Maple Syrup

[walhondingnashua]

Anyone on here doing maple syrup? A coworker and I are trying a school project with it but don't know when to expect the sap to run?

 

[johneh]

When your temps are above 0
the sap will begin to run
Best runs are when temp. is above 5 during the day
and below 0 at night
Good Luck

 

[Wood1Dennis]

We have a family maple syrup project that we run every spring. We bottle anywhere from 60 to 120 quarts a year. Just enough to pay for the hobby and maybe make a few bucks. But really it is just a labor of love that goes back to my grandpa doing it many years ago.

Anyway, the run here in our part of Wisconsin can start as early as late Feb., but usually it is in March. Sometimes it is a question of how early you want to start, you might get a couple of days that run early, but then it will freeze up for weeks. We don't always catch the earliest days, but we are not in it as a business either.

The best early season days are when it thaws during the day, mid 30s to mid 40s but still freezes at night. The best days are sunny and not too windy. The sap will run at night if it does not freeze up, but after a day or two without a freeze it will slow down or stop. The sap flow works when the sap moves up and down the trees with the warm days and freezing nights. It can be fickle as heck to try to figure out, but it always does eventually run!

 

[KJamesJR]

Depends on the climate. Sap most likely wont start running until late Feb for us here in the North East. I expect a lot of maple sugar producers are going to be disappointed this year as it hasn't been a very 'hard' winter. Anyways, I always tap on the last week of Feb. I use tree saver taps so tapping early I still get an extended run time. Usually into April.

 

[walhondingnashua]

What do you use to cook yours down? I have done plenty of reading and been on pinterest looking up ideas but I always prefer to hear from people that know. I have an old water boiler tank (about 40gal) that has been converted into a wood stove. The Ag teacher and I are going to weld a place to put metal trays on the top and go from there.
We think (or at least hope) our students will think its interesting to watch the processes and learn as we are.

 

[KJamesJR]

What do you use to cook yours down? I have done plenty of reading and been on pinterest looking up ideas but I always prefer to hear from people that know. I have an old water boiler tank (about 40gal) that has been converted into a wood stove. The Ag teacher and I are going to weld a place to put metal trays on the top and go from there.
We think (or at least hope) our students will think its interesting to watch the processes and learn as we are.

Most start with steam trays over a block or barrel arch. I have a custom pan that I use over a masonry arch. Just make sure they’re stainless steel.

 

[walhondingnashua]

Started first cook down today. This will become a yearly thing.

 

[johneh]

Were a month away from our run
You are into the work now
Have fun

 

[walhondingnashua]

Do you use a hydrometer to know when you are done or just go by experience?

 

[johneh]

When I started out I used a hydrometer but after 45 years I know when it is ready .
i also like mine to be a little thicker than the norm . personal preference