Lowes sells a food grade bucket. Look for white buckets with a yellow "food Grade" stickerAnd their food grade. Unlike a Home Depot or Lowe's bucket.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Encore-Plas...Bucket/3694238
Lowes sells a food grade bucket. Look for white buckets with a yellow "food Grade" stickerAnd their food grade. Unlike a Home Depot or Lowe's bucket.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Encore-Plas...Bucket/3694238
Collected about 3.5 gallons from the 24 taps before the weather turned warm again Went out today after we got a heavy rain last night and had to dump a few containers that were obviously fully of rain water, not sap.
2016: First season ever. 12 taps. 55 gal of sap. Just shy of a gallon of syrup
2017: 24 taps in new trees. 65 gal of sap. 1 gal + 1 pint of syrup
2018: have 24 taps out, planning to get 12 more.
I use 5/16" plastic spiles draining into gallon fruit juice jugs
I use cinder brick, wood fire, and 6" Steam Pans and finish on my electric stove.
Well, I reckon my tapping days are over. I was getting ready to tap last week and got a call from my well driller. He needed to meet me at my new house site. That led to a couple days of work to get ready for him, and made me realize I don't have time for the maple syrup this year. In the middle of a house build, I just won't be able to spend full days boiling down syrup. Bummer. And the new property doesn't have any maple trees, so once we move out there I'll be just another syrup buyer.
If anybody's interested, I'm filming the construction of my log cabin kit. When it's done I'm planning to go over all of my costs, which should be kinda interesting. https://www.youtube.com/user/Sqeptick
Hello everyone! My name is Sarah and this is my first year tapping. I tapped ten black walnut trees on the 19th and have only gotten about four gallons of sap so far. I know they don’t produce as much sap as maples, so I’m just assuming I’m going everything fine. Our weather is fluctuating like crazy in Kansas! I’m probably going to start boiling on Friday.
Welcome to the trader, Sarah! Got anymore sap off of those walnuts? You'll have to let us know how it turns out. I've always wanted to tap walnuts, but I'm too busy with maples. Don't hesitate to ask any questions, and there are a handful of folks here on the trader that do tap walnuts, so they may have some advice to offer there.
MG
Now I have an outdoor hobby for all 12 months. Like I need anything more to do
About 1000 taps on gravity tubing, MicRO2 RO, 2.5 X 8 Leader King, and a 1953 Willys Jeep to run around the maple woods with.
http://www.gihringfamilyfarm.com/
I was able to collect this morning. I got 38 gallons from my 65 taps. Still trying to get my evaporator up and running.
I had one tree produce about 1/2 a quart of darker,but clearish sap. Didn't smell. Any ideas what thawas about?
Lots of trees, bees, rocks, firewood, and syrup.
last 2 days have been great due to warm days and nights in 30's. got 140 gallons in 2 trips through the sugarbush. had family help me because its hilly and muddy. started boiling yesterday afternoon and continued today. will stop the boil before bedtime tonight, and finish in the kitchen tomorrow. hope other mo producers have been enjoying the good flow.
2020: 220 trees, most smaller than 20" diameter, made 25 gallons
remote location in western Cole County
5/16" plastic spiles, drain into plastic buckets or sapsaks
haul sap out of woods using atv & trailer
wood-fired pans on concrete blocks
one Leader Half Pint 24 x 33" plus 24 x 30 ss pan from a junkyard
cook batch process then finish in the kitchen;
we dont sell our syrup; its for family & friends
see website www.mosyrup.com
Thanks for the info on the buckets everyone. If I get too concerned with the pickle smell, I'll hit up the local donut shop. I feel weird just going in and asking for buckets when I don't even buy donuts there. Maybe I need to buy a dozen to ease my conscience.
Thursday night I collected the sap and had about 2.5 gallons from my 3 taps. Will be boiling today.
Hobbyist
2018: Finally decided to get in the game
I "blame" the Maple Sugar festival at Rockwood Reservations for my new obsession.
Just got home from a trip to Texas and will be tapping soon. Wish we had more moisture in the ground here but we will have to make the most of what we have. May not tap all of our trees unless we get some rain. Guys take a look at the sap sacks, we used buckets for years before we found out about sap sacks. They save a ton of time and require very little clean up. Good luck all!
Matthew
Highly modified Leader Half Pint with Smoky Lake 2 x 4 Raised Flue
14' Grain Bin Sugar House
152 taps on 3/16 tubing
MES Dolly 100 RO
Homemade filter/canning tank with an electric water jacket
Kubota RTV 1100
http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/j...Maple%20Syrup/