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Maple Tree Tapping Time #7201233
03/01/21 08:26 PM
03/01/21 08:26 PM
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 49
Pennsylvania
C
Craig C Offline OP
trapper
Craig C  Offline OP
trapper
C

Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 49
Pennsylvania
Tapped my Maple Trees today, looks like the weather over the next 2-weeks will result in a good run in Western Pennsylvania.

How about others around the Country, have you tapped your trees yet?

2021 Maple.jpg
Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201276
03/01/21 08:40 PM
03/01/21 08:40 PM
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 1,482
Ne pa
J
Jerry Jr. Offline
trapper
Jerry Jr.  Offline
trapper
J

Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 1,482
Ne pa
We got about 25 trees tapped (50 taps) the other day. No much running right now. We are going to tap another 20 trees (40 taps) tomorrow afternoon. Then it is time to get the ro system ready. Probably should pressure wash the sap barrels too.


Time is more precious than gold if you know how to spend it
.... but what do I know, I'm just a dumb farmer.~My Dad
NRA LIFE MEMBER, Endowment Member
Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201346
03/01/21 09:26 PM
03/01/21 09:26 PM
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 434
PA
Squaretimber Offline
trapper
Squaretimber  Offline
trapper

Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 434
PA
I tapped a dozen trees last week. A couple are running well others almost nothing at all

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201353
03/01/21 09:34 PM
03/01/21 09:34 PM
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 16,170
ny
U
upstateNY Offline
trapper
upstateNY  Offline
trapper
U

Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 16,170
ny
Originally Posted by Craig C
Tapped my Maple Trees today, looks like the weather over the next 2-weeks will result in a good run in Western Pennsylvania.

How about others around the Country, have you tapped your trees yet?

You got grass,I still got four feet of snow in my yard.


the wheels of the gods turn very slowly
Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201358
03/01/21 09:36 PM
03/01/21 09:36 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 566
Iowa
trapperjdb Offline
trapper
trapperjdb  Offline
trapper

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 566
Iowa
Been tapping in Eastern Iowa for almost a week. Looks like you have honey bee hobby too.


ITA, NRA & NTA member

Short liner and proud of it.
Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: trapperjdb] #7201401
03/01/21 10:13 PM
03/01/21 10:13 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
B
bblwi Offline
trapper
bblwi  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 11,292
East-Central Wisconsin
Taps are all in as of today. tanks are mounted on or in vehicles, pumps are ready. We will go out Thursday. We have sap in buckets that is froze so we have not collected as of yet. We got lucky with enough warm and sun to shrink the snow in the woods so we can walk and travel. Now it is just a waiting game for the weather. Here is wishing a good collection year to all.

Bryce

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201437
03/01/21 10:47 PM
03/01/21 10:47 PM
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 87
Michigan- Escanaba
F
Fatheroftwo Offline
trapper
Fatheroftwo  Offline
trapper
F

Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 87
Michigan- Escanaba
120 taps in Saturday morning and Sunday mid day collected 120 gallons of sap. Love the outdoors, goes from trapping to tapping to turkeys to fishing to hunting to trapping and do it all over again.

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201472
03/01/21 11:28 PM
03/01/21 11:28 PM
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 2,014
SE Iowa USA
A
AKAjust Offline
trapper
AKAjust  Offline
trapper
A

Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 2,014
SE Iowa USA
Aren't those trees kind of skinny?
just

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201547
03/02/21 02:26 AM
03/02/21 02:26 AM
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8,859
Indiana
P
Providence Farm Offline
trapper
Providence Farm  Offline
trapper
P

Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8,859
Indiana
Boiling the last of 42 gal now. About 4 more hours if I guess.

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201568
03/02/21 06:12 AM
03/02/21 06:12 AM
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 13,963
Michigan
T
Trapper Dahlgren Online content
trapper
Trapper Dahlgren  Online Content
trapper
T

Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 13,963
Michigan
seen a few trees tap here

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201570
03/02/21 06:30 AM
03/02/21 06:30 AM
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,801
Mn
W
Whopper Stopper Online content
trapper
Whopper Stopper  Online Content
trapper
W

Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,801
Mn
It's going to be a good week here.

WS

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201575
03/02/21 06:47 AM
03/02/21 06:47 AM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 290
Northern Illinois
B
Black dogs Offline
trapper
Black dogs  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 290
Northern Illinois
We tapped last weekend. I’d like to see some of your guys setups for evaporating!

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201636
03/02/21 08:34 AM
03/02/21 08:34 AM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 207
Western New York
dinorocks Offline
trapper
dinorocks  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 207
Western New York
I tapped my 60 sugar maples last week and boiled for the first time this season yesterday. Didn’t collect as much as I expected. The day prior to boiling, I ran my 160 gallons of 2% sap through my RO bucket system and ended up with 80 gallons of 4%. My RO bucket advertises 10 gph but I did much better. With my flat pan and warming vessel setup, I can evaporate 10 gph. I used1/3 cord of wood (ash) and when I complete my finish boil today, I should have a tad over 3 gallons of syrup. I typically like to boil twice the volume to make it worth while cleaning all my equipment but I was anxious. Below are a few Picts of my setup. I gave up trying to orientate photos...sorry.

15 degrees today with the next warmup (sap flow) beginning on Monday.

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Last edited by dinorocks; 03/02/21 08:35 AM.

"Speedy arrow, sharp and narrow" GD
Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201681
03/02/21 09:33 AM
03/02/21 09:33 AM
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 355
NY
V
VH60 Offline
trapper
VH60  Offline
trapper
V

Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 355
NY
Tapped 5 trees last thursday afternoon . Tapped 6 more friday . Saturday collected around 15 gallons of sap . Sunday got another 10 gallons of sap . Monday got 5 gallons . Made appx 1/2 gallon of syrup so far . [Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201697
03/02/21 09:48 AM
03/02/21 09:48 AM
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8,859
Indiana
P
Providence Farm Offline
trapper
Providence Farm  Offline
trapper
P

Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8,859
Indiana
I just have a pan like the one above. It sets on a grate on concrete blocks. I'm having trouble determining gal per hr because that depends on outside temps an temp of fire.
It works much better than my old water bath canners I used to use but it used to much wood and i would still like it to be faster.

I thought about buying a commercial evaporator but for the price of the cheapest one I could buy a very nice welder and build my own.

I have two thoughts on this. Build a steel box from scratch bug enough for my evaporator pan and a Lee warmer pan. I would line it with fire brick. The door, air control and hole for the pipe would be the worst part. So for that to make it easy and fast I could just buy a barrel stove kit and use the pieces for that on the one i built.

In the same thought pattern i could make a barrel stove cut the top off and weld a piece of steel to make it flat on the top for the pan. But honestly i think that will be more work and not as nice as building one and using the parts from a kit for the door and exhaust.

Then I can control the air flow and reduce wood consumption and I won't have to tend it as often adding wood every hour to hour and a half to keep it hot.

Last edited by Providence Farm; 03/02/21 09:50 AM.
Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: VH60] #7201728
03/02/21 10:08 AM
03/02/21 10:08 AM
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 601
ontario, canada
O
old243 Offline
trapper
old243  Offline
trapper
O

Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 601
ontario, canada
dino, could you explain your method of concentrating sap. are you letting the sap partly freeze , then discarding the ice and keeping the concentrated sap to boil. My friend does something similar. . puts buckets of sap in an old freezer , lets it partly freeze then discards the ice. . Nice set up you have, good spring project. Lots of visiting can go on around a sap boiler. old243

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201739
03/02/21 10:15 AM
03/02/21 10:15 AM
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 2,092
NB, Canada
MySide 🦝 Offline
trapper
MySide 🦝  Offline
trapper

Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 2,092
NB, Canada
Here in Canada we still have to wait a while longer. Thanks for the pics everyone!! Getting my fired up! laugh


All for the Greater Glory of God
Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Providence Farm] #7201770
03/02/21 10:41 AM
03/02/21 10:41 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,516
La Crosse, WI
Macthediver Offline
trapper
Macthediver  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,516
La Crosse, WI
Originally Posted by Providence Farm
I just have a pan like the one above. It sets on a grate on concrete blocks. I'm having trouble determining gal per hr because that depends on outside temps an temp of fire.
It works much better than my old water bath canners I used to use but it used to much wood and i would still like it to be faster.

I thought about buying a commercial evaporator but for the price of the cheapest one I could buy a very nice welder and build my own.

I have two thoughts on this. Build a steel box from scratch bug enough for my evaporator pan and a Lee warmer pan. I would line it with fire brick. The door, air control and hole for the pipe would be the worst part. So for that to make it easy and fast I could just buy a barrel stove kit and use the pieces for that on the one i built.

In the same thought pattern i could make a barrel stove cut the top off and weld a piece of steel to make it flat on the top for the pan. But honestly i think that will be more work and not as nice as building one and using the parts from a kit for the door and exhaust.

Then I can control the air flow and reduce wood consumption and I won't have to tend it as often adding wood every hour to hour and a half to keep it hot.


Providance

Here is how I have mine set up on the cheap..one barrel has two steam tray pans cut in it. The other has big restaurant pan I got at an auction. I use old grill racks scavenged from dump in the bottom barrels. I also use fan off cook stove hood with piece rain gutter pipe as a blower in the bottom..
Not fancy by any means but works ok for the couple 2-3 days I cook.. I use the 3 stainless buckets I have to preheat sap before dump into the pans. I start boiling down in double steam pan stove. Then move that sap to the bigger pan to concentrate there. Once I get everything I'm cooking in the big pan. I run it until gets close to syrup then move it to my LP cooker so can watch it closer..
This is crude by lot people standards. but i really got very little cost in it. It actually helps me clean up wood on my property that I'd just burn in brush pile.

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Mac


"Never Forget Which Way Is Up"

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: Craig C] #7201807
03/02/21 10:58 AM
03/02/21 10:58 AM
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8,859
Indiana
P
Providence Farm Offline
trapper
Providence Farm  Offline
trapper
P

Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8,859
Indiana
Did you weld steel in for your pants to sit on or just sit them over the hole?

Re: Maple Tree Tapping Time [Re: old243] #7201823
03/02/21 11:18 AM
03/02/21 11:18 AM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 207
Western New York
dinorocks Offline
trapper
dinorocks  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 207
Western New York
Originally Posted by old243
dino, could you explain your method of concentrating sap. are you letting the sap partly freeze , then discarding the ice and keeping the concentrated sap to boil. My friend does something similar. . puts buckets of sap in an old freezer , lets it partly freeze then discards the ice. . Nice set up you have, good spring project. Lots of visiting can go on around a sap boiler. old243



I dump ice accumulating in buckets...sugar will increase in the remaining sap. I use the ice to keep sap buckets or storage area cold. This is my first year using a reverse osmosis system...it cuts my boiling in half! A refractometer is very helpful to determining the sugar content...$18 on Amazon.

And yes, lots of visitors during the boil...unfortunately not as many visitors during sap collection!!

[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]


"Speedy arrow, sharp and narrow" GD
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