Tree tapping question

Does it make any difference which side of the tree is tapped?
just

Yes the sides with sun exposure will usually flow the best.

I don't think so, I pick the side that best accommodates the bag.

Zim

My 10 yrs experience says no. Old timers (me) tap above a large exposed root or below a large limb.
Then again I only do maybe 80 gallons of syrup per year. Google Maple Trader. Much info.

I've done a little bit of tree tapping and no I don't believe the side you tap on makes a difference but I could be wrong. Usually one side will be better simply because the ground is flatter to place the bucket because the bucket can tip over and all your sap can spill out (I know from experience lol). But I think the size diameter of the tree makes a difference, and most importantly the size of the canopy. In other words how many leaves and branches it has. Also, be sure to look out for tree that have a lot of dead branches up top. Avoid using those. You want to look for healthy trees with broad canopies and lots of buds. Those will be your biggest producers.

X2

I have never done this, but do have a couple of good sized maples in my yard...how many trees/taps would one need to get enough sap to make a gallon of syrup, roughly?

I’ve done about a gallon of syrup with 6 taps. Two taps per tree.

25-50 ballpark. Depends on sugar content. For a few trees you may want to place sap in a jug, maple empty milk carton and place in freezer until you have enough to boil. My son does this for two taps. Works for him. Like trapping have fun.

Depending on sugar content about 40 gallons of sap to one gallon of syrup. If you have sugar maples you'll be closer to that ratio. I've had friends that do sap for themselves and it's not hard to get 40 gallons of sap with a handful of taps, when it's running good buckets can fill fast.

But you can get a full gallon of Mrs. Butterworth's for like $12.

The out side of course.

yes we always figured 40-1

what he said.

In for the win!

You would use that crap?

2X

Can you get the sap from hard maple trees .thought I might try it.

The south facing side of the tree is where you want to place your tap.
It's best to place it right under a limb as well, this in theory will provide you more sap flow.

Heres a couple of my older videos that show the process of making maple syrup. Even though the videos aren't the best, I still believe they provide decent info.

How hard is it to boil down in a turkey pot and get a decent result. Want to fiddle around before going all in.

I used a water bath canner on a fire my first few years. The moved to the turkey fryer because the fire didn't work well in the rain.

The problem it it takes to long because there is not enough surface area like with an evaporator pan.

Last year I bought an evaporator pan and made pit lined with concrete blocks and a grate across the top for the pan to sit on. Fuel was wood. I angled a piece of pole barn tin above it on 2x4s to keep rain off. It worked well. I could go through sap 4x as fast.
It used a lot of wood and tending the fire took more attention than I liked.

Once it gets close I finish it in the house.

I have been going cheap for years we only make between 3 and 6 gal a year.