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Thread: Rookie maple syruper

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Corbeil, ON
    Posts
    171

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    Quote Originally Posted by Brien View Post
    I think your right, lol. My wife thinks I'm crazy. She said the other day, "we don't even eat that much maple syrup". I told her it doesn't have to make sense, its a hobby!
    We don't eat that much here either. I want to make the taffy cones like what we buy at Mathews. Those don't last around here. I just have to find those little cones.
    At least it give me an excuse to be outdoors.
    2021 - Year one. 15 taps using 5/16" and drop tube into buckets. Homemade barrel evaporator with 2 steam trays. 4.7L syrup.
    2022. 32 taps. Added AUF.
    2023. 51 taps. Ditched the steam pans for an 18x22 flat pan.
    2024. 56 taps. Built a proper evaporator to fit the 18x22 flat pan and 1 steam pan.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Mapleton Twp, SW Ontario
    Posts
    361

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    Quote Originally Posted by Brien View Post
    I think your right, lol. My wife thinks I'm crazy. She said the other day, "we don't even eat that much maple syrup". I told her it doesn't have to make sense, its a hobby!
    We were much the same.... Now we use maple syrup pretty much anywhere we might have used sugar and more... I think my wife uses a Litre a month just in her morning coffee.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    French River Ontario
    Posts
    168

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    Quote Originally Posted by Brien View Post
    My wife thinks I'm crazy. She said the other day, "we don't even eat that much maple syrup".
    Yet
    Once you put all this time and effort you'll be putting maple syrup in everything. You'll be like Elf
    Maple syrup in spaghetti(no), coffee, cooking and baking, you will want to try and make maple butter/cream, and it seems like you're enjoying it.
    Is your setup close enough that you can walk to it when the snow melts, that's normally some of the best sap runs.
    I tap trees at my nephews house in west nippissing, I have to head there tomorrow to do some tree cutting and land clearing (in the rain of course haha) I may tap while I'm there, the full sun trees will be running but the big bush trees probably not, I tap the big trees later.
    2019 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 44 taps 13 Liters syrup
    2020 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 51 taps 21 Liters syrup
    2021- New homemade 2x3 evaporator and flat pan 80 drop tubes to buckets
    2022- (•,•)1350L naturally ROd sap 44L syrup
    2023- "\_(°•°)_/" 1100L sap 30L syrup not accurate due to natural RO
    2024 { ';' }

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    North Bay Ontario
    Posts
    75

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    Quote Originally Posted by Someclown View Post
    Yet
    Once you put all this time and effort you'll be putting maple syrup in everything. You'll be like Elf
    Maple syrup in spaghetti(no), coffee, cooking and baking, you will want to try and make maple butter/cream, and it seems like you're enjoying it.
    Is your setup close enough that you can walk to it when the snow melts, that's normally some of the best sap runs.
    I tap trees at my nephews house in west nippissing, I have to head there tomorrow to do some tree cutting and land clearing (in the rain of course haha) I may tap while I'm there, the full sun trees will be running but the big bush trees probably not, I tap the big trees later.
    Im really not sure how its going to go this spring. If the snow fully melts I might be able to drive my truck right to my property. But there is a good chance I might have to walk in 1 km. We'll c I guess.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    North Bay Ontario
    Posts
    75

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    Well we lost a bunch of snow in my area last week, warm weather and crazy windy. There"s still almost 2 feet of snow in the bush though, I ended up tapping 72 trees.
    And here is a pic of my shelter. Its not much, but should keep me out of the weather. It was not the easiest thing to build during the winter. I had to shovel a couple feet of snow just to get to the ground. shack.jpg

    Not sure how to turn the pic?

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    North Grenville
    Posts
    1,477

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    Quote Originally Posted by wmick View Post
    We were much the same.... Now we use maple syrup pretty much anywhere we might have used sugar and more... I think my wife uses a Litre a month just in her morning coffee.
    That's about in line with how much I go through in a month. And if you personally don't eat that much syrup, then just hotpack it and store it. Decant into smaller jars like 500mls, great gifts for housewarming, appreciation etc. I'm getting some pargeing done and buddy takes barter, so giving him a couple litres to defray the cost of the work.
    Been tapping since 2008.
    2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
    2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
    2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
    2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
    2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
    2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Nashville, MI
    Posts
    939

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    Simple, but very nice build. keeps the weather off you while you boil which is the whole purpose. I like it.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    French River Ontario
    Posts
    168

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    Nice job Brien,
    The snow sure did go fast, my yard is bare ground and my creek is flowing after that rain and warm week we just had, but the bush still has about a foot of hard pack snow. By the looks of the forecast this week the trees may start to thaw. I will be tapping in west nipissing on Thursday, hoping for another 45 taps 5/16 into 20 litre buckets.
    Good luck
    2019 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 44 taps 13 Liters syrup
    2020 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 51 taps 21 Liters syrup
    2021- New homemade 2x3 evaporator and flat pan 80 drop tubes to buckets
    2022- (•,•)1350L naturally ROd sap 44L syrup
    2023- "\_(°•°)_/" 1100L sap 30L syrup not accurate due to natural RO
    2024 { ';' }

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Rock Creek, OH
    Posts
    430

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    Keep track of the journey. I highly recommend a YouTube channel to chronicle your adventures.
    Last edited by OneLegJohn; 12-13-2021 at 08:25 PM.
    Make sure you check out our YouTube Channel.
    https://www.youtube.com/bissellmaplefarm

    www.bissellmaplefarm.com

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