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who's ready to make some maple syrup?

Started by ryguy777, February 24, 2014, 01:58:14 PM

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Chuck White

We have 46° here now, so sap is running, we'll be gathering it tonight after supper!

Didn't start running until Noon or so!

I'll try and check in when I get back from doing that and let you know how much sap we get!
EDIT:
All sap was gathered and we came up with 180-190 gallons, so that added to the 100 gallons that we've had in the sugarhouse, we now have almost 300 gallons!

We'll fire up the evaporator tomorrow afternoon!

~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

21incher

300 gallons? I would like to see pics of that evaporator. Yesterday my taps turned to a trickle and I only got about 3 gallons total. I wonder if it has anything to do with the weather staying above freezing the night before.
Quote from: JohnM on March 11, 2014, 09:51:27 AM
Quote from: 21incher on March 11, 2014, 09:34:52 AM
My first homemade maple syrup. Just had waffles with the rest of it. Boy do I have a sugar buzz.
8) smiley_clapping  Congrats, 21!
Thanks JohnM. If it wasn't for this topic on the forum that got me started, I probably would have put off trying to make syrup as I have done in previous years.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

thecfarm

21incher,you posted you have 12 taps? I only have 6. One tree is putting out a ½ gallon a day. I get about half what you are getting. Than the other 5 have less than ½ that. One tap I want to pull and move it. That one is real slow for some reason. Have not really had any great sap days. Most days might get into the high 30's at about 2. But not much sun and the wind will blow too.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

21incher

tcfarm , I started with 6 and the sap really was not running yet. Then added 6 more and the sap ran good for a day. 1 tap is a real winner it made about 1/2 gallon a hour with the sun on the tree 1 day and some just trickle. I had one on the north side that never made a drop and pulled it, plugged the hole and moved it to the south side and it started dripping. So far I have gotten about 46 gallons with most of it in 1 day. I now have a little over a gallon of syrup. My wife just made Maple cookies that are wonderful. As previously stated, this hobby will lead to weight gain.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

thecfarm

Well,kinda meek compared to what 21icher posted. But I'm still going to brag about it.  ;D



 

This is not even a half of a pint. But DanG ain't it good.
The first batch,probably about that much,went a little too far and we got candy. But that is DanG good too.  :D  I put that right to me too. We do have a little more than a half pint in another jar,but that needs to be boiled just a little more.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

21incher

Congratulations on your first syrup. It is like liquid gold, every drop counts. Get 1 good day and you will have buckets of sap. Your syrup looks like it is a lot lighter color then mine.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

thecfarm

I thought I lost that post. I pressed post and little did I know post is also connected to the power grid.   :D  The power flickered and the computer went blank. We are having a heavy,wet snow storm.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

thecfarm

Here is supper, pancakes and bacon and maple syrup. Can't see the syrup,but I know for sure it is on there.



 

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Peter Drouin

Quote from: thecfarm on March 12, 2014, 07:47:09 PM
Here is supper, pancakes and bacon and maple syrup. Can't see the syrup,but I know for sure it is on there.



 




smiley_thumbsup
A&P saw Mill LLC.
45' of Wood Mizer, cutting since 1987.
License NH softwood grader.

Chuck White

We boiled most of our sap down yesterday!

We started out with around 300 gallons and now we have the evaporator flooded and about 20 gallons left in the holding tank, so around 80-90 gallons.

Didn't get any syrup though, ran out of sap, can't boil down too close, when firing with wood!

So..... When we get another run of sap, it won't take much boiling time to start drawing off syrup!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

JohnM

Quote from: thecfarm on March 12, 2014, 07:47:09 PM
Here is supper, pancakes and bacon and maple syrup. Can't see the syrup,but I know for sure it is on there.



 
Nice job, Ray! 8)  We just got our internet back cause of the storm, what a mess.  Not much sap around here (7-8gal) but it sounds like it will start running this weekend before it cools off again next week (grrr).  I need to get my evaporator done so I can do a burn Sunday.

Chuck, you and brother are on a whole nother level! :D  I'd like to to see an operation like that sometime.
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

Billbob

Quote from: JohnM on March 13, 2014, 03:25:32 PM
Quote from: thecfarm on March 12, 2014, 07:47:09 PM
Here is supper, pancakes and bacon and maple syrup. Can't see the syrup,but I know for sure it is on there.

Ok!!!  Now all yer doin' is makin' me hungry!!!!!  :laugh:
Woodland Hm126 sawmill, LS 72hp tractor with FEL, homemade log winch, 8ft pulp trailer, Husqvarna 50, Husqvarna 353, homemade wood splitter, 12ft dump trailer, Polaris Sportsman 500 with ATV dump trailer

Chuck White

There are some evaporators that are  H U G E  compared to the one my brother has!

His will evaporate off 75 gal/hr!

~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

JohnM

Quote from: Chuck White on March 14, 2014, 07:48:41 PM
There are some evaporators that are  H U G E  compared to the one my brother has!

His will evaporate off 75 gal/hr!
I think I was getting lucky if I was getting 5gal/hr last year. :D
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

Red Good

Is anyone going to have  syrop for sale on the board when you get some ? I would like to get some if possible .  Red 
Stihl 211C saw
Massey 135 deisel tractor with a front loader
Can Am 800 max quad
2001 Chev S10 pick me up
Home made log arch

WDH

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

nedly05

Ive been involved in sugaring my whole life. My dad and grandfather had a 5x14 wood fired evaporator and 2500 taps. My dad and I now have a 4x12 leader inferno arch with revolution pans. We have just south of 1000 taps. Due to some conflicts with the season overlapping with the start of the season in our excavating business we decided not to tap this year, but its such an obsession for me that I bought a leader half pint and I am going to put up 25 buckets. My kids love it too, so I know its going to be a blast. My goal is 5 gallons! Just to be silly I might bring the automatic draw off down and put it on!

Chuck White

With more sub-freezing weather coming for a few days, we went out this morning and gathered up what sap there was in the barrels and buckets.

We got about 120 gallons and it's stored in our feeder tank in the sugar house.

We've been keeping a fire in the woodstove to keep stuff from freezing up!

Supposed to start warming up again on Wednesday.

EDIT: We will boil this sap down tomorrow morning!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Chuck White

Boiled this morning and got just under 2 gallons.

About 70 gallons remains in the evaporator awaiting the next sap-run!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

JohnM

That's a lot of equipment for two gallons of syrup, Chuck! :D ;) ;D 

Quote from: Chuck White on March 16, 2014, 06:36:52 PM
...awaiting the next sap-run!
The question is "When will that be??!" ??? ::)  This weather is beyond annoying.  It was above 40 yesterday and the sap barely ran, too cloudy and raw.  Mid 20s and a whipping wind today, trees said "Nope!"
Lucas 830 w/ slabber; Kubota L3710; Wallenstein logging winch; Split-fire splitter; Stihl 036; Jonsered 2150

Stephen1

Quote from: JohnM on March 16, 2014, 07:44:24 PM
That's a lot of equipment for two gallons of syrup, Chuck! :D ;) ;D 

Quote from: Chuck White on March 16, 2014, 06:36:52 PM
...awaiting the next sap-run!
The question is "When will that be??!" ??? ::)  This weather is beyond annoying.  It was above 40 yesterday and the sap barely ran, too cloudy and raw.  Mid 20s and a whipping wind today, trees said "Nope!"
Not only do you need + and - temperatures, you also need a high pressure to squeeze the trees for a good run. That is why vacuums and lines, increases productions even in a low pressure.
North side of the trees will run, you just have to have patience, they usually start as the south side slows down.
IDRY Vacum Kiln, LT40HDWide, BMS250 sharpener/setter 742b Bobcat, TCM forklift, Sthil 026,038, 461. 1952 TEA Fergusan Tractor

Chuck White

Quote from: JohnM on March 16, 2014, 07:44:24 PM
That's a lot of equipment for two gallons of syrup, Chuck! :D ;) ;D 

Quote from: Chuck White on March 16, 2014, 06:36:52 PM
...awaiting the next sap-run!
The question is "When will that be?? !" ??? ::)  This weather is beyond annoying.  It was above 40 yesterday and the sap barely ran, too cloudy and raw.  Mid 20s and a whipping wind today, trees said "Nope!"

You can only boil what you have on hand!

Tuesday it's supposed to be up in the 30's and day hi-temps are not supposed drop below freezing (during the day) until Sunday!

Usually we'll gather between 400 & 800 gallons per day during a good run, but not yet, this year!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

thecfarm

Come about 6 hours North and those temps will change just enough to make things not happen. Don't look like a good next 4-5 days.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

21incher

Friday through sat afternoon it was above freezing here and I got about 20 gallons out of my 12 trees. With it being above freezing the first time overnight all 12 buckets were full and overflowing on the ground sat morning. Then came the wind and cold. The wind has finally stopped so today I will do my first wood fired boil after burning over 40 pounds of propane so far. I never realized that making maple syrup was so dependent on the weather.
Hudson HFE-21 on a custom trailer, Deere 4100, Kubota BX 2360, Echo CS590 & CS310, home built wood splitter, home built log arch, a logrite cant hook and a bread machine. And a Kubota Sidekick with a Defective Subaru motor.

thecfarm

And snow too. Below freezing nights,above freezing with a bright sun,no wind and snow on the ground and that sap will run. I am only tapping 6 trees and the most I have got is no more than 2 gallons in a day. But the one warm day we had,we was gone for the day. Note "the one warm day" Most times it does not get above freezing here until noon,one o'clock. The temps will come.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

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