Hi,
Just ran into this site today and had to register. Started sugaring about 6 years ago ( Family thinks I'm nuts! But will take some "extra" syrup if I have some.) Right now running a 2 1/2 X 5 homemade evaporator ( welded stainless ) with a homemade preheater. Have just over 100 taps now. Plan on expanding soon and doubling the number of taps. Chances are that won't keep me satisfied for long. I'm sure everyone here understands that.
Larry
We sure do understand that Lwood, it is a GOOD ADDICTION. Welcome aboard, you've found a great place to get your daily fix. We are maplers from all size operations, all aspects of maple sugaring are discussed here. You don't need to agree or disagree, just join in any time. Ask any questions, someone here will answer and the next will offer a different view or approach. Feel free to offer any ideas, they are all welcome here.
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.
Welcome aboard Lwood. I hope you have alot of time to spend in front of the computor reading all of the replies.
Keith
Lwood,
Welcome. Yea the syrup making is addictive but this web site is a close second. Another week or so we may not be on here as much (If we get to sugarin this year??) I think you will like it. Sounds like you are ready to expand and this is a good resource for information and ideas too.
Regards,
Chris
Casbohm Maple and Honey
625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
12" SIRO Filter Press.
2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
Too many Cub Cadets
Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck
www.mapleandhoney.com
Well here I go I my name is Jim and I have been making syrup in some form since I was a kid at home. We tapped the sugar maple around the house and used 2 gallon oil cans for buckets, boiled on a an open fire rack set up with cement blocks. Real crude to say the least. But it worked! I'm married to a wonderful wife of 30 years and have three children and 5 grand kids. God has been very good to me and my family.We are making syrup for retail sale for the first time. I plan to retire in three years and hope to have 500 taps at that time. My wife semi retired three weeks ago from a career in real estate. The trees we have tapped are on our daughter and son-in laws property. They have 25 acres and we would be able to tap 7-800 should we have a desire. NoT YET! RThis is a great form to be able to correspond with other who have the same passion for the true nature of this business. KEEP PRAISING THE LORD ANYWAY!!
Maple consultant for 50 years
Jim
Welcome aboard this is a great site
Keith
Sticky
I just found this site a couple weeks ago and signed on a few days later. I have only begun sugaring last spring with 86 taps. We cooked down 4 gallons of syrup, much of which was fairly dark, but man does it ever taste good! My wife and I bought used equipment from a couple who had been sugaring for 30 years and decided to take a break. We have a homemade arch, a stainless welded 2 x 5 flat pan and miscellaneous equipment. I have picked up a used 5 gallon SS filter bucket and ordered a 16 x 20 SS finishing pan with bottling spout. I'm also building a 12 x 16 extension on my workshop for a sugar shack. I agree with everyone on this site -- this is addictive behavior! I'll retire come fall from 36 years as a forester here in northern Minnesota. I've now come to face the fact that I can't drive down the road anymore without looking for stands of large sugar maple. There WAY too many trees out there that need to be tapped! The good news is that my wife really enjoys this activity too, so it's a nice way for us to spend time together. Thanks to all of you on the site who have/are contributing to my learning about such a wonderful disease!
Welcome twigbender and you're right, it is a wonderful disease.
Jim
12 x 16 Sugarhouse, 12 x 16 Woodshed
2 x 8 “The Mutt” Evaporator with Marcland Drawoff
Leader oil fired arch, Dallaire raised flue, Smoky Lake syrup pan and hoods with pre-heater
New Leader Clear Filter Press/Air Diaphragm Pump
5” Hand Pump Filter Press from Daryl-One of the first three! On loan to a friend.
Deer Run 250 gal/hr RO
A Very Understanding Wife
"At any time during the day you're only 10 seconds from disaster!"
Hello all
Great looking site!!
I just found this forum looked around a bit and decided to register.
We have 52 buckets out this year up from 20 last year. All the taps can be reached with our garden tractor and mosts from the hard top road.
I use a 22 x 20 x 6 aluminum roasting pan over to propane turkey frier burners. I have modified the burners so they are very much closer to the pan mabey 1.5 inches. I used blocks and bricks to enclose around the burners and have two "preheat" pans on eiather side of the main pan. I have tweeked the setup to get about 6.5 Gal/hour. I know this is not the most efficent setup but hey you go with what you got. I have acess to a lot more trees so I hope to expand each year. I do however believe I am at the max for the setup we have now.We have made 6.75 Gal of Dark Amber this year. We sell our own organic produce at the local Farmers market and will sell some of our own syrup this year.
That is an incredible evap rate for the size setup! Most guys can't get that good on a 2 x 3 half pint!
Brandon
CDL dealer for All of West Virginia & Virginia
3x10 CDL Deluxe oil fired
Kubota M7040 4x4 Tractor w/ 1153 Loader hauling sap
2,400+ taps on 3/16 CDL natural vacuum on 9 properties
24x56 sugarhouse
CDL 1,000 2 post RO
WEBSITE: http://danielsmaple.com
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