Thanks, I will give that a try. I have three more to do, tubing to be added at the end of the lines, to go into the buckets.Quote:
Originally Posted by 30AcreWoods
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Thanks, I will give that a try. I have three more to do, tubing to be added at the end of the lines, to go into the buckets.Quote:
Originally Posted by 30AcreWoods
Thanks, I will avoid garlic or pickle buckets, lol.
The settling actually works.
I think in the 29 batches I made over the two years, in the second year, batch 11, which was a large batch, while lifting a clogged pre filter, in error all of the filters briefly lifted, allowing sugar sand to go past all of the filters.
In hindsight I should have filtered the batch again, but I didn’t. I bottled the batch and each bottle and jar had some sugar sand in it. But I just carefully poured off the pure syrup out of the bottle. I think once you get close to the sediment, using your idea of using one pre filter could help eliminate any wayward pieces of sugar sand.
I will be going by CDL tomorrow and may price a few things out. Ultimately I will spend some new money, but will try and use what I have and simplify things.
I keep thinking back to my neighbour’s who have been making maple syrup for generations and they have never used a hydrometer, don’t measure gph of their evaporator, never time when they add wood and every once in a while they will stand up and add a piece. They make good tasting syrup, just for the needs of their family.
I am sure I will still find a way to make it more hectic, I am sure I will make more syrup than planned, but I will try to become more low key.
Last year I tapped some trees at Christmas when had a warm spell, just to share the experience with the Grandkids. Not the most productive time to tap, but was priceless time with the Grandkids. My Grandson still has the bottle of syrup that I gave him, that we made, still unopened on his shelf.
This season is not going to be a real sugar season for me, but I plan on making some syrup. Ideally between 25 and 30 L. My boiling capacity is limited and if I go into full production, I might be able to boil close to 4 gallons an hour. I will be using two turkey fryers, an open fire with two steam pans above it, and an induction stove.
Last year, defying all logic, the trees I tapped at Christmas were still flowing when I shut down in April.
Seeing how this is just a wild card season, I thought I would have some early fun again and I might tap some trees this Thursday. If I end up making up one litre of syrup, making more, it will be a success.
This is a strong super El Niño year, and I think there will be several warm spells and who knows the early season tapping may add up.
I used the tip today, where I had a thermos of hot water, which I dipped the tubing into it, to soften it up, and I added the tubing ends to the three lines to go from the end connector fitting to the three five gallon pails. Last year I had two 45 gallon drums there, so I will have to collect more often if need be.
I will tap tomorrow with a five day warm spell starting. I will need the night time temperatures to drop a hair more to keep the sap flowing over the five days.
This will be a back to basics endeavour with a combination of cheesecloth and settling to remove most of the sugar sand and a thermometer, spoon drip, and appearance to nail down, when it turns to syrup. It will not be the class of syrup I made in the past, but it will be syrup, and I will have fun making it.
For this early in the season I will just use a turkey fryer and an induction stove for boiling, finishing and bottling.
It is crazy, but should be fun.
Tapped today, we will see tomorrow how it runs.
A month or so ago, checking the lines, one line was down and an animal had cut the line in several places and while on the ground in several other places. I never had any animal problems before. I had expected squirrel gnawing, but did not expect them to cut right through and drop the line.
Having sold all of my tools, I no longer have the tools to repair the line. For that line, I just tied the line to a tree and lost about 7 taps above where I tied it off.
Today I discovered another line down because of an animal chew. Not positive it is a squirrel, but it makes sense.
Next year, if I tap, I may just put drops into buckets, as I will not need any special tools to do that.
The last two years, I was all in, this year just making do, does not feel totally right. I will reaccess at the end of the season.
I am boiling today, not sexy using two inductions stoves and a turkey fryer, but it is working. There are no high volumes, but I should be able to make 2-3 bottles of syrup during this warm spell.
I will need the night time temps to drop a little, right now the forecast has changed and they are a little above freezing. Today will likely be my biggest collection day.
My turkey fryer arrived just in time from Fed Ex, just as I was starting to boil with the two induction stoves.
Still some unknowns ahead with nailing down when the sap is exactly syrup with the use of a thermometer, spoon drip test and experience from last year, and the filtering using cheesecloth and the settling technique.
December 15 and I am boiling, much better than sitting around doing nothing. This time of year all of the outdoor chores are done and the lake has not frozen yet to go ice fishing.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0feh...GHUyQDINH-GLMQ
Collected 13 gallons today and have it close to be boiled down.
The ironic thing is I will likely will have used electricity and propane worth as much or more, than if I simply bought the syrup in the store. Fortunately I do not have to pay myself for the ten hours today gathering and boiling it. That doesn’t count the capital costs of buying the turkey fryer, a new pot and thermometer and other things.
Yeesh
I ended up making 1.5 L of syrup today. I have zero idea of the Brix. I made it the best I could and it tastes great. My wife loved it and seeing how what I make stays in our household, that is all that counts.
I need the temperature tonight to drop below freezing. The Forecast is 0° /32°.
I am boiling again today.
While on my morning walk it occurred to me, that if I had my old divided pan, I would not have boiled at all with such a low volume of sap.
If I had to do it all over again, knowing what I know now, and being a hobbyist, and realizing that sometimes less is more, I would have purchased a barrel evaporator with either a large single pan or more likely two steam pans. It makes boiling of smaller batches much more feasible.
Just making it for home use, yesterday’s use of a cheesecloth for a filter and a thermometer, spoon drip test and appearance is good enough to make a tasty syrup to go on pancakes on the home. I actually use most of my syrup with my morning oatmeal. I just use a splash of syrup with blueberries to make it tasty.
Looking at the Saptapapp heat flow map. I might be the only crazy one tapping and making syrup.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/034z...gMU3iEQJesrbTA