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Maple Season Has Begun!!!

Husker21

Husker21

My buddy moved his evaporator over to my house for the season.  We have 10 trees tapped.  Did our first boil yesterday.  We worked out some kinks with the taps and the evaporator needs some fireplace mortar to seal up all the internal joints in the firebox.  We probably boiled close to 20 gallons of sap that yielded just over a quart of syrup. 
 
I will update this thread with more pics and log the trials and errors.  If nothing else, its a good reason to drink beers during the weekend boil.  
 
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nice, i miss fresh syrup.  i lived above a sugar shack for awhile in up state ny.  oh the foggy memories.
 
I grew up in the "The Maple Syrup Capital of the World," so I'll use only the pure stuff.  There's nothing like good ole maple syrup. 
 
It's a lot of work to go from sap to syrup, so I commend your efforts.  Have you ever tried maple sugar on snow when the syrup gets thick and sticky?  Wonderful memories.
 
catherinew said:
I grew up in the "The Maple Syrup Capital of the World," so I'll use only the pure stuff.  There's nothing like good ole maple syrup. 
 
It's a lot of work to go from sap to syrup, so I commend your efforts.  Have you ever tried maple sugar on snow when the syrup gets thick and sticky?  Wonderful memories.
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It is a lot of work.  I really enjoy collecting.  I just hauled 9 gallons.  The boiling time is just relaxing chilling with my peeps.  
 
I will have to try your snow cone.  Sounds delicious.
 
we call that "jack wax" up north.    a nice bowl of fresh fallen snow and some syrup, stir and make taffy.  "jack wax!"
 
there is talk that the polar vortex that has hit Ontario and Quebec may hinter maple syrup production.
 
though 2,000 miles away from that area, last year, at this time, i tapped my manitoba maple and was able to get 2 quarts of liquid as temps hit above 50F causing sap flow. no way this year and long range forecast don't show any signs of warming for awhile. anything metal is just frozen solid and the home furnace is just a screaming.
 
hope your syrup harvest is bountiful.
 
Burning Colon said:
there is talk that the polar vortex that has hit Ontario and Quebec may hinter maple syrup production.
 
though 2,000 miles away from that area, last year, at this time, i tapped my manitoba maple and was able to get 2 quarts of liquid as temps hit above 50F causing sap flow. no way this year and long range forecast don't show any signs of warming for awhile. anything metal is just frozen solid and the home furnace is just a screaming.
 
hope your syrup harvest is bountiful.
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It has been a lean season. No boiling this weekend. I only have 9 gallons of frozen sap in The holding tank. We restocked the blocks on the evaporator today and sealed all of the internal joints with some fireplace mastic. Hope to get our boil on next weekend. The temps later this week look more favorable for collecting sap.
 
Burning Colon said:
i'm tapping my tree this Thursday. Friday will be 5C, Saturday ill be 13C. that is what gets the juices flowing!
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Nice!  We are hoping for a good couple of days leading up to our next boil on Sunday.  Hoping for 30 or so gallons to make it worth our time.  But time spent drinking around the fire is always worth it.   :beer:
 
excellent job husker!
 
i got just over a gallon of sap from my manitoba maple and boiled it down on sunday, i got a baby jar of syrup.
 
being my first time at making it, i didn't take into account the cool down effect and how it would thicken the syrup. so the consistency is more like that of a thick liquid honey than a free flowing maple syrup. i will have to do a bit more research on when to remove the heat from the boiling syrup and dealing in such a small volume using a hydrometer is out of the question. the tree is done producing and our temps have dropped back down to around the -10C.
 
still happy with my results as the tree is not a sugar maple and i don't live in a maple tree friendly zone..... the lone maple tree on the prairie.
 
Burning Colon said:
excellent job husker!
 
i got just over a gallon of sap from my manitoba maple and boiled it down on sunday, i got a baby jar of syrup.
 
being my first time at making it, i didn't take into account the cool down effect and how it would thicken the syrup. so the consistency is more like that of a thick liquid honey than a free flowing maple syrup. i will have to do a bit more research on when to remove the heat from the boiling syrup and dealing in such a small volume using a hydrometer is out of the question. the tree is done producing and our temps have dropped back down to around the -10C.
 
still happy with my results as the tree is not a sugar maple and i don't live in a maple tree friendly zone..... the lone maple tree on the prairie.
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I see what you are saying about the hydrometer.  If you don't have enough finished syrup to float it in the cup then the hydrometer won't do you any good.  
 
My buddy is the my maple mentor.  This is his evaporator and his know how.  I just collect sap, stack wood, drink, and help bottle.  Oh and I make waffles lol.  Fun activity but this rig is going back to his house next year.  His young kids will be a year older and he can run the show at his place.  I will however be saving the 60 gallon drum he brought over.  Next year I am going to gravity feed all my sap down to one point on my property.  I will then siphon it into another barrel in my pickup and drive it to his place for the boil.  I can't see paying for this stuff ever again.  It is expensive because it is hard work!
 
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