# My first taps!!!!



## JBIV (Jan 29, 2004)

First time making maple syrup. I tapped my first trees (8), after work today. It was getting dark hopefully I only tapped maples . Wish me luck!!!


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## firetech (Apr 25, 2008)

It looks good in the extend forcast, Hope I can get a hundred out today. good luck on the season


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

JBIV, 

Congratulations! It's a good time of year for it; good luck with the sap collecting and syrup making!


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## jlcrss (May 17, 2006)

My buddy is trying to get into this, but he is having trouble finding the pans to cook the stuff in. What do you guys use?


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## firetech (Apr 25, 2008)

You can start on many diferent ways,the turkey fryer,deep steam table pans,a syrup pan or a small evaporater. The book backyard sugering has many ideas for low input operations. Mapler Trader.com has tons of info to sort thru guys form 10 -10000 taps post there and are generous with info. Lots of pics to. The most important thing to remember 1gal/hr/sqft of flat pan surface of evaportaion and it takes 40 gals of sap for 1 gal of syrup. You can try Sugar Bush Supply in Mason for pans,Ebay has them from time to time, but I know that used evaporators in Mich are like finding chicken with teeth.


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## glassman (Dec 27, 2007)

i would stay away from turkey friers. very low surface area is slow evaporation. and i mean really slow. as stated stop at sugar bush supplies, nice people lots of info.


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## WALLEYEANGLER (Mar 23, 2006)

Right before the last warm up in SE lower MI we tapped 60 trees and got about 200 gallons of sap. Since we have pulled our taps and retapped 150 trees today. Good luck everyone it wont be long until the sap really starts pouring. 
As for the new maple guy. You want to use stainless steel. We have made an evaporator that can hold 90 gallons at a time. 
One thing that would work is a hospital bath tub. they are stainless steel and you can put 3 turkey fryer burners underneath them. Thats what we used until we made our evaporator


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## jlcrss (May 17, 2006)

glassman said:


> i would stay away from turkey friers. very low surface area is slow evaporation. and i mean really slow. as stated stop at sugar bush supplies, nice people lots of info.


He went there but he didn't want to spend the money they were asking. He's Dutch.:lol:


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

I've always used the kitchen stove and standard pots. Takes a while, but not bad really. Use all 4 burners, with the largest pots you have. Contrary to urban legend, there is no sticky residue that is created. Steam is water, and the sticky stuff stays in the pot!


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## JBIV (Jan 29, 2004)

jlcrss said:


> He went there but he didn't want to spend the money they were asking. He's Dutch.:lol:


I went there and thought the same thing about the prices of the pans, and Im not even Dutch :lol:. Great store though and very nice and helpful people, family owned. Im looking into having a stainless steel pan made (got some good connections). I dont know if I should just have an open pan made or one with dividers in it to make the sap zig zag across the pan. Any thoughts??


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

More SURFACE area is better. Making a zigzag pattern pan just takes up surface area. I have thought about having someone frabricate me a stainless pan which would cover all 4 burners of my gas stove, and have an angle built into the bottom so all the reduced syrup will flow toward a particular corner. I would have a spigot threaded through that corner to drain the finished product through the side of the pan - maybe set a bit above the bottom, so the sediment will mostly stay in the pan. It is an idea I have had for awhile, but never really acted on.


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## glassman (Dec 27, 2007)

fishndude,
i have a pan almost like that that my dad had made thirty years ago. dont use it any more and it has the fitting taken off. we used it sunken into a two hundred fifty gallon oil tank for the fire pot. it didnt work quit like it was planned, but it worked.


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

Will have sapsicles up here in the AM. Zero right now.


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## firetech (Apr 25, 2008)

We caught up on the boiling this week end and made 5 gals of darker syrup in the bulk bucket and vacumm sealed (hot packed). I fought the cold temps hard trying to keep things from freezing before it got to the pans. But once we got cooking it only took 4hrs to burn up that 200 gals of sap. The pans were sweet from a 150 gals last week. Look out for the big SAP this weekend.


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## Rootsy (Nov 1, 2006)

kroppe said:


> I've always used the kitchen stove and standard pots. Takes a while, but not bad really. Use all 4 burners, with the largest pots you have. Contrary to urban legend, there is no sticky residue that is created. Steam is water, and the sticky stuff stays in the pot!


wanna bet... years ago.. I made the mistake of boiling down sap on the stove top... whole house smelled like maple syrup and the ceiling had an amber hue to it after I was finished... my mother wasn't pleased....


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

What evaporates is simply water vapor, which is colorless and odorless. But, if the walls or ceilings of your home have any accumulated dirt, or grease, or smoke residue, I could see where cooking sap might cause the colors to run a bit. I literally evaporate hundreds of gallons of sap inside my house each year. My wife hates it, because it runs down the windows, and sits on the finished wood.


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## JBIV (Jan 29, 2004)

Boiled sap for the first time on Sunday. Reduced down about 25 gallons and ended up with 3 1/2 pints of great tasting syrup. Should go better next weekend with the bugs worked out. Anybody else busy last weekend?


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## firetech (Apr 25, 2008)

I made 8gals of syrup Fri. Picked up 600gals of sap Sat. Made 11gals of syrup last nite,almost out of wood enough to cook tonitea trip to the sawmill tomorrow. Your not having fun until exhausted,right???


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## JBIV (Jan 29, 2004)

firetech said:


> I made 8gals of syrup Fri. Picked up 600gals of sap Sat. Made 11gals of syrup last nite,almost out of wood enough to cook tonitea trip to the sawmill tomorrow. Your not having fun until exhausted,right???



Now thats just rubbing it in....I was trying to boast about my massive 3 1/2 pints :lol:. If I could figure out how to post pictures you would get a good laugh out of my maple syrup rig. But its getting it done this year and giving me good ideas for next year. I picked up sap on Friday night and it really hasen't flowed sience. Hopefully the next couple days will give me more than enough for the weekend.


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## glassman (Dec 27, 2007)

made a little over two gallons saturday. have 60 gallons of sap in my tank and probably 50 or 60 on the trees. probably start another boil tomorrow after work.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I've been cooking sap for weeks. This has been an interesting year - it gets warm, and stays warm for a few days (so the sap stops running), then gets cold again for a few days. This has allowed me to stop cooking and let the house dry out for a day, here and there. I probably have enough for about 4 finished gallons of syrup, and hope to finish by mid week, next week. I will pass on the end of season stuff this year.


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Great job guys! firetech, I am really interested to see your boiling setup. Any chances of posting a pic or two?


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Pulled all my gear today, washed and disinfected it (bleach in water) and re-tapped trees in the warm weather. The sap was practically squirting out of the newly tapped holes. I'll be cooking heavily for the next week.


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## JBIV (Jan 29, 2004)

Fishndude said:


> Pulled all my gear today, washed and disinfected it (bleach in water) and re-tapped trees in the warm weather. The sap was practically squirting out of the newly tapped holes. I'll be cooking heavily for the next week.


I didn't have enough sap to boil this weekend. Do I need to re-tapp?


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Over the years I have noticed that my taps start slowing after being in for a few weeks. The trees start to heal themselves, and the sap doesn't flow as well. Not every year, but sometimes, I re-tap new holes, which then produce well. It depends on the weather, and how long or short the season looks to be. Sometimes I have literally had a 3 week window when it ran heavy almost every day, then was over. Other years I have had taps in trees for 8 weeks, or more. I would not tap new holes every week, though.


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## JBIV (Jan 29, 2004)

The sap start flowing again for me. Saturday at 5:00 pm there wasn't enough sap to empty the buckets. Sunday at 11:00 am I picked up about 18 gallons from my 10 taps, some of the buckets were overflowing. I am going to move 2 taps on trees that haven't really produced much yet.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Not sure why, but some trees just do not produce much sap; although they seem just as healthy as all the other trees. If you have some taps that just don't produce, pull them, and put them into a different tree.


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## JBIV (Jan 29, 2004)

I filter my syrup twice before I can it. Why do I still have so much sugar sand/sediment? I have the cone filters I bought from sugarbush supplies, how do you guys clean them? I have been running hot water through them but they still seem painfully slow, didnt start out that way. The filters will hold the last half pint or so for ever with just a drip at a time passing through. The sap is plenty hot when I filter. After filtering I check the temp, raise it up to 185 if it needs it then can. Any advice would be appreciated.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I quit filtering because it was a PITA, and did not produce great results for me. I only strained syrup through cheesecloth. I really don't make too much - my best year was about 8.5 gallons, and usually it is around 5 gallons. So I put a premium on my stuff, and hate to waste even a drop of finished product. We lick our plates when my wife isn't looking. :lol:

I just hot pack my syrup, date it, and let it set on shelves in the basement. The sediment falls out and leave behind luscious thick syrup, the color of honey. When we use it, we try to leave the sediment behind.


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## Anita Dwink (Apr 14, 2004)

I`ve got about 400 gal to cook down on Friday. Horsetraded for a 5' x 3 ' x 2' stainless tub t boil down . Getting a spicket put on it . Should have another 200 gal by then . I`ve been behind all year , most of the wood is gathered . Sap is looking good s far, still have a little snow in the woods in spots, helps keep the flow when it gets too warm. I started with a few , still small but want to keep it that way . Good Luck to the rest of the cookers . I have a number of syrup junkies that get ugly when I run out .


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## firetech (Apr 25, 2008)

JBIV when my syrup comes off the evaporator we run it thru 3 prefilters and 1 orlon filter. To get the syrup to flow thru this you must have all the filters damp. Last year I did it in a 5 agl bucket but as things progress I rigged up an old milk bucker to flow thru to a pail or storage container. I use hot water. To clean the filters this year I turn them inside out rinse the sand off and run them thru the washing machine NO SOAP!!!! NO BLEACH!!! just hot water then they are hung up to dry. When it comes to canning we use both Mason style and purchased bottles. The Mason jars are run thru the dishwasher and dried then canned. Comercail bottles are straight out of the box. Heat the syrup to 180 but never over 195 or I end up with cloudy syrup in the jar but that settles out in a cuople of months. Good luck!!! stats so far 81 gals all dark amber 38 gals in the last 2 days.


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## InTheRiver (May 15, 2006)

2 days ago, just for fun, I tapped the massive maple in my backyard 3ft plus around, only using 1 tap I have 2 gallons LOL waiting to be boiled down. I sure hope I get enough to make a little batch.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

ITR: If it is a sugar maple, then 5 gallons of sap should yield about a pint of finished syrup. I got 50 gallons of sap from 10 taps over the weekend.


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## JBIV (Jan 29, 2004)

firetech said:


> Heat the syrup to 180 but never over 195 or I end up with cloudy syrup in the jar


Maybe this is my problem? My syrup looks clean in my finishing pan, but once I filter and re-heat (trying to get to 185) and put it in the mason jars it starts to look cloudy. I'll keep a closer eye on it next time. It still tastes great, and its just for my family so we can live with a little sugar sand. I have been disapointed with the amount of sap I've been able to collect with my 10 tapps. It must just be the trees I'm tapping.


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## glassman (Dec 27, 2007)

ten or a hundred taps doesnt matter you will always be disappointed in the run. if the family likes it dont worry about the nitre. it doesnt matter. 

i have been striving for the perfect syrup for years. started using old cotton t shirts for filters {clean of course} have moved into pre filters orlan filters and such, quite honestly i think the t shirts did a better job.

wally


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## InTheRiver (May 15, 2006)

5 gallons, I should be able to pull that off. I added another tap, but with this temp drop not much is running, I had another gallon Thursday morning. What does everyone use to store their collection in? I've been using a cooler.


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## glassman (Dec 27, 2007)

i use food grade three and five gallon pails on the trees, sixty gallon drums for storage. i try not to store it too long, it can and will go bad in warmer weather. have read of some guys storing in ziplock bags in the freezer.depending on how you will evaporat it you might go ahead and start it takes a while on the stove or turkey frier.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I collect, and store, my sap in 5 gallon buckets with snap-on lids. I saved them from laundry soap I got from Sam's club for years. I usually keep stored sap in me garage, because the floor stays cold, even when spring days are warming, because the garage shades the floor, and the ground underneath is still frozen from winter. This weekend I will probably pull my taps, as it will warm up above freezing, and pretty much stay there, after Sunday. I figure I have about 6 gallons of near-syrup (which will probably yield about 5 gallons of finished product), which is stored in gallon jugs in a fridge in my garage. I will finish it, and can it, next week, and then will be done until next year. And so ends another year of syrup making. 

I have found that stored sap will keep for up to a week, if temps keep dipping below freezing at night, but if it gets real warm for a couple days, will start to get cloudy and may spoil. Adding spoiled sap to already-cooked sap will ruin the entire batch. I never take chances anymore.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I canned 2.75 gallons of nice syrup this morning, before work. It actually was from the later sap I pulled, but isn't terribly dark, like I expected. My prime stuff still needs the final reduction and canning, and I should get around 3.5 gallons. After Tuesday it is supposed to warm up, and stay warm down here. I will probably call it a season on Wednesday. Time to go Steelhead fishing. :evilsmile


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## JBIV (Jan 29, 2004)

Will the sap from later in the season make darker syrup? I noticed my near syrup I cooked this weekend was much darker than my first syrup.


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## InTheRiver (May 15, 2006)

I got it all boiled down, I didn't have a hydrometer but I think it turned out pretty good. Its very dark in color, I was able to fill 2 of those Michigan syrup pint bottles. Bring on the waffles and p cakes.


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## Anita Dwink (Apr 14, 2004)

The sap changes throughout the season. It has been my experience that the early sap is lighter but also that the sugar content is lower. The darker syrup has a stronger flavor . In commercial uses it`s sold more for baking and than table syrup. I think it`s best on vanilla Ice cream . :corkysm55


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## firetech (Apr 25, 2008)

Well I boiled for 5hrs last nite and only got 2gals of grade B syrup should have made 7gals. Tonite I'm pulling all the taps and buckets. The sugar content goes down later in the season so it takes longer to make syrup, the longer its in the pans cooking the more carmealiziton of the sugar occurs thus darker syrup (generally) it's still good to eat as long as it's not bitter. Lighter syrup occurs normally early in the season due to higher % of sugar in the sap it doesn't need to cook as long to make syrup thus lack of color. This year I've done 103 gals 25 med, 60dark, 23 B. Time to clean up ,get the boat prepped and start chasing Mr Wally and Mr Crappie. To all you sappers good job and enjoy your harvest.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Yep, just pulled my 10 taps, and gathered my last 5 gallons of sap. Also canned another 3.5 gallons, so I got around 6 gallons, this year; plus whatever I get from the last 8 gallons, which I use to rinse out my cooking pans, and get maybe one last pint, or so. 
Yes, the earlier syrup is much lighter in color. My later stuff is still lighter in color than anything I see in stores, and tastes great. Time to fish.


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## glassman (Dec 27, 2007)

fishing time it is. just finished my last batch of about five gallons. pulled taps now for the cleaning. total of about fifteen gallons of too thick syrup. not bad from sixty taps but no record for sure.


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## chinamigarden (Oct 21, 2005)

Sounds like an interesting hobby. So here is the dumb question. What do you do with all of this syrup?


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## firetech (Apr 25, 2008)

Syrup is a very nice gift for the holidays, trading for stuff, and I will always be willing to take some cash. I was at Sugar Bush Supply the other day and a pint in plastic was $12quarts were $23 so it is a nice hobby. Maple is in short supply this year and that the reason for the higher prices.


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## glassman (Dec 27, 2007)

it is great for tradeing. my brother makes jams pickles and salsa. always a good trade. having three kids uses up some and we cook with it alot. glaze a ham, use in place of sugar in cookies.. the uses are endless when your not buying it.


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## chinamigarden (Oct 21, 2005)

My wife and I were talking about this yesterday and we came up with the fact that it would make great gifts and good for bartering came up. It makes more sense now.


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

Anyone here in Mid Michigan ( clare area) who sells this?


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## glassman (Dec 27, 2007)

you are supposed to be licenced to sell it but "some" people do sell it on the side.


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## Firecracker (Aug 19, 2005)

well then........ who would SOME people be lol


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