How many people here make maple syrup?
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RobertN
Super Member
I'm interested in "how" you make maple syrup. Not something you see in central El Dorado County, Calif 
I've wondered, how many trees does it take to get a gallon of raw sap? If you start out with a gallon of raw sap, how much finished syrup is that?
I love maple syrup; I hate to have pancakes or waffles, and someone hands me high fructose corn syrup with real artificial maple flavoring!
I've wondered, how many trees does it take to get a gallon of raw sap? If you start out with a gallon of raw sap, how much finished syrup is that?
I love maple syrup; I hate to have pancakes or waffles, and someone hands me high fructose corn syrup with real artificial maple flavoring!
forgeblast
Elite Member
Its funny I just picked up the book back yard sugarin' by rick mann, great book btw shows some very easy, and inexpensive ways to make syrup.
I have so many black birch on our property I was thinking about tapping them before i cut them down, probably not going to happen this year though.
I have so many black birch on our property I was thinking about tapping them before i cut them down, probably not going to happen this year though.
Avondale
Platinum Member
I make it, lots of work and subject to the whims of the weather makers but a good product if done correctly. A sugar maple tree can fill a 2 gal bucket a day in good weather. It should drop below freezing at night and above freezing in day, the wider the spread the more raw sap. I use -5c to +5c as the desirable range. Ratio of sap to syrup depends on tree but 40 gals of raw sap to finished gal of syrup is a norm. Finished syrup, for public sale in Ontario, must meet some published standards, (i.e. sugar content as measured on the brix scale) but home brew can be as you like it. Most mass production is done using tubes from trees to collection point, filtering using Reverse Osmosis, boiling using oil or gas fired boilers, steamed pre-bottling filters, etc. We do ours the old way, 300 pails, handraulic collection into a tub on a wagon,wood fired pans, etc. Sold about 100 liters last year.
studor
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I make it as well on a really small scale by tapping about 15 trees and using propane fired fish fryers to prepare it. Last year was a pretty good year with higher than 40 to 1 sugar content so we ended up with about 5 gallons (20 litres). I noticed a local store advertising sugaring supplies this week-- bit early I think although never hurts to be optimistic :thumbsup:
om21braz
Veteran Member
+1 My sentiments exactly.
Brokermike
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We make about 55 gallons of syrup a year. With the new house and land purchase we're hoping to make about 750 next year
I think I make about 1 or 2 gallons of syrup a year or whatever 20 or 30 taps will give me. I would love to make more but don't have the time.
Does any one use the rubber line instead of the spiels with the buckets hanging on them. I am thinking I might try the line on some trees that are close together and have them run into a food grade 45 gallon drum on a skid so I will be able to pick it up with the tractor
Does any one use the rubber line instead of the spiels with the buckets hanging on them. I am thinking I might try the line on some trees that are close together and have them run into a food grade 45 gallon drum on a skid so I will be able to pick it up with the tractor
Loren49
Veteran Member
I put in about 80 taps last year, split evenly between buckets and tubing. If you do a web search on the topic you can find good information. I also greaty appreciate pure maple syrup over the make believe stuff. I think you can expect somewhere between a pint and a quart of syrup per tap. It varies between different woods and seasons.
Loren
Loren
g0rd0
Gold Member
I gave up syruping due to arthritis but, while I was I had a great time and a tasty product. Here is a list of things you will need
a) taps, I liked to use the 7/16 plastic with green tubeing (3 in a line leading to a 5 gallon food grade plastic bucket)
b) a spile puller
c) a Quebec Hydrotherm (this measures the thickness of your syrup) or you can boil off to 9dec. F. above the boiling point (221 dec. F at sea level)
d) bottles
e) an arch (this is where you will boil your sap down)
f) a flat bottom pan to put on the arch
g) a float valve (optional,, this will constantly feed sap to your boil as the water is boiled out. Useing a float valve will speed up the boil because your boil will not cool down as you dump cold sap into it)
h) a brace and bit with a 7/16 bit to drill holes in your trees
i) a rubber mallet
j) optional I used a 80 cup SS coffee urn that was never used for anything else to aid in bottleing
k) at least 1 accurate thermomiter
l) defoaming agent
m) filters un bleached cotton and felt
My syrup pan was 20 wide x 48 long x 14"deep stainless steel it had 3 sections a float section 6" long, a boil section 32" long and a finish section 8"long. The float valve was in the float section this is where the sap is delivered to the tank, it had a 1" hole in the wall sepperating the boil section, the wall separatting the finish section also had a 1" hole in it. The float was set to allow 1&1/2 inches of sap in the pan. As the boil is going the float section stayed at 210-212dec, the boil section 212-217dec the finish section 217-220. At 220dec I empty the finish section through a cotton filter into a pail and the float will automaticly refill the whole pan moveing product down the line. This boiling should not be done in the house!!!! If you do beware of the wrath of wife! I boiled out side useing cinder blocks as an arch and cooked over wood fire.
Once I had 5 gallons of 220 dec syrup I would finish it over a propaine burner to 221decF, once at 221 I turned off the gas and gently set my hydrotherm in it waited about 5 minites for the syrup to warm it up and behold we had confermed syrup. From there I put the syrup into the urn (the part of the urn where the coffee grounds go is where I have 3 layered felt filters) plugged it in and used the handy pour spout to bottle. When you buy new bottles they will come with lids that are designed to seal when bottled hot (the urn convineantly keeps the syrup at 180dec
40 gallons of sap = 1 gallon of syrup (maple)
50 to 90 gallons of sap = 1 gallon of syrup (50 for cherry and up to 90 for birch)
a) taps, I liked to use the 7/16 plastic with green tubeing (3 in a line leading to a 5 gallon food grade plastic bucket)
b) a spile puller
c) a Quebec Hydrotherm (this measures the thickness of your syrup) or you can boil off to 9dec. F. above the boiling point (221 dec. F at sea level)
d) bottles
e) an arch (this is where you will boil your sap down)
f) a flat bottom pan to put on the arch
g) a float valve (optional,, this will constantly feed sap to your boil as the water is boiled out. Useing a float valve will speed up the boil because your boil will not cool down as you dump cold sap into it)
h) a brace and bit with a 7/16 bit to drill holes in your trees
i) a rubber mallet
j) optional I used a 80 cup SS coffee urn that was never used for anything else to aid in bottleing
k) at least 1 accurate thermomiter
l) defoaming agent
m) filters un bleached cotton and felt
My syrup pan was 20 wide x 48 long x 14"deep stainless steel it had 3 sections a float section 6" long, a boil section 32" long and a finish section 8"long. The float valve was in the float section this is where the sap is delivered to the tank, it had a 1" hole in the wall sepperating the boil section, the wall separatting the finish section also had a 1" hole in it. The float was set to allow 1&1/2 inches of sap in the pan. As the boil is going the float section stayed at 210-212dec, the boil section 212-217dec the finish section 217-220. At 220dec I empty the finish section through a cotton filter into a pail and the float will automaticly refill the whole pan moveing product down the line. This boiling should not be done in the house!!!! If you do beware of the wrath of wife! I boiled out side useing cinder blocks as an arch and cooked over wood fire.
Once I had 5 gallons of 220 dec syrup I would finish it over a propaine burner to 221decF, once at 221 I turned off the gas and gently set my hydrotherm in it waited about 5 minites for the syrup to warm it up and behold we had confermed syrup. From there I put the syrup into the urn (the part of the urn where the coffee grounds go is where I have 3 layered felt filters) plugged it in and used the handy pour spout to bottle. When you buy new bottles they will come with lids that are designed to seal when bottled hot (the urn convineantly keeps the syrup at 180dec
40 gallons of sap = 1 gallon of syrup (maple)
50 to 90 gallons of sap = 1 gallon of syrup (50 for cherry and up to 90 for birch)
moeh1
Gold Member
As you can see from Gordo's list, to do more than a turkey fryer full, some equipment is in order. I'm still collecting parts, but gaining on it,
20 20
Elite Member
I've done it in the past and plan on doing it again, if not this year then next. Takes a LOT of sap to make even a quart of syrup.
SandburRanch
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In my opinion it's the best there is on pancakes or waffles and in my super market, in the land of no maple trees to tap, it's a buck an ounce but some things we just gotta have.
boomer1025
Platinum Member
The sap is flowing good in central pa.
SPIKER
Elite Member
Ive made a bit of it on & off years enough for myself mainly.
list on page one was pretty good for needs. though I like the 5/16" tree savers in place of the 7/16 taps. I also use several taps thru tubing into 5 gallon buckets maybe 4 taps per any more on good days it will overflow them. Mine runs 35!40gal sap to gal of syrup and tap maybe 20 taps when I make it & get enough for 2+ years usage for one season boiling.
in place of "De-foamer" use real butter, about a 1/4 of a pat will pull the foam down fast.
I can mine in mason jars similar to what others say. I have a home made 44x48x8 3 chamber 1st cut pan that I boil down to about 215F and draw off then feed to a 5 gallon finishing pan I set on a dual burner camp stove. When it is real close to 219F (for my altitude compensated 7 degrees F above boiling point of pure water for your altitude) is where I draw off and CAN it at. I will often stop boiling at 217~218F and cool and refrigerate until I have enough to make a good batch of canning. as when it is low flow I dont like to store raw sap for more than a day or 2 at most store at freezing temp helps. I have a good number of high grade 5 gallon buckets that I pile snow up around and or use a big cooler to store the raw sap for up to the two days.
Boiling for a first cut down some or at least bring it to a good boil for 15 min or so to kill off bacteria that is natural in the sap too keep the sap longer too.
I use WOOD fore on mine for all the first cut boils and the smoke adds a layer of flavor that makes it SOOO good mine I have to admit is better than propane or fuel or RO dehydrated sap. I use Elm Maple and Oak for boiling sap down. the early boil is good with any GOOD hard wood but the maple wood and or cherry makes the best flavoring to me.
Once i have maybe a gallon of pre cooked (finished volume) I will can it all up using turkey fryer or large crock if it has been pre-boiled to temps. I run the first cut through paper filters (re-useable) and final cut through NEW paper and a felt clarafier filter
Mark
list on page one was pretty good for needs. though I like the 5/16" tree savers in place of the 7/16 taps. I also use several taps thru tubing into 5 gallon buckets maybe 4 taps per any more on good days it will overflow them. Mine runs 35!40gal sap to gal of syrup and tap maybe 20 taps when I make it & get enough for 2+ years usage for one season boiling.
in place of "De-foamer" use real butter, about a 1/4 of a pat will pull the foam down fast.
I can mine in mason jars similar to what others say. I have a home made 44x48x8 3 chamber 1st cut pan that I boil down to about 215F and draw off then feed to a 5 gallon finishing pan I set on a dual burner camp stove. When it is real close to 219F (for my altitude compensated 7 degrees F above boiling point of pure water for your altitude) is where I draw off and CAN it at. I will often stop boiling at 217~218F and cool and refrigerate until I have enough to make a good batch of canning. as when it is low flow I dont like to store raw sap for more than a day or 2 at most store at freezing temp helps. I have a good number of high grade 5 gallon buckets that I pile snow up around and or use a big cooler to store the raw sap for up to the two days.
Boiling for a first cut down some or at least bring it to a good boil for 15 min or so to kill off bacteria that is natural in the sap too keep the sap longer too.
I use WOOD fore on mine for all the first cut boils and the smoke adds a layer of flavor that makes it SOOO good mine I have to admit is better than propane or fuel or RO dehydrated sap. I use Elm Maple and Oak for boiling sap down. the early boil is good with any GOOD hard wood but the maple wood and or cherry makes the best flavoring to me.
Once i have maybe a gallon of pre cooked (finished volume) I will can it all up using turkey fryer or large crock if it has been pre-boiled to temps. I run the first cut through paper filters (re-useable) and final cut through NEW paper and a felt clarafier filter
Mark
MadJack
Silver Member
OK Mainers, when will you start tapping trees? I'll be pulling out and re sterilizing buckets, hose, taps and whatnot, just wondering when everyone else is planning to start.:licking:
My neighbors are starting next weekend. They'll have about 3000 taps and work all week, so need to start early.
I'm going to clean my evaporator up next weekend, but
will wait until they get their 1st run, it doesn't take verry long to put in 15 taps, none more than 50 feet from the road.
Your run will start about 2 weeks before it does up here though.
Up here I usually figure the last week in March, and the first week in April it will run good. 2 years ago it ran in February and a lot of people missed it.
I would put a tap in a tree that you can easily check, so if it starts running early you will know.
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MadJack
Silver Member
Thanks Js. I'll be prepping this weekend since it will stay below freezing. Next week looks good for sap production so I'll get taps in and lines run starting Tuesday. I still have to get to TSC and buy that 35 gallon tank to mount in the ranger, then pick up a 1000 gallon per hour 12 volt bilge pump for moving sap back and forth.
SPIKER
Elite Member
2 yrs ago mid February I collected best run I have had in 4 or 5 seasons. made enough that I still have enough for my own use this year. was thinking of making some but getting real busy at work and that actually pays bills where as making all that good syrup usually costs $ (canning, propane, filters more taps ect...) not to mention all the cleaning of pans buckets taps tubing ect is a LOT of work. worth it when the steaming syrup is poured over a nice stack of pancakes
Mark
Mark
The sap is flowing, on and off here in Northern Ontario. I've got 5 taps up so far and have collected about 8 liters the other day. Looking at the weather it should run real good next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday... I'll have to put my other 25 taps in soon.
I have to agree nothing can beat the taste of home made pure maple syrup. The grocery store corn/maple syrup tastes like they tapped utility poles to get it! Yuk!
On another note, MadJack is the tank you are looking at food grade?
I have to agree nothing can beat the taste of home made pure maple syrup. The grocery store corn/maple syrup tastes like they tapped utility poles to get it! Yuk!
On another note, MadJack is the tank you are looking at food grade?
