anyone making maple syrup?

eljefino · Feb 17, 2005

Just getting started with this hobby. Last fall I left little spray paint marks on all my sugar maples. ID'd them from the leaves since I can't tell based on the bark.

Today was above freezing; last night was well below. "Perfect sugaring weather", the old timers say. Got some taps from the hardware store, some old milk jugs (sanitized), twine, drill, and 150 feet of extention cord since my cordless drill died.

3 trees, 2 hours later, and I have 1/2 gallon of sap already.

It's on the woodstove. If this operation takes off I'm going to have to get a big pan and rig it in the outdoor fireplace. There is such a thing as too much humidity indoors....

One winds up with a golden amber product with variable viscosity... how cool is that?

oilyriser · Feb 17, 2005

Yes, it's a good idea to ventilate out that steam, because it's also full of sugary spray, as the sap boils, kind of like how oil mist gets sucked into the PCV system.

moribundman · Feb 17, 2005

That is pretty cool.
Say, can you tap into a the tree all year long, and how do you know when to stop? Also, do you have to filter the syrup?

like a rock · Feb 17, 2005

My father has a operation in preston county West Virginia. They have 7000 taps this year. The sugar water is flowing at a rate on the best day at 600 gallons an hour. He has over 2000 gallons of storage capacity for the sugar water. They have a water seperator that the raw stock flows through before it hits the boiling house. This year it is taking 45 gallons of raw sap to make one finished gallon of maple syrup. The color is dark to medium. Lighter color syrup brings a better price.

Al · Feb 17, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by like a rock:
My father has a operation in preston county West Virginia. They have 7000 taps this year. The sugar water is flowing at a rate on the best day at 600 gallons an hour. He has over 2000 gallons of storage capacity for the sugar water. They have a water seperator that the raw stock flows through before it hits the boiling house. This year it is taking 45 gallons of raw sap to make one finished gallon of maple syrup. The color is dark to medium. Lighter color syrup brings a better price.

I get to WV every few weeks. Do they sell local or ship???

rugerman1 · Feb 17, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by Al:

quote:

Originally posted by like a rock:
My father has a operation in preston county West Virginia. They have 7000 taps this year. The sugar water is flowing at a rate on the best day at 600 gallons an hour. He has over 2000 gallons of storage capacity for the sugar water. They have a water seperator that the raw stock flows through before it hits the boiling house. This year it is taking 45 gallons of raw sap to make one finished gallon of maple syrup. The color is dark to medium. Lighter color syrup brings a better price.

Click to expand...

I get to WV every few weeks. Do they sell local or ship???

Same question as Al

like a rock · Feb 17, 2005

We can sell local or we can ship if needed. The sugar operation is located in Aurora, West Virginia just off Rt. 50. I am sure my father would ship and build the cost of shiping into the price per quart or gallon. I do not know the exact price per gallon putn past years in has been in the twenty dollar range. I will check about prices and post them soon on the board. If you then wish to purchase you can e-mail me at [email protected]

Al · Feb 17, 2005

Thanks

sprintman · Feb 17, 2005

Anybody tell me whats the best commercially available one?

moribundman · Feb 17, 2005

I'm not a real maple syrup connaisseur, but I do prefer Grade A Dark Amber syrup. I don't care if it comes from Maine, Vermont, or Canada. Now I want some pancakes!

like a rock · Feb 17, 2005

Some of the best comes from the north east out of Vermont and Maine. It tends to have a light color. Our syrup in West Virginia tends to be a bit darker but it tastes just as good. The color of the syrup depends on health of the hard maple tree and other factors such as temperature ground moisture from the previous fall and summer. I am no expert at this but my father has been in the business for several years.

eljefino · Feb 17, 2005

Yes you do have to filter insolubles out.

It takes ~40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup so anything that falls in gets magnified by the process.

You have to pull the taps in early April. Don't know if the sap gets bitter or just stops flowing. Today though it was like drilling into wet cork.

I myself like the darker stuff, more maple flavor. The amber is good but a bit "pure".

Actually have in the past bought some decent real maple syrup at Bee-Jay's Wholesale.

Brett Miller · Feb 17, 2005

Only 1/2 gallon from 3 trees? I've had trees that would give almost a gallon a day for the first couple days. One tip...if you're sap production decreases try moving your tap 180 degrees around the tree. I used to collect about 40-45 gallons of sap each year.

Shannow · Feb 17, 2005

I've read about making maple syrup in all sorts of (Foxfire like) books.

I'd like to do it sometime.

BTW, what is it with "maple flavoured syrup"...tastes nought like the real thing.

k1xv · Feb 17, 2005

Watch out for syrup from northeast New Jersey....leaves a cadmium and heavy metal aftertaste in the mouth.

GeaugaFletcher · Feb 18, 2005

My hometown is the maple syrup capitol of Ohio, we even have a Maple Festival every year. Northeast Ohio is a maple/beech region, so there are plenty of good sugar maples to go around.

I prefer medium or dark amber as well - the "fancy" light amber is very nice, but just too delicate. Put some medium or dark into cookie recipes or darn near anything that calls for sugar - like cheesecake, perhaps? Holy Moses...good stuff...

Our town generally thought that the best syrup in the states comes from Vermont.

T-Keith · Feb 19, 2005

My parents have been doing this for several years now. You learn a lot the first couple years.

They tap about 50 trees and usually get several gallons of syrup. They boil it on a converted 55 gal. drum with a stainless steel pan, then move it to a turkey fryer, then inside. Filter is several times before the final boil, then after. Check the finished result with a hydometer, it's worth it.

-T

joatmon · Feb 20, 2005

The best we've found is http://www.richardsmapleproducts.com/

Good price and great service. The metal flavor is from tin packaging. The plastic also tends to impart its flavor after 6 months or so.

I generally buy 6 pints at a time. Richard's people are happy to accomodate by giving you a mix of light, medium or dark as you request.

BTW, its great on vanilla ice creme.

Jack