Maple syrup 2020

[Lightning Performance]

https://www.themaplenews.com/story/-3-16ths-guru-tim-wilmot-the-gravity-of-it-all/182/

Here's some actual academic research on it. It says 0.88" HG for every 1' vertical drop, so even 5-6 feet would get you a little bit of natural vacuum. Tap at head height and let 'er drop.

See.... now were cooking

There be low holes in places and swamps to.
Those be me target drain holes. Look hi....drill hi....drain low. Hell...I'm a climber...this could get interesting using the wick effect of the trees and gravity to feed my new, soon to be, obsession, lol. Good time to survey the land for mushrooms and hunt them while collecting sap. Time to break out the 90cc quad with vst and a mini trailer
Need more woods time anyway.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Not really. The higher up on the tree you put the tap, the less internal pressure exists in the tree. Think about the tree as a column of liquid sticking up in the air. If you tap it at ground level, there will be more pressure behind the taphole than if you tapped it halfway up.

I think about a tree like a flow bench. Funny how that works out.

 

[Lightning Performance]

https://www.themaplenews.com/story/-3-16ths-guru-tim-wilmot-the-gravity-of-it-all/182/

Here's some actual academic research on it. It says 0.88" HG for every 1' vertical drop, so even 5-6 feet would get you a little bit of natural vacuum. Tap at head height and let 'er drop.

Interesting

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Looking good next week. I think I'm going for it Sunday:

 

[Lightning Performance]

Any food grade container will work. Lots of guys get buckets from bakeries that formerly held frosting, etc. You'll also see them on Craigslist pretty often. Usually about a dollar a bucket. You don't need to cover them, but it is nice. The old style taps usually have a hook to hang a bucket from, they're expensive if you buy them new though. Might luck out on Craigslist. If you hang buckets on the trees, you don't need a lid, but it's nice. Keeps the rain and squirrels out. With no lids you gotta dump buckets when it rains or when you find critters in them.

I see a lot of guys use the new plastic taps (which only cost $.25) and a few feet of sap tubing to reach a bucket on the ground. In that situation a lid is pretty nice, you can drill a hole for the line, so it fits tight and doesn't get knocked out. I've even seen guys do that with milk jugs, though you don't have much capacity that way. If your trees are decent size (22" diameter plus) you can put two taps running into one bucket.

I don't know when you're thinking of tapping, but I've got a bunch of old plastic taps with a couple feet of tubing already on them. It's garbage to me, so if you pay shipping they're all yours. Should have a couple dozen at least.

Forgot to PM you

 

[Lightning Performance]

PM scented

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Haulin' sap. Been tapped since sunday, and got about 55-60 gallons off 30 taps. Not bad, considering the weather.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

First small boil of the year. I had 20 gallons of sap not frozen (out of about 60 collected), so I lit the fire and reduced it down to about 5 gallons. Hope to have another boil Tuesday night, and be able to get the pans sweet. It takes me about 100 gallons of sap to get this 2-1/2 x 6 flat pan sweet, which isn't bad.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Still waiting to here from Ryan on those taps and lines. Sap must be moving here again today.

 

[Ryan Browne]

Still waiting to here from Ryan on those taps and lines. Sap must be moving here again today.

Hey, sorry I meant to pm you. They went out Thursday. I was hoping you'd get them on Saturday, but I guess not. I actually put the box out Wednesday, but my carrier didn't pick it up.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Hey, sorry I meant to pm you. They went out Thursday. I was hoping you'd get them on Saturday, but I guess not. I actually put the box out Wednesday, but my carrier didn't pick it up.

Oh cool. How many shekels needed?
Bill me

 

[cuinrearview]

Could you good folks give me some ideas for simple boilers? I'm thinking about doing a little this year. Thanks.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Could you good folks give me some ideas for simple boilers? I'm thinking about doing a little this year. Thanks.

Flat and wide. I'm thinking about a 5 gallon metal bucket inside my cylindrical smoker or a big flat pan over a cinder block fire pit.
Have not thought that far ahead yet.

 

[cuinrearview]

Flat and wide. I'm thinking about a 5 gallon metal bucket inside my cylindrical smoker or a big flat pan over a cinder block fire pit.
Have not thought that far ahead yet.

I have access to some hotel pans so I'm thinking maybe some sort of block or brick pit with the pan over top. Just keep adding sap as it evaporates.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

I have access to some hotel pans so I'm thinking maybe some sort of block or brick pit with the pan over top. Just keep adding sap as it evaporates.

Hotel pans are a great start. Blocks in a horseshoe shape, with 2-4 (or more) hotel pans in a row is how many people get started (including me). Fill all the pans with 1-2" of sap, then light a fire. As the front pan gets lower, ladle from the next pan to top it up, etc. etc. to the back pan. Add fresh sap only to the back pan. As your boil continues, the front pan will get closer to syrup, until the bubbles start to stack up. Check your temperature, you want 7 degrees over the boiling point of water (which you should check each time you're making syrup, as it changes).

Google block syrup arch for ideas, but here's one idea:

The blocks will last longer if you line with fire bricks and/or refractory cement, but it's not an absolute necessity. Likewise, fitting some kind of door on the front will increase efficiency, but add cost.

 

[cuinrearview]

Hotel pans are a great start. Blocks in a horseshoe shape, with 2-4 (or more) hotel pans in a row is how many people get started (including me). Fill all the pans with 1-2" of sap, then light a fire. As the front pan gets lower, ladle from the next pan to top it up, etc. etc. to the back pan. Add fresh sap only to the back pan. As your boil continues, the front pan will get closer to syrup, until the bubbles start to stack up. Check your temperature, you want 7 degrees over the boiling point of water (which you should check each time you're making syrup, as it changes).

Google block syrup arch for ideas, but here's one idea:

The blocks will last longer if you line with fire bricks and/or refractory cement, but it's not an absolute necessity. Likewise, fitting some kind of door on the front will increase efficiency, but add cost.

Thanks. That's pretty much what I was thinking.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Thanks. That's pretty much what I was thinking.

The shallower your sap, the faster your evaporation rate. However, you're more at risk of burning. If you can walk the fine line, you can really get a lot of sap boiled off and make light syrup, but you have to watch it like a hawk.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I have several old kilns here. Plenty of light weight brick and some skills. A bit of SS and steel sheet.

Just waiting for a good thought to come along. It'll happen

Can you guys post up pics of small commercial units or links?
My search skills would make the task daunting these days on the web.

 

[Lightning Performance]

The shallower your sap, the faster your evaporation rate. However, you're more at risk of burning. If you can walk the fine line, you can really get a lot of sap boiled off and make light syrup, but you have to watch it like a hawk.

Honey last forever with it's antimicrobial properties.
You can always reduce it later for long term storage or does light syrup store just as well?

 

[Johnmn]

Could you good folks give me some ideas for simple boilers? I'm thinking about doing a little this year. Thanks.

Tim there is lots of easy ideas.
My first set up was a modified barrel stove. Do you have a welder?