newbie

[Skarda Maple Farms]

Hi so I am new to this site and need advice. I have been tapping for about 5 years and just bought an evaporator that was a 2x6 maple pro. The rep told me it could handle at least 500 taps. My sugar bush has mostly silver maples but there are over a thousand mature trees. My question to you guys would be, should I use 500 taps or just start with 250? When I purchased the evaporator I also purchased 250 taps, holders, and bags. Please help

[wiam]

How much time do you have to boil? If you can afford more put them up. Usually can find someone to buy extra sap. You should be able to handle all those with a 2x6 if an ro is added later.

[Skarda Maple Farms]

Thanks for the advice. I took off every day in March so I have the time. I was wondering if I could collect the sap all by myself or should I look for help. Doing the math that is a lot of potential sap to handle on 500 taps on just bags. In the past I had a max of 12 taps and a good old fashion turkey fryer. I do have a 4 wheeler that will help.

[wiam]

I have gathered 500 buckets in the past by myself. I think it took about 2 to 3 hrs to gather.

[Skarda Maple Farms]

I will now have a 500 tap operation but the only thing I am lacking would be storage bins for sap. Like I said I have a 4 wheeler and I thought of placing a 35-40 gallon barrel on the back. Then I would place a hay wagon hooked to a tractor outside of woods to unload my 4 wheeler. Does that sound like a plan or a disaster?

[Skarda Maple Farms]

Would you know of cheap storage bins to use? Also what size bins to use? I thought of using 2-450g bins for the wagon and maybe 35-40g on the 4 wheeler.

[dschultz]

Skarda
Where in WI are you?

[maple connection]

Glad to hear you are expanding your operation, I have a 2x6 and I think 500 trees for your first year with the evaporator will keep you busy. I would find someone to give you a hand collecting so you don't get burned out. You want this to be fun. I try to get used food grade 275 gallon totes every year That I sell along with other used maple syrup product. I am will to share any info that would be helpful to you. Good Luck and have fun.

[maple connection]

Mr. schultz
Did you make it over to Roth's for the open house?
I had to work on Saturday so I didn't make it.:(

[Skarda Maple Farms]

I live in Janesville but I was born on a farm near Denmark. Now my two brothers and I have the rights to the 150 acre farm, plus 33 acres just a few miles south of the farm. My brothers and I built a true log cabin from the trees on the land. So we have an awesome place to stay. The problem was convincing my brother to join me. One lives in OK, and the other brother lives in OH. I would love to start a family tradition. We still have a few buckets in the woods from 40 years ago when my grandpa use to produce syrup.

[Haynes Forest Products]

500 taps collect twice a day and still have time to prosess.........do you have a crack dealer that is close because you will need it

Any extra sap you dont want Ill be buying this year all you have to do is get it to Jacksonport Wisconsin.

[christopherh]

Last season I did 300 taps on buckets and boiled on a 2X6. I was very busy with 12 hours days boiling. I had a lot of help gathering but at time a solo it. It took me about 2 hours to collect. If I were to expand to 500 I would defienetly install tubing and get an RO. I'm currently moving up to an 2X8. Just my experience, hope this helps. I should mention I have a full time job, so all this has to be done in the evenings and weekends. Good luck with your operation. Chris

[Rhino]

Scarda, Just a heads up on the idea of putting the tank on the back of the 4-wheeler, We tried that in our younger days and tipped the wheeler over sideways because of the terrain and also the weight of the sap sloshing from side to side. Mount a tank on a trailer that is low enough to dump sap into a tank and pull it with the wheeler. Hopefully you have a 4 wheel drive 4-wheeler otherwise you might have a lot of issues with just sittin and spinnin. My Honda Rubicon can easily pull a 100 gal. tank around that is full of sap. Hope everything goes smooth for you next spring.

[Skarda Maple Farms]

Well I am learning a lot from you guys. So I will ask another question. Last spring when I taped a dozen taps for a test plot the woods was covered with 1-3 feet of water with a good amount of ice for walking. But the trees were still flowing. I was wondering the pros and cons of having the sugar bush in swampy land? Does the sugar content change or does it affect the amount of sap? I know one issue I had was walking over the icy woods. Steve I may have to build a make shift sled instead of a trailer. The good part is that the maples are altogether and the deep holes are in the back of the woods near a channel.

[maple flats]

Your 4 wheeler might easily pull a 100 gal tank/trailer in normal conditions but during syrup season the frost is coming out. Things change. 18" wet snow=problems, an over traveled narrows can= problems if ground is not very gravely. To pull such loads I would suggest a trailer and something on skiis for when a snow hits. If your ground stays firm and you are relatively flat you might do best putting a 25 gal on the front and a 35 gal on the rear. If not flat, use the trailer or sled idea.
Not for sap, but to pull all my tools into the bush during the winter I use a HD plastic sled used for ice fishing. Mine is about 2' wide and 3.5' long in HD plastic. They make bigger ones too. I would not totally fill a sled, too tippy, get a bigger one and design something to hold a 35-40 gal tank in the center without adding too much weight.
If you do have good slopes consider some tubing. If that is a no go, consider a dump station, where you place a tank with a drain tubing down to your tractor pulled tote at the bottom. Such a woods tank would not need to be very large, just big enough to dump into, the sap will run down while you collect more. The main thing is to remember, time spent now preparing a system will save time when things get real busy during the season.
Here is a link to one like I haul tools in, there are many others out there.
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/Fish-Trap-X-Sled-Black.aspx?a=573352&pm2d=CSE-SPG-1-SHOPPING&utm_source=shopping&utm_medium=cse

[Rhino]

I'm not sure how maple trees with wet feet all the time and as how that effects the sugar and the amount of sap, but the collecting part in a bush like that sounds like a headache. I don't want to depress you but if the woods are wet now, just imagine at snow melt time, the ice is the other challenge it sounds like, either you are slip slideing around or you are breaking through with every step which would run you ragged. Hopefully you have a rocky base that would help a bit with the 4-wheeler. Maybe someone on traders has the same type of situation and can tell me to shut my hole and that collecting in a wet bush isn't so bad.

[maple flats]

If you follow that link for a sled, the frt note is a typo, I think they likely charge $10.00 extra over regular shipping. I did not get mine from them, but it looks like that. Mine is about that size, that is the smallest I've ever seen, they go much larger. These are not a flimsey kids plastic sled.

[christopherh]

Those sleds work great, I have the large sled. I made a rigid hitch for it and tow it behind my polaris when the snow is deep. I might get another and try it tandem. I bought mine from a local Amish shop.

[cvmaple]

These guys are giving you good advice. collecting in wet conditions is a challenge. Too many trips over the same piece of trail will turn it into a quagmire. If you collect early while the ground is still hard your sap is frozen solid. It is a catch 22. You need good roads,alternate routes, tracks for the four wheeler, trailer with floatation tires, etc. etc. etc. Just don't let us discourage you!!!! We are only telling you what we learned the hard way.The most important thing is to have fun.

[Skarda Maple Farms]

I started to add up my budget and with the sled/trailer, sap tanks, and accessories it will be hard to pay for additional tapping supplies. Like I said in a previous post I already purchased the evaporator, and all the supplies needed for 250 taps. I could save a lot of money if I only buy 250 additional taps and not buy the holders /bags. I was wondering if anyone ever piggy backed two taps in one bag holder. The bags I am using are large and if I collect every day I believe it might work. Anybody have any thoughts with that plan?

[wiam]

Your taps should not be close enough together to run into one bag. If you have 250 then go for it with what you can have and expand as you can.

[Skarda Maple Farms]

I am sorry I meant to say I would use 2-3 foot tubing for the additional 250 taps. I thought of wedging a piece of tubing on the tap and then place it in the bag making sure gravity can take over. But maybe I am over thinking it.

[C.Wilcox]

Skarda- a sled can really make towing a heavy load a lot easier. I built a sled with metal runners for collecting my 50 taps and it handles the weight of the sap easily and helps keep rutting to a minimum. If you do try to build one make sure you design it the same width as the tires of the pulling vehicle.

One of the guys near Wausau does exactly as you say. Two taps into one bag. One is a standard 5/16" treesaver with the bag/holder on it and the other is a tubing tap with a 2 foot piece of tubing that reaches over into the bag. Works really well for him.

[wiam]

I am sorry I meant to say I would use 2-3 foot tubing for the additional 250 taps. I thought of wedging a piece of tubing on the tap and then place it in the bag making sure gravity can take over. But maybe I am over thinking it.

That could work