Author Topic: OT Maple Taps (Read 155919 times)

APJ · « **Reply #390 on:** Apr 06, 2011, 08:33 AM »

Quote from: MEbearhunter on Apr 06, 2011, 07:36 AM

Just finished my last boil last night. Ended up with 3 1/2 gallons of the good stuff. The trees are still flowing good but I think I have enough to keep the kids happy. Next year I am going to shoot for 5 gal.

MM MM Good stuff.. I wish I had trees available to me to tap, I remember as a kid boiling down gallons of the good stuff! congrats you are so lucky to have that tree candy..

mainedukblaster · « **Reply #391 on:** Apr 06, 2011, 08:34 AM »

question though, at what point are you drawing off to do a finish boil. Are you checking Baume units in the main boil and when you get close drawing that batch off to finish or are you going until you are out of sap, and then taking that whole batch after a while to finish. I guess there is a lot of finnesse here, but just wondering about the general rule of thumb??

Westerly · « **Reply #392 on:** Apr 06, 2011, 02:24 PM »

Great looking syrup Malysha and cmstearns!! Nicely done!

duckblaster:
I don't even know what a 'Baume unit' is.

Some people (who probably aren't boiling on bricks in their dooryard) probably get all wrapped in the brix scale, specific gravity, (maybe even Baume units?) - but it's pretty easy to tell when it's time to take it inside just by eyeballing it. If you start getting nervous, you can just stick a thermometer in and and get some idea how close you are to finished.

Finally finished, filtered and canned the batch from Sundays marathon boil last night. A fair amount darker and a quite a bit more red than the earlier batches. I'm guessing the color has something to with most (if not all) of the sap coming from red maples? Who cares though, it still tastes great! Didn't get through all the sap though, so I still have another boil session staring me in the face. Sap hasn't run for squat since the weekend which doesn't hurt my feelings. Two or three of my trees have gone yellow too, so not expecting much more...

gamefisher · « **Reply #393 on:** Apr 06, 2011, 02:34 PM »

Yes, nice job guys. We've never had so many guys bitten by the maple bug before.

I'm tempted to throw a few taps back in given the forecast for the next three nights.

Westerly · « **Reply #394 on:** Apr 06, 2011, 02:44 PM »

Quote from: gamefisher on Apr 06, 2011, 02:34 PM

I'm tempted to throw a few taps back in given the forecast for the next three nights.

If it runs heavy, you're getting all my sap!!!

gamefisher · « **Reply #395 on:** Apr 06, 2011, 03:12 PM »

Quote from: Westerly on Apr 06, 2011, 02:44 PM

If it runs heavy, you're getting all my sap!!!

I'm thinking just like 4-5 of my good producers, enough to pizz the wife off without a lot of work for me.

fishingsurveyor · « **Reply #396 on:** Apr 06, 2011, 03:42 PM »

Quote from: gamefisher on Apr 06, 2011, 03:12 PM

I'm thinking just like 4-5 of my good producers, enough to pizz the wife off without a lot of work for me.

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #397 on:** Apr 06, 2011, 04:18 PM »

Pulled all my taps out today....started getting dark sap....have about 8 gallons to boil tomorrow....Can't wait till next year...This has been A LOT of fun!!!

The Rusty Crab · « **Reply #398 on:** Apr 06, 2011, 05:19 PM »

Yeah I also got a late start and looking at the weather may only have a few more days even though I'm up in the sticks. So next year I hope is as good as it was for everyone this year. I got to go get 5.5 gallons to boil tonight.

The Rusty Crab · « **Reply #399 on:** Apr 07, 2011, 07:00 AM »

So last nights boil looked ok until this morning when I noticed it had about an inch of brown sludge in the bottom of the jar anyone got any thoughts on this?

gamefisher · « **Reply #400 on:** Apr 07, 2011, 07:04 AM »

Quote from: Malysha2181 on Apr 07, 2011, 07:00 AM

So last nights boil looked ok until this morning when I noticed it had about an inch of brown sludge in the bottom of the jar anyone got any thoughts on this?

You went too far. Don't fret, add it to your next batch of sap, re-boil, re-filter, re-bottle.

Westerly · « **Reply #401 on:** Apr 07, 2011, 01:56 PM »

Had some free time at lunch today and threw this together (hope it works). Thought it might be fun looking back at all the pictures in this thread from the shanty's sap-suckers...

(Thanks to Banjo Dan for the 'sweet' soundtrack...)

gamefisher · « **Reply #402 on:** Apr 07, 2011, 02:08 PM »

Well done Ryan, very cool!

I think Team Maine could also be known as Team Hodge Podge after looking at that video....

Pretty neat how everyone is doing it with homemade items and still producing some great product.

fshnfool · « **Reply #403 on:** Apr 07, 2011, 02:11 PM »

That's classic Ryan!!...

Adam.....there's another one for Saturday night!!

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #404 on:** Apr 07, 2011, 02:13 PM »

Quote from: fshnfool on Apr 07, 2011, 02:11 PM

That's classic Ryan!!...

Adam.....there's another one for Saturday night!!

YES I AGREE!! Very AWESOME!!!!

I will add that to the slide shoe for sure!!

brace · « **Reply #405 on:** Apr 07, 2011, 04:31 PM »

Nicely done Westerly!!

gamefisher · « **Reply #406 on:** Apr 07, 2011, 04:49 PM »

4.5 gal. off 5 taps today.

rude the dude · « **Reply #407 on:** Apr 07, 2011, 04:57 PM »

thats a real nice piece of work, love the cooker on the cover.

blackduckin · « **Reply #408 on:** Apr 07, 2011, 05:13 PM »

That was great!! Nicely done?

Mainehazmt · « **Reply #409 on:** Apr 08, 2011, 07:20 AM »

Gee looked like the "Sebatus Crack" reemerged in that video

Great Job Music is perfect too!

allextremesfishing · « **Reply #410 on:** Apr 08, 2011, 08:22 AM »

Quote from: Westerly on Apr 07, 2011, 01:56 PM

Had some free time at lunch today and threw this together (hope it works). Thought it might be fun looking back at all the pictures in this thread from the shanty's sap-suckers...

(Thanks to Banjo Dan for the 'sweet' soundtrack...)

very nice!!

beerbellybob106 · « **Reply #411 on:** Apr 08, 2011, 10:07 AM »

the season is winding down in central new york, the guy i work for was making dark amber this week and we pulled taps ended up with about 2500 gallons of syrup for the season

APJ · « **Reply #412 on:** Apr 08, 2011, 11:22 AM »

Quote from: beerbellybob106 on Apr 08, 2011, 10:07 AM

the season is winding down in central new york, the guy i work for was making dark amber this week and we pulled taps ended up with about 2500 gallons of syrup for the season

Wow! at how much a gallon?

mainedukblaster · « **Reply #413 on:** Apr 08, 2011, 11:33 AM »

Quote from: Mainehazmt on Apr 08, 2011, 07:20 AM

Gee looked like the "Sebatus Crack" reemerged in that video

Great Job Music is perfect too!

HAHA will always be a classic!

Westerly · « **Reply #414 on:** Apr 08, 2011, 12:45 PM »

Thanks guys, I thought you might like it.

I picked up about 8 gallons from my 11 remaining taps yesterday and todays run should be just as good. Even the three or four trees that had started dripping yellow are back to producing clear sap! Last boil tomorrow and that's it for me. The weather looks like it's going to be all done after that anyway, so good timing.

Fishalot · « **Reply #415 on:** Apr 08, 2011, 01:02 PM »

Nice job Ryan I really enjoyed it.A great way to winded up a good post.

gamefisher · « **Reply #416 on:** Apr 08, 2011, 01:11 PM »

Quote from: Westerly on Apr 08, 2011, 12:45 PM

Thanks guys, I thought you might like it.

I picked up about 8 gallons from my 11 remaining taps yesterday and todays run should be just as good. Even the three or four trees that had started dripping yellow are back to producing clear sap! Last boil tomorrow and that's it for me. The weather looks like it's going to be all done after that anyway, so good timing.

I almost put four more this morning but then I remembered how miserable I was last weekend.

I was home for lunch.... pour baby pour, insane drip going.

I actually think it will get cold enough tonight to run tomorrow as well, you should hold off until Sunday Ryan, you haven't had enough fun yet.

brace · « **Reply #417 on:** Apr 10, 2011, 12:41 PM »

Sap is running really well at camp. I boiled down 40 gallons last weekend, mom & dad boiled 40 gallons that was donated by my uncle during the mid-week (the darker syrup), and I boiled down another 60 gallons this weekend. Given the syrup's color, I may get 2 more weeks of sap. I think my trees being down in the woods and still surrounded by significant snow is helping to prolong the season. I had sap boiling at 9:30am yesterday and had everything put up and cleaned at 7:30pm - A long day to be sure, but worth it.

This is most of the syrup from the 3 boils - Notice the difference between the syrup from my uncle's trees and that from mine....and he's only 15 miles away. I think this gives me about 6 gallons for the season.

bogmanjr · « **Reply #418 on:** Apr 10, 2011, 02:28 PM »

Amazing the difference between the two properties Brian, I really need to experience this whole thing with you next season.

gamefisher · « **Reply #419 on:** Apr 10, 2011, 04:19 PM »

And they say batch guys can't make fancy.

Beautiful syrup Brian, I boiled my last 15 gallons of sap today and was surprised to see it had turned back light as well.

You must have a lot bigger wallet than me, 20# cylinder of propane gone!

Almost 200 gal of sap and nearly 5 gallons of syrup, most of it already given away, its amazing how many friends you have during sugaring time!

Great to see all the new guys that jumped into the hobby this spring, you picked a great year to do so. Come on open water, I'm ready.

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Author Topic: OT Maple Taps (Read 155919 times)