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Thread: Backyard syrup enthusiasts

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Mount Vernon Maine
    Posts
    217

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    Great posts and stories-fun to see who is out there and how they do it. Everyone has a slightly different take.

    Woodsy- your set up sounds just like mine, right down to the jugs on the trees. I just finished a boil yesterday that was 8 gallons per hour- even the boil rate is the same. I ended up buying the steam trays, but the rest was free from the town's swap shop! I lined the inside of the arch with brick which, so far, keeps the block from cracking. Not mortared yet, just gravity keeping it together. I built it too late last fall to mortar it. Not sure I will either as it has worked fine so far.
    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

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Farmington Maine area 44.6* N
    Posts
    62

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mvhomesteader View Post
    Great posts and stories-fun to see who is out there and how they do it. Everyone has a slightly different take.

    Woodsy- your set up sounds just like mine, right down to the jugs on the trees. I just finished a boil yesterday that was 8 gallons per hour- even the boil rate is the same. I ended up buying the steam trays, but the rest was free from the town's swap shop! I lined the inside of the arch with brick which, so far, keeps the block from cracking. Not mortared yet, just gravity keeping it together. I built it too late last fall to mortar it. Not sure I will either as it has worked fine so far.
    I noticed our setups were quite similar. My blocks are not mortared either.
    Its nice to have a large evaporator so the old days out finishing till midnight are history.
    Paid $ 230.00 for my new pan but well worth it and the drain valve in it is a big improvement .
    Still struggling with filtering though. Orlon flat sheet material seems to be too heavy for gravity filtering even small amounts.
    Last batch was filtered through doubled up cotton t shirt material and so far so good. No sediment a week later almost
    Last edited by woodsy; 03-22-2018 at 02:16 PM.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    11,547

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    Back in the late 70's and thru the eighties, we made syrup on our woodstove in the living room. We made some every 2-3 years for our own use back then. We had 4 kids and they enjoyed helping. We rarely boiled the sap, it more sort of simmered, but then as it got close to syrup we boiled it on the gas stove to finish it. At that time we had 1 large sugar maple and 3 large box alders (also called an Ash Leaf maple.) We set out between 7 and 9 taps. and made between 5-8 qts. Then in the 90's life got in the way and I didn't make more until 2003 when I got into it enough to start selling some. That year I bought a used Half Pint and started by putting in 27 or 29 taps, not sure which. This time they were all in the woods where my current sugar house is. I then collected the sap and said, I can do more. It kept going like that until I had 70 taps at which point the sap REALLY started to flow. My half pint was set up on our patio, with a vender's tent over it. I had the stack sloped up at about 50-60 degrees with a double leg brace made out of some 1/2" EMT to support it. The stack then had about 12-15" clearance from the tent covering the evaporator. I was hooked. I made 10.5 gal, used 2 or 3 and sold the rest at work. (I drove school bus in my retirement and other drivers bought the syrup).
    It was obvious that when the sap really flowed I could not keep up with a half pint. I then bought a used 2x6 and later a 3x8 as I got deeper into the addiction. That summer I cut enough hemlocks in my woods to get sawed into lumber to build the currant sugarhouse. That went ok to a point. I hauled the logs to a sawyer about 3 miles from me, with a cut list. The first (of 6 loads total) was ready in 1 week. By the time it came to the 5th load (I could only haul about 7-8 logs on my 16' trailer pulling it with an Olds Bravada, I was overloaded for sure). That 5th load took 6 weeks to get done. At that point I bought my own sawmill. That sawyer did a 6th load while I awaited to have my sawmill built and delivered. When my mill came in, I sawed everything still needed on my own sawmill.
    We had a party (work party that is) on 12/31/03 when I had my first help and we set the trusses I had built. At that time I had no tractor with a loader nor my excavator, so I built a lift that I attached to the 3 point hitch on my little 20 HP compact diesel tractor. With that I was able to lift the trusses high enough to get them up on the 10' high walls and set them. During that week I put up the purlins spaced 8" apart and the next weekend my oldest son came and helped me put the steel roofing on. Had I known then how much it would "rain in the sugarhouse" I'd have put plywood down. I had lots of rain in there for the 2004 season, then I made a hood for 05 and the problem was solved.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Lowell, Maine
    Posts
    56

    Default Impressive kids!

    Quote Originally Posted by Bugsmudbooksandsticks View Post
    I agree, many people are large producers. I am a Kindergarten Teacher and I have been making syrup as a part of our school program for the last 7 years. The goal is to have the children do as much of the work as possible, this means simple. We have 41 taps and collect in 5 gallon buckets, we use an old steel wheeled WW2 Ammo cart to haul the 5 gallon buckets (as a class they are able to pull it with little help). We bring it back to our sandbox. Now we have sort of an evaporator set up--make shift that is. We started using open fire pits and cast iron cauldrons, I have made it safe enough now so that the children can do nearly all of the work. I finish on the stove in the classroom. They even make hand made labels. Making syrup is a great way to teach kids EVERY subject..evaporation, condensation, liquid conversions, tree identification, boiling points of water, using tools, chopping wood, primitive fire starting skills, discovering tracks while collecting sap, we keep track of gallons collected (200 so far), pints of syrup made/gallons made and most importantly children see where their tasty treats come from and spend HOURS outside. I have been trying to keep track of our Sap-N-School History-check out the photos..http://bugsmudbooksandsticks.com/sap-in-school/

    http://www.penbaypilot.com/article/r...e-sunday/98984
    I checked out your photos. What a wonderful way to children to learn!
    Page Meadow Maple
    Lowell, Maine
    Leader Half Pint evaporator
    80 taps: 53 buckets, 27 drop lines

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Farmington Maine area 44.6* N
    Posts
    62

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    Big boil of the season today, 50 gallons sap on hand . Sap has been running good. some trees been running overnight.
    Wind is right, temp is right, some clouds and possible light precip later .
    I had a couple boils already and both were just before Noreasters. Wind in my face, not good. Today good.
    Imagine everyone in this neck of the woods is boiling this weekend.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Fort Plain, NY, Montgomery County
    Posts
    661

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    We began our small farm on 32 acres of old hayfields over 20 years ago. All off grid with 3 microturbans and solar. Built it from logs from our land by ourselves.15 acre sugarbush. Started on the woodstove with a few buckets. By the time we had to sell in 2016 500 taps on vaccum. Went through a few evaporators ending with a Bill Mason 2x4(great) now in as tiny rural village. 4 trees. 6 taps. Ron has made 2 gallons of light so far. He's boiling on a propane fish fryer in the garage(his new sugar house) I guess you just work with what you've got.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Central Maine
    Posts
    114

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    Mainer here as well. 2nd year in, although I jumped in almost over my head by my choice this year. My uncle passed away last year and his little operation was called Ducktrap Valley Maple Farm. I found his sap lines up and decided to continue sapping on the property. Last year we finished the year with 7 gallons made.

    This year, I have about 210 taps out, and I staying busy between life and sapping. I needed to prove I could handle the business at the level I'm at. Next year I plan to license the business again, calling it Ducktrap Valley Maple in honor of my uncle.
    2017- Started small-made 7 gallons. Long days & few nights on a 1x2 and turkey fryer.

    2018- Bought a 2x4 and built a small scale RO. 21 gallons.

    2019- moved up to 100 gph procon for my home built RO. Built a steamhood. About 220 taps and 21 gallons again.

    2020- 140 procon on the R0. Added a new mainline at my in laws. 330 taps for 24 gallons, sold excess sap.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Mount Vernon Maine
    Posts
    217

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    Quote Originally Posted by highlandcattle View Post
    We began our small farm on 32 acres of old hayfields over 20 years ago. All off grid with 3 microturbans and solar. Built it from logs from our land by ourselves.15 acre sugarbush. Started on the woodstove with a few buckets. By the time we had to sell in 2016 500 taps on vaccum. Went through a few evaporators ending with a Bill Mason 2x4(great) now in as tiny rural village. 4 trees. 6 taps. Ron has made 2 gallons of light so far. He's boiling on a propane fish fryer in the garage(his new sugar house) I guess you just work with what you've got.
    Your experience with off grid living is very intriguing, especially the log home from onsite trees. 20 years is a long time to be off grid, and what you learned and experienced is invaluable. Its not the number of taps or gallons of syrup that matter, but the joy of tapping, collecting, and quiet reflection during a long boil. It is fortunate that that is still available in your current living conditions. Life is dynamic.

    Processed 58 gallons Saturday into 5+ quarts with still another 40 gallons left to go. I think I'll collect another 10 early this week, pull the taps, and boil next weekend. That would bring a 6 boil total to 6+ gallons for the season.
    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

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    ME
    Posts
    4

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    Hi-De-Ho there neighbors, I loved seeing this thread. First post ever. This is my first season (at the ripe old age of 63) sugaring and I am hooked! Was a little intimidated seeing some of these posts and the impressive collection of harvesting tools. But then I saw posts like these and told myself, just do it. This forum answered so many questions that I took the plunge. I was so clueless I didn't even realize the property I bought here in Exeter, Maine had a few lovely maples tucked between the ash, cedars, and pines. My prep started last fall identifying what I measured for size and good southern sun exposure and put flagging tape so I could find them in winter. I purchased 100 feet of tubing, bought and was gifted some spiles, and bought some food grade buckets and lids from Tractor Supply, and started saving my empty 2.5 gallon water jugs. I watched every video I could find on YouTube, looked at plans for dozens of setups on Pinterest, and ended up with a 2x4 concrete block arch with 3 steam pans. I use a turkey fryer as a preheater. I freakin love this process. I am still amazed. I understand the science, but clearly making great syrup is part art. I have had my ups and downs. My first boil I was reading an article about finishing syrup from a woman in Vermont and she had a picture of her syrup with a thermometer reading 217 (she lived at a 1000 feet or so). My brain knew it was 219, but I finished and bottled at 217. Realized what I did the next day and dumped, reheated, refiltered, and no harm no foul. That first batch was 1.25 gallons from 53 gallons of sap. The second boil was a day from hell.I had 75 gallons of sap and had to boil. The day was clear, 12 degrees, but 30 mph winds all day with wind chills of -4. Lit the fire at 6:45 am and finally finished at 6pm frozen but got it down to 7 gallons that I boiled down to get 1.9 gallons. And my first introduction to niter. When I reheated the sap for bottling, I must have heated the syrup to high and niter precipitated out to a half inch of sugar sand in each bottle. So I decided to dump, heat, filter, and rebottle. What a dumb move that was. I was using muslin and that didn't work. So I must have tried 5 different fabrics. None of them did a great job, and each one absorbed some liquid gold. When I was done (yesterday) I had lost almost two quarts of syrup, and still had some niter in suspension. I learned my lesson and orlon it is for me. I also found out that my digital thermometer was 2 degrees off so don't forget to check that as well. Today will be my last collection for the 2018 season. I am sooo looking forward to the 50 degree and sunny forecast for tomorrow's boil.

    Upgrades planned. A redesign of the evaporator to improve the smoke seal around the pans. And if all goes as planned, they'll be a little sugar shack here at Snarky Acres.

    That's my story and I am sticking to it.

    2x4 concrete block arch with three steam trays
    Separate propane fired warming kettle
    2018 12 taps ??? (3.25 gallons with one boil to go)



    rps20180306_192936_654 (1).jpg

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Farmington Maine area 44.6* N
    Posts
    62

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    Nice detailed write ups Schroomer and others.
    I boiled 45 gallons down to 2 gallons Saturday then finished
    up Sun morning with 3.875 qts of the liquid gold. All nice looking amber color so far.
    Here's a pic of the outside arch. Have a 12' x 16' sugar shack handy to the arch that I built a couple
    years ago just haven't moved inside yet except for finishing/canning and some honey harvesting.
    No sticky stuff in the house !

    P1070912.jpg
    Last edited by woodsy; 03-26-2018 at 11:00 AM.

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