roccoracer
NES Member
I am glad you stuck with it and you were able to taste syrup that you produced. It is a good feeling. Just be careful it is addicting.
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It is sugaring time
- Thread starter coastie
- Start date
roccoracer
NES Member
This will be the first year I offer some for sale. $20 quart $35 half gallon if anyone is interested.
Me too, my girls have been loving it. Next year we're putting out 20 taps and going a bit bigger, our goal is 6-7 gallons next year. I'd like to get enough to sell a couple gallons and distribute the rest to family.
I was thinking of this thread last night when I made a couple of waffles, and was devastated to realize there was only a couple drops left of syrup in the bottle. I had to use the fake crap, man that stuff tastes nothing like real syrup!
Next year, I hope to be living someplace that has maples out back, and can contribute to these threads too.
Next year, I hope to be living someplace that has maples out back, and can contribute to these threads too.
VetteGirlMA
NES Member
Looks like someone in VT has a syrup addiction problem...
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/04/100_gallons_of_vermont_maple_s.html
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/04/100_gallons_of_vermont_maple_s.html
That's like $6k-$7k worth of maple syrup, I guess I'd be pretty pissed too... Watch for it on the syrup black marker!
roccoracer
NES Member
The article points out that much of it was dumped on the ground. [emoji35]
VetteGirlMA
NES Member
I enjoyed getting fresh syrup right from the makers last year and hopefully again this year!
Last year we were super late to the party and ended up getting about a pint and a half of finished syrup but it was darn good. This year we're ready to go with cooking and collection gear for 20 taps.
I've got so much 'back-stock' from previous years that I think I'm going to take this year off.
roccoracer
NES Member
I am excited to get started, but no more excited than I am in July. I sold a good amount of last years syrup to memebers here. So I only have about 7 gallons left.
This warm weather sucks. I think it's really going to screw things up. I drilled a tree Sunday just to see what was going on because of the weather and sure enough there was sap flowing. Not a ton which I expected but there was some. Now the debate of when to tap. I really want to wait till the middle of next month at the earliest but with this stupid warm weather I am second guessing things. Anyone else having the same dilemma?
Going to tap for the first time ever this season. I picked up 4 taps and buckets but wondering if I should get more. I have a couple acres with ~a dozen maples big enough to tap, some big enough for 2 taps each. I'd be happy with a couple quarts to a gallon. Maybe one or two more taps?
It really depends on the run. I think this year is going to suck with the weather being like it is but who knows. If it were me I would get a couple more. You can really use some small PVC pipe or nipples to make taps if you don't want to order them... unless you found them somewhere local to you. I "general" estimate is 40:1 sap to syrup but it varies. I don't know where you are located but I think I have a few bucket taps you can have. Nothing wrong with them just don't use that kind anymore.
Mountain, beware! Your thinking is how it always begins. I promised my wife that I would only do 3 taps and not get involved with another hobby. I lied! What an addicting hobby it is. My son and I went from 3 taps to 13 to 55 to over 100 taps on gravity fed lines to???
It is a great time of the year to be outside. Mapletrader.com is the go to web site. Like this site, it is filled with friendly, helpful people. Hope you enjoy the hobby.
It is a great time of the year to be outside. Mapletrader.com is the go to web site. Like this site, it is filled with friendly, helpful people. Hope you enjoy the hobby.
My family of 3/4 has set out 10 taps during the last two seasons a has made about 1 gallon each year it's about enough for us to last the year. Truthfully we don't have the time to boil all the sap we collected and gave away quite a bit, maybe 10 gallons of sap each year. Lots went to waste too.
Just food for thought when you're thinking about how much you're willing to boil, vs how much finished syrup you want.
Just food for thought when you're thinking about how much you're willing to boil, vs how much finished syrup you want.
Tapped 10 trees with my son yesterday, it's the first time he has actually helped me with it and he had a good time. He loved drilling the holes. Sap was running, not great but was running. Did the first 10 close to the house and with milk jugs so he could watch them and check them. Hopefully I can do the rest this week into next weekend.
We are probably going to tap in 2 weeks or so. Have friends that tapped a couple weeks ago and they had a good run with the warm weather. I am still trying to get my evaporator finished. Another year with the barrel rig. It is being enlarged to take 3 maybe 4 pans but still not a legit rig like I want. Time and money. GOing to put in 40-45 taps this year.
Diesel dog, we'll see how I do with a half dozen taps. I think available time to boil may be the limiting factor for me. I'm always impressed to see those multi line set ups.
Brian, very nice offer. I have some metal taps- now up to six taps and buckets. Any advantage to that plastic style?
This should be fun. Coming from the south I have always wanted to give it a try.
6 should give you enough to get a feel for it and give you a decent bit of syrup... time does end up being a limiting factor when it comes to boiling it down. You can build a decent make shift evaporator out of some cinder blocks and a couple hotel pans. It will go one of 2 ways, you will love it and end up upping the scale for next year or hate it.
I think the plastic spouts are just cheaper and easier to mass produce now. Also they don't rust and are a little easier to clean but the metal ones work fine.
We are getting into the season now but if someone wants to try it shoot me a PM with your address and I will send you the 2 bucket spouts I have. I would prefer to send them to someone who is just getting started or wants to try it.
I think the plastic spouts are just cheaper and easier to mass produce now. Also they don't rust and are a little easier to clean but the metal ones work fine.
We are getting into the season now but if someone wants to try it shoot me a PM with your address and I will send you the 2 bucket spouts I have. I would prefer to send them to someone who is just getting started or wants to try it.
roccoracer
NES Member
This seems very early to me. I normally put my 120 taps up the last week of February. Where do you live?
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Seems very early to me also but I test drilled a couple trees and it was running. I am going to monitor the 10 I did and use them to decide what to do with the rest now that it's getting cold again. I did a little poking around and reading and there are reports of major producers as far north at ME and VT and south as PA tapping because of the warm weather. I am in Douglas, MA... 10 mins north of the MA, RI, and CT lines.
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I use 30 gallon open topped food grade barrels that originally held bagged salt. They are tapered. I like them because I can stack them inside each other at the end of the season, put a lot of my tapping stuff inside the top one and store it nice and compact. Also being open topped they are very easy to clean.
