buying sap

[maplefamily74]

whats a going price for buying sap buy the gallon or buy the tank full?how do u know u r not buying water..any info will help thanks

[Jay]

By the gallon is the way I have seen it done, get sap hydrometer and that will give the sugar % of the sap. Then you pay based on the sugar % per gallon. If you want to know how much sap it takes to make a gallon of syrup at a certian sugar % take the sugar % and divid by 86. Like sap with a sugar content of 2% takes 43 gallons to make 1 gallon of syrup. You can also work out a deal instead of buying the sap give them syrup instead. Someone I am sure has the going rate for sap based on the sugar. Hope this helps. Jay

[mountainvan]

jay, don't you subtract one gallon from that 43 for the gallon of syrup you made? sap prices are usually listed in the Maple Digest.

[maplefamily74]

ok thanks i will look into it but sounds like i should find someone give them syrup for using there trees thanks

[maple flats]

Are you talking about buying sap or renting trees or taps. I tap some on another person's land, I had 88 taps this year and gave them 3 qts of syrup. This is actually above the usual rate but I was happy and they were real happy. I had 57 taps on tubing, roadside sugars and then 29 on yard trees with buckets. If the wind blew a few buckets off the tap when the buckets were empty they re-hung them on their own and this was worth the little extra I paid.

[maplefamily74]

i think for the most part im gonna be renting trees theres roughly 2500 to 3000 taps i can put on this mountain..but i have to supply all lines and stuff..i just wanna make sure i cut a good deal and make sure im not playing with a hornets nest so to speak ..an ideas how to make a concrete deal where we both will be happy he owns a store so he could sell some syrup out of that as well..

[brookledge]

Usually the price quoted in the Maple Digest is for delivered sap to the sugarhouse. If you have to go and collect someone elses sap then you should pay them alot less.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you are going to put in the lines and taps on 2500+ taps, better get at least a 5 year lease. Don't want to do all the work for the owner to decide to take over a year later. :)

[maplefamily74]

yeah he will give me as long of a lease as i want but i wanna be fair with paying him ..he will take syrup in trade.....but wanna make sure i am fair and we r both happy

[brookledge]

If you are going to set up a tubing system on someone elses land then usually you would pay per tap. Some pay as low as 10 cents or as much as 35 cents. Some pay even more. You can definately give them syrup instead or along with money.
Where as when you pay for sap by the gallon it is usually when someone is selling their sap to you.
Your first question ask about buying by the gallon but then you talk about a lease of the land so not sure which way you mean.
Remember for you to purchase the supplies and do all the work the land owner is doing nothing so the price you pay is alot less then if the land owner was selling the sap to you.
Keith

[maplefamily74]

brookledge..i guess i kinda confused everyone when i asked its kinda a 2 part question..but i am leasing land to make syrup..but in the past when i was boiling before i have had numerous peole stop and asked me if i would buy sap so guess was naking 2 quetions out of 1 sorry...

[maple flats]

OK, I think the tap rent part has been covered. For buying sap you need to get a sap hydrometer or refractometer. Look at the sap when it is brought in, insist it be clear and not cloudy or deduct for cloudy. Measure the sugar % and come up with a price chart. A sap price is often given in
Maple Digest which you could either use or work from to make your own. You need to know how much volumn you have and base the price on sugar %. If you notice the chart they offer it is heavily weighted to high sugar % which is because it makes more syrup with less input from you on the RO or evaporator.

[maplefamily74]

ok thanks i will look into that..thanks for all the help guys

[Jay]

Van, I dont think so.......... :? , but lord knows I have been wrong before. Jay