Author Topic: OT Maple Taps (Read 155910 times)

Oldfart · « **Reply #630 on:** Feb 28, 2013, 02:39 PM »

My neighbor is boiling 60 gallons today, and it looks good for at least the next 4 days nonstop.

Whopper Stopper · « **Reply #631 on:** Feb 28, 2013, 03:11 PM »

This thread brings back some great memories. I wish I had access to a few maples.

WS

cmstearns · « **Reply #632 on:** Mar 01, 2013, 04:36 PM »

first boil of the season, and her first ever boil, she loved being in the steam.....

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #633 on:** Mar 01, 2013, 04:37 PM »

Put some taps in today.....dripping good!!

Keychain · « **Reply #634 on:** Mar 02, 2013, 09:53 AM »

Maples? Tapped! After a few test taps last week, I put the rest out this morning. Last year (my first year) I only put out 10. This year I'm doubling that. Have 18 out now and will put a couple more out once I can scrounge up a couple more buckets. Most of the ones I drilled today were dripping before I could hang the buckets.

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h364/ggilbert1968/77AB867B-6286-405D-907E-5CFAEE099D6E-5568-0000096ADF620AC1_zpse3f925ef.mp4

44 Degrees North · « **Reply #635 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 04:49 AM »

I know some of you are into collecting sap. So how's it going? The weather seems right for it. Mud season is here for sure.

gamefisher · « **Reply #636 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 04:57 AM »

Quote from: 44 Degrees North on Mar 06, 2013, 04:49 AM

I know some of you are into collecting sap. So how's it going? The weather seems right for it. Mud season is here for sure.

It hasn't cut loose yet but should by the weekend. For comparison, I put 10 taps in on Sat. and have about 10-12 gal so far. One a good day, I'll get that amount in one day. I like to wait until 40 gal. to boil, that's an 8-10 hr. day for me with my pan size and will give approx. 1 gal. of finished product.

Westerly · « **Reply #637 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 07:05 AM »

I haven't gotten below 30 degrees in over a week and the trees have shut right off. Not even a gallon off 40 taps over the past couple days. Need a good freeze and some sun to get things going again.

Keychain · « **Reply #638 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 08:23 AM »

My "operation" is small-time for sure. Last night I tried to do a small boil, only 3-4 gallons, just to see how it would come out. Underestimated the time required to do that and decided to shut it down a little after midnight when it was only half to three quarters done. I let it cool and dumped it back in the cooler and will try to finish it off tonight. Just hope I haven't wasted that batch by stopping partway through...

gamefisher · « **Reply #639 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 08:29 AM »

Quote from: Keychain on Mar 06, 2013, 08:23 AM

My "operation" is small-time for sure. Last night I tried to do a small boil, only 3-4 gallons, just to see how it would come out. Underestimated the time required to do that and decided to shut it down a little after midnight when it was only half to three quarters done. I let it cool and dumped it back in the cooler and will try to finish it off tonight. Just hope I haven't wasted that batch by stopping partway through...

Your fine, just bury everything in the snow. Find the pan that you access to that has the most surface area, not a pot, lasagna pan, steam table pan, etc.

I'm sitting on a whopping 12 gal. right now myself.

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #640 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 09:00 AM »

Have about 18 taps out now. Need the sun to come out and get things flowing!!!

ICEMAN-73 · « **Reply #641 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 05:22 PM »

finally got my taps in yesterday, collected about 14 gal of sap today out of 12 buckets!

rude the dude · « **Reply #642 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 06:09 PM »

tapped a doz trees sunday, monday night had 20 gals. since then about 8 gallons tonight . Same prob. here. Not getting cold enough at night. I haven't had a freeze since sat night. This weekends looking good. With the trees I already had tapped before sunday I'm sitting on about 40 gallons. Probably take care of it tommorow night.

cmstearns · « **Reply #643 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 06:41 PM »

my first of the year./././././

Dags Bait Maine · « **Reply #644 on:** Mar 06, 2013, 07:35 PM »

I have trees to rent.... half the crop should cover it...yum yum..any takers?/

44 Degrees North · « **Reply #645 on:** Mar 07, 2013, 03:29 AM »

LOL. Never heard of that. You are the business man.

grub662 · « **Reply #646 on:** Mar 07, 2013, 03:53 AM »

Quote from: cmstearns on Mar 06, 2013, 06:41 PM

my first of the year./././././(Image removed from quote.)

that needs a few more hours on the burner.

ICEMAN-73 · « **Reply #647 on:** Mar 07, 2013, 06:33 AM »

Quote from: cmstearns on Mar 06, 2013, 06:41 PM

my first of the year./././././(Image removed from quote.)

looks like grade A Light Amber to me!

cmstearns · « **Reply #648 on:** Mar 07, 2013, 06:34 AM »

Quote from: grub662 on Mar 07, 2013, 03:53 AM

that needs a few more hours on the burner.

nope its perfect. i have a hydromiter and candy therem.

grub662 · « **Reply #649 on:** Mar 07, 2013, 10:21 AM »

Quote from: cmstearns on Mar 07, 2013, 06:34 AM

nope its perfect. i have a hydromiter and candy therem.

Must be the lighting making it look so clear.

cmstearns · « **Reply #650 on:** Mar 07, 2013, 10:40 AM »

no im just that good

Keychain · « **Reply #651 on:** Mar 07, 2013, 10:48 AM »

Yeah, mine looks a bit muddier than that. Still tastes good though

grub662 · « **Reply #652 on:** Mar 07, 2013, 11:07 AM »

Quote from: cmstearns on Mar 07, 2013, 10:40 AM

no im just that good

I guess so...

gamefisher · « **Reply #653 on:** Mar 09, 2013, 06:39 AM »

The boy and I put in 10 taps last Sat. and have collected 22 gal. since. Like every back yarder, always tweeking the operation.

This year, going tubing into 5 gal. water buckets, capping when full, and storing until boil, no buckets.

Here is the overall, very sophisticated setup:

Although my barrel is really made to wood boil, many days I just don't have a full day to do so. What I've done is put my 2 210K clam cookers inside the barrel for times like today when I only have a few hours. I smartened up this year and went to camp and grabbed one of my 100# tanks. Stopped at a gas place and got some fittings and made a little conversion. Got a tee and some new ends, (had to changed the plastic ends on the clam cookers to work.)

Best part of propane and the operation is the dripper, I can drizzle preheated sap at the same rate of evaporation. My operation will do about 5/ gal. per so I can take off and do something else for an hour or so and then repeat.

It takes 5 gal. to flood the bottom of my pan and was boiling ice cold sap in less than 10 min.

I can convert it back to wood in about the same amount of time.

Get ready for a great weekend boyz, you'll do a gal. per tap today and tomorrow.

toguefisha · « **Reply #654 on:** Mar 09, 2013, 01:43 PM »

Finally got my a$$ in gear and put some taps in today

Keychain · « **Reply #655 on:** Mar 09, 2013, 03:45 PM »

Boil #2 of the season happened today. Granted, for my small time operation it was only 4 gallons (sap, not product) but the weather today tells me I might have another boil tomorrow.

gamefisher · « **Reply #656 on:** Mar 10, 2013, 06:27 PM »

Wow, guess someone forgot to tell my trees this was supposed to be a huge weekend!

Just got home from a weekend away only to find 11-12 gal. on what I thought should be more like 20ish, guessing it didn't get as warm here as they were calling for. $:-\$ I'll cook this down and add it to my Sat. batch and then finish.

ICEMAN-73 · « **Reply #657 on:** Mar 10, 2013, 06:32 PM »

Quote from: gamefisher on Mar 10, 2013, 06:27 PM

Wow, guess someone forgot to tell my trees this was supposed to be a huge weekend! Just got home from a weekend away only to find 11-12 gal. on what I thought should be more like 20ish, guessing it didn't get as warm here as they were calling for. $:-\$ I'll cook this down and add it to my Sat. batch and then finish.

I thought the same thing! just collected my sap for the day and only ended up with 12 gal, like you I thought I would have 20 gal plus today. just didn't get as warm as I thought it would today!

dvn4flags · « **Reply #658 on:** Mar 11, 2013, 10:37 PM »

cmstearns,

Nice job on the filtering! I ended up butchering my first batch of the season, it's full on sugar sand. 2nd batch went well, just over 3 gallons total so far. It was a tough decision this weekend having the great weather. Sap was running but I couldn't resist hitting the lake on Saturday, epic day out there.

Phoenix · « **Reply #659 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 06:52 AM »

Don't feel bad. I boiled all day yesterday and was just finishing up what would have been about a half gallon of syrup. The fire had died down, or so I thought, and I figured it would be alright to run out town for a minute. When I got back the pan was a sorry mess of burned syrup

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Author Topic: OT Maple Taps (Read 155910 times)