Backyard syrup enthusiasts
Mapletrader has a large contingent of impressive larger scale syrup operators, but who/where are the backyard people? I thought I would create a thread where small guys can share "mapling". Who are the backyard operations, where are you from, how do you collect sap, what do you use to boil, how much are you getting, etc. Though listed under Maine Tapping 2018 all backyarders, no matter your location, step forward!
So here is my setup. I live in Mount Vernon, northwest of Augusta. This is my third season, the second here and the first being in Hermon, by Bangor. I started out with an old wood stove and stream tray, which worked fine except it took many boilings to get a moderate quantity of syrup. This is my second season in Mount Vernon and my first with a new stove arrangement of concrete blocks and 3 steam trays in conjunction with the original wood stove/tray as a warming pan. After some tinkering, my last boil was around 7 gallons per hour so I can easily get a gallon of syrup a day without being out all night. My wife and I finish it on the kitchen stove.
I collect in milk jugs attached to 5/16 spiles with a piece of tube and jute as a hanger. This has worked well over three seasons, but now that I have some really productive trees I will be using a combination of jugs and buckets next year to cut back on collecting time. I drag a homemade sled (old generator frame on downhill skis) around with 5 gallon pail to collect. The pails go in a snow bank for storage. Free frosting buckets from Hannaford are great for storage.
We are looking to make 4 to 6 gallons a season for our own use. The property is blessed with a large number of maples so I can let some trees rest every other year. Trees are mostly sugar maple with some red. Some trees are well over 150 years old. With 13 trees tapped (15 taps) so far this season we have made nearly 3 gallons of syrup off 110 gallons of sap, brix between 2.2 and 3.4 depending on the tree. I've got 50 gallons waiting for Sunday, perhaps the last boil for this season, but we'll see. Heck of a run this past week.
I find backyard syruping a great way to "get out in it" in winter-kind of a tie to the people of yesteryear. Just got my daughter into it in the city. You can do this anywhere. She even uses a neighbors tree!
Thats my brief-what's your story?
Last edited by Mvhomesteader; 03-14-2018 at 04:21 PM.
Two 2x4 concrete block arches with three steam trays each
Tapping in Mount Vernon since 2016, 30 to 70 taps, 5/16" tube to 1.5 to 3.5 gallon buckets, some trees on collective gravity tubing to 5 gallon buckets.
Mostly sugar maples, a few reds on 200 year old homestead