Author Topic: OT Maple Taps (Read 155428 times)

slt · « **Reply #60 on:** Mar 03, 2009, 11:14 AM »

Quote from: gamefisher on Mar 03, 2009, 10:17 AM

You "southerners" may be getting above freezing during the day but not here yet. 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

HEY! Dont get mad it me, I just asked a question!!!!

Nobody said you had to try it. As far as the temps go, as long as the day time get's to 20 - 25 sap will run as long as the trees are in the sun. The air temp may be chilly but the sun angle is higher and the tree absorbs heat from the sun allowing the sap to move.

gamefisher · « **Reply #61 on:** Mar 03, 2009, 11:26 AM »

Quote from: brace 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.

I did propane last year and may have to revert back if this "customized" evaporator doesn't work like I'm hoping. Just trying to take advantage of "free" wood... (-the labor to cut and split of course

)

Quote from: slt on Mar 03, 2009, 11:14 AM

HEY! Dont get mad it me, I just asked a question!!!! Nobody said you had to try it. As far as the temps go, as long as the day time get's to 20 - 25 sap will run as long as the trees are in the sun. The air temp may be chilly but the sun angle is higher and the tree absorbs heat from the sun allowing the sap to move.

Don't you get all "thin skinned" on me too slt

Do you have taps in already

Anybody else? RTD? Others? Thanks.

slt · « **Reply #62 on:** Mar 03, 2009, 11:33 AM »

Nope. No taps for me this year. Got enough going on right now. Still got some syrup left from last year and had a gallon given to me a while back. Oh and I wasn't being thin skinned, didn't you see the smiley? lol. Have fun with the process folks. It's a good project to do with the kids too, gives 'em an idea that all food doesn't come from the store and home made is often 1000 times better. Enjoy

Mainehazmt · « **Reply #63 on:** Mar 03, 2009, 11:47 AM »

anybody that wants can come tap my trees if they want got 7 acres and I havent got the ability to get out there to tap them actually dont know how many trees I have that are good but they are available to who ever wants to try

gamefisher · « **Reply #64 on:** Mar 16, 2009, 08:11 AM »

First boil yesterday on the "custom" evaporator.

Gutted ashley woodstove, lasagna pan, camp rack, clam pot pre-heater, and peach can sap injector......not a lot invested you might say

Notice the forced air computer fan

Hodge podge operation but hey, it works. Just wish it was a little faster, too much free time for beer drinking

brace · « **Reply #65 on:** Mar 16, 2009, 09:58 AM »

Here's a picture from 2 years. I've since retired the stove in lieu of propane, but am still using the boiling pan. I put out taps on Saturday - The sap was running great yesterday in Abbot Village.

gamefisher · « **Reply #66 on:** Mar 16, 2009, 10:11 AM »

Brace - I really need to get a 2 X 3 flat pan and gut the Ashley parts and put on a barrel. My pipe is 8" and really should be 6" like yours, draft is certainly not a problem, its the opposite;D Could you boil 5 gph of sap or better with your barrel?

gamefisher · « **Reply #67 on:** Mar 22, 2009, 09:42 AM »

12 hours worth of tending and beer drinking on my little setup

Time for an equipment upgrade but yum, yum!

rude the dude · « **Reply #68 on:** Mar 22, 2009, 09:52 AM »

Saps running real good today. 8)

BoneHead · « **Reply #69 on:** Mar 22, 2009, 11:01 AM »

Looks tasty. how many maples do you have gf?

gamefisher · « **Reply #70 on:** Mar 22, 2009, 12:20 PM »

Quote from: BoneHead on Mar 22, 2009, 11:01 AM

Looks tasty. how many maples do you have gf?

I only have 12 taps in BH, only 2 big enough to handle two taps but still making tasty syrup. Really enjoy doing it with the kids like my dad and grandfather did with me. Had the whole neighborhood stopping by yesterday, fun stuff.

PS - today is Maine Maple Sunday for anyone who cares to stop by their local saphouse.

james · « **Reply #71 on:** Mar 22, 2009, 12:49 PM »

Quote from: Mainehazmt on Mar 03, 2009, 11:47 AM

anybody that wants can come tap my trees if they want got 7 acres and I havent got the ability to get out there to tap them actually dont know how many trees I have that are good but they are available to who ever wants to try

That's a very generous offer Mainehazmt

If i lived near you, i would be making lots of maple sugar.

james

barkspud · « **Reply #72 on:** Mar 22, 2009, 02:24 PM »

Just put some in this morning and made some more taps. had a bunch of maple dowls and drilled them out and added hook. used to do it when was a kid had a couple of large green houses heated with wood. had to have fires so boiled sap made a oil dripper for stove. was a 5 gal. can with a shut off and copper line ran in top of stove. hung bucket away and adjusted flow to a steady drip. help keep a more controlled heat with wood. saved oil from oil changes and got some from garages worked great. got a similar setup now and need to make all I can use it in fall for bear baits they can't get enough. Maple surp was on the table every meal hot bisquits baked potatoe peels ice cream cereal you name it. GOOD STUFF

mainedukblaster · « **Reply #73 on:** Mar 22, 2009, 03:18 PM »

went out today with the fam for Maple Sunday.. tried to go to Merryfield farm in Gorham, and it was like trying to get into the Fryeburg fair on the last Saturday.. Was a Mob scene.. They actually had a line to get on the property stretched down N gorham, rd. We decided to forego that place, considering a long line with a 10 mo old would not be fun.. But as we passed we went by a small sugar shack that had an "open sign" and there was NO CARS, it was about 3/10 of a mile from Merryfield, we stopped in there and it was great.. got a hands on view of the operation.. It was fun, plus we bought some syrup that was made yesterday! It felt good to support a small family guy too..
it was Lockman farm....
Good times....

rude the dude · « **Reply #74 on:** Mar 23, 2009, 07:34 PM »

Heres some pics of the cooker I use. Something we copied and threw together. Boiled 40 gal. in 6 hours last night. Slow but steady.

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #75 on:** Mar 23, 2009, 07:41 PM »

Syrup is Great....but has anyone told you that Crack Kills....

wardens worry · « **Reply #76 on:** Mar 23, 2009, 07:43 PM »

RTD

I expected to see uncle Jesse and the duke boys somewere in your pics getting ready to deliver a load of moonshine.

Just kidding! nice setup.

WW

rude the dude · « **Reply #77 on:** Mar 23, 2009, 07:50 PM »

Quote from: maineduckhunter on Mar 23, 2009, 07:41 PM

Syrup is Great....but has anyone told you that Crack Kills....

Don't get me going, I have more crack pics. 8)

mainedukblaster · « **Reply #78 on:** Mar 23, 2009, 08:02 PM »

hey rude what comes out of the white bucket and into the stove??

rude the dude · « **Reply #79 on:** Mar 23, 2009, 08:16 PM »

Quote from: mainedukblaster on Mar 23, 2009, 08:02 PM

hey rude what comes out of the white bucket and into the stove??

Use your Imagination.

Its acttually just a dripper, with used moter oil. When the fire gets loaded sometimes it will momentarily bring the heat down and lose the boil. The dripper turned on for about 10 seconds, gets the fire back up to temp immediatly and keeps the boil going. I might use a half a cup in 6 hours. We call it African Ingenuity. We just added that this year.

gamefisher · « **Reply #80 on:** Mar 24, 2009, 05:13 AM »

Awesome setup Rude. I love seeing some of the stuff people come up with. 7gph on two full steam pans is fantastic. Having them recessed down in gives you that killer boil for sure. Those pine boards doesn't hurt a thing either. 8) They sure must be fun to clean RTD

Try hooking up your leaf vac through some metal down spout or dryer vent and get some air under the grates and "supercharge" it. Bet you'd get 10gph then! 8)

mainedukblaster · « **Reply #81 on:** Mar 24, 2009, 07:29 AM »

Quote from: rude the dude on Mar 23, 2009, 08:16 PM

Use your Imagination. Its acttually just a dripper, with used moter oil. When the fire gets loaded sometimes it will momentarily bring the heat down and lose the boil. The dripper turned on for about 10 seconds, gets the fire back up to temp immediatly and keeps the boil going. I might use a half a cup in 6 hours. We call it African Ingenuity. We just added that this year.

figured it was something along those lines... liquid fuel to keep it up to a erfect temp.. Nice set up..

smeltslayer · « **Reply #82 on:** Mar 24, 2009, 09:46 AM »

Quote from: rude the dude on Mar 23, 2009, 07:34 PM

Heres some pics of the cooker I use. Something we copied and threw together. Boiled 40 gal. in 6 hours last night. Slow but steady.

(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

That looks sweet! Have to swing down and check it out. 8) 8) Need to get a couple of gallons of syrup.

Mainehazmt · « **Reply #83 on:** Mar 24, 2009, 06:51 PM »

want that the same crack as on sebbattus? lol

rude the dude · « **Reply #84 on:** Mar 24, 2009, 07:31 PM »

Quote from: Mainehazmt on Mar 24, 2009, 06:51 PM

want that the same crack as on sebbattus? lol

nope different, here you can compare better maybe with a refresher.

smeltslayer · « **Reply #85 on:** Mar 24, 2009, 07:32 PM »

Quote from: rude the dude on Mar 24, 2009, 07:31 PM

nope different, here you can compare better maybe with a refresher.
(Image removed from quote.)

That is still priceless.

rude the dude · « **Reply #86 on:** Mar 24, 2009, 07:51 PM »

hated to

but what the hay. 8)

smeltslayer · « **Reply #87 on:** Mar 24, 2009, 07:53 PM »

Quote from: rude the dude on Mar 24, 2009, 07:51 PM

hated to but what the hay. 8)

Got one to top that and you was there. Wait a minute and I'll upload it.

smeltslayer · « **Reply #88 on:** Mar 24, 2009, 08:00 PM »

Quote from: smeltslayer on Mar 24, 2009, 07:53 PM

Got one to top that and you was there. Wait a minute and I'll upload it.

Here you go.

I little crack.

I say "What did you do, pizz your pants?" He said "Yeah" Cant make this stuff up. I made sure I got a pic.

rude the dude · « **Reply #89 on:** Mar 24, 2009, 08:03 PM »

A little young for diapers ain't he.

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Author Topic: OT Maple Taps (Read 155428 times)