The results of our first year

[NJG]

We own some land west of Ogema, WI, and tried out hand at making syrup for the first time this year. I put in 10 taps and boiled on steam table pans set on block. Since I can only get to the property on weekends, I used drop tubes with 5 gallon pails. Since we had little or no snow cover, I was a little worried about the sap going sour but for the most part we were pretty lucky. We didn't end up with much sap but made just under a gallon total.
Although I fashioned a short stack out of block, the rest of the setup was pretty basic.

I want to thank everybody for posting so many ideas and explanations on this site, both the rookies like me and all of you experienced guys. I've learned more in the last year reading this site that I had imagined and we are already making plans for next year.

Anyway, as a rookie, here are a few things that we learned from our season this year:

The time it takes for a block arch to heat up is usually spent thinking about the "new arch".

Mud: Just accept it.

I'm going to need a new chainsaw.

Cheap steam table pans will twist on a hot fire.

Current production levels will NOT pay for beer.

My wife was right to be just a little skeptical of my new hobby.

I don't forsee filtering ever being fun.

Making syrup is NOT a cure for spring fever....It's a seperate diagnosis entirely. ( I can't say I wasn't warned though)

[Clan Delaney]

Current production levels will NOT pay for beer.

Don't worry. It's a necessary cost of operation. Non-recoverable. No way around it.

My wife was right to be just a little skeptical of my new hobby.

Do her hobbies not pay for beer? No. :lol:

I don't forsee filtering ever being fun.

I'm told that if you get yourself a filter press, it will become an addiction.

[KenWP]

Filtering is made easy if you follow directions instead of being porcine headed like me and do it may way. When I followed directions and used the orlon filter and the prefilters it just ran through in seconds. This was my first season and my keeper is now a believer that I can make syrup now she even runs the evaporator while I go to town and collect sap and such.

[C.Wilcox]

NJG,

Sounds pretty similar to my set up. About the filtering....I take my syrup down pretty close to done outside, but then I bring it inside for finishing and that's when I do my filtering. While the syrup is still thin and hot I pour it through a clean white T-shirt into the pot I'm going to finish it in. It pours through quick and easy and the syrup is really clear when it's done.

[NJG]

Thanks again for the tips. I'm going to finish and filter my last little batch soon and am looking forward to how it all turns out. Using orlon cone filter and pre-filters. While I was using the turkey frier to finish, I noticed that the top 3'' of the pan flares out at about a 45 degree angle. I'm thinking about making a filter rack that can rest in the flare of the turkey pot, allowing me to lay flat filters on top of it. Kind of a finisher canning rig just begging for attention. I've already got the orlon but as I've been reading the posts on this site, I've learned that bigger is better!!!