Maple syrup 2020

[kingOFgEEEks]

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?

Light vs. dark isn't the level of reduction. It has several factors, including sap quality, and the level of carmelization that the sap undergoes when boiling. Typically, lighter color means lighter flavor, and darker color will have more smoky or carmel flavors, but that's not a hard and fast rule. All syrup should be 66.7 degrees on the Brix scale, to be legally syrup (about 89% sugar content).

Storage is dependent on your sanitation when you bottle, and how you store it. It's not as naturally antimicrobial as honey is, but anything that is 89% sugar does have some natural preservative properties in it naturally.

 

[cuinrearview]

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

Not where I am now. I've seen what I think you're talking about though. The single pan in the cutout on a barrel stove.

 

[Johnmn]

Not where I am now. I've seen what I think you're talking about though. The single pan in the cutout on a barrel stove.

Tim here is my first set up it worked pretty good up to say 50 taps. If you were closer I'd give you a heck of a deal on it. It's just been taking up room.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Tim here is my first set up it worked pretty good up to say 50 taps. If you were closer I'd give you a heck of a deal on it. It's just been taking up room.
View attachment 225398

I like it. Looks simple.

A five gallon metal bucket dropped in my cylinder smoker should just about duplicate that. Open the side door for a draft hole and drop on a steel ring around the top to keep the heat in the bucket. Anyone every just reduce a bucket and then poor it off?
I like easy k i s s

 

[cuinrearview]

I like it. Looks simple.

A five gallon metal bucket dropped in my cylinder smoker should just about duplicate that. Open the side door for a draft hole and drop on a steel ring around the top to keep the heat in the bucket. Anyone every just reduce a bucket and then poor it off?
I like easy k i s s

I think you're going to want shallow

 

[Lightning Performance]

I think you're going to want shallow

I'm starting very small. Ten taps. Eight trees or less this year. Picked a spot yesterday. Found another spot that might be worthy of twenty good trees and thirty five taps with a vac pump. Thinking ahead if I enjoy it. Building a flat pan right now isn't happening. If it was I have ceramic kilns to work from. Soldering or welding up a pan flat pan is time and indoor work. I'm outside most times. Not starting any new projects right now. I need relax time twice a week to reduce stress. Sap collecting while mushroom hunting will do that.

I need a good grey oyster recipe. Ten pounds sitting here needs cooked up or smoked.

 

[cuinrearview]

I'm starting very small. Ten taps. Eight trees or less this year. Picked a spot yesterday. Found another spot that might be worthy of twenty good trees and thirty five taps with a vac pump. Thinking ahead if I enjoy it. Building a flat pan right now isn't happening. If it was I have ceramic kilns to work from. Soldering or welding up a pan flat pan is time and indoor work. I'm outside most times. Not starting any new projects right now. I need relax time twice a week to reduce stress. Sap collecting while mushroom hunting will do that.

I need a good grey oyster recipe. Ten pounds sitting here needs cooked up or smoked.

Have you tried pickling them? We do some hens and chickens that way in the fall.

 

[cuinrearview]

 

[Lightning Performance]

Have you tried pickling them? We do some hens and chickens that way in the fall.

Negative.
Recipe?
I have twenty pounds of frozen hen and chicken. Smoked chicken and dried chicken. Did mention chicken?

 

[cuinrearview]

Negative.
Recipe?
I have twenty pounds of frozen hen and chicken. Smoked chicken and dried chicken. Did mention chicken?

Basically this, but we improvise some. Always more garlic. Cloves and cloves of it.
https://healthstartsinthekitchen.com/pickled-maitake-mushrooms-aka-sheeps-head-hen-woods/

We like chicken in breakfast scrambles, and diced finely with seasoning as tacos.

 

[beaglebriar]

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

If you keep your pan/pans on top of the blocks instead of sitting down in they're less susceptible to scorching on the sides. Anywhere the sap splashes above the liquid level tends to easily scorch due to the sugar content. Just keeps things cleaner and less chance of causing the syrup to take on a burned flavor.

 

[beaglebriar]

Also be careful what you use for sap collection. Some plastic can hold flavors like vinegar, wine etc. that will be picked up by the sap.

 

[cuinrearview]

Also be careful what you use for sap collection. Some plastic can hold flavors like vinegar, wine etc. that will be picked up by the sap.

Used to use homer buckets and the like for homebrewing.

 

[beaglebriar]

Used to use homer buckets and the like for homebrewing.

Honey buckets or food grade buckets from TSC work well.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Honey buckets or food grade buckets from TSC work well.

I called my purchasing agent and asked asked her to stop by and see the Cake Boss in Collingswood about some buckets from DeBartollos Bakery.

Down to one pint of 2018 NYSMS

The taps are in the mail today
Won't be long now

 

[Lightning Performance]

The weather is cray cray. 57 here...61 in Millville, the original Millville. Sixty miles or so north it's snowing. A green band is appearing on Satellites view from Austin TX to Southern Delmarva. Has to be fruit and nut hardwoods, not good.
In TN houses are falling in the river from flooding and flooding is occurring now in MS. This should be late March to mid April weather.

 

[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.

The Eagle has landed.

Does it need a bath?

Looking like several different size taps in there.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Makin’ steam again.

 

[Ryan Browne]

The Eagle has landed.

Does it need a bath?

Looking like several different size taps in there.

Glad to hear it. There's two tap sizes. Both use the same 5/16 tubing size. The smaller taps take a 5/16 or 19/64 bit. The bigger ones use a 7/16. I think I had a dozen or so of the smaller ones, which are used. The 7/16 taps are new. I included some extra tubing in case you want to use more taps, or if the drop lines on the taps now are too short. Tapping low on the tree is good, but make sure the line is long enough to reach the bucket after the snow melts too! I've seen that mistake before. Anyway, yeah, some soapy water through that tubing is definitely a good idea. Cleaner than a certain 394 though.

 

[Lightning Performance]

All the taps got boiled. Half were clogged. Mud wasps got you good. A few had smutz...all better now. Need more buckets.

Kitty litter buckets might not be food safe. New one piece tops. I like square buckets with flat tops.
Need to check on other sources also. Cake Bosses brother wasn't there today...next time....maybe tomorrow we catch him.
Plenty of stores, restaurants and companies around this rat race to hit up.

One questions about maple trees.
Is a cluster consider one tree or several?

You can't always tell till you flush cut the stumps if their sisters or one tree.