Maple sugaring

[mowin]

Well it seems like a good friend and I are jumping in feet first. He picked up a 3x8 leader drop flue evaporator with steam hood. Were getting everything he has. Holding tanks, filter press, all tools, tubing, bottles and taps. Were using the same Sugarbush the seller uses with all the main lines and drop lines already up.  475 taps.  We've got about 3 weeks (hopefully) to build a sap house and get everything setup. We walked the Sugarbush today, and there probably a few hrs work to repair some lines that falling limbs took out.  I had a 2x6 small brothers raised flue evaporator in the mid 90's so I've got some experience in running a evaporator, but its been awhile.  The seller is going to help out for the first few boils so we can get familiar with this evaporator.  

[Dinsdale]

3x8 and 475 taps, you'll boil that lickity split.

Good luck. Windy and cold here today, or I'd be out redoing some tubing.

[G-Man]

Soubds interesting, never tapped my maples but neighbor down road does a few trees..maybe whein i retire

[mlammerhirt]

Well it seems like a good friend and I are jumping in feet first. He picked up a 3x8 leader drop flue evaporator with steam hood. Were getting everything he has. Holding tanks, filter press, all tools, tubing, bottles and taps. Were using the same Sugarbush the seller uses with all the main lines and drop lines already up.  475 taps.  We've got about 3 weeks (hopefully) to build a sap house and get everything setup. We walked the Sugarbush today, and there probably a few hrs work to repair some lines that falling limbs took out.  I had a 2x6 small brothers raised flue evaporator in the mid 90's so I've got some experience in running a evaporator, but its been awhile.  The seller is going to help out for the first few boils so we can get familiar with this evaporator.  

Did you buy or lease this sugar bush?

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

[mowin]

17 minutes ago, mlammerhirt said:

Did you buy or lease this sugar bush?

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
 

Its private land thats in a land conservancy. He has to sigh a contract each yr and have insurance to use the land, but there's no cost. If he chooses not to uses it any longer,  he has to remove all the lines.  

[mowin]

45 minutes ago, Dinsdale said:

3x8 and 475 taps, you'll boil that lickity split.

Good luck. Windy and cold here today, or I'd be out redoing some tubing.

The previous owner usually made 70+ gal a yr. He only boiled in the afternoons.  The main lines run into two 300 gal totes.  I believe there's a blower on the evaporator, so I'm sure its going to boil fast. 

[Dinsdale]

Now you get to play the game....

Do I tap now or wait, tap now or wait....

 

[mowin]

7 minutes ago, Dinsdale said:

Now you get to play the game....

Do I tap now or wait, tap now or wait....

 

Lol.  He did say this bush was a mid to late season runner, and usually runs best in the afternoons.  Doesn't face south. 

[dinorocks]

Wow, nice!  Much bigger operation than what I have going behind the house!  I’m bringing back my buckets on sleds today...storage containers went out a couple weeks ago and I have already chopped enough ice blocks from the creek to keep future sap cold for the entire season.  Based on the current weather forecast, it’s looking like at least a couple more weeks before I tap, and into March before I start boiling (western NY).   I typically get three boils per season...about 250 gallons of sap per boil.  Lots of work hauling buckets of sap by hand and cleaning equipment between boils...not to mention splitting wood to “arm diameter” pieces! It takes me 1 hour to evaporate 10 gallons of sap...a true labor of love!!  And if I were to buy syrup, I would not complain about spending $50 for a gallon of syrup!!

keep us posted on your sugaring!

Happy evaporating!

Dino

(a couple years ago my buddy asked if he could interview me on my backyard maple syrup “operation”...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BEqNmyL-sno

 

[Lawdwaz]

Some photos of all of these maple products operations would be cool.....big or small. 

[JimR]

Going to try my hand at it for the first time this year. I marked 10 maples on the camp property this summer, have bought 10 taps with down lines and received 10 buckets with lids as Christmas presents. I have a couple of 6 in deep steam table pans on order along with a filter holder and some filters. I need to pick up cinder blocks for a temporary evaporator set up. I'm thinking if the grandkids and I enjoy doing this I may make a barrel stove evaporator next year. 

[Merlot]

On 1/24/2021 at 1:02 PM, mowin said:

Well it seems like a good friend and I are jumping in feet first. He picked up a 3x8 leader drop flue evaporator with steam hood. Were getting everything he has. Holding tanks, filter press, all tools, tubing, bottles and taps. Were using the same Sugarbush the seller uses with all the main lines and drop lines already up.  475 taps.  We've got about 3 weeks (hopefully) to build a sap house and get everything setup. We walked the Sugarbush today, and there probably a few hrs work to repair some lines that falling limbs took out.  I had a 2x6 small brothers raised flue evaporator in the mid 90's so I've got some experience in running a evaporator, but its been awhile.  The seller is going to help out for the first few boils so we can get familiar with this evaporator.  

You guys do such interesting things. Would like to do stuff like this, but my wife just wants to live in Florida, sit on a beach and stare at water....boring.

[mowin]

6 hours ago, dinorocks said:

Wow, nice!  Much bigger operation than what I have going behind the house!  I’m bringing back my buckets on sleds today...storage containers went out a couple weeks ago and I have already chopped enough ice blocks from the creek to keep future sap cold for the entire season.  Based on the current weather forecast, it’s looking like at least a couple more weeks before I tap, and into March before I start boiling (western NY).   I typically get three boils per season...about 250 gallons of sap per boil.  Lots of work hauling buckets of sap by hand and cleaning equipment between boils...not to mention splitting wood to “arm diameter” pieces! It takes me 1 hour to evaporate 10 gallons of sap...a true labor of love!!  And if I were to buy syrup, I would not complain about spending $50 for a gallon of syrup!!

keep us posted on your sugaring!

Happy evaporating!

Dino

(a couple years ago my buddy asked if he could interview me on my backyard maple syrup “operation”...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BEqNmyL-sno

 

Nice video.  Your rustic setup is fantastic.  True backyard sugaring.  

[Steuben Jerry]

15 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

Some photos of all of these maple products operations would be cool.....big or small. 

Here’s one of the smallest operations, with a little help from our grandson. We make only about a gallon of finished. We keep a bottle or two and give the rest to the kids. Grandson helped with the brand development, lol.

[Lawdwaz]

That’s great Jerry!!

[Crazed98Camaro]

Add another to the small operation army. Last year was my first year, 5 taps, also ended up with about a gallon. Didn't expect the amount of sap we got so I quickly went from the grill to building a small cinder block arch. Stepping it up to a drum barrel this year, and maybe next year I'll get a 2x2 pan. Just making enough for us to enjoy and give some away as gifts.

Edited February 10, 2021 by Crazed98Camaro

[Steuben Jerry]

1 hour ago, Crazed98Camaro said:

Add another to the small operation army. Last year was my first year, 5 taps, also ended up with about a gallon. Didn't expect the amount of sap we got so I quickly went from the grill to building a small cinder block arch. Stepping it up to a drum barrel this year, and maybe next year I'll get a 2x2 pan. Just making enough for us to enjoy and give some away as gifts.

I like that and was planning on something similar this year. Got a pic of the back side where you have the stove pipe attached?

[Crazed98Camaro]

4 hours ago, Steuben Jerry said:

I like that and was planning on something similar this year. Got a pic of the back side where you have the stove pipe attached?

Unfortunately I don't, but I do know what I did. I used 2 16x8x8 cinder blocks from home depot and one 4x8x16 solid concrete block. I had the bottom cinder block set normally (solid side towards fire) but the top cinder block I turned 90 degrees so the hollow side was towards the fire. I used 6" stove pipe and pushed a 90 degree elbow in one of the openings, and covered the other opening with the solid concrete block. It wasn't pretty but it worked in a time crunch. 
 

You can kind of see a similar set up from this cinder block evaporator on maple trader:
http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?17764-Expanded-cinder-block-evaporator

Edited February 10, 2021 by Crazed98Camaro

[Steuben Jerry]

3 hours ago, Crazed98Camaro said:

Unfortunately I don't, but I do know what I did. I used 2 16x8x8 cinder blocks from home depot and one 4x8x16 solid concrete block. I had the bottom cinder block set normally (solid side towards fire) but the top cinder block I turned 90 degrees so the hollow side was towards the fire. I used 6" stove pipe and pushed a 90 degree elbow in one of the openings, and covered the other opening with the solid concrete block. It wasn't pretty but it worked in a time crunch. 
 

You can kind of see a similar set up from this cinder block evaporator on maple trader:
http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?17764-Expanded-cinder-block-evaporator

Thanks! I can visualize from your description and the link helps! Think I’m going to try that this year.

We were boiling as kind of a side activity when the grandkids were smaller and would come for the weekend. So I used a propane cooker just because I didn’t have to fuss with it that much while we were doing other things. But holy crap, I would burn through a lot of propane. I’d much rather utilize some of the dead standing ash trees I’ve got.

[mowin]

We got a decent start on the sugar shack.  But not even close to where we want to be.  Both of us have been busy plowing, or getting stuff done that is making us money. I'll take pics tomorrow.   

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I've been looking at doing a bit myself and was researching some stuff. Saw this stacked block firebox and thought it was a pretty good idea with the half blocks for the flue. 

 

[mowin]

Did quite a bit on the sugar shack today. Pickling up the evaporator on Saturday, so we've got a hell of a lot to do this week. 

Thinking we've got probably 2 weeks before the sap starts flowing.  

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by mowin

[dinorocks]

Looking good Mowin! That’s going to be a big sugar shack!  I read somewhere...if you plan a sugar shack, make it twice as big as you think you need. Keep us posted on the progress!

 I’m tapping on Sunday as I see day time temps are getting close to 40!  Picked up some supplies and another 165 gallons of storage.  I have some new things I’m going to try this season to make my small operation more efficient!  Took some time off this week to cut ice blocks from the creek...I’m planning to make an “ice house” for one of my outpost storage areas.

[mowin]

1 hour ago, dinorocks said:

Looking good Mowin! That’s going to be a big sugar shack!  I read somewhere...if you plan a sugar shack, make it twice as big as you think you need. Keep us posted on the progress!

 I’m tapping on Sunday as I see day time temps are getting close to 40!  Picked up some supplies and another 165 gallons of storage.  I have some new things I’m going to try this season to make my small operation more efficient!  Took some time off this week to cut ice blocks from the creek...I’m planning to make an “ice house” for one of my outpost storage areas.

Thanks.  Still going to be cold here into mid next week, so hopefully we can get everything set and ready to go. Shack is 20x20.  

Edited February 16, 2021 by mowin

[dinorocks]

My wife and I hauled the last of our syruping stuff out to the sugar shack. All the trees are marked and ready to tap!  Got my “ice castle” built this afternoon at one of my sap storage outposts...those 8 inch thick ice blocks were challenging to lift out of water but I’m ready for the sap!  Not long now!