how to get started on the cheap?.....kind of.

[ProBoot]

Ok so a little about me and my set-up so far.

Location is in Ontario Canada, just outside of Ottawa. I've got 8 acres of thinned out Maple trees that are majority mature(min around 10" and largest around 30").

I bought the property and live here, the former owner was an operator of a sugar bush with a oil fired evaporator(since sold) and has a concrete floor sugar bush building with a 1000gal stainless steel storage tank, up to date oil tank(with some oil), about 200 taps, some finishing pans, 50ish stainless buckets, 200ish galvanized buckets, and about 10 lids(lol). The building is set up with 2 storage tanks and plumbed in with valves to attach to an evaporator in it. buidling was purpose built with large venting above(ie the sides of the roof open wide)

So I looked and looked for a cheap option for evaporator to suit my needs:
Found a complete 3X12 unit that I hauled home with intent to cut up and make fit my needs. After lots of research on it I came to find out its a Old Grimm Champion Arch from what I can only figure out is from the late 1800's with updated syrop pans from 1959.

It was just too much to deal with so ended up letting it go to someone that will use it as is.

So now where to turn? How to get moving soonish on production and boiling with a good evaporator.

Only items I currently have are finished square pans, filters, bottles etc. Can I pick up some steam line pans and use them on the wood stove to boil? Will I get any type of finished product in a timely manner?

I don't want to drop $5k+ on a set up out of the gate but also don't want to start off too premitive.

Any advice accepted.

[Andy VT]

Whew, that's a big question, but a fun one! Just what we need to get some lively discussion going!
That's a good problem to have that you've got there... having lots of maple trees and wondering how to make best sugaring use of them.

I would say its going to be a scramble to get from here to a 2024 sugaring season to the full potential of your propery but if you're doing buckets you've probably got 2 months before you start drilling where you are (guessing on that one... the old timers in your area will give you the skinny on when to tap for buckets).

Throwing together a cinder block arch and plopping a vevor 2x3 pan on it might be one way to get your feet wet this year, if you've got some seasoned firewood for it. Do your finishing in a smaller but taller pan over propane. Or if you want to use your oil look for something like a Leader half-pint that burns oil.

Ultimately you want to decide what your goals are, how many taps your sugarbush can support and how many of those do you actually want to tap. If more than 50 you will want to at least think about setting up lines, and if over 100 or 200, almost certainly so, decide on fuel, and decide on your setup from there. But I think that's a 2025 season goal.

But for 2024, making some syrup on some small scale is totally do-able. Normally you'd think goal to sugarbush to setup, but for 2024 you might just grab or build some kind of arch (a barrel arch could be an option too) and let whatever setup you get ahold of determine how many buckets you hang for this year.

That's just a quick start to what I hope becomes a lively discussion!

Andy

[aamyotte]

If you're on Facebook, there's a buy/sell group called Ontario Maple syrup Equipment buy/sell there. They have various things come up for sale. There's also a group Ontario backyarder maple syrups group which have some good information and are good to let you know when to tap in your area so you don't start too early or too late. You will also see a post on here called eastern Ontario 2024 that will get lively when the season gets close.

[littleTapper]

This is tricky; cheap is tough!

If you really are thinking about doing it over the long term, with 200 taps, I'd probably progress like this to spread out costs.

1. 2x6 arch with a flat pan. Get going with some # of taps, 50-100 at most. That evaporator would keep up. See how things go. Learn.
2. Expand or streamline the operation. You'll be sick of buckets right away. You'll probably want to look at tubing and shurflo setup(s) if things are flat or 3/16 if you have slope. See how it goes; as sap production would increase over buckets.
3. RO - Bigger RO bucket or single post setup. Would allow you to keep using that 2x6 and then expand taps to cover all 200 available. You could also switch to a raised/drop flue pan depending on the arch and likely keep up without an RO. RO is just easier and more cost effective though.

Not cheap, but ease of operation is worth it and you'll find ways to be more efficient. Floats for the pan, auto-draw, other automation. Lots of rabbit holes to go down, but don't be in a rush. Learn, take notes, and read, read, read.

[ProBoot]

Thanks all for the advice and information.

Currently looking at a dauntless evaporator, flat pans but for this year I may just build a brick outdoor set up over an open fire and see how it goes with steam pans or similar. I really don't think I'll be able to get into an evaporator in time to get it built, set up and flowing in the time I have available before the sap flows.

I'll run around 25 buckets this year on my easy to access trees and larger trees on the property and see what kind of flow I get. I'm excited to produce some and hope I can get 20l or more of syrup as that's about what I consume personally a year now.

[aamyotte]

My first year I boiled on a barrel evaporator I built with 2 steam pans outside. For boiling outside I recommend adding a wind break with a tarp, that greatly reduces the wind effect taking the boil away from your pan.

[ProBoot]

I think I got my spouse on board with spending a little money to have a good pan set up and grow from there. I think I'll boil outside this year over a brick/home made set up with a continuous flow pan set to ensure I get some good stuff going.

Its shaping upto be a last minute deal but should get some syrup out of things maybe mid/late season if things go well. I still have to learn how to tap a tree for a tap and bucket, figure out how to collect sap and then how to boil it and make syrup.

I really hope to make about 20-30 liters of syrup this season which on about 20-30 buckets may be a stretch for a newbie but I've always been ambitious in new things.

[Andy VT]

Sounds good, you can do it! You've got time to get set up to make some syrup this year as a practice run for a bigger future year.
You won't be late either, or at least you don't need to be.
Around here the time to tap for buckets is around March 1 to March 7, and you're north of us.
Starting out the most common mistake I think is to get over excited and tap too early.
This year I'm seeing it bad on the facebook groups. Winter seems mild, plus they hear about the big guys with vacuum getting tapped, and people start drilling. It might be time now in Kentucky but not in the traditional maple belt. Wait till your traditional start time, and only let the weather move you one week in or out.

[TapTapTap]

Why are you thinking of an outside operation if you have a sugarhouse? The sugarhouse is the most expensive part of establishing an operation, aside from land. Buy a used 2x4 rig and build upon the sugarhouse - start figuring out how to make use of the existing tanks, plumbing, and general setup. Then figure out your future goals specifically to the number of taps. When you get that figured out take next year to move into a bigger rig.

just my 2 cents.

[Andy VT]

Good point from Ken... might as well grab some kind of rig you can put in the sugarhouse. If it's there, why not?
I've heard of cinder blocks in a sugarhouse but probably have to be quite careful with that.
I think SSL Family Dad on youtube did it.
If you can find an actual evaporator all the better. It'll re-sell well.

[aamyotte]

Once you have what you need make sure to do a test run with water. Easier to make tweaks when it's just water and not in the rush of processing sap.

[ProBoot]

I've talked to a few local people about it and all agree that it's only guys on lines tapping now and to tap for buckets now means probably no sap when it actually starts a season going. I mean how else is someone with 25k trees to tap for lines going to get it done?

I have a sugar house and tanks etc however the largest missing piece is the evaporator. Looking at Dauntless 2X4 or 2X5 but the costs is high for a first year newbie for now at 6-7kCAD which I just can't afford outright and financing something like that with no ideal way of the product paying the bills scares a bit.

that's where the thought of boiling outside this year on system I can make out of junk around the farm came about. Still utilize the tanks and sugar house for certain things however evaporator sits outside the sugar house waiting for sap to boil on weekends.

Every evaporator I've seen come up in my price range was either a barrel evaporator or sold by the time I was able to contact. they move FAST.

Planning and practicing this year will be my goal
Building and refining is the goal over the summer/fall with praying that 2025 season I can go a bit bigger. Within a 1min walk of my sugar shack there are about 40-50 tappable trees which is my goal this year(40 buckets)

Keep the good suggestions coming though I love to hear everything and still reading and learning.

[Lanark]

The CDL store in Perth is open and has some smaller evaporator set ups, otherwise keep checking Kijiji everyday for used equipment. But it will move fast.

[4Walls]

I started with 10 pails then 25. Boiled over a turkey burner in my wood shed in a 10 gallon stainless pot. Same heavy bottom Martin Pot is 129$ at my local propane shop. I have 2 of them. Multi use throughout the year. Super handy around the farm. Scalding pot for chickens, Simmering down tomatoes for sauce, Apple sauce, large batches of chicken stock for the canner and such. Get a feel for making the syrup and see if you like it. You WILL make mistakes. That's the fun part. The pots last forever if you decide to step it up to a larger rig in the future. Now have a 2x8 wood fired D&G with 550 taps. I converted that beast to burn veggie oil. Good luck.

[Brian]

On the Cheap, Buy a gallon. That said, the first thing to look at is the max taps you have or going to have and set up from there. I have gone through a number of holding tanks, evaporators filter presses ect. and I thought I was doing it on the cheap. No, the dealers loved me and I have given them alot of money. Size the evaporator and Ro to the size of your max taps then after that work on the sugar house. It is hard to make money sugaring with all the work that goes in to it. I remember the first time my wife and I took 2 Dr. Pepper 15 gallon barrells to Maple Grove. It was I believe 1.50 or 1.75 a pound. That was around 2002 and tubing p-30 was 30.00 a roll. Now bulk is 2.30 ish LB and now p30 is over 50.00 a roll. About every thing has about doubled except syrup bulk price.

[Big_Eddy]

Toss any galvanized buckets. Don’t use them for sap or anything you will consume.
Aluminum buckets are best for sap., then plastic. You mention stainless pails. Those are usually for syrup, not sap.