Maple Syrup season!

[shibumiseeker]

Who are our sugar producers here?

I started with 20 taps 15 years ago. Got up to 400 taps before I had to back down for a while as life got in the way. Last year was 80 taps, 14 gallons made, and I sold every drop. It was also the first year to try RO and it dramatically cut production time and cost.

This year will be 200 taps. I got a hundred in this last week to take advantage of this early run weather and spread out production. Right now I have 130 gallons of sap to process and will probably get another 60-70 before the weather changes.

I’m laying lines in anticipation of the next run the next time the weather will be right so I can do the rest of the taps. I built a second RO system and a new sugar shack and have added vacuum filtration. I’m stoked, but not looking forward to the work involved!

If it keeps selling I could put in as many as 5000-8000 taps, but it’ll take a while to get there as infrastructure costs are steep.

 

[Wheezy50]

I did my 1st attempt last year, on a very small time scale. 7 or 8 taps, I only collected a few gallons of sap of my own and was given a couple gallons from a friend. I think I boiled down 10-12 gallons of sap for a quart or so of syrup. It was a learning process, I boiled on a homemade, DIY barrel evaporater.

I was hoping to expand a few more taps this year and hone in my process some. However we've built a new home and are in the process of moving. I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to boil this season, it's almost time right now!

 

[spencer rifle]

We have been producing for years, just for family use. We get anywhere between 2 and 8 quarts from our 7 trees, depending on if we forget to turn the stove off at night and scorch a bunch or not.

We used to boil with propane outside and finish on the stove inside, but propane was getting salty, so we ran a gas line outside and use that now.

Collection started with plastic bags, but they wore out over time and we switched to galvanized pails and metal spiles. Now we are mostly using 5 gallon buckets and tubing. Collection is still the old fashioned way - a cooler on a wagon.

Trees tapped are mostly sugar maples, but we have had to add a silver and Norway as some of the sugars have died due to road salt damage from many years ago.

 

[gregkl]

Who are our sugar producers here?

I started with 20 taps 15 years ago. Got up to 400 taps before I had to back down for a while as life got in the way. Last year was 80 taps, 14 gallons made, and I sold every drop. It was also the first year to try RO and it dramatically cut production time and cost.

This year will be 200 taps. I got a hundred in this last week to take advantage of this early run weather and spread out production. Right now I have 130 gallons of sap to process and will probably get another 60-70 before the weather changes.

I’m laying lines in anticipation of the next run the next time the weather will be right so I can do the rest of the taps. I built a second RO system and a new sugar shack and have added vacuum filtration. I’m stoked, but not looking forward to the work involved!

If it keeps selling I could put in as many as 5000-8000 taps, but it’ll take a while to get there as infrastructure costs are steep.

Any chance of buying some syrup from the first tap?

 

[smittygj]

I'd buy some from any of you posting on here. We currently live in the middle east (I work for the DOD over here), but have a USA address to mail to via USPS. PM me.

 

[Noble Sniper]

I’ve always thought about giving that a try......

 

[gregkl]

I'd buy some from any of you posting on here. We currently live in the middle east (I work for the DOD over here), but have a USA address to mail to via USPS. PM me.

Same here.

 

[indyjohn]

I’ve always thought about giving that a try......

Same here since we have plenty of trees to tap. I understand the general concept but know there are lots of details that I have to learn.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Same here since we have plenty of trees to tap. I understand the general concept but know there are lots of details that I have to learn.

Just do it. It’s easy and if you screw up, no biggie.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Same here.

I’m happy to sell some as that’s why we make it. I don’t want to abuse the classifieds here as my point in posting was not to create an ad.

 

[gregkl]

I’m happy to sell some as that’s why we make it. I don’t want to abuse the classifieds here as my point in posting was not to create an ad.

Where are you located? I'd drive if not too far. I'd like to see the operation if you allow that. I once collected sap on a farm. You can PM me if you don't want to let this turn into an ad. Though I'm not sure the mods would mind. We could use some sweet posts, lol.

 

[smittygj]

I’m happy to sell some as that’s why we make it. I don’t want to abuse the classifieds here as my point in posting was not to create an ad.

You won't be. You would be supporting uniformed military or DOD Civ stationed overseas. Can't see how a MOD would have a problem with that.

 

[shibumiseeker]

You won't be. You would be supporting uniformed military or DOD Civ stationed overseas. Can't see how a MOD would have a problem with that.

It's just that I know they want people who are running a business to be advertisers here. I don't know how they would feel about this sort of transaction and I don't want to violate the rules either in letter or spirit. But if they don't have a problem with it, I certainly don't. I know I can pretty much sell every bit I make via my regular channels, but I get wanting to buy Indiana made whenever possible.

 

[shibumiseeker]

As of sunset I have 200 gallons of sap to process! Tomorrow I'll get the RO system running and the old arch set up in the new sugar shack. As I also have a sawmill, my new second pan will utilize sawdust stoves which I had great success with last year. I made them out of old 20 and 100lb propane tanks. A 20lb tank sawdust stove would run about 3-4 hours and burn pretty efficiently with only a little smoke. I'm also excited to try the new vacuum filter system. Filtering has always been the biggest PITA and the larger filter presses run $2-3k.

I'm a little wary, I can see getting 300 gallons of sap a day when we have heavy runs once I get the rest of the taps in.

 

[EyeCarry]

I had never heard about using reverse osmosis for sugaring. Sounds like a BIG time and money saver to get product! Very cool.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I had never heard about using reverse osmosis for sugaring. Sounds like a BIG time and money saver to get product! Very cool.

OMG was it ever! I can process about 100 gallons a day of sap with one system, about $300 worth of parts to build myself. Sugar content went from about 1.5% to 7% in my sap, so that is a TON of fuel and effort saved. It's a little different than you typically think of in an RO system: here you throw away the filtrate and what is left is concentrate. I capture the filtrate and use it around the place when I need clean water for something, but most of it just gets dumped.

 

[gregkl]

As of sunset I have 200 gallons of sap to process! Tomorrow I'll get the RO system running and the old arch set up in the new sugar shack. As I also have a sawmill, my new second pan will utilize sawdust stoves which I had great success with last year. I made them out of old 20 and 100lb propane tanks. A 20lb tank sawdust stove would run about 3-4 hours and burn pretty efficiently with only a little smoke. I'm also excited to try the new vacuum filter system. Filtering has always been the biggest PITA and the larger filter presses run $2-3k.

I'm a little wary, I can see getting 300 gallons of sap a day when we have heavy runs once I get the rest of the taps in.

Do you have collection points in the woods that carry the sap to the sugar shack through piping?

 

[Colt556]

I got a small bottle of pure maple syrup as a gift from a friend in Wisconsin. It’s in a small glass bottle with a handle on it and no label or markings at all. Will be trying it soon to give feedback.

 

[Flingarrows]

My son gave me some taps, but I haven’t tried it yet. I need to YouTube how to do it and what else I need


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[MinuteManMike]

It seems as though someone monkeyed with the maple syrup grades. I used to prefer the B grade. I'd be glad to buy some dark maple syrup from someone here if it's not too far to drive and the prices aren't crazy.