who's ready to make some maple syrup?

thecfarm · March 25, 2014, 09:06:44 PM

I'm sorry Chunk. I don't know the lingo. I must have the wrong word. Normal for me. :

The thingy I'm talking about is put into syrup at 217-219. To see if you have syrup. I saw it done Sunday. At 2 diffeant places. They dipped a dipper into the pan and poured the syrup into the test cup with the thingy in the test cup. This thingy floated and a red mark was read. It was well above the top of the cup to read. The test cup was just about full too.

BBTom · March 25, 2014, 10:22:37 PM

Save yourself many many headaches and buy a syrup refractometer that reads from about 50 to about 80. Maple syrup is supposed to be 66.

A refractometer only takes a couple drops of syrup and reads directly when you look thru the lens. I think it is the best syrup making purchase I ever made. I see some on ebay for 35 to 100 bucks. I paid over 300 for mine and would do so again in a minute. I have several hydrometers and cups hanging on the wall just in case, but they have never been used.

I have a refractometer that reads from 0 to 20 also, to check the brix of the sap or concentrate.

Brix = % dissolved solids = sugar content

5quarter · March 28, 2014, 12:13:02 AM

Hi guys...y'all must be at the sugar shack. ;) :D :D Just getting in from boiling this evening. getting off about six gallons an hour. I need to stop dipping into the sweet sap or I won't have anything to make syrup out of. :D :D

Chuck White · March 28, 2014, 07:23:20 AM

We have 36° here now, so we should be out gathering this afternoon!

Looking good, out into next week! 8)

5quarter · March 28, 2014, 08:54:54 AM

Chuck...how many gallons have you gotten so far? Next week looks pretty good for us too. Hoping for another 100 gallons, but we'll see. It's been hit and miss this year.

JohnM · March 28, 2014, 09:23:26 AM

I'm kind of scared my taps have dried up/closed up. Didn't get anything yesterday, that I could see, it was above freezing and sunny but a cold wind. Should see some today (I think ???) but it's cloudy and raining so not sure. I'll put out more taps tomorrow hoping this coming week is "The One"! ;D

thecfarm · March 28, 2014, 09:30:16 AM

I got the wind here too. That might button the sap up for a while. :(

ryguy777 · March 28, 2014, 12:31:34 PM

well ive got a little over 50 taps out this year, ive boiled once. it really hasn't been a good year for this area. boiling didn't go quit as planed. one of the previous owners of my pan decided it was a good idea to solder a divider and a handle with wire solder... its not lead, too shinny and I brang it to my welding teacher to make sure. I can still boil with it but I should weld it up. made some really good dark amber syrup. my block arch with my old pan worked really well ill try to post pictures soon. now that ive got the rest of the family excited about sugaring there all wanting to start tapping. hoping to build a small sugar shack this summer and an evaporator out of a 275 oil tank

Chuck White · March 28, 2014, 02:51:34 PM

We've got 42° here now and the sap is just starting to drip.

So, the trees are starting to warm up, and by the end of tomorrow we should gather at least 200-300 gallons of sap.

So far we've made 8 gallons of med. amber and the pans are still flooded, so all we need now is fresh sap!

thecfarm · March 28, 2014, 03:16:09 PM

That funny Chunk. You made 8 gallons of syrup and I have collected about 8 gallons of sap. The wife wanted some more trees taps. We are up to 10 taps now.

Chuck White · March 28, 2014, 07:55:42 PM

Saps running now. It's 43° now, so I don't expect the trees to freeze too hard through the night!

Should be a good gathering tomorrow afternoon!

thecfarm · March 28, 2014, 09:31:15 PM

Wife did a small batch last week sometime. Came out kinda thick. She had about an inch in a pint jar. Less than half of that is gone. Someone keeps grabbing a spoon and they open up the fridge and unscrew the cover and put a spoon into that jar. Man,that is mighty good. And than some!!
She did another batch today. About ¾ of a mason jar. Let's see if that will slow the Maple Syrup Bandit down a little.

Chuck White · March 29, 2014, 07:24:30 PM

Well, sugaring didn't go very well today!

We gathered all of the sap today and only ended up with 160 gallons, so we boiled it down and ended up with around 4 more gallons of syrup and shut down with about 100 gallons of sap in the pans and holding tank!

It didn't help with the overcast skys and the barometer reading 30+ all day!

thecfarm · March 29, 2014, 07:53:06 PM

Maybe that is why I did not get much today. :( We have got more at 34 for one day than we did today at 50. One tap will give us about 3-4 inches in the bucket. Last time I checked,it barely covered the bottom.

At this rate the Bandit is eating it faster than she can make it.

JohnM · March 29, 2014, 10:46:47 PM

Quote from: thecfarm on March 29, 2014, 07:53:06 PM
Maybe that is why I did not get much today. :( We have got more at 34 for one day than we did today at 50. One tap will give us about 3-4 inches in the bucket. Last time I checked,it barely covered the bottom.
At this rate the Bandit is eating it faster than she can make it.

It's weird how this stuff works, this was our best day so far. Couple of the jugs were overflowing this morning and again this afternoon. Had hoped to do a boil tomorrow but the weather doesn't look good til Tue. Was cutting on the mill most of the day in a t-shirt!! 8)

Chuck White · March 30, 2014, 07:35:56 AM

Lots of things affect the sap flow!

Barometric pressure and temperature are the most noticable!

GAB · March 30, 2014, 02:06:48 PM

Chuck White Said:
Lots of things affect the sap flow!

Barometric pressure and temperature are the most noticable!

The wind is also a factor. A south wind is a drying wind as far as sap flow is concerned.
Gerald

Chuck White · March 30, 2014, 03:23:10 PM

Quote from: GAB on March 30, 2014, 02:06:48 PM
Chuck White Said:
Lots of things affect the sap flow!

Barometric pressure and temperature are the most noticable!

The wind is also a factor. A south wind is a drying wind as far as sap flow is concerned.
Gerald

Very true Gerald.

It can be up to 40° or even a little higher and if the wind blows much more than a breeze, the sap will stop running!

BBTom · March 31, 2014, 08:01:43 AM

I am thinking that this will be the last decent run of the season for me. Temps are not supposed to be below freezing for the next week and by then, the trees should start to bud. The soft maples have already started to bud, so I have pulled the taps from them. I collected about 600 gallon sap yesterday and expect better days today and tomorrow.

My season total of syrup is up to 65 gallon so far with another 25 gallon in sap and concentrate form. Overall it does not look like a very good year. I had hoped to hit 150 gallon of syrup for the year and it doesn't look like we will get much over 100. We will take what Mother Nature gives and be thankful for what we got.

Happy boiling to all.

loggah · March 31, 2014, 07:14:04 PM

I gave up on it this year, between the weather and snow ,and being in the flood plain. I did tap 1 tree just to check on the run, it aint happening around here yet,i have had 1 1/2" in the bucket, thats it so far. :(

GDinMaine · March 31, 2014, 09:01:19 PM

You guys made me do it too. Actually JohnM and his wife lent us five taps and we made about a quart of syrup. Hopefully a very good run is coming up over the next 6-7 days with below freezing at night, but 30's and 40's during the day. I would love to have over a gallon of syrup at the end of the season. I already plan on a much bigger operation next year, because that stuff disappears so fast. :

Here is what I use to boil off the sap. I work with what I have.

JohnM · March 31, 2014, 09:45:25 PM

Quote from: GDinMaine on March 31, 2014, 09:01:19 PM
You guys made me do it too. Actually JohnM and his wife lent us five taps and we made about a quart of syrup. Hopefully a very good run is coming up over the next 6-7 days with below freezing at night, but 30's and 40's during the day. I would love to have over a gallon of syrup at the end of the season. I already plan on a much bigger operation next year, because that stuff disappears so fast. :

Here is what I use to boil off the sap. I work with what I have.

Been meaning to call and see how it went, that pan fits perfect! 8) Did you have to modify the top of the stove at all or just luck out? I've got more taps if you want em for this week, metal like the ones we gave you or the plastic ones I got from BBTom (you'd need tubing for those). Temps look good for us this week, we'll see.

Chuck White · March 31, 2014, 10:45:36 PM

I had other stuff to do (accompany wifey to Bingo) so I didn't get to gather the sap this evening.

The other guys did though, about 400 gallons and we'll gather another possible 800 gallons tomorrow and then start boiling!

Should make lots of syrup!

I'm pretty sure season will be short lived, so we'll get it while the gettin's good!

21incher · April 01, 2014, 08:14:15 AM

GDinMaine they also made me try it this year. It is like sawing, once the syrup gets in your mouth you are hooked for life and start planning to expand your operation next year.

GDinMaine · April 01, 2014, 09:27:35 AM

Quote from: 21incher on April 01, 2014, 08:14:15 AM
...once the syrup gets in your mouth you are hooked for life ...

Right you are. I have been hooked on syrup for many years but now I'm getting hooked on the production too. I didn't really need another hobby but it's so addictive.

Quote from: JohnM on March 31, 2014, 09:45:25 PM
Quote from: GDinMaine on March 31, 2014, 09:01:19 PM

Did you have to modify the top of the stove at all or just luck out?

It was pure luck that the large pan fits right into the stove. I just took the top plate off the stove and I was in business. It only boils off about 1 gallon per hour, but I don't mind. It's plenty good to get my feet wet. Have an oil drum that has been sitting around for 10+ years. I think it will be put to good use next season.