Nodda Duma
02-10-2013, 06:30 PM
With the upcoming above / below freezing weather, I figured it was time to start tapping maple trees.
First couple of years I was here I used buckets and tapped ~20 trees. The first year was a rental, and the second year was at our home we bought, and I thought 20 trees was about all I had. I was quite surprised this past spring when I finally got around to counting and counted 120 trees big enough to tap.
So this year is a big upgrade. I'm using drop lines into main lines and collecting in food barrels to tap ~100 trees. I upgraded my evaporator from turkey fryer to small cast iron stove. I don't expect to keep up evaporating the sap, so the extra will go to Parker's Maple Barn.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/11/u7ysabu4.jpg
[Photo of cast iron stove before being covered by "Blizzard Nemo". Rug rat provided for scale]
I have one main line put in, with about 20 trees tied into it. Hard work, holy cow! Especially in the snow. I cycled through two helpers (my two oldest kids) and was still working when my wife hollered, gave up on yelling at me, then called my cell phone to say it was time for dinner. I'll get another 20 or so tied into that through the week (working in the dark after work). I underestimated the length of the main line and need to order more. I have two more "routes" to run main line.
I'm using Leader's 5/16" taps with check valves in the spout. I like what I read about increased productivity.. We'll see and I'll report back for those who are curious.
I'm hoping to break even vs. the up front cost or get close and make some profit next year. My wife is doubtful and just shakes her head. She doesn't even like syrup... but the kids do. We go through about three gallons per pancake breakfast it seems.
The sap dumps into a 40-gallon food grade bucket. I'm hoping that will be large enough to keep up with daily sap flow. I haven't planned how to get it from the lowest point of my property (where the stove is) to my truck on the higher part of the property, other than to roll it. I'm sure this will come back to haunt me when the barrel is full. I have a vague idea about lawn mower and a trailer.
Here you can see the sap flow from the tree warming in the sun, and a section of main line in the back.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/11/7a2ahemu.jpg
I learned a couple lessons the hard way. One: Be sure you don't cut too much gap in the main line when inserting a four-port tie-in. Especially after you've run the line taught. My forearms cramped up more than once trying to pull the cut mainline together to tie into the pick-up:
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/11/etu7yvyz.jpg
[Not funny how much a cut main line shrinks when you try to insert this]
I think I'll get some of those clamp and tap 5/16" tie-ins.
Also learned that if you tell a 5 year old to hold your hammer, chances are that after 15 seconds she'll drop it in the snow, or run off then drop it in the snow.
First couple of years I was here I used buckets and tapped ~20 trees. The first year was a rental, and the second year was at our home we bought, and I thought 20 trees was about all I had. I was quite surprised this past spring when I finally got around to counting and counted 120 trees big enough to tap.
So this year is a big upgrade. I'm using drop lines into main lines and collecting in food barrels to tap ~100 trees. I upgraded my evaporator from turkey fryer to small cast iron stove. I don't expect to keep up evaporating the sap, so the extra will go to Parker's Maple Barn.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/11/u7ysabu4.jpg
[Photo of cast iron stove before being covered by "Blizzard Nemo". Rug rat provided for scale]
I have one main line put in, with about 20 trees tied into it. Hard work, holy cow! Especially in the snow. I cycled through two helpers (my two oldest kids) and was still working when my wife hollered, gave up on yelling at me, then called my cell phone to say it was time for dinner. I'll get another 20 or so tied into that through the week (working in the dark after work). I underestimated the length of the main line and need to order more. I have two more "routes" to run main line.
I'm using Leader's 5/16" taps with check valves in the spout. I like what I read about increased productivity.. We'll see and I'll report back for those who are curious.
I'm hoping to break even vs. the up front cost or get close and make some profit next year. My wife is doubtful and just shakes her head. She doesn't even like syrup... but the kids do. We go through about three gallons per pancake breakfast it seems.
The sap dumps into a 40-gallon food grade bucket. I'm hoping that will be large enough to keep up with daily sap flow. I haven't planned how to get it from the lowest point of my property (where the stove is) to my truck on the higher part of the property, other than to roll it. I'm sure this will come back to haunt me when the barrel is full. I have a vague idea about lawn mower and a trailer.
Here you can see the sap flow from the tree warming in the sun, and a section of main line in the back.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/11/7a2ahemu.jpg
I learned a couple lessons the hard way. One: Be sure you don't cut too much gap in the main line when inserting a four-port tie-in. Especially after you've run the line taught. My forearms cramped up more than once trying to pull the cut mainline together to tie into the pick-up:
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/11/etu7yvyz.jpg
[Not funny how much a cut main line shrinks when you try to insert this]
I think I'll get some of those clamp and tap 5/16" tie-ins.
Also learned that if you tell a 5 year old to hold your hammer, chances are that after 15 seconds she'll drop it in the snow, or run off then drop it in the snow.