tapping maple tree's - maple sugering

[efoyt]

anyone know a good forum for maple sugering? i am going to give it a try this year and i have a few questions.

 

[savageactor7]

Not off hand but you have lots of time to prepare.

 

[Gooserider]

anyone know a good forum for maple sugering? i am going to give it a try this year and i have a few questions.

No but do the search... I know this has come up before and I seem to recall some of the prior threads had some interesting sounding links...

Gooserider

 

[pybyr]

http://www.vermontmaple.org/

 

[Czech]

Good forum right here! What do you want to know?

 

[efoyt]

Questions about maple sugaring

(1) I’m planning on buying the type of taps that connect directly to plastic tubing. Then running the tubing to the base of the tree into a milk jug with a hole cut in the cap. Is this a good idea?

(2) Can I save a week worth of sap in my unheated garage? It stays cool that time of year. I’ll only be able to boil the sap on weekends.

(3) Can I store the sap for a week in milk jugs?

(4) What is the best and cheapest way to boil/evaporate the sap? I have a small outside fire pit at my house and as much would as I would ever need (it will give me something to do with my pine). Big pot over the fire? I reed about one guy that said he used an old cast iron tub but I don’t know if he ment he had his fire in the tub or boiled his sap in the tub. What can I get on the cheep to evaporate the sap?


(5) Will my homebrew hydrometer work for determining if the syrup is done or do I need a special one. Can you just do it by eye and if so how.

 

[pybyr]

Questions about maple sugaring

(1) I’m planning on buying the type of taps that connect directly to plastic tubing. Then running the tubing to the base of the tree into a milk jug with a hole cut in the cap. Is this a good idea?

Reply-- I'd be concerned about rodents knawing the jugs on the ground. And I think you might find someone who used to do metal pails and who has gone over to tubing, from whom you could get the metal hanger spouts and pails free or cheap.

(2) Can I save a week worth of sap in my unheated garage? It stays cool that time of year. I’ll only be able to boil the sap on weekends.

Reply- yes, but your results may vary; sap never improves with age; how funky it gets or how fast will vary depending on many things

(3) Can I store the sap for a week in milk jugs?

beware rodents chewing the jugs

(4) What is the best and cheapest way to boil/evaporate the sap? I have a small outside fire pit at my house and as much would as I would ever need (it will give me something to do with my pine). Big pot over the fire? I reed about one guy that said he used an old cast iron tub but I don’t know if he ment he had his fire in the tub or boiled his sap in the tub. What can I get on the cheep to evaporate the sap?

I've known people who've done it in large stainless used restaurant pots. Ideally, you want a large wide shallow pan, so that there's lots of surface area for flame on bottom and for moisture to boil off up top. You also want the sides of the fire mostly closed, so that ash and combustion flavors from the fire do not affect syrup taste


Be ready to FILTER the sap to remove minerals that will become more concentrated during the boil; otherwise your syrup will have unexpected and sometimes potent laxative qualities


(5) Will my homebrew hydrometer work for determining if the syrup is done or do I need a special one. Can you just do it by eye and if so how.

You can do it by temperature--
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...3uz_BA&usg=AFQjCNEznzWuG8DzKJWYhC7Pv7b1XcHhTA

 

[efoyt]

good site, but does anyone have an idea on inexpensive ways of boiling the sap, I don't want to pay 200 dollar's for a new duch oven.

 

[homebrewz]

Retired or surplus dairy equipment?

 

[szmaine]

Questions about maple sugaring

(1) I’m planning on buying the type of taps that connect directly to plastic tubing. Then running the tubing to the base of the tree into a milk jug with a hole cut in the cap. Is this a good idea?

Why not, but we just have the metal taps and puncture the plastic with the hook below the neck and are able to get the spout lined up in the opening w/ no problem

(2) Can I save a week worth of sap in my unheated garage? It stays cool that time of year. I’ll only be able to boil the sap on weekends.

(3) Can I store the sap for a week in milk jugs?

Depends on the temperatures once the sap gets a hazy whitish color (fermentation) then it's spoiled.

(4) What is the best and cheapest way to boil/evaporate the sap? I have a small outside fire pit at my house and as much would as I would ever need (it will give me something to do with my pine). Big pot over the fire? I reed about one guy that said he used an old cast iron tub but I don’t know if he ment he had his fire in the tub or boiled his sap in the tub. What can I get on the cheep to evaporate the sap?

It's usually cold enough in Maine (at least in the evening) that we can reduce the sap greatly on the woodstove which is in use any way before finishing off on the electric stove - you have to watch it close at the end anyway so finishing is usually a relatively short process
How about finding a old junker cast iron stove that you can have outside?


(5) Will my homebrew hydrometer work for determining if the syrup is done or do I need a special one. Can you just do it by eye and if so how.

We do it by temperature - get a good candy thermometer, if you overheat it you can add a little more sap to fix it (put a little in the freezer to have on hand for such a mishap.

We make about 1.5 gal/yr -Delicious and alot of fun - enjoy