Author Topic: OT Maple Taps (Read 156730 times)

gamefisher · « **Reply #660 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 07:05 AM »

That stinks Phoenix, I had a little better luck, this time.

With a couple warm days on the horizon, wanted to get everything finished and bottled. Had about 14 gal. to boil down and add to Sat.'s. Was able to get it real close outside last night, only had to finish up about 10 minutes inside this morning before syrup.

Best tweak of the whole system was buying a $25 s.s. 30 cup coffee urn from Amazon. I pre-heated with water as my syrup finished, dumped it, then clipped 2 pre-filters in it to pour my syrup into. Put the cover on to retain heat and then started peeling through the Mason jars, no ladling, etc. WORKED SLICK!

3.5 quarts from approx. 37 gal of sap and very little sugar sand to deal with.

The urn is the way to go boyz, I'm sold.

mainedukblaster · « **Reply #661 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 09:10 AM »

hey GF, you have a picture of this Urn? and how you set it up? thanks!

teampar · « **Reply #662 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 10:51 AM »

Quote from: gamefisher on Mar 12, 2013, 07:05 AM

That stinks Phoenix, I had a little better luck, this time. With a couple warm days on the horizon, wanted to get everything finished and bottled. Had about 14 gal. to boil down and add to Sat.'s. Was able to get it real close outside last night, only had to finish up about 10 minutes inside this morning before syrup. Best tweak of the whole system was buying a $25 s.s. 30 cup coffee urn from Amazon. I pre-heated with water as my syrup finished, dumped it, then clipped 2 pre-filters in it to pour my syrup into. Put the cover on to retain heat and then started peeling through the Mason jars, no ladling, etc. WORKED SLICK! 3.5 quarts from approx. 37 gal of sap and very little sugar sand to deal with.
And exactly when can I expect my bottle of surup to arrive in the mail

gamefisher · « **Reply #663 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 10:56 AM »

Quote from: teampar on Mar 12, 2013, 10:51 AM

Quote from: gamefisher on Mar 12, 2013, 07:05 AM
That stinks Phoenix, I had a little better luck, this time. With a couple warm days on the horizon, wanted to get everything finished and bottled. Had about 14 gal. to boil down and add to Sat.'s. Was able to get it real close outside last night, only had to finish up about 10 minutes inside this morning before syrup. Best tweak of the whole system was buying a $25 s.s. 30 cup coffee urn from Amazon. I pre-heated with water as my syrup finished, dumped it, then clipped 2 pre-filters in it to pour my syrup into. Put the cover on to retain heat and then started peeling through the Mason jars, no ladling, etc. WORKED SLICK! 3.5 quarts from approx. 37 gal of sap and very little sugar sand to deal with.
And exactly when can I expect my bottle of surup to arrive in the mail

This is way too much quality for your palate, you better play it safe and just stick to Aunt Jemimah.

teampar · « **Reply #664 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 11:05 AM »

Quote from: gamefisher on Mar 12, 2013, 10:56 AM

This is way too much quality for you palate, you better play it safe and just stick to Aunt Jemimah.

Why are you like that.

Westerly · « **Reply #665 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 03:13 PM »

Everyone's syrup looks awesome. Did my first boil on the new rig last night. Still a few kinks to work out, but what an improvement over the cinder blocks (easier on my back too). Priority one is getting set up with a preheater. Hope to finish and bottle tonight (gonna be rough without one of those slick coffee urns!)

You've even got professional labels now, Eric? Nice!

Doesn't look like much of a week for sap but I think it'll run great after the cold.

gamefisher · « **Reply #666 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 04:30 PM »

Did you buy or build the new setup Ryan, looks great.

jackcraps · « **Reply #667 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 04:32 PM »

Looks like good old mainer ingenuity, you'll want to go bigger soon.

The Rusty Crab · « **Reply #668 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 04:34 PM »

14 spills in today.

Westerly · « **Reply #669 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 05:38 PM »

Quote from: gamefisher on Mar 12, 2013, 04:30 PM

Did you buy or build the new setup Ryan, looks great.

Can't take any credit for much of the design or the build. My welding skills are poor at best.

I talked to a HS shop teacher whose students built it during school. They did a great job! (I got it for the cost of materials - basically the stainless pan).

rude the dude · « **Reply #670 on:** Mar 12, 2013, 06:41 PM »

Boiled last night, cooking again tonight. Had to build a roof today, warm and wet, not ideal, but like gamefisher, I want to get it done up before it's bad.

gamefisher · « **Reply #671 on:** Mar 13, 2013, 06:02 AM »

Quote from: mainedukblaster on Mar 12, 2013, 09:10 AM

hey GF, you have a picture of this Urn? and how you set it up? thanks!

Not much to it, simple and effective. I get the bulk of the crud out by filtering off the evaporator pan with a wool filter. In the urn I just had two pre-filters, as the first one clogged removed and continued on. Really made clean up and bottling a snap, the worse part of this whole hobby imo.

Iain - any pics of the "new" rig

toguefisha · « **Reply #672 on:** Mar 13, 2013, 07:51 AM »

Quote from: Westerly on Mar 12, 2013, 03:13 PM

but what an improvement over the cinder blocks (easier on my back too).

(Image removed from quote.)

every year I say I'm gonna upgrade from my cinder block arch and every year I simply tweak the block arch a little more....next year....maybe

maineduckhunter · « **Reply #673 on:** Mar 13, 2013, 08:13 AM »

Lost 5 gallons of sap last night!!

Had it in a water jug on snow and the snow melted out from underneath it last night and tipped over, leaking it all out!!!

mainedukblaster · « **Reply #674 on:** Mar 13, 2013, 01:21 PM »

Quote from: maineduckhunter on Mar 13, 2013, 08:13 AM

Lost 5 gallons of sap last night!! Had it in a water jug on snow and the snow melted out from underneath it last night and tipped over, leaking it all out!!!

rats!

Quote from: gamefisher on Mar 13, 2013, 06:02 AM

Not much to it, simple and effective. I get the bulk of the crud out by filtering off the evaporator pan with a wool filter. In the urn I just had two pre-filters, as the first one clogged removed and continued on. Really made clean up and bottling a snap, the worse part of this whole hobby imo.

GF do you have it plugged in to keep things warm?

gamefisher · « **Reply #675 on:** Mar 13, 2013, 02:24 PM »

Quote from: mainedukblaster on Mar 13, 2013, 01:21 PM

rats! GF do you have it plugged in to keep things warm?

I cycled it through with water as the syrup finished in a clam pot. When the syrup was done, I unplugged and dumped the water from the urn and immediately begin to filter the syrup through. No need to plug back in, the stainless walls help retain heat and you are pouring syrup in that's close to 219. It bottles so fast with the spigot that it doesn't have a chance to drop below 180.

44 Degrees North · « **Reply #676 on:** Mar 14, 2013, 04:15 AM »

I find this all very interesting. I'm glad you guys are willing to share all this with us.

Keychain · « **Reply #677 on:** Mar 14, 2013, 08:59 AM »

Collected and did a small boil on Sunday and hadn't checked the buckets until last night. Two of my 18 taps had produced about a half to three quarters of a gallon, but the rest were almost dry. It got down to 25 or so at the house last night, so I'm hoping that will kick things back into gear...

ICEMAN-73 · « **Reply #678 on:** Mar 14, 2013, 07:21 PM »

the sap finally ran again today, should have enough to do a batch tomorrow night!

The Rusty Crab · « **Reply #679 on:** Mar 14, 2013, 09:27 PM »

how much sap do you guys get before you boil......I'm setting on about 15 gallons now and I'm sure another 7-8 tomorrow. I'm thinking to start a batch tomorrow night.

Keychain · « **Reply #680 on:** Mar 14, 2013, 10:22 PM »

Quote from: The Rusty Crab on Mar 14, 2013, 09:27 PM

how much sap do you guys get before you boil......I'm setting on about 15 gallons now and I'm sure another 7-8 tomorrow. I'm thinking to start a batch tomorrow night.

Depends on your setup I guess and how much you can keep stored cold. I'm small time, so I'll boil before I get more than 5 gal or so, simply because that's the limit of my storage, time, and boiling capacity. Working a smaller one right now, hoping it finishes before midnight

The Rusty Crab · « **Reply #681 on:** Mar 14, 2013, 10:46 PM »

I have big snow banks and lots of fridge room this time of year. I have a primitive set up, but can boil from several sources during the day at work

Keychain · « **Reply #682 on:** Mar 14, 2013, 11:04 PM »

One advantage of being self employed, for sure! BTW, it's past midnight and mine ain't done yet. Might need to double up on the coffee tomorrow morning...

pipeboy98 · « **Reply #683 on:** Mar 15, 2013, 02:09 AM »

you guys are lucky...we have no sap in Wisconsin yet. still have 24" of ice on the lakes...but no sap!

Raquettedacker · « **Reply #684 on:** Mar 15, 2013, 06:47 AM »

I have a question if someone can help me out please... I'm going to start boiling tomorrow... First time I have done this much... About 47 gals of sap... I have 2 propane burners and 2, 7 or so gallon pots to boil in... My question is do I just keep adding sap to the pots when I have room in them till I'm out of sap? Thank You....

gamefisher · « **Reply #685 on:** Mar 15, 2013, 07:00 AM »

Quote from: Raquettedacker on Mar 15, 2013, 06:47 AM

I have a question if someone can help me out please... I'm going to start boiling tomorrow... First time I have done this much... About 47 gals of sap... I have 2 propane burners and 2, 7 or so gallon pots to boil in... My question is do I just keep adding sap to the pots when I have room in them till I'm out of sap? Thank You....

No, only put in enough sap so it stays an inch or two. You better start early with what you are using for pans and you better have some really deep pockets for more propane.

You might boil 2 gal. per hour on that setup, heck, start now.

rude the dude · « **Reply #686 on:** Mar 15, 2013, 02:58 PM »

I think sap is like anything, it loses quality after time. Sap collected on sunday and boiled Monday, will be better syrup than sap collected on sunday and boiled the next weekend. I've already cooked three nights this week and I just got out of dumpster at home depot for to nights boil so I'm going to fire it up again right now. Last night was a good boiling night, tonight should be to.I've boiled around 90 gallons so far for almost 2 gallons. I'm going to go see how it did today after a get the last 20 gallons at the house going. I'm not expecting much, I don't think it made it over 36 today in my neck of the woods.

ICEMAN-73 · « **Reply #687 on:** Mar 17, 2013, 11:53 AM »

not a good season for me so far, last week was too warm for the sap to run this week is going to be too cold, glad I don't make a living selling maple syrup!

Raquettedacker · « **Reply #688 on:** Mar 17, 2013, 12:29 PM »

Quote from: gamefisher on Mar 15, 2013, 07:00 AM

No, only put in enough sap so it stays an inch or two. You better start early with what you are using for pans and you better have some really deep pockets for more propane. You might boil 2 gal. per hour on that setup, heck, start now.

I did good..

Spent most of yesterday boiling down about 40 something gallons of sap.. Worked out well... Used about 1 1/2, 20pound LP tanks... This is what I have left after giving 3 jars away.... That's some good sh, Stuff...

Had chilie with corn bread for dinner and syrup on it..I was in a hurry and forgot to run the last step through the cheese cloth and got some sugar crystals in it.. Oh well, it will eat.... One pan I boiled down to maple sugar/butter... Man that's good on toast...

toguefisha · « **Reply #689 on:** Mar 17, 2013, 04:34 PM »

Got about 3/4 of a gallon off of my first boil. Weather report isn't looking great for this next week

News:

Author Topic: OT Maple Taps (Read 156730 times)