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Author Topic: OT Maple Taps  (Read 155342 times)

Offline rockhound57

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #30 on: Mar 19, 2008, 07:53 PM »
Saw steam coming out of a local sugar house today :o......here comes the GOODNESS!!! :P

ditto in Bartlett, NH

...... at paris farmers union. a big maple can take 2-3 taps and really big maples (23"+) can take 4


Ditto again, also some Aubuchon stores.  I was told years ago: 6" min. dia. for 1 tap, then add 1 for each 6" in dia.
      live free or die in NH, fish western ME

Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #31 on: Mar 20, 2008, 05:52 AM »
First off, I just want to thank SLT for starting this topic and everyone who has responded.  It got my remembering some great times from 25-30 years ago and consequently, got me excited about doing this again with my own kids.  We now have 8 taps in and my kids are loving the experience (and so am I ;D)

One question I wanted to ask is about boiling it off because I can't remember what we did.  Not running real well right now but generally, how often should I boil?  Do you "small timers" wait till you have atleast 10 gallons of sap or something or just boil off what you get daily and keep adding finished product to your syrup jar?  Was actually thinking I should have enough sap to make atleast a quart of syrup before starting the process. Would love to hear from some of the experts on this.  Thanks guys.

Offline mainedukblaster

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #32 on: Mar 20, 2008, 07:23 AM »
i too would like to know.  thanks for the questions GF

Offline adkRoy

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #33 on: Mar 20, 2008, 07:29 AM »
We usually boil when we have at least 15-20 gallons of sap. we have a smal 4 x 6 evaporator.  it takes 40 gal of sap to make 1 gal of syrup. we put the syrup in jugs and any that is left over goes into a canning jar. we continuously add to the canning jar as the season goes on. this is for our use only.
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Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #34 on: Mar 20, 2008, 07:38 AM »
Thanks AdkRoy.

Offline Hoodoo

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #35 on: Mar 20, 2008, 07:52 AM »
I use an outside gas cooker w/3gal. pot. I start w/10gals. and end up with a quart of syrup.  I keep adding sap until it is a couple inches from the bottom then I bring it inside on the stove put it in a telflon frypan and boil it down till it starts to bubble up and foam.  I think someone mentioned a candy thermometer, I just keep a CLOSE eye on it.  I do a 10 gal batch at a time instead of adding all the time.  First thing my boy does when he gets off the bus is collect the sap he loves doing it, that and clamming......
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Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #36 on: Mar 20, 2008, 08:13 AM »
I use an outside gas cooker w/3gal. pot. I start w/10gals. and end up with a quart of syrup.  I keep adding sap until it is a couple inches from the bottom then I bring it inside on the stove put it in a telflon frypan and boil it down till it starts to bubble up and foam.  I think someone mentioned a candy thermometer, I just keep a CLOSE eye on it.  I do a 10 gal batch at a time instead of adding all the time.  First thing my boy does when he gets off the bus is collect the sap he loves doing it, that and clamming......

Good info., Hoodoo, and much appreciated.  We are having fun as well.

Offline SPARKYICE

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #37 on: Mar 20, 2008, 08:43 AM »
what do you tap in new york? Oak trees.
we got maples here. :)
as a side note, birch trees can also be tapped, but i think they take about 50 gal. or more of sap to make a gallon of syrup.
it's supposed to be very good.
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Offline Mainehazmt

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #38 on: Mar 20, 2008, 10:53 AM »
first time Ive heard of that   but suppose its true  they all produce sap...
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Offline SPARKYICE

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #39 on: Mar 20, 2008, 12:12 PM »
i looked this up on wikkapedia
birch syrup
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birch_syrup
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Offline ICEMAN-73

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #40 on: Mar 20, 2008, 07:46 PM »
Sap seems to be running good in New Gloucester! I have 12-2gallon pails out and they all have been full most days this week. They are all on a southerly exposed hill on the south side of the tree I think this makes a difference. I have a 30 gallon evaporator pan and use 2 propane Turkey burrners to boil it down, when it gets to be about 1/2 ince left in pan I drain it and finish it off inside on the electric stove. The surup gets stored in 1pt mason jars.
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Offline woodman

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #41 on: Mar 20, 2008, 08:28 PM »
  Sap has been slow here, hopefully well start flowing faster after maple sunday. Have about 300 taps in sofar ,300 more to go. Hope to fire up the larger evaporator this weekend if Ihave sap enough. I also have some 7/ 16 taps I would give to a hobbyist to help him get started. I am a hobbyist gone wild in this hobby.

Offline icecruiser

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #42 on: Mar 20, 2008, 08:34 PM »
  Sap has been slow here, hopefully well start flowing faster after maple sunday. Have about 300 taps in sofar ,300 more to go. Hope to fire up the larger evaporator this weekend if Ihave sap enough. I also have some 7/ 16 taps I would give to a hobbyist to help him get started. I am a hobbyist gone wild in this hobby.

Good to see you are on here and posting.  You might pass along that you hauled what was it 250 gallons  of sap today.  I think it has passed the hobby stage for you now.

Glad to see you are posting now,

John

Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #43 on: Mar 21, 2008, 05:48 AM »
Sap seems to be running good in New Gloucester! I have 12-2gallon pails out and they all have been full most days this week. They are all on a southerly exposed hill on the south side of the tree I think this makes a difference. I have a 30 gallon evaporator pan and use 2 propane Turkey burrners to boil it down, when it gets to be about 1/2 ince left in pan I drain it and finish it off inside on the electric stove. The surup gets stored in 1pt mason jars.

You've got a good spot indeed ICEMAN - cold as heck here in central Maine, hardly a drip..... maybe next week....  :-\ got to warm up sometime! ;)

Offline Mainehazmt

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #44 on: Mar 21, 2008, 05:53 AM »
too dangerous to tap up here!   with all this snow ya would have to dig tunnels or be tapping the tree's pretty close to the powerlines   ;D
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Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #45 on: Mar 24, 2008, 06:19 AM »
Checked my taps yesterday afternoon - pretty hard for the sap to run when they look like a snow cone at the end ;D - hopefully a little warm up at some point - saw on the news Houlton minus 15 this morning - it is end of March right? :D

Offline Mainehazmt

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #46 on: Mar 24, 2008, 07:53 AM »
lol  southern aroostook   lol   dont think there is a spring for us way up here
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Offline jayswimmer09

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #47 on: Mar 24, 2008, 03:49 PM »
just pulled my set up out, i have plenty and it wont be long until the tree's start adding hormones into the sap

Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #48 on: Mar 31, 2008, 05:54 AM »
Well we completed our first batch of syrup this weekend.  Ended up with about 1 1/2 pints for 8 gal. of sap so figured about right.  Candy thermometer was a great hel pas aposed to just "eyeballing".  Came out awesome but took forever to do in a lobster pot  ;D  Does anybody know where a can get a reg. boiling pan in the central Maine area?  (SS big surface, shallow pan) Thanks.  Maybe one of those dishes like they serve food out of in a buffet?

Offline Mainehazmt

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #49 on: Mar 31, 2008, 05:57 AM »
Well we completed our first batch of syrup this weekend.  Ended up with about 1 1/2 pints for 8 gal. of sap so figured about right.  Candy thermometer was a great hel pas aposed to just "eyeballing".  Came out awesome but took forever to do in a lobster pot  ;D  Does anybody know where a can get a reg. boiling pan in the central Maine area?  (SS big surface, shallow pan) Thanks.  Maybe one of those dishes like they serve food out of in a buffet?
Mardens has just what your looking for (at least up here)  were about 20 bucks up here   wide and about 6-8" high  about 18" wide or so
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Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #50 on: Mar 31, 2008, 07:10 AM »
Mardens has just what your looking for (at least up here)  were about 20 bucks up here   wide and about 6-8" high  about 18" wide or so

Thanks Hazzy - went to Marden's in WTVL, had nothing that would work.... drive one down for me ??? :whistle: ;D

Offline Mainehazmt

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #51 on: Mar 31, 2008, 07:51 AM »
Thanks Hazzy - went to Marden's in WTVL, had nothing that would work.... drive one down for me ??? :whistle: ;D
can ya wait till the 12th??
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Offline MaineFishah

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #52 on: Mar 31, 2008, 09:20 AM »
Gamefisher,
   Where are you boiling it? On you kitchen stove? When my grandfather used to do it, he had a local metal shop weld him like a 2'x3' square pan out of sheetmetal. He used it on a barrel woodstove that had the top cut off and a base made for the pan to set on, but I don't see why something like that wouldn't work with all 4 burners on. This was about 7 years ago now and I believe it cost him like $40. If you do it enough it may be worth the investment.

Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #53 on: Mar 31, 2008, 09:53 AM »
can ya wait till the 12th??

Hazzy - that's why County guys and Downeasters rule right there - I got a lead on something, thanks very much for the offer.

Gamefisher,
   Where are you boiling it? On you kitchen stove? When my grandfather used to do it, he had a local metal shop weld him like a 2'x3' square pan out of sheetmetal. He used it on a barrel woodstove that had the top cut off and a base made for the pan to set on, but I don't see why something like that wouldn't work with all 4 burners on. This was about 7 years ago now and I believe it cost him like $40. If you do it enough it may be worth the investment.

That' exactly the setup I had as a kid, worked awesome - who the heck knows where that pan ended up ;D  Found a better pan, did it on a Coleman, finished it inside - going w/ the diff. pan and a clam cooker on the next batch.  Only have a few trees to teach the kids so expecting this will work good enough.  Thank you.   

Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #54 on: Mar 03, 2009, 09:51 AM »
Brought this back up - its getting close! (hopefully ;D)  much better prepared this year, more taps, more trees, and a better pan.  Built an evaporator out of an old Ashley woodstove to get away from the propane cost.  Can't wait!

Anybody else getting the "fever" 8)

Offline slt

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #55 on: Mar 03, 2009, 10:06 AM »
Brought this back up - its getting close! (hopefully ;D)  much better prepared this year, more taps, more trees, and a better pan.  Built an evaporator out of an old Ashley woodstove to get away from the propane cost.  Can't wait!

Anybody else getting the "fever" 8)

Getting close? Now is the time!!!!. Warm days, cool nights big snow pack......Start tapping!!!
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Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #56 on: Mar 03, 2009, 10:17 AM »
Getting close? Now is the time!!!!. Warm days, cool nights big snow pack......Start tapping!!!

You "southerners" may be getting above freezing during the day but not here yet. ;D  Thanks slt, you're the one who started this whole fiasco for me last year, now I can't stop...... like I needed another addiction ::) :roflmao:

Offline maineduckhunter

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #57 on: Mar 03, 2009, 10:23 AM »
YUMMMY!! Pour me some Dark Amber......on some Blueberry Pancakes..... :P

Offline gamefisher

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #58 on: Mar 03, 2009, 10:31 AM »
YUMMMY!! Pour me some Dark Amber

That's all I can make, still a batch guy for now but wouldn't mind having a little half pint or mason hobby evaporator some day. :-\  Doesn't look like much but taste delicious. :tipup:

Offline brace

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Re: OT Maple Taps
« Reply #59 on: Mar 03, 2009, 11:08 AM »
Greetings All,

Thought I would add my 10 cents for what it's worth.  I do about 6 gallons of syrup a year at my camp in Abbot Village, so can only boil on weekends -  Up until last year I used wood for fire, but when you've got 75 -100 gallons of sap it can go pretty late into the night.  Last year I transitioned to propane, which for me has worked great!!  Like most of you have probably realized, I get about an hour of boiling and then have to refill the stove (50 gal barrel), which kills the boil for about 45 minutes and then I get another hours worth of boiling and then it's back to filling the stove.  I would be up until midnight or more before it was complete, and typically more intoxicated then I should be for the most important final boil off.  With propane, I can maintain a more consitent heat level and it boils down almost twice as fast.  For tradition's sake I'd prefer to use wood, but the extra cost of propane is worth it for me.   

Brian<br />Nil Carborundum Illigimiti

 



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