Very Small Sugaring Equipment & Techniques

[OrangeAgain]

I am thinking of starting sugaring in the 2015 season by collecting sap from mature sugar maples along the road edge of our property in Albany, VT. I currently do not have any equipment for tapping, collecting sap or boiling.

I would love to hear how others started on a small scale about the process, equipment, lessons learned...

[COMSTOCK MAPLES]

We started with a woodstove and a buffet pan and ten taps to collect from. Buckets are a good way to start and really see sap flow and track what trees are better than others. Good luck on your adventure !!!!!

[Ohissa ridge maple]

My past season I did 25 taps and got two gallons of syrup, it was a bad sap year. I got a 2x2 flat pan from United meatal co. in Hawley Pennsylvania. It worked great and is ideal for 1-35 taps, but it also depends how much your going to boil. How many taps are you going to to??? Good luck!

[OrangeAgain]

...It worked great and is ideal for 1-35 taps, but it also depends how much your going to boil. How many taps are you going to to???

Although there is potential for significantly more, I expect the number of taps to be 35 or less. I'll check out the 2x2 flat pan from United Metal Co.

[psparr]

Check craigslist for flat pans. Your in the right area to find one.

My first year I had a few taps with milk jugs and red solo cups!

[optionguru]

Start saving milk jugs and any other 1 gallon size containers. Buy a bag of plastic 5/16 taps. If you cut the right size hole in the handle of the milk jug you can hang it right on the tap. Then go to your local grocery store if it has a bakery. Many times they will give you or sell very cheap their cake icing buckets, they are 2 to 5 gallons and food safe. Cheap way to get collection buckets. As far as boiling I started with a turkey fryer, did not work well. Lost most of the heat in the wind. Quickly started upgrading and haven't stopped yet. Good luck and have fun, it's a great experience and great excuse to spend time with family and friends.

[jrgagne99]

As far as boiling I started with a turkey fryer, did not work well. Lost most of the heat in the wind.

I started on 20 taps with a buffet pan on my propane grill. I took the grates off and used some stand-offs so the pan sat down just 1/2" above the flames. I think that actually works better than a turkey fryer because it offers good protection from the wind and has a big wide flame area on the bottom of the pan. Boils about 2 gallons of sap per hour. I still use the grill to finish the remaining sweet from my 20"x40" hybrid pan at the end of each season. That yeilds an extra 2-3 gallons of syrup that would have otherwise just been dumped out...

[OrangeAgain]

I am thinking of starting sugaring in the 2015 season by collecting sap from mature sugar maples along the road edge of our property in Albany, VT. I currently do not have any equipment for tapping, collecting sap or boiling.

I also don't have a supply of dry firewood. I know dry firewood is important when burning it in a fireplace or wood furnace. How important is dry firewood if burning outside to heat a pan of sap?

[Ohissa ridge maple]

You don't need to burn dry fire wood, but if you can do it that is great it raises the sap evaporation rate. I have a propane evaporator and a 2x2 pan from United meatal co. and it boils 4 gallons of sap per hour.

[newmod]

I picked up 2 gallon food grade buckets from our local grocery/bakery. They get icing and frosting in them. I am up to about 60 taps using them with food grade plastic tubing. works great. buckets are kind of see thru, so you don't have to check EVERY bucket. My arch was a block arch with steam table pans. Only problem with that was sap burnt on the sides of the pans. If you keep the fire UNDER the pans you will not have any problem. I upgraded to a double 2x2 pans on a oil tank arch with minimal $$$$$. Good luck
Newmod