Getting Started

I have been thinking about making maple syrup for years and I finally identified the Sugar Maples near my house. I have now immersed myself in all things maple on the web and my wife thinks I am nuts. (nothing new there)

I am going to tap a few large, well capped, lotsa sun sugar maples next spring. I need to build an evaporator, what size pan would I need? I'm expecting to have 3 - 4 taps. I am guessing about a 2' x 3'.

How much wood would I need to burn? I know that it depends on the volume of syrup to be boiled and the sweetness of the sap but assuming average sweetness with 3 - 4 average taps. Also assume average BTU's from the wood.

I'll be happy just to have someone point to where I can do the math myself and I'll post the results here as a homework assignment.

I live in Northeast Pennsylvania. My obsession has led me to consider buying land and doing this professionally (it would not be my only income). I will wait until I have made some of course but I have a dream of buying 150 acres of sugar maple forest and making a go of it. Also buy some hives and make honey and maybe have an ice cream shop with a miniature golf course.

Am I nuts?

Also, there should be a "Beginners Forum" in here and maybe a "Why NOT to do this Proferssionally Forum"

Thanks,

Steve

[forester1]

Your wife is right. It's a nutty thing to do. :wink: The books say figure on 1 quart of syrup per taphole in an average year. I'm not sure there is such a thing as an average year. Try to find a pan that is deep. 8 inches or a foot deep would be real good, but not necessary. I would try to find at least 25 trees. With 3 trees you could probably boil in a stock pot. A pan 2x3 with only three trees would spread the syrup out too thin towards the end of boiling and you would risk burning it. Ask your neighbors to tap their trees. Just get a big pile of wood, keep it dry, and boil until you run out. If you have extra wood after the trees stop running, keep it until next year. That's my advice but I'm not a boiling expert, being a relative beginner myself, there are others here with more knowledge of that.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Steve,

Sounds like you enjoy reading and info. For starting out, a good book to get and read would be "Backyard Sugaring". You can buy it from about any bookstore on the internet and several maple suppliers also carry it. Another good book to read if your interested is the "North American Maple Syrup Producer's Manual" which you will have to get from a maple supplier. Both of these books are around $ 10.00 and will be something you will enjoy reading many times. "Backyard Sugaring" is for beginners and backyarders and the "Producers Manual" has lots of information for everyone. If you're really into reading, "Sugartime" by Susan Carol Hauser is good reading and you can get it on ebay for $ 6 to $ 8.

As for starting, the pan size sounds really good but you will need at least 20 to 30 taps with it. It will take five gallons of sap just to put and inch of liquid in it. The average per taphole per day is a gallon of liquid and the sap need to be boiled in a day or two. With that size pan, you should be able to boil off 5 to 8 gallon an hour with an efficient setup. That is the same size pan I started off with, so it will do fine! :D

You will learn more from the Maple Producers Manual that I could tell in 2 days.

Most of the above books are available at www. bascommaple.com!

Hope this helps,

Brandon

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Steve,

There are hundreds of older posts that you could gain ton of information from on the Maple Trader also that you can read whenever you have time. You may want to even join so you can send messages to other members to ask questions you don't want to put in a post. :)

Sure are a ton of nice people here and some of them know a ton and are glad and willing to share any info they can to help others. :D

Happy sugaring! :D

Brandon

[mapleman3]

Steve... Welcome to the Maple world!!! I take it your still in school? Great time to start!!!
As Jerry and Brandon said... you have come to he right place for info... there are alot of great posts here on every facet of maple sugaring!!
Jerry said it right... if you do it go with more taps, it shouldn't be a big deal to go to at least 20 or more taps, 3-4 won't make didley as far as having enough to boil down, and will be too easy to burn or scoarch. if you want to build an evap, the best thing for you would be a small cinder block arch. with a small pan or pot.it will be safe, and not get the kitchen all stickey!!!(I've done that!!)
As Brandon said, Backyard sugaring is a great book with alot of good ideas for starter setups. you will find it is very informative on making syrup. start small and learn the nuts and bolts of making good syrup and before you know it you'll be building the sugarhouse and buying that land you want!!!
Good Luck
Jim

[Snash]

I am now a registered user. (now we're getting serious)

The quart per tap rule is pretty stingy - but I guess there is no way around it. I'll probably reduce the pan size a little and increase the number of taps.

I ordered the "Backyard Sugaring" and a pamphlet on Sugarbush Mgmt from bascomaple. I saw the "North American Maple Syrup Producer's Manual" on the web so I'll print the relevent pages. I really need the ideas on how to build a cheap, efficient backyard/hobby setup.

Nope I haven't been in school for years. I'm in my 20th year of a career that no longer interests me and I am ready for a big change.

In reference to making money, I am not considering the cost of the land part of the balance sheet. I plan on buying the land and living there. The large acreage is part of a lifestyle change that I am looking forward to, whether or not I make maple sugar. I realize that identifying land that is properly suited for my plans may end up costing more per acre, so I guess that additional amount should go on the balance sheet.

Do the maples benefit from pollination? Does it increase sugar content in the sap?

It is now mini-golf, ice-cream, maple & honey gift shop, and campsites. The campsites will be in the hemlock portion of the land, the bees will be in the vast fields of honey and the maples will be on the opposite side from the campers.

Do state forests ever allow people to tap on their land? If so, I imagine a piece of land adjacent to a state forest would be pretty convenient.

Thanks for your input and encouragement.

Steve

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Steve,

Welcome again. Glad you could join the rest of us syrupaholics. If you have any questions you don't want to post, send any of us that you are familiar with a private message and we will try to help you. If we don't know the answer, we can probably refer you to someone who does.

The plan sounds great. If it works, I am sure it would be an encouragement to others to be able to do something like it.

Keep up the good posts. Everyone likes reading new posts!

Brandon

[MICHAELH054478]

Steve, Another source of info is to visit a sugar house and talk to the people. Most sugar makers would love to talk about there sugar operation. Thats what I did here in VT, working with about 6 guys who sugar and visting a bunch of sugar houses during the season helped me out a lot. I got a lot of different ideas on how I wanted my sugar house to be when i retire in 4 years...If your ever in my neck of the woods ill show you a few sugar operations from a 2x4 in a sears tool shed to a 5x16 with a r/o..........Good luck with your plans......Mike

[Al]

Hi Steve. Welcome. I just started 2 years ago with 10 buckets an open fire pit and round stock pans. Made 3 gallons. This past year made a barrel evaporator, jumped up to 20 taps and ended up using a 18 by 12 inch roasting pan. Made 4 1/2 gallons. :D Bought some pans off Mapleman3(Jim) Building a 10 x 12 shack and I'll go up to 25 taps this year. After next season I'll look into finding a little evaporator and increasing up to 40 taps.
If you have any questions this is the place to be. Get all the reading material you can and talk to anyone who sugars. Besides being maple nuts it seems we all like to talk. Must come with the territority.
Take care,

[themapleking]

Don't hold your breath on tapping state land. If it's done they will do it with your tax money. The same with county forest land. The best way is buy your own or lease some one's. The best thing to do is to never look at this sight again, cause once we get you in here we never let you go :!: :lol:

[mapleman3]

Boy... We ARE a bunch of welcoming folks!!! actually we are just sucking in another member to our twisted addicting maple site!! :wink: Steve the guys here are great people!! use us as much as you want. some of us are small producers that started just as you... and some guys here are large producers that have been doing it for years and years... and no matter who it is , they will give you the best advice they can... just watch out for the maple bug... !!!!!once he bites.. he bites hard!!! :wink:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Steve,

I would definitely second the advice of looking at other operations. Talk to the older gentlemen who have been making syrup for 30 or 40 years. This summer may be a good time because they are not busy making syrup and most of their equipment is still in place. By looking at their operations, you can get tons of ideas. Don't get too big really fast because you learn so much by making it with a really small operations for a couple of years. :)

There are just so many things they can teach you that you can't learn in a book and they are tons of fun to talk to and most of them love talking(some bragging) about their operation to other people(especially if you are just starting out)! :D

Brandon

[forester1]

Hi Steve,
I'm not sure pollination will increase sugar content. I don't think so. What will is increasing the area of crown. Trees with a lot of leaf area will produce more sap. Like roadside trees. To do this will require periodic thinnings. Open up two sides of the crown at one time. Leave the best tree and take out the rotten or poorly formed trees. A few years later do it again. If you burn wood then you have a use for the culled trees.
In Michigan you can't tap trees on state land. You have to own the land or lease the trees from a private owner.
I'm just a beginner myself. I bought some land 25 years ago, tapped a few trees, and made some syrup. I decided to save $25 out of each paycheck to buy syrup equipment. For various reasons I haven't tapped out since but still the dream never died and the money built up. Last year I bought a new 4x12 evaporator with preheater hood and installed it in a building I built. I still have a lot to do and it is hard work but fun too. Just this weekend I was at the property digging out holes for the woodshed foundation. Blackflies and mosquitos were thick. But the beer was cold and something got accomplished.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Steve,

I posted a new post under the tapping, tubing & installation section with lots of info on getting started making syrup. There is tons of info and several different websites!

Hope these help some in you quest to make syrup!

Happy sugaring! :D

Brandon