WaterfowlForum.Net

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:19 am**

I decided this year to tap into some of my own maple trees. I've only got 2, but I tapped them last night before the freeze and just checked them about an hour ago. 10 gallons of sap already so I decided to start evaporating. This is going to end up super dark because of how long it is going to take, but should still be excellent.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:20 am**

And...location is everything...

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:28 am**

Is it too late for me to try this?

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:28 am**

Down here, I mean.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:32 am**

assateague wrote:Down here, I mean.

I honestly have no clue. As long as it freezes at night and warms in the day, yes. Have they budded already?

I am just looking to make a gallon of finished product, so once I get 40-50 gallons of sap I'm pulling them off. Next year I will start earlier and be ready, knowing how much just 2 trees will produce.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:34 am**

Ah, guess it's too late then. Not budded, but will just barely hit 32 at night, then into the 50s-60s.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:45 am**

assateague wrote:Ah, guess it's too late then. Not budded, but will just barely hit 32 at night, then into the 50s-60s.

Can't hurt to try, but I'm not sure you'd get much.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:48 am**

I've already started the process since it will likely take days on top of my woodstove.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:49 am**

Barely simmering

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:52 am**

We did this once. There were 5 sugar maples in the yard then. We have more now. Mom kept burning the sap and we gave up.
She had an electric stove and low was too high for the process.

Maybe I'll try again. We have lots of maples now. The hedge...turned into a row of maples over the years.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 11:00 am**

aunt betty wrote:We did this once. There were 5 sugar maples in the yard then. We have more now. Mom kept burning the sap and we gave up.
She had an electric stove and low was too high for the process.

Maybe I'll try again. We have lots of maples now. The hedge...turned into a row of maples over the years.

I've done it over direct wood before, which is incredibly hot. The last 2 degrees you literally have to watch non stop or you could over boil. Even over boiling by 5 or more degrees won't burn it, it will just start to sugar up. SHe must have been leaving it on and not watching it to have it burn.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 11:02 am**

Eric Haynes wrote:
aunt betty wrote:We did this once. There were 5 sugar maples in the yard then. We have more now. Mom kept burning the sap and we gave up.
She had an electric stove and low was too high for the process.

Maybe I'll try again. We have lots of maples now. The hedge...turned into a row of maples over the years.

I've done it over direct wood before, which is incredibly hot. The last 2 degrees you literally have to watch non stop or you could over boil. Even over boiling by 5 or more degrees won't burn it, it will just start to sugar up. SHe must have been leaving it on and not watching it to have it burn.

uh huh. Would get yackin on phone.
Thought she could time it or something.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 11:04 am**

aunt betty wrote:
Eric Haynes wrote:
aunt betty wrote:We did this once. There were 5 sugar maples in the yard then. We have more now. Mom kept burning the sap and we gave up.
She had an electric stove and low was too high for the process.

Maybe I'll try again. We have lots of maples now. The hedge...turned into a row of maples over the years.

I've done it over direct wood before, which is incredibly hot. The last 2 degrees you literally have to watch non stop or you could over boil. Even over boiling by 5 or more degrees won't burn it, it will just start to sugar up. SHe must have been leaving it on and not watching it to have it burn.
uh huh. Would get yackin on phone.
Thought she could time it or something.

Haha, been there. It takes so long to get it to 215-217 and then all the sudden, bam! Too hot. I'd be pissed to get that close to just have to throw it away.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 1:44 pm**

I just finished my first of this years boil this morning, ended up with 3.5+qts. Probably do one more boil next weekend. The closer to the bud you get, the lower the sugar % in the sap, requiring more boiling.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 1:46 pm**

I've been getting about 15 gal a day between 4 trees. I have more trees I could tap but don't have an efficient enough setup to do that kind of quantity, and time.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:38 pm**

BrewGUN wrote:I've been getting about 15 gal a day between 4 trees. I have more trees I could tap but don't have an efficient enough setup to do that kind of quantity, and time.

Are you finishing on your stove? I still need to pickup a wool sock for my finished product, which could be days from now.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 4:13 pm**

Eric Haynes wrote:
BrewGUN wrote:I've been getting about 15 gal a day between 4 trees. I have more trees I could tap but don't have an efficient enough setup to do that kind of quantity, and time.

Are you finishing on your stove? I still need to pickup a wool sock for my finished product, which could be days from now.

Yep stove finishing, then use a coffee filter or cheese cloth or fryer filter to filter it at bottling. I like pint and half pint mason jars for packaging.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 5:13 pm**

What's the woods sock for? Flavor?

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 6:38 pm**

3legged_lab wrote:What's the woods sock for? Flavor?

Yeah, flavor...lol

That or filtering the sand out.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 6:41 pm**

Eric Haynes wrote:
3legged_lab wrote:What's the woods sock for? Flavor?

Yeah, flavor...lol

That or filtering the sand out.

Does that work better than coffee filters?

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 6:49 pm**

3legged_lab wrote:
Eric Haynes wrote:
3legged_lab wrote:What's the woods sock for? Flavor?

Yeah, flavor...lol

That or filtering the sand out.

Does that work better than coffee filters?

Yes, I only use the coffee filter for the filtering before I start boiling. Doesn't work for the sand.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 6:50 pm**

It does work, but the finish product stays cloudy and has a slight burnt taste to it. Nothing bad though and I do like it, but the sock makes it crystal clear.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 7:49 pm**

Interesting, you would think there would be a commercially made filter for the purpose.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 7:52 pm**

3legged_lab wrote:Interesting, you would think there would be a commercially made filter for the purpose.

There is, that's the wool sock I'm talking about.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 7:55 pm**

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 7:55 pm**

Except the one I use is wool.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:05 pm**

Eric Haynes wrote:Except the one I use is wool.

So its not really a sock and I've been wasting your fucking time with all the questions.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:02 pm**

3legged_lab wrote:
Eric Haynes wrote:Except the one I use is wool.

So its not really a sock and I've been wasting your fucking time with all the questions.

It's a sock, just not a sock you would wear on your foot. Is a gun sock not really a sock either?

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:18 pm**

aunt betty wrote:We did this once. There were 5 sugar maples in the yard then. We have more now. Mom kept burning the sap and we gave up.
She had an electric stove and low was too high for the process.

Maybe I'll try again. We have lots of maples now. The hedge...turned into a row of maples over the years.

The Nuwave would be perfect.

Posted: **Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:21 pm**

Shall I send my empty half gallon jug to ya Eric?

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