Sugaring season near Lancaster, PA 2014

[Sandersyrup]

Just wondering how the season is going for anybody near Lancaster.

I've made about 3 Gallons of Golden (borderline Amber)

Temps are weird this year. No Major sap runs, just daily drippings adding up slowly. Not cold enough nights last week, not warm enough days this week. The past two years my trees were done by now.

I'm feeling good about my totals though, seems like a nice long stretched out season in the works. This year still feels like its only getting started.

[krismast]

This is my first year and it has been hit or miss with my trees so far. The ones in the front yard don't seem like doing anything at all. The sugar maple in the back just started running just in time for the cold weather to come back and shut it off. Still I got about 1/2 cup of very light syrup over the weekend. John, see if you can guess who I'm related to by my username lol.

Also, where did you get your evaporator made? How has it been working out so far?

Kristopher

[Sandersyrup]

Hey Kris,

hmmm I know two completely different Mast families. Both of which are awesome! So it's either Kent Mast from one family or Daniel Mast would have my closest friend on the other. Either way nice to see you pop in!

My evaporator is actually an "Amish wood fired canner/cooker" built by DS machine in Gordonsville. I like it because I like to can tomatoes and cook corn for freezing, pear butter, applesauce and make syrup in the winter. Very versatile. I'm getting about 5 gallons per hour. I love it. But I can't handle much more taps on it before I'd need to get something better designed for sap.

[krismast]

Yup Kent's my brother lol. Growing up I always thought you couldn't make maple syrup unless you lived in New England, I'm glad this year I actually looked into it. Then Kent tells me that you did this too. So I somehow stumbled upon this website and found you lol. That's pretty cool about your canner. I need to figure something better out for next year as my propane burner isn't efficient enough. Right now, it looks most likely that I will be building some sort of cinder block arch. And I'm already looking for more maple trees. The addiction begins lol.

Kristopher

[Kyle M]

Just south of you guys I've made 1.5 gal. I think I tapped half my trees to early and half right about proper timing. Hoping we keep going for a little while this is my first year trying to sell it

[Evets]

I'm in Reamstown. I did my first boil of the season yesterday and made 2 quarts. I have 14 taps in 7 silvers around the neighborhood.

[Ma&Pa-sapper]

York Pa. I first tapped 2/18/14. It’s slow, but averaging .44gal sap a day per tap and about 2.5% syrup yield.

[psparr]

I live in Denver but tap in Huntington county. Went up this past weekend to a foot of snow. Got the four wheeler stuck many times, burned a batch because I decided to collect more sap and got stuck again and didn't make it back to the evaporator on time. (Learned my lesson).
Had about 150 gallons of sap and ended up with less than half gallon. Temps look terrible this week.

Lets hope it starts soon!

[Evets]

Tough break there. Hope it goes a little smoother for you next time.

[5050racing]

Say that again 150 gal to 1/2 gal or did that include what you burnt?

[psparr]

Say that again 150 gal to 1/2 gal or did that include what you burnt?

I had about 100 gallons in when it went. It didnt run dry, I should have drawn off and it got heavy and scorched.

[Sandersyrup]

I think I burned my last batch too. Didn't notice the sap barrel was empty and I looked in the pan to see barely 1/2 furiously boiling. Took it inside to pre-finish. I turned off the burner at 216° to filter and let the niter settle in a gallon jar for a week before finishing and bottling. It's been 4 days and only the top inch is cleared. I guess that one will need to sit for a while longer.

[Etown Maple Syrup]

I still have frozen sap that dripped into my 5 gallon buckets two weeks ago. I did remove some ice and I hope to see a higher sugar content when I decide to collect it. I need 50 gallons of sap to make my evaporator worth firing up! I think Old Man Winter is winning the battle this year and I hope to get at least one weekend boiling in after this predicted 6 inches of snow leaves our area on Tuesday. Again!

[Marcus]

Sandersyrup which size canner do you use and what kind of boiling rate do you get with it. I thought about getting one.
Marcus Yoder

[Sandersyrup]

Hey Marcus,
I'm using the 30 gallon. It's pretty big and if I have a super hot fire I can get 5 gallons per hour perhaps higher if I really manage the burn well. I'm using green wood (split 3 months ago). I prefer to let the system go at a pace that allows me to check on it every 15-20 min or so. So last boil I did 30 gallons in 6 hours.

I also think some modifications could be made to increase production.

So it could easily handle 40-50 gallons sap in a easy day of boiling. More if you work for it and even add some efficiency modifications. I think it should be lined with firebrick and wrapped in insulation. It could also being it from some sort of preheater.

One thing that is hard to manage is draining it with a hot fire. I installed a damper on the stove pipe and close off the air and wait for the pan to cool enough to drain quickly and then dump some water in the pan to prevent scorching.

You could also do 75% on wood and then remove the coals and throw in a gas burner to finish it.
Lots if learning but so far I'm happy. In the future I hope to expand and I will still have plenty of use for it I'm sure. Finishing, canning. And so on.

It could also use wheels. It's heavy and I have to be creative transporting it. Working on that.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/01/e2usyhyh.jpg

[Sandersyrup]

All that said and I'm sure for the same price you get a bigger faster block arch system with a real pan. But you lost all the canning and cooking functionality.

[Sandersyrup]

Finally had a great run this weekend. 90 gallons of sap. Long weekend of boiling almost complete. I'm might cut of my air supply fill her up and go to bed finish in the morning.

[krismast]

My weekend was ok. Three of my reds still refuse to run. All I'm working with is one red and one sugar. Still, after the weekend and what I had frozen from the last run I got 1.5 cups of finished syrup. At least it's something! Not exactly as impressive as all of you folks who measure in gallons lol
9087
To be honest I don't have any way of measuring the density of my syrup so this year everything stays in the fridge and gets used quickly. I'm sure we will find a way to use it :lol:

[Evets]

I made two quarts a couple weeks ago, before the last cold spell. I collected about 25 gallons of sap this morning from my 19 taps. Sap seemed to be running pretty well. I'll be boiling tomorrow(today)what I collected today(yesterday) and collecting what ran today(yesterday) as I go. Y'all follow that?:lol:

[Evets]

While I'm at it, can anyone tell me exactly what this tree is? It's a new tree I tapped and is running well, it just doesn't look like the rest of my trees. 9088908990909091

[markcasper]

looks like a sugar maple to me.

[Sandersyrup]

Yep, those ridge-like bark waves are a dead give away for Sugar Maple.

1st year I made syrup I made 3 pints of precious smoky watery syrup. That stuff was more valuable than gold.

[Evets]

Thanks guys. I had a feeling it was sugar. I feel a little foolish not knowing but last year, my first, I only had silvers to tap and never took note of this tree while the leaves were on. Luckily, I tapped 4 more just like it.

[Evets]

I had a nice day boiling in the back yard today. I made 2 qts and 1/2 pint of dark amber syrup from 25 gallons of sap.

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[Sandersyrup]

I like your block arch! So tidy! Coincidently we were drinking nugget nectar by the evaporator yesterday during a long boil! Good stuff.

[Evets]

You betcha!:cool:

[Sandersyrup]

Was expecting sap today. Good low temps over the past 48 hours, atmospheric pressure drop all day, 48°F right now, barely dripping.

I think it has to do with the wind and the fact that the freeze over on Wednesday evening was to hard too fast. 49° in 3 hours.

[Evets]

Same here. I had to chase buckets around the neighbor hood yesterday due to the wind. Hopefully I'll get some sap over the weekend, cold and maybe snow again on Monday! After that it looks pretty good.

[krismast]

Same here. I had to chase buckets around the neighbor hood yesterday due to the wind. Hopefully I'll get some sap over the weekend, cold and maybe snow again on Monday! After that it looks pretty good.
Didn't lose any buckets since I tied them to the tree with twine after I lost a bucket the first time a couple of weeks ago. However a lid with the tubing attached was ripped off the spile by the wind and blew across the road into a field. Thankfully I found it when I did. Heading home now hoping to find some sap!

Kris

[krismast]

Well I did come home to about a gallon of sap. However I'm now behind where I started. The shaded area next to my house had a snow bank that I was storing my buckets in. Apparently all of the snow decided to melt today when I was at work and the bucket tipped over, lids came off and all my sap ran down the driveway. :mad: oh well I did what anyone else would do in my frustration, I found another tree to tap :lol:

[Evets]

I made another 2 quarts today. I was surprised to find so much sap this morning. It must have been running all night, since it was above freezing.

[Sandersyrup]

I got a ton of sap today too. So strange, I went to bed and nothing, they filled up overnight. I'll be boiling all weekend. :)

[Evets]

Next week is looking pretty good, once we get past Monday that is. Looking forward to boiling in my new pan, if it's ready in time.

[adk1]

I just have to ask....does Levi have his hand in your syrup operation? Haha jk

[Evets]

Lebanon Levi? What a sap!:lol:

[Kyle M]

Are any of you guys the one tapping the road side trees on 896 next to al funks garage, passed them this weekend on my way up the mountains

[Sandersyrup]

I've noticed a lot of people tapping this year. There are at least 10 that I have counted within a 5 mile radius of our home in Strasburg.

[Evets]

Are any of you guys the one tapping the road side trees on 896 next to al funks garage, passed them this weekend on my way up the mountains

Not me. I'm between Denver and Reamstown.

[Etown Maple Syrup]

92679268
I have been waiting for a sap run at the woods I tap, but it has not been very productive this year. I resorted to tapping a few neighbors trees that are sugar maple and was able to collect about 15 gallons of sap that I boiled down to what you see in the photo. Hopefully the sun comes out and the sap runs in my woods so I can get at least a gallon out of it this year!

[Evets]

Looks like my trees are waking up. After shutting down for the last two days, I checked a bucket on a tree in the yard and at 11AM it was almost half full. I got home around 8 tonight to find that bucket full and a couple more close to full. I'll be collecting the sap from all 19 buckets in the morning and boiling all day, I think. Temps are looking good for the for-seeable future. It's about time! Just hoping the trees don't bud out too quickly now.

[Etown Maple Syrup]

I gathered 60ish gallons today before the rain arrived. The sap is from red maple trees and the sugar content is 1.5%. That is normal for the reds. Boiled all day and need to finish in the morning. Keep going until the % is too low to bother or the buds pop and the sap turns bitter and yellow!!

[Sandersyrup]

Just burned the daylights out of my pan and lost 1/2 gallon of syrup. Grrr. Tomorrow I'll be scrubbing a pan instead of boiling sap. Well I guess that means I'm a real sugar maker now.

[krismast]

Got just over 2.5 cups of finished syrup yesterday. My Reds are running around 2% but I measured my sugar maple and it's at 4% so I'm sure that's helping. I'm hoping to find more sugars in our woods. Sorry to hear about your syrup John. I watch my syrup like a hawk, I'm too nervous to leave it. One things for sure, this is the first and last year I use propane. Next year I'll really be boiling!

Kris

[Etown Maple Syrup]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0gzmUvWTUc
Ditto on the burnt pan and syrup! Luckily the first year I burnt syrup I was using a Turkey roasting pan and I did not have to clean the pan until thanksgiving. Lots of elbow grease to get it back to normal, though! The video attached is from Wednesday. I expect to boil the remaining sap I have tomorrow and that should end my season. there was nothing in the buckets today and the weather is forcasted to warm up for three days. The buds are popping on my reds, also!

[Sandersyrup]

I got her cleaned up.. I'm completely out of elbow grease. Had to resort to 120 grit sandpaper to finish. Normally i do watch the tank closely but I sometimes have fatherly duties distracting me and I forgot the sap valve was shut to lower the syrup level in the pan. Lesson learned. Good to go.

I'm expecting another run next week possibly some still in the buckets but who knows. wont be able to check until wednesday! My overall sugar content went from 3 to 2% so its looking like the season will wrap up in a week or maybe 2 at best.

Already looking forward to building a small shack and planning my 3/16 gravity tubing layout.

[krismast]

So much for my latest batch of syrup. Opened it this morning and it reeked of pickled beets, yuck! tastes awful too. Doesn't help that that is the only food I hate. I really didn't think glass jars would retain flavor. Lesson learned, I'm not reusing jars any more. Hopefully next year I will learn from all of these stupid mistakes I have done lol.

Kris

[Sandersyrup]

Oh bummer! You could save it for use in making sweet pickles. Sweet pickles require sugar. Perfect match.

I get my bottles locally at Filmore container. The have some great bottles for less than 50 cents apiece.

[psparr]

Oh bummer! You could save it for use in making sweet pickles. Sweet pickles require sugar. Perfect match.

I get my bottles locally at Filmore container. The have some great bottles for less than 50 cents apiece.

Check Gamber container. They are usually cheaper.

[krismast]

wow thanks for the info! I just took a look at their websites. This seems like a great local resource! I also found some bottles on their for a really great price for my vanilla extract! Thanks for the lead!
Kris

[Sandersyrup]

Just collected 40 Gallons of pretty clear sap from a somewhat unexpected overnight run! I'll leave my active taps in 1 more week. About 10 are dry.

Great season so far for us!

[krismast]

Just collected 40 Gallons of pretty clear sap from a somewhat unexpected overnight run! I'll leave my active taps in 1 more week. About 10 are dry.

Great season so far for us!
Good to hear! Only one of my trees ran today. While some are dripping very slowly. I'm wondering if my taps are closing. I'll probably pull them within the week.

Kris

[5050racing]

Gamber for sure is a good bet,I buy mine there,just make sure you get the correct caps,they had them mixed up earlier we caught it at the counter,easy mix up.They a so nice to deal with!

[psparr]

Gamber for sure is a good bet,I buy mine there,just make sure you get the correct caps,they had them mixed up earlier we caught it at the counter,easy mix up.They a so nice to deal with!

Or the right bottles for that matter. They are nice though.

[Sandersyrup]

Do you guys call in first with an order or just stop by?

[psparr]

Do you guys call in first with an order or just stop by?

you don't need to call to order. But calling to make sure they have them in stock couldn't hurt.

[Sandersyrup]

Don't pull your taps just yet, Mother Nature might bring the sap again this weekend! Bonus round!

[krismast]

I have a feeling my trees buds will pop sometime this week but time will tell. Temps look pretty high the next few days.

Kris

[Machinist67]

Well, with a slow start and for only tapping on March 2nd, I have collected over 2500 Gallons so far on 140 Taps. Not to bad for 3/16 tubing. Hope I still have this week and next. I will be keeping eye on the temps. Oops posted on the wrong thread!

[Evets]

I pulled my taps yesterday and will boil my last 50 gallons today. Not a great 2nd season for me but not bad either. I learned a lot and I'm already planning for next year!:)

[CentralPAGuy]

Just wanted to let you know that Gamber Containers doesn't have the maple jugs in stock, yet it is listed on their website --- they told me that I have to get them from McClures, a sister company --- Is there anywhere local where one can buy the jugs.

[Maplewalnut]

CentralPAguy

Not sure which sizes or styles you are looking for but I just picked up 75 cases yesterday of 3 different sizes from Gamber. Great people to deal with.

[krismast]

Officially pulled taps this morning. Finished Monday with really nice dark syrup. Now I need to take some time to walk the woods and mark some trees. Maybe see if I can get some neighbors to let me tap their trees too. Next seasons going to be fun!

Kris