Westcoast beginner....

[westcoast]

Hey guys! After way too much hummming and huhhhing, I finally decided to see for myself if it is actually possible to collect sap from our bigleaf maples out here in the Fraser Valley (about 1 1/2 east of Vancouver). I ordered 10 spiles and today they arrived, so today the trees got drilled! Tonight I took a quick look and, lo and behold... there's sap in them jugs!! Now, the question I have..... as the bigleaf has less sugar in the sap, requiring a longer boil, in the jugs tonight was some ice floating.... is that pure water, or just the same water/suger mix? If I could just toss out the ice to make the sugar content higher, that would decrease my boil time! I somehow doubt it would be that simple though.... Thanks for your time, and any tips for these bigleafs, I am all ears!! From the west side...

[mellondome]

Little early to be tapping . Use the search function o the site. You will find the answers to almost all your questions, as most of them have been asked many times.

Throw the ice out... its just water.

[westcoast]

From what I have read, the bigleafs season lasts longer than the sugar maple season. Anywhere from mid November right through mid to late February. Six out of the eight bigleafs tapped gave at least some syrup last night. However, I have one sugar maple in the yard, I'm guessing 40 years old, and it didn't give a drop...... too early for that one I suppose. Thanks for the reply, will do the search for answers from now on, just didn't have time yesterday!

[mountainvan]

Ask as much as you want. It gives us an excuse to talk maple and feel that we are slightly intelligent. Good luck with your sugaring. Just watch Sasquatch doesn't come drink your sap.

[westcoast]

I was wondering what is the easiest way to pasterize maple sap? With the lower sugar content in the Bigleaf maples, and all these health nuts out here with their "IN" beverages, perhaps that's an option. Is it the same as pasterizing milk,bring it up to a certain temperature for a few seconds, then cool quickly? Or is there a different process with sap? Just wondering... looks like the bigleafs depend on changes in the weather for the sap to flow. Last week was -4/+4 and the trees didn't so much... this week is -1/+6,nice warm all afternoon, sap is flowing better..... for a bigleaf, probably nothing like what you achieve back east. Thanks from the Valley!

[Zucker Lager]

Hey Westcoast:
Check out this thread lots of good info on the subject of maple water Jay

http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?26279-Maple-Sap-Water

[westcoast]

Thanks for the link Zucker! Definitely interesting.....