# Tapping our maple



## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

Tried tapping our first (and only) maple. Came out exactly as expected and the sap was already flowing even as I was still drilling the hole. Got about a half gallon in the first 24 hours (the picture is after 16 hours).





































i used http://amzn.com/0882662260 and http://amzn.com/0881502162 as a reference along with a local farm that does 1800's reinactments and demonstrations.


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## Tactic12 (Dec 16, 2012)

Looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Just ordered 1 of the books too


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

Congrats! Friday night I made my 3'rd batch of syrup so far this year. I have 5 trees in my yard that I tap right now and have been for 3 years.
Thanks for the link. I'm gonna check it out. 
The first year I did it, my grand daughter and I were eating pancakes for breakfast and she asked me where syrup comes from and I answered maple trees. She said "No grandpa, I'm talking about where syrup comes from" So I kind of told her how it works - not that I really knew.
After breakfast I googled it and it just happened to be the right time of year. I went out in one of my buildings and found some 3/8" sink supply lines and cut a few 5" pieces and we went out and tapped the trees. We tied gallon jugs just like you have in your pics.
We've been doing this together ever since. The second year we moved up to spiles, and this year we got buckets. 
The buckets that hang on the spiles are much easier to empty than the tied on gallon jugs, but you use what you have to you can get better stuff right?
Good luck. It's delicious and a way to have sweet after SHTF


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

My neighbors make syrup. They started a couple weeks ago. They gave us a half pint and it tastes so much better than the crap from the store. That's great that you share this with your grand daughter, Jeff. There is not enough passing on of old ways to the young anymore and in some small way, you're helping to change that.


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

just think, 40 gallon to 50 gallons and you'll make a gal of syrup, a lot of work but well worth it. I just ruined a chain saw chain on a tap that we probably left in a tree 50 yrs ago. I know that when we made a lot of syrup, people thought we were cheap because we didn't pass it out like zucchinies, it was a lot of work and back then, we boiled the sap with wood, so just cutting the wood was time consuming and work, the generation before me cut the wood by hand, no power saws.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Sycamore trees are a good source of syrup as well. It's not Maple syrup but is almost as good


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

jeff47041 said:


> Congrats! Friday night I made my 3'rd batch of syrup so far this year. I have 5 trees in my yard that I tap right now and have been for 3 years.
> Thanks for the link. I'm gonna check it out.
> The first year I did it, my grand daughter and I were eating pancakes for breakfast and she asked me where syrup comes from and I answered maple trees. She said "No grandpa, I'm talking about where syrup comes from" So I kind of told her how it works - not that I really knew.


Thanks for the suggestion... next time my granddaughter is over I'll show her what we're doing. We already have plans for harvesting dandelion flowers and making dandelion syrup with her this spring. We made a number of batches last year and had it all used up by late fall.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

My favorite syrup,looks so good.


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

CulexPipiens said:


> Thanks for the suggestion... next time my granddaughter is over I'll show her what we're doing. We already have plans for harvesting dandelion flowers and making dandelion syrup with her this spring. We made a number of batches last year and had it all used up by late fall.


Your granddaughter will love it. My granddaughter (5 yrs old) has to test the sap any time she helps me gather it. Just catches some on her finger and licks it and tells me it's still sweet.
She is also the taste tester when I'm cooking it down. Depending on the amount of sap, it takes from a few hours to several hours to cook it down. Since we can't go too far away, we plant seeds in our starter trays for a while. Then play board games and card games while we wait. I'm rarely allowed to cook it down without her being here to help. Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

I've got to try making some dandelion syrup. I've never heard of it. I have a paper sitting here with the uses of dandelion to remind me to keep checking to see if fresh ones are coming up. (still snow on the ground) I always think of it late, when the bumper crop is obvious. I remember my mom doing some things with it.

My granddaughter is the official mushroom spotter too. Another great way to spend an afternoon with her... I only know 2 kinds of mushrooms for sure. ( I need to get someone else to show me some other kinds that are sure okay) She knows those two kinds and loves to search for them while we wlk through the woods. She has been doing that with me since she was 3 years old. Funny when her mother is in the woods and says "oh theres a mushroom" and my granddaughter will just quietly say "wrong kind"


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

Jeff, I'll go ahead and start a new thread with the Dandelion instructions (and pics too).

BTW, mine is 5 too... and our second granddaughter is 7 months old. So I'll get to do it all again in 4-5 years.


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## stanb999 (Nov 14, 2011)

Been boiling off and on for the last few years. We tap in general 15-20 trees with 20-25 taps. When the weather "works" for example I don't have snow up to my mid thigh between me and the trees. I tap and collect. 

This year is an "on" year. I've got 3 gallons of Pa mountain gold already and the trees have just started flowing. I expect a few more gallons before I pull the taps. Lots of fun... Lots of work. I boil a lot so I good for the "Off" years.

Here is a picture of our first jars this year.


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

Wow! 25 taps. I have a hard time keeping up with my 6 taps when they are flowing good.

Can I ask, how do you store your sap until you are ready to boil it down?

The first 2 years I did it, I put it in gallon baggies every time I collected and froze them until the season was over, then boiled it all the same day.

This year, I've been storing in an empty frig I have. Everytime the frig gets full, about once a week, I've been boiling it down.

I've read the sap will spoil if you leave it outside on say 50 degree days. So, is that true? You surely can't have enough cold storage for that much sap right? Just very curious of how I can store it more conveniently.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

Yes, I too want to know about storing as I only have weekends as an option for boiling down.

Also, when the season is done, should I just pull the tap out of the tree? I assume I need to put a new hole in next year... Anything special to do with the hole? or just let it seal over on its own?


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

CulexPipiens said:


> Yes, I too want to know about storing as I only have weekends as an option for boiling down.
> 
> Also, when the season is done, should I just pull the tap out of the tree? I assume I need to put a new hole in next year... Anything special to do with the hole? or just let it seal over on its own?


At the end of season, you just pull the tap and let the tree heal itself. I've read that it's harder on the tree if you try to "patch" it.

Next year you drill the new holes at least 6" away from the previous year. (Same height, but 6" left or right.) And you just work your way around the tree year after year.

I can't remember the size, but if the tree is larger in diameter, you can put 2 or even 3 taps in the same tree. I'll look it up and let you know. One of my trees get 2 taps in every year. the other 4 are only 12" trees, so only 1 tap in each.


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## Navajo (Mar 4, 2013)

Dragon Tears....


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## bgblok68 (Oct 2, 2012)

I plan on trying it next season but I was wondering if anybody has had any trouble with ***** bothering the jugs/bags/ buckets ?


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## stanb999 (Nov 14, 2011)

jeff47041 said:


> Wow! 25 taps. I have a hard time keeping up with my 6 taps when they are flowing good.
> 
> Can I ask, how do you store your sap until you are ready to boil it down?
> 
> ...





CulexPipiens said:


> Yes, I too want to know about storing as I only have weekends as an option for boiling down.
> 
> Also, when the season is done, should I just pull the tap out of the tree? I assume I need to put a new hole in next year... Anything special to do with the hole? or just let it seal over on its own?


I use 5 gallon pails. The orange ones from home depot. I only store the sap if it isn't really running, The only time it isn't really running is if it's too cold. So I can just leave them in the shade. Sap will keep for 5 days unless it's really warm(upper 50s during the day not freezing at night.) The sap runs very early, even when you think it's too cold. For instance the daily high can be as low as 28 if it's really sunny. You wont get the 1 1/2 to 2 gallons like a warm day. But 3/4 gallon of hi sugar early sap equals out. Getting to it as soon as you can helps with this problem. Since the early sap also has more sugar. Less boiling. Since it likely froze over night, skim it out. Less boiling. I've had 5 gallons make a quart this way. 

Boiling... Do it as fast as practical. If your making around a gallon propane is ok. It will be expensive. But it's doable. Don't use a turkey fryer if you can help it. It boils fast. But you waste a lot of heat. Try a Coleman camping stove with the largest baking pan you can get. The wind blocks will fit snugly around the edge of the pan. It will boil well. A 17x21 pan will boil a gallon and a half an hour easy.

With wood... A longer chimney is better than a short one always. Add a damper to keep the heat in. Rake the coals to the front by the air inlet. Try to have the fire closer to the front as well, pan to the back just before the chimney. If you play with it a bit. You can get a rolling boil on the whole pan. This greatly reduces boil time. 

I boil every day when it's running well. With my setup I can boil 4-5 gallons an hour. So the 20 taps is about 20 gallons. Figure it takes closer to 5 hours than 4(starting the fire, getting the sap hot, etc) I get home at 4PM I'm done around 9. I figure I'd just be watching tv or sitting on message boards. So there you go. If you must be a weekend warrior. Get the biggest pan you can to boil in and make a real hot fire. Use wood if you have it available. Use at least two pans, one to boil and one to preheat. Do it early season so the sap easily keeps. You will have great success.


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## stanb999 (Nov 14, 2011)

jeff47041 said:


> At the end of season, you just pull the tap and let the tree heal itself. I've read that it's harder on the tree if you try to "patch" it.
> 
> Next year you drill the new holes at least 6" away from the previous year. (Same height, but 6" left or right.) And you just work your way around the tree year after year.
> 
> I can't remember the size, but if the tree is larger in diameter, you can put 2 or even 3 taps in the same tree. I'll look it up and let you know. One of my trees get 2 taps in every year. the other 4 are only 12" trees, so only 1 tap in each.


I keep them 1 foot side to side, in 2 foot rows. You can tap an 8" tree. But you will run out of tap space following the spacing guidelines. You can add a tap for every 10" additional inches in caliper to a total of three. So a 18" tree can have two. A 28" can have three. I never put more than two and mostly just one, I skip around so most trees it's only once every few years. I have plenty of trees.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

Thanks for the replies on storage and removing the taps... I had stored it in a pot in the garage (figure a fairly stable upper 30s) for a few days but today I started boiling it down already. So far so good.

bgblok68, the jugs I'm using, water jugs with a hole just big enough for the tap (as you can see in the picture), pretty much keeps everything out and by tying it to the tree they can't knock it off. I found muddy marks on it one morning so it looks like one was curious and checked it out but didn't mess it up or anything.


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

bgblok68 said:


> I plan on trying it next season but I was wondering if anybody has had any trouble with ***** bothering the jugs/bags/ buckets ?


I've never had any trouble. I've heard that once a squirrel finds out what's in there, they will tear into every one until you eliminate the squirrel.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

Started boiling down my first batch yesterday and finished it up today. From about 2 1/2 gallons I ended up with a pint of what I would estimate to be "grade A medium amber" according to grading pictures I found online.


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## stanb999 (Nov 14, 2011)

CulexPipiens said:


> Started boiling down my first batch yesterday and finished it up today. From about 2 1/2 gallons I ended up with a pint of what I would estimate to be "grade A medium amber" according to grading pictures I found online.


Bravo!

The last bit of advise...

Don't go sharing it with inconsiderate company. It will in fact really tick you off a lot to see it on the plate after the pancakes are gone. Yes, they will look at you strangely when you tell them to lick it up.


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## stanb999 (Nov 14, 2011)

I just may be done. I had a heck of a boil the last few days. I averaged 3 1/2 quarts a day. I have 4 3/4 gallons.


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## fishparts2003 (Jan 21, 2013)

I remember doing this when I was younger, we haven't lived where there have been any number of maples that I could tap for a while. Thanks for sharing, I will be looking for the dandelion syrup post, I got plenty of those in the spring, lol.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

stanb999 said:


> I just may be done. I had a heck of a boil the last few days. I averaged 3 1/2 quarts a day. I have 4 3/4 gallons.


4 3/4 gallons of finished syrup?!? That's incredible!!


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## stanb999 (Nov 14, 2011)

Jason said:


> 4 3/4 gallons of finished syrup?!? That's incredible!!


It really isn't that bad with the right kind of setup. I have a large boiling pan and use wood for heat. It took 6 boils about 10 hours long each.

Here is a picture of my setup from this year. Note the snow on the trees in the background. You can also see a few chickens if you look thru the mule.

This was just as I started the fire. So just a little steam had started. It steams so much it fills the whole shed. See the lantern... It's 10AM


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## tc556guy (Apr 28, 2011)

camo2460 said:


> Sycamore trees are a good source of syrup as well. It's not Maple syrup but is almost as good


I never knew that. Thanks for the heads up


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