Tapped trees on Friday 1/16

[RiverSap]

Very nice setup. So the raw sap comes in with that white PVC pipe into a large pre-warmer pan. Then the Arch is on the left and the hot exhaust air runs horizontal under the warmer pan to the stove pipe on the right. Looks like you have quite a work crew there.

[Goggleeye]

Very nice setup. So the raw sap comes in with that white PVC pipe into a large pre-warmer pan. Then the Arch is on the left and the hot exhaust air runs horizontal under the warmer pan to the stove pipe on the right. Looks like you have quite a work crew there.

For the most part. You can see the bottom of the bulk tank in the top of the picture, the sap comes down the PVC. There is no "preheater," though. The sap runs into the float box, which flows into the back pan, which is the flue pan. It's boiling throughout the length of the flue pan despite the cold sap coming in. There's just that much heat. The flames make it all the way from under the syrup pan on the left into the stove pipe.

If I can get time, I want to make a short video summarizing the process.

[Ray_Nagle]

If I can get time, I want to make a short video summarizing the process.

I hope you do, because I have no idea about the function of all the different pans. Nice looking setup, even though I don't quite understand all the components.

[RiverSap]

Float box will be a task for next year.

[Goggleeye]

Saps been flowing so hard here in SE Missouri we can't keep up! We've had a freeze/thaw every day for the last 9 days. So far we've made 50+ gallons from 460 taps. Best start we've ever seen. Started with a nice light amber, we're almost at a dark now. Need sleep really bad. I teach and drive school bus, come home and collect until 11 pm or so, and do it all over again the next day. Wife starts the day bottling and mans the evap the rest of the day. She's a good woman! I actually might get some time at the evap Sunday afternoon.

[skinny78]

We collected 70 gallons Friday night and another 55 gallons Saturday night. It's a start but not as good as you guys down South. Hopefully this week will be better!

[RiverSap]

Goggleeye to make 50 gallons of syrup you need 2000 gallons of sap. Where do you store that much sap? If the sap keeps flowing like it has for you so far this season you will have a shot at the 200 gallons of syrup. Here in the St Louis area we have had good daytime temperatures hut at night it has not been falling below freezing at night. This past weekend we had a few decent days. Still looking for better conditions. I have not collected enough to cook up a batch yet. I tapped 35 trees this year on a tubing setup mostly.

[Goggleeye]

You're right, I've been keeping track, and I've collected somewhere around 2200 gallons at this point. I have 2 275 gallon totes elevated in the loft of the sugar house for a head tank. However, the most I'll put up there is about 450 gallons - I start getting nervous because the firebox loading area is underneath the loft! We (my wonderful wife) try to run the evaporator daily to try to prevent getting a backlog of sap. Sometimes, though, I have to store sap in an extra tote on the ground during a really heavy run.

Last year, we produced 198 gallons - so close, but the last 8-10 gallons aren't worth eating! Maybe 200 this year!

I can't believe you haven't been getting the cold nights being 100 miles further north. We do, though, live in an area that tends to drop about 5 degrees more than the surrounding areas. Hope you get those better temperatures. It'll hit at one point or another.

[Ray_Nagle]

I can't believe you haven't been getting the cold nights being 100 miles further north. We do, though, live in an area that tends to drop about 5 degrees more than the surrounding areas. Hope you get those better temperatures. It'll hit at one point or another.

I'm near St. Louis, and our low temps are always about 5 degrees below the city's. So we've been getting good freezes on most nights.

By the way, Goggleeye, are you a commercial producer? If not, you must eat maple syrup for every meal all year to go through 200 gallons.

[Goggleeye]

I'm near St. Louis, and our low temps are always about 5 degrees below the city's. So we've been getting good freezes on most nights.

By the way, Goggleeye, are you a commercial producer? If not, you must eat maple syrup for every meal all year to go through 200 gallons.

To say commercial producer might be a bit of a stretch. We do, however, sell quite a bit at local farmers' markets and through word of mouth. And we do eat quite a bit of it as well! We should have our commercial (production) kitchen completed by next year.

On those temps, NOAA forecast is 33 tonight, and when I came in a few minutes ago, the ground already had a frozen layer. Probably another good sap flow tomorrow.
Have you been getting sap all these days? I tapped 5 trees with one of my classes today at about 11:30, and by 5 already had over 5 gallons of sap! Kids love it - I just don't know how I'm going to do a cooking demo at school. Guess I could use a turkey fryer.