy and little competition, so they really produce. Some trees you can get 3 or 4 buckets on.

Jay
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: danno on August 20, 2010, 09:07:30 am
Danno,

I would suggest you try some of the sap cows that line a lot of the country roads. My yards trees consistently make a gallon of syrup from 25 gallons of sap. But they are big ole sap cows. Our ancestors planted so many along the roads, at least around here, and they have a huge canopy and little competition, so they really produce. Some trees you can get 3 or 4 buckets on.

Jay
Jay
The county road I live on has  doz's  of trees that are right off the edge of the gravel.  It summer its like entering a tunnel.    They are very old and very large but in this day and age I just dont trust people and kids in particular, messing around with my buckets.  When I was young it would have never crossed our minds to steal or vadalize.   I like the early light colored syrup but dont want it pee colored
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: VolunteerK9 on August 20, 2010, 09:38:25 am
Danno,

Jay
   I like the early light colored syrup but dont want it pee colored

LMAO.

How about some lemon colored snow cream?
Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: winginit on August 20, 2010, 09:38:59 am
I tapped some maples this year, but not until late March as the weather didn't cooperate. The trees weren't budding yet, but as I boiled down the syrup (in a turkey fryer), it started to smell. I didn't know what "buddy" meant until I smelled that smell. And as I gave up, I saw that the local maple syrup "farm" was quitting for the season.

I used plastic icing containers to collect sap. I washed them many times and soaked overnight, but they still had a faint fake icing smell. Could that have been the problem, or was it just too late? Also, I didn't cover the buckets, but I did collect daily. I was unemployed so it was a great project. If only I hadn't cheapskated out on those buckets. I spent many hours cleaning nasty fake icing. I can't believe we let kids eat that stuff.  :-P



Title: Re: its maple syrup time
Post by: skflyfish on August 20, 2010, 05:21:00 pm
Danno,

I can understand your concern.  ;) FWIW, I do see folks tapping road trees around here. They are sap cows, for sure.

One of my yard trees is right next to my pressure bed for my septic system. I call it my 'sewer sap' tree.  :-D

Anyway, the added nutrients it gets makes the sap too sweet. I boiled it exclusively one year and it took only 15 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. It looked more like honey (or pee) but had no maple flavor at all. According to maple grading systems it would be premo, but I find it just sweet and without taste. I have since quit tapping it cause it diluted to good maple flavor of my other trees. Personally I like the later sap, just before it turns 'buddy'.

Here is a link of a guy who taps road trees. http://www.mi-maplesyrup.com/Information/info_tapping_journal.asp?action=display_producer&producer_id=11 (http://www.mi-maplesyrup.com/Information/info_tapping_journal.asp?action=display_producer&producer_id=11)

I didn't tap last year and am glad I didn't. How long was it? A week and a half?

Jay