sap storage

[snohiker]

Hello people newbie here and my questions are just getting started first one is how long can i store sap before its no good im starting out with between 25 to 30 taps and would like to store it so i have enough to make it worth boiling thanks Rob (snohiker)

[KenWP]

What do you call enough to boil. At the first of the season you will find that it will freeze if you put it in a container in a snowbank and will keep pretty good then. Later you can do like I did and freeze some to make big ice cubes to keep the rest fresh until you get it boiled. You will find that when it's warm your suger level in the sap goes down a bit and it will make darker syrup also.

[3rdgen.maple]

Snohiker unfortunately sap spoils rather quick.I have never stored for more than 3 days. If the temps are cold enough maybe longer. Like KenW says you can stuff it in a snowbank or add blocks of frozen sap or some people freeze gallon jugs of water and put them in the tank. If there is a warm spell then you are better off getting it boiled down pretty quick. You can keep an eye on the sap and see it start to get cloudy and it will have a somewhat of an off smell to it. Before it gets too bad boil it down. It will still make you some good syrup just maybe on the darker side. If it has gotten really bad it will make what some call mersh. (commercial grade) Over time you will gain the experience and know how long you can hold it and when it is time to get it in the pans. Remember though the sooner it gets in the evaporator the better. Just have fun with it and we welcome the questions and you may even be able to answer some of ours.

[PerryW]

If you treat sap like you would milk, you will be okay. Keep it cold and it will last longer.

I boil mine right up, but some people boil only on the weekends.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Perry hit the nail on the head, treat it like milk. I have a 625 gallon stainless milk tank and have stored sap as long as a week or slightly longer. I use the aluminum sap buckets and free a few of them every day and throw the frozen sap/ice into it to keep it cool. I am not able to boil everyday due to work and living nearly 30 minutes from the sugarhouse, so do the best you can and keep it cool and out of the sun. Late season sap won't keep as long as early season sap, but I have kept it close to a weak in the last half of the season.

[red maples]

last year when I had only 25 taps, I filled 5 gallon water bottles 3/4 full and put them in my chest freezer. (I have a big chest freezer) until I had enough (or anticipated there being enough) pulled then out like 2 days before and just left them in the basement and they were ready to go. I did leave one jug out too long about a week and syrup was darker and really didn't get very much syrup out of that batch.

or I did the same and left them on the north side of the house (no sun) and they froze over and did fine!!

[snohiker]

thanks for all the replys my problem is going to be time i think im going to only boil on weekends in less its boils down quick that four letter word keeps getting in the way (work) i plan on building my evaporator this winter in the shop as well as my pans just need some pics of pans with baffles and a preheater so i know what im trying to make im thinking a 2 x 4 just trying to figure out how they make the arch so thin and get away with it i was thinking 3/16 plate but from what ive read its way to heavy

[tessiersfarm]

I built mine last winter and it is all out of 1/8" plate. I do not have any framework to speak of just the plate welded at all corners. The firbrick liner is what keeps it from getting too hot. I used a 2x2 angle on top to form a rim to hold the pans. Mine is a 2x6 and we actually built a flued pan that works great. We used a 4x8 sheet of 20 guage stainless and bent it into an accordian until it was the right width for the pan and welded ends on it. There are a couple of pictures in my photobucket.

[red maples]

its all about insulation and firebrick to protect the outer layer. but the frame is very heavy...thats where your support comes from. Think of it like a furnace or boiler something to that nature the shell is thin sheet metal but it is lined with insulation and bricks. to keep the heat where it needs to be heating air or water or what ever. in this case you want as much heat contacting the bottom of those pans as possible. if you don't insulate then a large portion of your heat is lost throught the sides. in a wood stove you want that heat to escape throught the sides top etc so the brick holds and protects the sides from overheating but there is no inusulation.

the bricks basically protect the insulation from the abuse of wood fired arches.

[red maples]

tessiers farm I like your cone filter setup I have been thinking of how I could rig that up. thanks for idea.