How do you accurately measure the amount of sap you collect?

[Galena]

Hi all, I have a microbush of 8 trees on buckets and always measure how much sap I get from each tree, each collection, so I know which trees are the best producers. And then I have an accurate record of how well they have run over the years.

But the system I use for measuring sap is very, very slow and time consuming....measruing to a fill line.

I need something like a funnel with a digital gauge built into it so I can just pour straight from the pail into the water containers that I use for collecting tanks.

It would also be nice if this device was also either a simple DIY, or is at least affordable and doesn't cost hundreds of $$$, and of course accurate and easy to clean and maintain.

Any ideas? What do other small producers use?

[Maple Lady]

I use a wine bucket with measurement markings on it, it's only accurate for litre and approx half litre. I collect in smaller buckets that are more manageable for me to carry and dump through a tea towel attached with an elastic to the wine bucket, I record the litres before I dump the filtered sap into my head tank. Not sure this would be what you would be looking for. You could mark the container yourself with a known measurement if it was possible. Save buying one.

[Galena]

MapleLady, yeah that's basically what I do too...only I use a 2-cup measuring cup! Good to hear from other microproducers. Thanks for the help and have a good season :-)

[bprifle01]

Galena
I have a five gallon bucket that I marked in gallons and quarts with a magic marker on the outside of the bucket. I use that to collect sap in. That gets me close enough for my needs.

[Galena]

Galena
I have a five gallon bucket that I marked in gallons and quarts with a magic marker on the outside of the bucket. I use that to collect sap in. That gets me close enough for my needs.

Good idea, but I want something that is dead-on accurate.

I've emailed the manufacturers of this gizmo https://www.testo-direct.com/product/testo-0563-4170-flow-funnel-kit-for-volume-flow-measurement carefully explaining what I am looking for and need and why. Awaiting a response.

[RC Maple]

I also gather with 5 gallon buckets. Each is marked with half gallon increments. When I'm done gathering I fill all I can to the 5 gallon line and put a lid on them for transport. Determining the amount of sap in the partials is easy with the markings on the outside. The numbers along with the sugar content are recorded when I get it out to the sugarhouse.

[maple flats]

Since all of my sap flows directly to the sugarhouse and I do not use a meter to measure how much sap I have, mine is just an educated guess. I do measure the sap sugar %. My most important number is simply how many gallons I produce and how many taps I had to achieve that.
Unless we start to have more freeze thaw cycles I will not even be close to my last 2 yr average of 1/2 gal syrup/tap. If it stays like what I've had so far I might be lucky to do 1 qt per tap. I've only had 3 real good flow days. Yesterday was slow flow as the temperature climbed to 72 in my sap tank and I processed within 90 minutes of it hitting the tank until the incoming sap got to 70 F. I then shut down. Looks like a freeze tonight, that will help.

[ducxsterdoo]

I don't track by tree...but I collect in a 65 gallon tank that has measurement markings on it...so I know what I collect per day. Some days I test my sap for sugar percent, but not all.

Being an IT guy by day, I track everything in spreadsheets and do reporting on that.... fun to see at a glance how I'm doing. ...and I'm experiencing the same as maple flats...much less sap output compared to years past. ...and with the forecast here in Western NY, I may be done after this weekend.

Here's my stat tracking report with my season to date stats....

21213

[Galena]

I don't track by tree...but I collect in a 65 gallon tank that has measurement markings on it...so I know what I collect per day. Some days I test my sap for sugar percent, but not all.

Being an IT guy by day, I track everything in spreadsheets and do reporting on that.... fun to see at a glance how I'm doing. ...and I'm experiencing the same as maple flats...much less sap output compared to years past. ...and with the forecast here in Western NY, I may be done after this weekend.

Here's my stat tracking report with my season to date stats....

21213

LOL if you're a data geek you should see my spreadsheets! I measure down to like a 1/4 cup so my measurements are bang on...the methods proposed by you guys with big-*** collecting tanks won't work for me. Still, fun to see how others do it!

[ducxsterdoo]

LOL if you're a data geek you should see my spreadsheets! I measure down to like a 1/4 cup so my measurements are bang on...the methods proposed by you guys with big-*** collecting tanks won't work for me. Still, fun to see how others do it!

Well, I'm not sure my 65 gallon tank counts as big-***, but it's definitely not to your level of accuracy :). I have 25 taps this year...in 24 trees. Lots of fun to watch the numbers.

[GeneralStark]

Why not just weigh the sap and convert to volume? Should be pretty darn accurate.

[OneLegJohn]

Bias plays a huge part in any experiment. It is best to measure it with a meter. You can't lie to yourself that way. Unless, you want the numbers to turn out how you want them - instead of what they are.

[Galena]

Bias plays a huge part in any experiment. It is best to measure it with a meter. You can't lie to yourself that way. Unless, you want the numbers to turn out how you want them - instead of what they are.

Sorry, but I'm not catching your drift. Please explain.

[Sugarmaker]

I bring all my sap into the sugarhouse on a truck. 325 gallon poly tank with several markings on it. I try to mark down all the sap gallons and the sugar content from a run. This season I gathered a little over 8000 gallons for our small to mid sized operation. Made 183.5 gallons of syrup I see the sugar drop a little below 2% in the last couple of runs. So it too about 45 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup. About 650 taps of my own and 40 or so from a friend after several weeks into the season. So made the quart per tap on short run tubing.
I like to keep the final records on a wood board that hangs in the sugarhouse.
Regards,
Chris

[GeneralStark]

It is best to measure it with a meter.

But how do you know your meter is accurate? The OP is talking about pretty small amounts of sap so a meter is likely overkill anyway....

[berkshires]

I put the sap into my pre-warming tray a quart at a time. I keep track of every quart that goes onto the evaporator.

GO

[Galena]

That's basically what I am doing, only with a 2l jar, usefully marked off in both metric and imperial. Been working fine! Just a little slow when I get a run of of 70l at a time...

[berkshires]

I don't find it slow because I don't want to put more than that in the evaporator at a time anyway, or risk killing the boil. To know how much I'm gathering, I just eyeball it as I collect it. I usually am within a gallon or less of my estimate.