Author Topic: Any of you fisherpeople sugar-makers? (Read 1817 times)

Lavman · « **on:** Mar 16, 2016, 09:13 AM »

Since the ice fishing is ka-put for the year we decided to have a go at making some maple syrple. This my first foray into making syrup. We are extremely low-tech and low end. We have a whopping 11 taps out with old school buckets hanging.

Last weekend we did our first boil on an open fire outside and made 2 and a half pints of grade B dark. It tastes great, I really like it and so do the kids.

We are going to boil again this coming weekend in the old 10 gallon agate pot. Took us about 5 hours, 6 hard boiled eggs (boiled in the sap), 5 hot dogs (cooked on the fire) and a few barley soda beverages to get it done.

We did a little boiling Saturday afternoon then took that and finished it in my turkey fryer while we got the fresh pot of sap rolling. Finishing in the turkey fryer took a long time but it worked and allowed us to get the big pot boiling.

It's a lot of fun and the sweet reward is awesome.

The 10 gallon pot is inside the big silver ring, we used scrap metal roofing to focus the heat of the fire onto the pot.

The turkey fryer finisher:

Kids are having fun with it, here is the youngest checking on the sap situation

Sweet reward

bootstrap · « **Reply #1 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 09:26 AM »

great family project lav. I used to do a little sugaring with my grand pa. I remember gathering the sap in his old chrysler town and country station wagon, one with the fake wood trim. that car was a hoot.

vermont mike · « **Reply #2 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 10:21 AM »

Careful it's addicting, this time of year you can get some good deals on small arches of people upgrading on Craigslist.
It tastes better when it's your own.
Thanks for sharing.

fishhardwater2 · « **Reply #3 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 10:40 AM »

Its as enjoyable as ice fishing...you will soon be doubling tripling quadrupling your taps for sure...Just like tip ups! best wishes for a sweet season..May next year freeze well so we can be on ice.

legend · « **Reply #4 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 11:19 AM »

as a transplanted vermonter this made me very homesick......thanks for the reminder and the memories !

spot · « **Reply #5 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 11:25 AM »

Cool set up!

My brother makes it. He's the knowledgeable one in that field.

shadylane · « **Reply #6 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 11:43 AM »

Looks like a fun day with the kids, and you had a good weekend for it for sure!

I don't know if I'd call myself a sugar maker, more a sap producer. I have 450 taps around the house, that I sell to the neighbor. Its so much fun. This is my first year on vacuum. It was a bit of a financial commitment, but well worth it as I already have more sap this year, then I did all last year.

We just finished setting up my parents retirement plan too. 3700 taps.

Like someone said earlier, be careful the sugaring bug is very contagious!!

MadflyfishingVT · « **Reply #7 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 11:57 AM »

Very fun! My moms side of the family has about 2,000 taps. I am thinking about doing about 800 taps behind the house this summer on vacuum and sell sap to my uncle!

vermont mike · « **Reply #8 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 12:04 PM »

Quote from: MadflyfishingVT on Mar 16, 2016, 11:57 AM

Very fun! My moms side of the family has about 2,000 taps. I am thinking about doing about 800 taps behind the house this summer on vacuum and sell sap to my uncle!

Lavman · « **Reply #9 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 12:10 PM »

Thanks for all the replies, it is a fun time AND addictive, seeing that already.

My daughter has a wicked sweet tooth (actually, it might be all of her teeth that are sweet) and she is loving this stuff

fishingidjit · « **Reply #10 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 05:27 PM »

Sounds great and you should try your hotdogs boiled in the sap !

Fish Hard · « **Reply #11 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 06:24 PM »

My daughter and I have 32 taps on a pipeline set-up on gravity and we "sell" the sap to a neighbor who pays us with the GOOD stuff! Great fun with the kiddo!

BomoBrown · « **Reply #12 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 07:17 PM »

We have about 12 taps. Past few years it was mostly my wife. Ice fishing was too good in March but with ice out I am a lot more active sugaring this spring.

troutcrazy · « **Reply #13 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 07:46 PM »

Fun stuff! I haven't done that since I was 20, living with some other young guys in a funky house. We tapped a few trees, and boiled it on a big pot on our woodstove. Well, we didn't actually boil it all the way down to syrup. We got it pretty sweet, added some brewers yeast, put it in a carbuoy, and fermented it into a delicious alchoholic beverage. Yeah, we worked for our buzz.

Troutmagnet · « **Reply #14 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 09:49 PM »

As kids we used to put out about 50 taps, used snow machines to gather. Boiled down in an outdoor stone fireplace using cedar slats from local sawmill (another snow machine trip). Our syrup was of the grade B class with a bit of protein from the burnt insects. We never were allowed to sell any...I wonder why???
GREAT memories.

vermont mike · « **Reply #15 on:** Mar 16, 2016, 09:50 PM »

I started on turkey fryers every year got larger.
Now I'm 250 taps on vacuum with a 2x6 pan.
Don't plan on getting too much larger.

peteinvermont · « **Reply #16 on:** Mar 17, 2016, 07:35 AM »

Nice work Lav. Sugaring is actually what keeps me OFF the ice in normal springs. Well, we fish until around 10am, then I have to hit the woods. We have around 800 taps normally. Less this year...I'm still fixing the wind damage from last summer. I've never seen so many trees down. We're at around 70 gallons for the year, and it doesn't look like its over yet. It will still running clear yesterday, and after this storm, it might stay cool enough to keep the buds from swelling...

Lavman · « **Reply #17 on:** Mar 17, 2016, 09:04 AM »

Thanks Pete, I can see why so many of you guys really get into this, very cool indeed

pikeaddict · « **Reply #18 on:** Mar 17, 2016, 10:44 AM »

My dad and I sugar down near Killington. Started out in a lean-to off my moms horse barn on a tiny wood fired arch with 100-125 buckets. Now we do a couple thousand and are all hi-tech in a sugarhouse with oil fired arch, hoods, steam away, RO, vacuum, and filter press.

peteinvermont · « **Reply #19 on:** Mar 18, 2016, 07:30 AM »

Quote from: Lavman on Mar 17, 2016, 09:04 AM

Thanks Pete, I can see why so many of you guys really get into this, very cool indeed

Well, some of us got into it because our father and grandfather SAID we were into it - but luckily we/I grew to love it...

shadylane · « **Reply #20 on:** Mar 18, 2016, 10:05 AM »

Best part about sugaring is after the months and months of hard work in the woods, you can pop a few tops with some friends and have a good time either watching the releasers dump, or watching the syrup trickle outta the rig.

WORST part of sugaring is the morning after poping to many tops with friends watching syrup trickle outta the rig st. patties day night, and then have to sit at a desk the next morning, and pretend to work all while being more green then the green beer that was drank the night before. . . . . . . uuuuggggghhhhh

Lavman · « **Reply #21 on:** Mar 18, 2016, 01:09 PM »

HAHAHAHAHA!!!! That's funny!!! ...... oh, sorry, let me tone that down.....

::whispering:: glad you had a good time, I recommend two Advil and at least one large bottle of Gatorade to help straighten you out. oddly enough, I prefer the green Gatorade....when you get home tonight get back on the horse, nobody likes a quitter on a Friday night

::

Vrmontrout · « **Reply #22 on:** Mar 21, 2016, 03:52 PM »

Ha ha! I second that, hair of the dog!!!!

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Author Topic: Any of you fisherpeople sugar-makers? (Read 1817 times)