collecting sap!

[twoodrum]

the cane mill is a continous operation...we cut a few wagon loads of cane stalks and run the mill at the same time we're cooking in the evaporater.....as the juice comes in one side and starts cooking down, it winds down thru 6" wide channels...there are 16 bars in our pan...by the time it gets too the last couple of bars, we have molasses.......I fine tune it in the last bar and pull the stop plug and run off a bar at a time too be jarred up.

We chase the sorghum sap at the end of a run with a wet rag pulled thru the pan......water behind it......juice in front...works good too keep from losing juice at the end.....but with the maple, we could cook it down at the end too a certain point and pull the fire and then finish it in smaller cookers. Hey...this could work with minimal work involved in getting set up!!!.

[firetech]

Ok I just read your last post. Your pan will work it should boil 1 gal/hr for each sqft. so you are 24gal/hr. Can you level your pan? also can you rotate your pan so that the draw off valve is in the front corner? If you can you can make this work as a contious flow flat pan and make good syrup run it 1 1/2 - 2 inches deep and your good to go. Do you have a thermometer port at your dram off valve? Or you can batch cook with it and cook maybe 300 - 400 gals of sap to concentrate and finish in a smaller pan.

[gator330]

Thanks for the replies.......I've got a lot of research too do and today is a good day too do it! Wow....8* here right now...not too good for outdoor sports!

We have access to more than 100 trees that are larger than 14" diameter.....alot of them are huge older maples. So tap no's shouldnt be a problem.

We have tractors with wagons and 6 of the 25 gallon plastic barrels......and I can get more if needed so storage shouldnt be a problem.

If you guys think that it will work better.....I can use the pan for our cane mill.....it is an 3' X 8' pan with 16 bars. Sides are 6" and already has a nice firebox under it.

Five gallons is all you want!!!! You could be making 105 gallons!!!!!! A 3x8 !!!!! Tap every thing you got, taps cost .39 a short tube and any thing that can hold water, a garbage can (Clean one) a tote a pal a $45 roll of tube and run them to the 25 gallon barrels, you'll make money if you have a pan like that at your disposal!!!!!!!

[KenWP]

I used milk jugs and other kind of jugs and I found the easyiest way was to hand them off the taps with a look of string with a short length of tube into the jug. Just had to lift off and dump. The hole on the jugs so small nothing gets into the jug anyways.

[brookledge]

If money is tight as you said then you should definately look at the pans you have. That being said there is a guy near me that uses a turkey fryer with propane burner and he told me he likes to make some for his families own use. However he told me it takes about the same money in propane to make a gallon as if buying it. He did it for the kids to have fun with it.
So that is why I'm suggesting using what you have especially if you can use free fuel like wood instead of having to buy fuel.
It would also be good to go and look at other sugarhouses even if there are not many around you there are some. Make a day trip out of it and it will help you see how others do it.
Keith

[PerryW]

Yup, my cousin would use $40 worth of propane in a turkey per gallon of syrup. Kind of takes the profit out of it.

[twoodrum]

Well.....I've decided that if we're gonna do this, might as well go full blown and use what we've got.....the only expense will be collecting as we have plenty of free firewood ready too go....the mill pan is already spotless clean and ready too go...as is the make house and fire box. I guess we were already squared away with a sugar house and didnt even realize it.
The pan is fully adjustable on all four corners so working depth of sap wont be a problem.
I also have a fellow that has a water tank you haul in the bed of a truck and a trailer too put it on.......so that takes care of hauling large quantities of sap if needed.
I also have a tranfer pump (12 volt) too pull sap from the 15 gallon plastic drums) I thought they were 20 or 25 but they're 15) so I could tube each small sugar bush too those and then just pump into the larger tank too get it too the sugar house.
Hey.....I'm all set up and havent even started.

Last year, we drilled 7/16 inch holes about 1-1/2 to 2" depth and inserted plastic tubing instead of spiles....it seemed too work fine....and once removed, the holes healed over. Should I go ahead and buy the spiles too insert and what is the advantages of spiles over just inserting the clear tubing into the holes? They didnt leak around the holes either.

But I'll go ahead and order spiles if you guys think it would be beneficial.
I know I would gain the advantage of tying the jugs too the spiles instead of around the trees.

[gator330]

twoodrum,

The spiles will be a good deal better. I still don't think your going to like the plastic jugs. Something bigger if you can't pick up every day you won't loose sap. How many are you planing on tapeing?

[C.Wilcox]

Well.....I've decided that if we're gonna do this, might as well go full blown and use what we've got.....the only expense will be collecting as we have plenty of free firewood ready too go....the mill pan is already spotless clean and ready too go...as is the make house and fire box. I guess we were already squared away with a sugar house and didnt even realize it.
The pan is fully adjustable on all four corners so working depth of sap wont be a problem.
I also have a fellow that has a water tank you haul in the bed of a truck and a trailer too put it on.......so that takes care of hauling large quantities of sap if needed.
I also have a tranfer pump (12 volt) too pull sap from the 15 gallon plastic drums) I thought they were 20 or 25 but they're 15) so I could tube each small sugar bush too those and then just pump into the larger tank too get it too the sugar house.
Hey.....I'm all set up and havent even started.

Last year, we drilled 7/16 inch holes about 1-1/2 to 2" depth and inserted plastic tubing instead of spiles....it seemed too work fine....and once removed, the holes healed over. Should I go ahead and buy the spiles too insert and what is the advantages of spiles over just inserting the clear tubing into the holes? They didnt leak around the holes either.

But I'll go ahead and order spiles if you guys think it would be beneficial.
I know I would gain the advantage of tying the jugs too the spiles instead of around the trees.

So just to summarize, you have all the trees you could want, an evaporator already in place, a sugar house built, bulk sap storage ready and waiting, plenty of firewood, and willing helpers? It appears that the only thing you don't have is actual spiles and buckets. Sounds like a dream come true. If I were you, I'd invest in some decent quality spiles and scrounge up some clean 3 or 5 gallon buckets. Yes, it will cost you a few dollars, but with the set up you already have you'll be able to sell a few gallons of syrup and make back all of your initial investment in the spiles in no time. And if you go with a metal spile you'll be able to use it for many, many years. Provided you don't invite Haynes over to drive them in.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you get a chance, run up for a couple of hours sometime and I could show you more in a couple of hours than you could learn in years of trial and error. Just seeing things in person and putting your hands on things is a huge advantage to trying to visualize in your head since you aren't very familiar with syrup equipment. I live just outside of Beckley and my operation is about half way between Beckley and Lewisburg 1.5 miles directly off I-64.