I made syrup!!!!!!

[rustyinmaine]

I did my first boil and brought it inside at about 212. I then continued to boil with the dueling thermos. and hit 119 on the button. I quickly pulled it from the heat and got my very first batch ever. From what I've seen it is a medium amber. It came out somewhat cloudy but as it cooled it settled to the bottom and proceeded to eat french toast and pancakes for the next 4 hours. Thank to all that gave me advice. The homemade evaporator seemed to work great after some adjustments. I got the entire pan to boil consistantly for about 4 hours and went through about 35-37 gallons of sap. I figure when all said and done I got about 3/4 of a gallon. I am very excited and pleased with results. I now have about 35 taps and plan to boil again this weekend. I have to say that this site has been a tremendous help and thanks again to everyone that helped me out. I am definately hooked for life and am thinking of expanding already. Thank again:D

[wnybassman]

I did my first boil and brought it inside at about 212. I then continued to boil with the dueling thermos. and hit 119 on the button. I quickly pulled it from the heat and got my very first batch ever. From what I've seen it is a medium amber. It came out somewhat cloudy but as it cooled it settled to the bottom and proceeded to eat french toast and pancakes for the next 4 hours. Thank to all that gave me advice. The homemade evaporator seemed to work great after some adjustments. I got the entire pan to boil consistantly for about 4 hours and went through about 35-37 gallons of sap. I figure when all said and done I got about 3/4 of a gallon. I am very excited and pleased with results. I now have about 35 taps and plan to boil again this weekend. I have to say that this site has been a tremendous help and thanks again to everyone that helped me out. I am definately hooked for life and am thinking of expanding already. Thank again:D

And so it starts............ LOL!!

Congrats!

[LawnMowerMan]

Congrats.....I started this year with this site too!

Great group of guys here. (odd to find a forum where complete noobs are welcome) And can stay noobs and not get completly flamed.

I started out wanting to do 2 gallons for my own use............wellll............we are up to 5 for the year and have a date with good beer and cigars tomorrow, maybe some german wieners burnt on the fire!


Oh and another 75 gallons of sap! lol


Sounds like a great day of work to me..............:cool: ..

[NJG]

I have to second rustyinmaine's thoughts. I'm just a second year small, family group operation but the wealth of information on this site is amazing. I spent last weekend with family and friends, constantly waiting for 24 taps to start dripping. Although the sap was dissapointing, we were all over friggin' joyed to end up with a pint of syrup!

Hats off to all of the guys on here that are willing to share their opinons and thoughts!

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by rustyinmaine View Post
I did my first boil and brought it inside at about 212. I then continued to boil with the dueling thermos. and hit 119 on the button. I quickly pulled it from the heat and got my very first batch ever. From what I've seen it is a medium amber. It came out somewhat cloudy but as it cooled it settled to the bottom and proceeded to eat french toast and pancakes for the next 4 hours. Thank to all that gave me advice. The homemade evaporator seemed to work great after some adjustments. I got the entire pan to boil consistantly for about 4 hours and went through about 35-37 gallons of sap. I figure when all said and done I got about 3/4 of a gallon. I am very excited and pleased with results. I now have about 35 taps and plan to boil again this weekend. I have to say that this site has been a tremendous help and thanks again to everyone that helped me out. I am definately hooked for life and am thinking of expanding already. Thank again



And so it starts............ LOL!!

Congrats!
No kidding. LMAO Another future addict

[SilverLeaf]

I got the entire pan to boil consistantly for about 4 hours and went through about 35-37 gallons of sap.

Wow - nice, solid evaporation rate! Well done. And congrats on your first batch! Enjoy your new hobby/addiction.....

[mike z]

Yep, now you've done it. You're doomed to a life of watching water boil every spring. Their is no known cure.
I second the post on the all the wonderful people occupying this space. This site provides a great teaching service. Thanks all:)

[Maplehobbyist]

Great group of guys here. (odd to find a forum where complete noobs are welcome) And can stay noobs and not get completely flamed.

I'm a newbie but I've been lurking for a while, loving the humor and absorbing the knowledge. "Completely flamed" sounds like something I've done to my sap/pans on more than one occasion.

It does seem to be mostly "guys" who post and the only time women/wives are mentioned is when somebody is in need of a dope slap. Is this truly such a male dominated activity/hobby/addiction or is it just that posting about it is male dominated?

[KenWP]

There is a few woman post one here just they seem to have a life and work to do so it's seldom. I am still trying to learn. Hard to do when I have to work in two languanges and get info form two countrys. That and being pig headed dosn't help.

[madmantr]

I am also a newbie this year congrats. It's hard to believe I'm already thinking about next year,My season is already over .

[ten2four]

Started Feb. 19 ended yesterday 3/19 10 trees 12 taps natural gas and a steel pan. Excited about making just over 4 gal. Last batch didn't taste quite right, so pulled taps. Mercer County Pa.

[Ausable]

Congrats.....I started this year with this site too!

Great group of guys here. (odd to find a forum where complete noobs are welcome) And can stay noobs and not get completly flamed.

I started out wanting to do 2 gallons for my own use............wellll............we are up to 5 for the year and have a date with good beer and cigars tomorrow, maybe some german wieners burnt on the fire!


Oh and another 75 gallons of sap! lol


Sounds like a great day of work to me..............:cool: ..

LawnMowerMan - I agree completely - a great site. Congradulations on a good year of syrup making and many more to come.
I'm new to this Site too and also impressed with the Ladies and Gentlemen who we find here. Lots of good advice and sharing of knowledge and good humor which is lacking on many sites.
One of the reasons - I think - Is that to get our Sap - We are forced to deal with Mother Nature - the great teacher of Humility. When any of us get to full of ourselves about Maple Syrup making She quickly knocks us down to size again. In my little part of Michigan - She continues Her lessons - Very Little Sap and Ma Nature Rules --------- Mike

[LawnMowerMan]

Well we actually ended up with 94 gallons of sap for that boil.....great day, we are hoping for 1 more batch this year, and then we have to pack up and get busy at our day jobs......lol The last batch was our best tasting so far so of course now we want more! We ended up with just over 2.5 gallons of reddish brown syrup. The color is just great on this batch. Never seen such a nice red color in maple syrup, ill try to get a pic next week. (of course our count on gallons boiled may not have been quite accurate after the first 12 pack:lol: )

[Ausable]

Started Feb. 19 ended yesterday 3/19 10 trees 12 taps natural gas and a steel pan. Excited about making just over 4 gal. Last batch didn't taste quite right, so pulled taps. Mercer County Pa.

Hey --- Four gallons is great for your first year ----Congradulations. I've been at it for fifteen years and four gallons is where I'm sitting right now - Mother Nature will just not share Her sap with me this year - But I'm trying to be patient till my trees finally bud out -- Mike

[Backyard Sapper66]

Hi All,
I am new to the Maple Trader.com web site. I was told about it by a friend who is really into the maple syrup production. I love this place. Lots of info and great people!!!!
I started making syrup last year using some buckets that I borrowed from a friend. I made about 1-1/2 gallons last year using stainless steel pans over an open flame arch constructed in the back yard (hence the "backyard Sapper66"). It was a blast to do. This year I moved to a new location and tapped about 11 trees around the house. I was able to collect around 35 gallons of sap and boiled it down last weekend. I only ended up with a little over a 1/2 gallon of syrup. I built an evaporator out of a 55 gallon drum and used the same 3 stainless steel pans from last year to boil in. My wife thinks I am crazy (she is right!!) but I stayed up all night from 4pm to 5am the next day to boil it down to about 1 gallon to bring in and finish on the stove in the house (after some much needed sleep). I guess you could say that I am hooked. I had to pull the taps already because they weren't producing anything. Really looking forward to next year already:D .
Good luck to all who are still in the game!!!!
"Backyard Sapper66"

[boondocker]

congrats on your first year, when i started i had 10 tapsand a turkey cooker, and alot of time sitting in a shed with my lab. it has now progressed to a 12x20 post and beam sugar house, a 2x6 evaporator and a very understanding wife and yellow lab lol:rolleyes: the addiction you just cant explain, sitting in a sugar house with 400 plus gallons of sap and boiling for hours on end and walking out with a few jugs of sticky tree juice........well i just cant wait to do it again. good luck with your sappin and remember the gods upstairs love maple steam so send them as much as you can:D