Whew, that's a big question, but a fun one! Just what we need to get some lively discussion going!
That's a good problem to have that you've got there... having lots of maple trees and wondering how to make best sugaring use of them.
I would say its going to be a scramble to get from here to a 2024 sugaring season to the full potential of your propery but if you're doing buckets you've probably got 2 months before you start drilling where you are (guessing on that one... the old timers in your area will give you the skinny on when to tap for buckets).
Throwing together a cinder block arch and plopping a vevor 2x3 pan on it might be one way to get your feet wet this year, if you've got some seasoned firewood for it. Do your finishing in a smaller but taller pan over propane. Or if you want to use your oil look for something like a Leader half-pint that burns oil.
Ultimately you want to decide what your goals are, how many taps your sugarbush can support and how many of those do you actually want to tap. If more than 50 you will want to at least think about setting up lines, and if over 100 or 200, almost certainly so, decide on fuel, and decide on your setup from there. But I think that's a 2025 season goal.
But for 2024, making some syrup on some small scale is totally do-able. Normally you'd think goal to sugarbush to setup, but for 2024 you might just grab or build some kind of arch (a barrel arch could be an option too) and let whatever setup you get ahold of determine how many buckets you hang for this year.
That's just a quick start to what I hope becomes a lively discussion!
Andy
Last edited by Andy VT; 01-08-2024 at 09:48 PM.
2024: 28 taps, 7 gallons. RB5 purchased but not opened :-(
2023: 30 taps, 17 trees, 11 properties, Sugar Maple & Norway. 2x3 flat over propane & kitchen finish. ~11(!) gallons.
2022: 9 taps, 5 trees, 4 properties. 3 hotel pans on 3 Coleman 2-burner stoves burning gasoline; kitchen finish. ~3 gallons.
2021: 2 taps, 1 sugar maple. Propane grill then kitchen finish. ~Pint.
All years: mainly 5/16" drops into free supermarket frosting buckets. Some plastic sap buckets hanging on 5/16 sap-meister.