OT Maple Taps

[gamefisher]

just finished my last batch, so far I'm just shy of the 5 gallons I wanted. Looks like it's over. I'm going to wait a few more days before I give up, supposed to get cold a couple nights next week.  All in all compared to last year , this year wasn't to bad. Time to dig out the smelt nets.

I'm just over 2 gallons right now Iain, by the time I give away what's spoken for I might have a tablespoon for myself.   It will run here today and tomorrow, 30 as I type, Tues. - Thurs. could be the best run of the year for me if the forecast holds true and that will be my last boil.  After that, you are taking me smelting.

[rude the dude]

  After that, you are taking me smelting.

sounds good, we should make it happen.

[Keychain]

Hoping for one last run here.  It was just a touch under 32 this morning, so we'll see...

[Keychain]

Buckets were dry as a bone.  Guess we might be done for this year...

[gamefisher]

Buckets were dry as a bone.  Guess we might be done for this year...

Nice run here today, 8 gal. from 12 taps, expect about a gal. per tap tomorrow, best run of the year still to come at least in central Maine northwards.

[HardwaterFish]

sounds good, we should make it happen.

Maybe we will see you guys there Monday night?! 

[toguefisha]

Buckets were dry as a bone.  Guess we might be done for this year...

. Ditto, nothing has run down here for 3-4 days now

[rude the dude]

I had ten gallons at my folks , nothing at my house, and a friend thats quit for the year called this morning, he was going to pull his taps but it was running good so he asked if I wanted it, got 35 gallons there, another night boiling. I've had enough. this should round me off at 5 gallons, i quit.

[Keychain]

No sap to boil tonight and 3 hrs of fishing without a hint of a fish this afternoon.  Still, hanging on ice on a sunny 50+ degree afternoon ain't a bad way to spend some time

[Keychain]

Hold the phone Myrtle, it's 29 here right now.  Maybe one more drip tomorrow?

[gamefisher]

Hold the phone Myrtle, it's 29 here right now.  Maybe one more drip tomorrow?

25 here right now, south wind to come, this will be a day where its more of a stream instead of a drip.   Have finished and bottled three batches to date, amazingly still running fancy here, would have expected it to be darker by now but not complaining.

[The Rusty Crab]

Nice run here today, 8 gal. from 12 taps, expect about a gal. per tap tomorrow, best run of the year still to come at least in central Maine northwards.

that scares me cause I'm sitting on 35 gallons of sap. got the boil going today. boiled off 10 gallons yesterday

[blackduckin]

Finished up with one and a half gallons.

All done, trees have stopped, buds are coming out.. Today is clean up and store away till next year.

[gamefisher]

Was real easy to convert my barrel back to wood after running out of propane.  Found a $1.99 piece of sheet metal at mardens that was simple to cut and form into a ramp under the rear of the pan.  Boiled 17 gal. on it Fri. as a test, worked good with marginal wood, should do even better with dryer stuff.



Have 18 more gal. from the weekend run to boil as well as what runs the rest of this week then pulling, cleaning up, and getting ready for trolling season.

[ICEMAN-73]

looks like the sap should be flowin again for the next several days, time for one last hooraa!

[Keychain]

looks like the sap should be flowin again for the next several days, time for one last hooraa!

I was hoping that too, but have had zip for the past two days.  Was cold again last night, so maybe I'll find a bit more when I go check them this evening...

[maineduckhunter]

So I did about twice as many taps this year, which produced a lot more sap.  I also started a lot earlier then years past, again producing more sap.  Here is my first boil again of the year, probably the clearest syrup I have made. I wish I had a picture of it in the sun.


Here is my second boil of the year.....


And the Final Boil of the year....


So roughly 2 gallons of Pure Maple Syrup this year, that should hold me over till next year!! 

[Westerly]

Have 18 more gal. from the weekend run to boil as well as what runs the rest of this week then pulling, cleaning up, and getting ready for trolling season.

Exactly what I'm thinking too.  Seems funny to say in April, but it might actually be too cold to run much today.  Rest of the week looks pretty good though.

Finished up almost a gal last night and still have close to 20 gal of sap buried in the snow so I should be able to do another big boil this weekend.  After that - I quit! 
Gotta focus on getting the boat fixed up and ready for the water.   

That's a pretty versatile cooker you have there gamefisher!  Have you noticed much of a difference boiling since setting up that windbreak?

[The Rusty Crab]

I see I'm not the only one with a little cloudy sediment on the bottom.

[Keychain]

I see I'm not the only one with a little cloudy sediment on the bottom.

Maybe you should see a doctor about that... 

[gamefisher]

Exactly what I'm thinking too.  Seems funny to say in April, but it might actually be too cold to run much today.  Rest of the week looks pretty good though.

Finished up almost a gal last night and still have close to 20 gal of sap buried in the snow so I should be able to do another big boil this weekend.  After that - I quit! 
Gotta focus on getting the boat fixed up and ready for the water.   

That's a pretty versatile cooker you have there gamefisher!  Have you noticed much of a difference boiling since setting up that windbreak?

Spot on Ryan - no run here today yet, still only 31, amazing for this time of year.

I think the blue tarp has more effect on reducing proparty values in the neighborhood than boil rates.

I see I'm not the only one with a little cloudy sediment on the bottom.

Just sugar, means it boiled a tad to long, won't hurt a thing just throw in the micro for a few seconds when the jar gets down.  A hydrometer is a great $25 investment for this hobby.

[maineduckhunter]

I see I'm not the only one with a little cloudy sediment on the bottom.

Better filtering helps with it.

Just sugar, means it boiled a tad to long, won't hurt a thing just throw in the micro for a few seconds when the jar gets down.  A hydrometer is a great $25 investment for this hobby.

Not always from over boiling.

[Sinnian]

Better filtering helps with it.

Not always from over boiling.

Niter

[maineduckhunter]

Niter

That too!! 

[ICEMAN-73]

guess it didn't get warm enough today barely got any sap, oh well the smelts will be running soon. something is allways in season in Maine!  For me its something like this Icefishing, maplesyrup, dipping smelts, trolling for iceout salmon, brook fishing for trout, togue fishing, bikini watching on the beach, early bowhunting season for deer, bird hunting season, firearms for deer, then maybe some coyote hunting the it all starts back over again. Isn't this a great state and a wonderfull place to live!

[Keychain]

Checked the buckets tonight, only got a little over a gallon of pretty dark stuff.  Left them out for at least another couple of days just in case.  As my second season of this winds down, I thought I was satisfied and ready for it to end.  Then I got word from my mom that dear old dad was working on a project for me.  Either he liked the taste of the syrup, or he got tired of hearing me gripe about my limited boil capacity.  He's about 3/4 finished fabricating a wood boiler for next season!  He's apparently been doing more research than me.  The stove is mostly finished, complete with a stainless boiling pan with baffles and a separate finishing pan.  I'll post pics as soon as I have them, but for now, here's a stove that he built for someone about 10 years ago.  I thought this was the cat's a$$, but it looks like caveman gear compared to what he's doing this time.  Never thought I would say this on April 2, but I can't wait until next spring!

[Slammah]

I just picked up some cheesecloth to filter my finished syrup with. Is this the recommended final filtering material for most of you? I'm tapping a couple of trees with my wildlife biology class and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[maineduckhunter]

Checked the buckets tonight, only got a little over a gallon of pretty dark stuff.  Left them out for at least another couple of days just in case.  As my second season of this winds down, I thought I was satisfied and ready for it to end.  Then I got word from my mom that dear old dad was working on a project for me.  Either he liked the taste of the syrup, or he got tired of hearing me gripe about my limited boil capacity.  He's about 3/4 finished fabricating a wood boiler for next season!  He's apparently been doing more research than me.  The stove is mostly finished, complete with a stainless boiling pan with baffles and a separate finishing pan.  I'll post pics as soon as I have them, but for now, here's a stove that he built for someone about 10 years ago.  I thought this was the cat's a$$, but it looks like caveman gear compared to what he's doing this time.  Never thought I would say this on April 2, but I can't wait until next spring!

(Image removed from quote.)

Beautiful Stove!!! Is he going to put a spigot on it? Just wondering how you are going to get your sap/syrup out of it?

[maineduckhunter]

I just picked up some cheesecloth to filter my finished syrup with. Is this the recommended final filtering material for most of you? I'm tapping a couple of trees with my wildlife biology class and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I use cheese clothe folded four times.  I put it a canning funnel and pour directly into the mason jar.

[The Rusty Crab]

I use cheese clothe folded four times.  I put it a canning funnel and pour directly into the mason jar.

I use cheese cloth too this year.  Last year I had some fancy paper filters for filtering grease they were top notch nothing but pure goodness got threw