I put all my 50 ish taps out yesterday. Headed out soon to go see if they have started running and to put the lines into the collection tank. It is looking like it will be great weather here for the next 2 weeks at least.
I put all my 50 ish taps out yesterday. Headed out soon to go see if they have started running and to put the lines into the collection tank. It is looking like it will be great weather here for the next 2 weeks at least.
Last edited by a.clarke; 02-04-2019 at 10:53 PM.
Adam
2016: 6 Taps and a propane turkey fryer
2019: 51 Taps on 3/16 gravity tubing
Homemade Oil Tank Evaporator
Badgerland by Smokey Lake 2x4 divided pan
Picked up my sap after work today. Had about 15 gallons out of 14 taps. Not sure how that is compared to other trees and different times of the season. I didnt think to test the sugar content till after I ran it through the RO twice. Then it was about 5-6%. Again, not sure how that averages. Tomorrow I will test before RO.
Since we only bought the property in December my wife is concerned if all of the trees I am tapping are maples. I think they all are based on remaining leaves, seeds, bark, and opposing branches. Is there any other ways to verify they are maples? Is there any concern if one isnt? I guess worst cases is I boil it all down and we dont eat any of it till we verify from the spring leaves???
Steve
SE Pennsylvania
2022 - 13 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 17.25
2021 - 18 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 12 pints
2020 - 13 taps, RO5, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove with 2 lg 6 deep pans - 6.75 pints (very warm winter)
2019 Rookie Season - 14 taps, RO5, turkey fryer with 6 deep pan - 16.5 pints
There are a number of trees that will give you sap like walnut and birch. Course they taste different but makes good syrup. I don’t know that there are bad trees to tap, most just won’t give you any sap.
I have collected about 40 gallons from 23 taps in 18 trees all on a single 3/16 line since Saturday afternoon. I only have Norway maples where I live but they are averaging 2% sugar so far. Off to a great start for my second year of sugaring.
Good luck!
Every tree I tapped had at least a gallon of sap in the bucket since Saturday.
Steve
SE Pennsylvania
2022 - 13 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 17.25
2021 - 18 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 12 pints
2020 - 13 taps, RO5, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove with 2 lg 6 deep pans - 6.75 pints (very warm winter)
2019 Rookie Season - 14 taps, RO5, turkey fryer with 6 deep pan - 16.5 pints
Steve,
If they have opposite branching then that is a good start. There are only 4 trees that have that. Maple, Ash, dogwood, and Chestnut.
The ash branches are much larger and nobbier than the delicate Maple branches. The chesnut is similar to the ash in that it also does not have the nice delicate looking branches, the bark is also very shaggy looking. The last is the dogwood, it's branches can look similar to maples but the bark on the trunk is very scaley and looks almost like it is bade up of small plates.
Those have been my go to winter identifiers and so far they have served me well when I get the chance to confirm during the summer afterwards.
Adam
2016: 6 Taps and a propane turkey fryer
2019: 51 Taps on 3/16 gravity tubing
Homemade Oil Tank Evaporator
Badgerland by Smokey Lake 2x4 divided pan
Collected about 6 gallons of sap today. It was about 3% to start, after the first RO pass it was about 5%, and after the second RO pass it was about 7%. I now have about 6 gallons of sap that has been through the RO system twice. It is clear to see that my limiting factor will be fridge space to store the concentrated sap before boiling it off. I was hoping to boil once a week on a weekend day.
Steve
SE Pennsylvania
2022 - 13 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 17.25
2021 - 18 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 12 pints
2020 - 13 taps, RO5, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove with 2 lg 6 deep pans - 6.75 pints (very warm winter)
2019 Rookie Season - 14 taps, RO5, turkey fryer with 6 deep pan - 16.5 pints
Nice. 3% is a pretty good starting point. I got about 20 gallons of 1.8% from my 45 taps today. Not all were running quite yet. I think the trees are still thawing out a bit.
Adam
2016: 6 Taps and a propane turkey fryer
2019: 51 Taps on 3/16 gravity tubing
Homemade Oil Tank Evaporator
Badgerland by Smokey Lake 2x4 divided pan
9EC90D5D-5051-46E2-A272-B2AA55B40334.jpg
My yearly supply is growing! Good start so dar. Next week looks great for sap.
That was measured with a wine making hydrometer. It is a little hard to be sure with it. I ordered a sap hydrometer which should be more accurateOriginally Posted by a.clarke
Steve
SE Pennsylvania
2022 - 13 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 17.25
2021 - 18 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 12 pints
2020 - 13 taps, RO5, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove with 2 lg 6 deep pans - 6.75 pints (very warm winter)
2019 Rookie Season - 14 taps, RO5, turkey fryer with 6 deep pan - 16.5 pints
Today I boiled off my RO concentrate. Everything went well. I ended up with 3 pints of syrup.
If I am doing the math right.... I started with 24 gallons of sap, down to 6 gallons of concentrate, to get 3 pints. I believe that is a 64:1 ratio.
Steve
SE Pennsylvania
2022 - 13 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 17.25
2021 - 18 taps, RO5, 21x24 SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 12 pints
2020 - 13 taps, RO5, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove with 2 lg 6 deep pans - 6.75 pints (very warm winter)
2019 Rookie Season - 14 taps, RO5, turkey fryer with 6 deep pan - 16.5 pints
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