Newbie question.....

[Zagman]

I made my first post a few weeks ago.....I am the guy with the new sugar house and evaporator bigger than I need but no buckets or taps yet!!! Go big or go home!

So, while I MAY get bigger down the road (slippery slope, I know) I am starting this year with around 50 taps and boiling for a couple weekends.

I have NO intentions of running lines......I am either doing old school buckets, new school bags, or drop lines into clean 5 gallon pails.

Question: with such a small operation, and knowing that I've purchased NONE of the items in the three choices above, what would you do and why?

Sounds dumb, but money is not an issue, though I don't want to burn it! I will be dumping my sap into two food grade Brute containers on my sled behind my Tundra or Gator dependent on snow pack.

I am kinda of an "old soul" and like the idea of galvanized pails with covers....I know some local guys that run 500 taps and 1000 taps respectively and they both run old school buckets. With such a small operation, I think that's the way I am leaning but could be convinced otherwise. Bags seem to NEW or modern, but I'd consider them. Drop lines and buckets seem logical but I've never done that system when helping my buddies with theirs.....

Very basic issue, I know, but would love to hear expert opinions and pro's and con's of each for my small scale operation.

Thanks!

Mark Zagger

[wnybassman]

For my bucket trees I like the two gallon aluminum buckets with rooftop style lids. I've found decent deals on Ebay for buckets. For taps, I like the 5/16" stainless taps from the Smoke Lake Maple website, although I have had to make modifications to make them drips into the bucket and not on the hooks. I have tried the five gallon bucket on the ground with tubing running to it, but found it to be too cumbersome when trying to collect fast.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/wnybassman/maple/buckets.jpg

[wnybassman]

For my bucket trees I like the two gallon aluminum buckets with rooftop style lids. I've found decent deals on Ebay for buckets. For taps, I like the 5/16" stainless taps from the Smoke Lake Maple website, although I have had to make modifications to make them drips into the bucket and not on the hooks. I have tried the five gallon bucket on the ground with tubing running to it, but found it to be too cumbersome when trying to collect fast.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/wnybassman/maple/buckets.jpg

[tcross]

my first two years I did buckets hanging on trees and 5 gallon pails. I did the buckets where the trees were spaced out and I did 5 gallon pails where the taps/trees were close enough for me to run 2 or 3 lines into the bucket. switch to a pipeline the 3rd year, and won't look back... although I do have 10-15 buckets around the sugar house for nostalgia. i am far from an expert, but I tend to agree with wnybassman that the buckets on the trees are quicker when collecting... especially if your trees are spaced properly!

[Bucket Head]

We've done it with both galvanized pails and plastic pails with tubing run into them. Both work well in my opinion.
But with that said, and being someone who likes tradition and nostalgia- an "old soul" also I guess, you can't beat the look of the iconic sap bucket hanging on the trees. You know winter is over and spring has sprung when you see the pails!
Steve

[BAP]

If you are planning on selling any of your syrup, you don't want to use old galvanized buckets. They most likely have lead in the solder.

[Zagman]

sound like buckets....I am NOT selling the end product....so OK with galvanized....that said, if buying new, do you recommend the aluminum pails?

MZ

[wnybassman]

sound like buckets....I am NOT selling the end product....so OK with galvanized....that said, if buying new, do you recommend the aluminum pails?

MZ

Not sure you can even buy new galv. buckets anymore. The new aluminum buckets I have seen seem to run about $20 each. The used aluminum buckets I have bought on Ebay have run just under $5 each which included shipping. They were in pretty nice condition also.

[maple maniac65]

Leader still sells a lead free metal bucket. Very pricey though.

[Tweegs]

We hang a handful of the old metal buckets (with inserts) right out front of the shack for that nostalgic look.
Tubing/vacuum is run immediately behind the shack.
It’s only a few steps to show visitors the difference between new and old collection methods.

For the remote buckets I use the plastic 5 gallon pails, for a number of reasons:
The snap down lid helps keep moths, ants and other critters out.
Plastic spouts can be used and are replaced yearly, which results in higher sap yields.
Less risk of overflowing on those all night runs.
They’re cheap and will last a good many years.

The downside is washing all those stinkin’ buckets.

[RipTyd]

I don't have time to collect every day so the 5gal bucket holds more and allows more time between having to collect



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[ScottyWelden]

With a big evaporator and few taps, keeping your sap cold would be important. I freeze the first few gallons I collect in open-mouth plastic OJ containers. Then throw these in my sap storage barrel as ice cubes (with the tops off). I throw new ones in the sap barrel as needed.