Maple Syrup 'hobby' Production

[JB4310]

Looks like a great way to pass a slow day,wish ya'll luck, i would love to try it someday. I see pailsout here in NEPA already.

It does take all day to boil down a decent amount of sap. My sap stopped flowing today cause last night the temp didn't drop below freezing. but tomorrow night and for the next several days there is supposed to be sub freezing night time temps.

Takes me about 8-9 gallons of sap to make a qt of syrup.

JB

 

[Avondale]

Our weather has not been playing along so no syrup made so far. We are expecting snow today and temp was -2c at 0400hrs and suppose to drop to -6c later today. We have some pails out as testers but will put the rest out this weekend, regardless. I do not know enough about it but expect the weird weather to produce a weird production season so want to be ready if/when it starts.

 

[MIKE R]

Our weather has not been playing along so no syrup made so far. We are expecting snow today and temp was -2c at 0400hrs and suppose to drop to -6c later today. We have some pails out as testers but will put the rest out this weekend, regardless. I do not know enough about it but expect the weird weather to produce a weird production season so want to be ready if/when it starts.

The weather up here has been crazy too. It ran good yesterday and a bit the past couple of days. Just came in from checking the buckets and nothing. From what I have boiled down it has been the Grade A Light.

Looking at the long term it looks to be staying cold all week but is going to warm up to the usual on March 4th. I think this is when the sap will rely run.

 

[Avondale]

We hung the rest of our pails this weekend and are ready, should the run start. We had some drips while tapping but sap was freezing on the spile. Weather guessers reports do not look too promising.

 

[JB4310]

I'm boiling a small batch today, supposed to get near 50 this afternoon, after being well below freezing most of the night.

JB

 

[David P]

Our first year of production was last year with 200 taps, all on bags. This year I am moving to gravity lines (tubing) with a number of collection points due to terrain. We have about 250 in right now and I'm hoping to get the rest in today. Should have between 350-400.

 

[Avondale]

We feel we are maxed out as a hobby producer with 300 pails. I have a full time job, kids are gone now so if we went bigger, it would have to be as a business venture. Sadly, no matter how I do the math, can not see a case for changing to tubes, vac pumps, RODs, oil fired evaps, etc. The large producers, (especially in Quebec) have enormous stocks of syrup and control the commercial market and the price. We sell ours at Farmer's markets and farm gate sales, etc.We must sell at what ever the competition sets the price, which does not reflect the effort that went into producing it, (starting with firewood collecting, bush cleaning, capitol equipment outlay, maintenance, post-boil scrubbing, etc). Good thing we like doing it, eh?

 

[IndyIan]

We feel we are maxed out as a hobby producer with 300 pails. I have a full time job, kids are gone now so if we went bigger, it would have to be as a business venture. Sadly, no matter how I do the math, can not see a case for changing to tubes, vac pumps, RODs, oil fired evaps, etc. The large producers, (especially in Quebec) have enormous stocks of syrup and control the commercial market and the price. We sell ours at Farmer's markets and farm gate sales, etc.We must sell at what ever the competition sets the price, which does not reflect the effort that went into producing it, (starting with firewood collecting, bush cleaning, capitol equipment outlay, maintenance, post-boil scrubbing, etc). Good thing we like doing it, eh?

Do you find you are getting folks selling Que. syrup at your farmers market? Even so maybe just try to sell it for what you need to get for it. Yours is collected by hand! Must be better than syrup from tubes kept clean with some kind of chemicals?
We do just one big tree with 2 taps and boil outside on a propane burner and then finish inside. Its usually enough for the year and we like our pancakes and french toast!

 

[Avondale]

I see most of the price issues are based on what the potential customers see in the local stores that sell the "Industrial" producers syrup (mostly from QC). Mainly canned, in various sizes. We sell ours in clear glass bottles, which many of our customers prefer. We have managed to sell most of our products every year but the price is based on the competition.

We like to think our's is pretty darn good, based on our Local Village Fair competition results, (4th and 2nd in last two years) and the repeat customers.

 

[MIKE R]

I boiled down some sap on Saturday. Ended up with 750ml of the light syrup. The weather looks to be cold all this week but next week looks like ideal maple sugarin weather. About 4°celcius in the day and -4° at night.

 

[wawajake]

Mike R are you in the Prince Township near Sault Ste Marie

If you are then I am a little late getting my trees tapped !
I am in Echo Bay area near Sault and my first year tapping was last year, got forty gallons of raw and boiled down to two quarts .........but it was good.

But I just assumed that no way sap was running in February.
I guess this weekend I will tap my dozen trees. .... is there a problem if trees are tapped too early , for eg: will the trees heal over paritally and slow down tap?

 

[MIKE R]

Mike R are you in the Prince Township near Sault Ste Marie

If you are then I am a little late getting my trees tapped !
I am in Echo Bay area near Sault and my first year tapping was last year, got forty gallons of raw and boiled down to two quarts .........but it was good.

But I just assumed that no way sap was running in February.
I guess this weekend I will tap my dozen trees. .... is there a problem if trees are tapped too early , for eg: will the trees heal over paritally and slow down tap?

Yes I am just west of the Sault. I started tapping on Feb 3rd. From about 17 trees I have tapped so far this year I got about 1250ml. Don't tap the trees when it is below freezing or you risk splitting the bark and having sap running under the spiles. I don't see a issue with tapping to early. Look at the big producers they start tapping in the fall to prepare for the season.

 

[wawajake]

Thanks Mike, I know your area well (I work in the Sault the last 20 years)

It looks like it will go to above freezing by Tuesday next week, (+4C)so I guess I am going to be washing out the pails and spiles and getting ready to tap some trees by Tuesday.

Good luck with yours .

Last year ,the day I chose to boil down, it poured rain so was doing it under tarps, this year I am going to be better prepared !!

 

[wawajake]

Here is some Maple Syrup poetry I wrote last year.



Maple Time
It is time to tap maples on the back forty.
Getting nest ready scolding ravens do warn me.
Bigger buckets are sought, spiles and lids too.
Where tin coffee cans just will not make do.

The four wheel is readied, auger bits and a brace,
mallet and hatchet, maybe pliers in case.
Bungee spaghetti, all bundled and made tied,
it is time to get moving warm weather the guide.

Up the hill and over stark meadow we go
bush trails, mud ground and packed snow.
White course sugar and old tracks stained grey,
early ice crumbles and re-melts for the spring day.

The maples stand tall over the immature aspens,
to shadow faint rabbit tracks and rustling partridge hens.
Moles dig in dark places while the jays claim top limbs.
Spruce sentinels stand silent to the March mornings dim.

Auger bit pierces bark to spiral wood chips down.
Life blood intercepted never reaches the crown.
Roots rudely awoken by melt water overwhelming.
Carry forth, push it upward, to branches demanding.

Spiles are pounded, for pails and lids hung,
clear sap emerges courses down from the tongue.
The tree chorus begins from the buckets hung steady.
Then drip drip drip drip, the maples are ready.


Jack ten Brinke
Echo Bay, Ontario

 

[MIKE R]

Wawajake if you haven't got your trees tapped you better get going. It rely ran yesterday and it is bound to run today and on the weekend. Good timing, just in time for March break.
Good luck and have fun.

 

[wawajake]

I tapped my dozen biggest maples a few days ago, and I already had cleaned and disenfected my plastic and covered rainbarrel with drain petcock, to use for raw sap.
So I am ready !!!!!!