GardenFork – Eclectic DIY

Tag: how to make make maple syrup

  • Steam Table Pan Maple Syrup Evaporator Improvements – GF Video

    Steam Table Pan Maple Syrup Evaporator Improvements – GF Video

    After making boiling sap with out steam table pan maple syrup evaporator for 2 seasons now, I have a few thoughts on improvements. The build videos for our homemade maple syrup evaporator are here. Watch the update video below:

    How To Improve the Steam Table Pan Maple Syrup Evaporator

    I’m not sure why I connected the chimney stack about 6″ below the top of the cabinet. But I think the air flow might improve if the smoke exited higher up, in addition, the hot air would wrap around the back pan more. Also, consider a higher chimney pipe, it will cut down on the smoke the downdrafts on top of you.

    Steam Table Pan Maple Syrup Evaporator

    For the turbo fan, which really womps up the fire, consider connecting it just below the fire door. I plan on adding a dimmer switch in the power cord, since controlling the fan speed is important. You can find bathroom fans at tag sales or in your neighbor’s garage.

    Steam Table Pan Maple Syrup Evaporator

    For most 4 drawer letter sized file cabinet, two regular sized trays fit, but there will be space. As a result,  that gap needs to be filled in with a scrap piece of metal or a small food tray. Put this small space above the fire door, and move the pans closer to the chimney. Because your fire is moving toward the chimney, the hottest part of the fire is on that end.

    Steam Table Pan Maple Syrup Evaporator

    I found that putting the fire grate about 10-12″ below the steam table pans worked for me. It depends on the kind of fuel you are burning, consequently, adjust yours to the size of the wood. We burn pallets, which slide uncut into this evaporator. Steam Table Pan Maple Syrup Evaporator

    This homemade maple syrup evaporator gets really hot, so be careful when standing near it. For our next evaporator build, I may line the sides with firebrick.

    If you are thinking about buying a real evaporator pan, read our post here.

    Steam Table Pan Maple Syrup Evaporator

     

  • Using Tubing for Tapping Sugar Maples, Some Thoughts

    Using Tubing for Tapping Sugar Maples, Some Thoughts

    I am using plastic tubing for tapping sugar maples, and learned a hard lesson this weekend. When you only tap maple trees once a year, you forget stuff. And when you’re working in 2′ of snow and the wind is howling, your brain takes a hit.

    I tapped our sugar maples a week ago using tubing, I find it works better for me than sap buckets, which you have to empty every day the sap runs. I’m only able to work on this on the weekends, so I run tubing to a large collection barrel that can collect several days of sap. You can buy maple tapping supplies here.

    So last weekend I tapped the sugar maples, and ran the lateral lines to the barrels. But I made a mistake. The lateral lines where close to level with the tapping spouts, so the tubing connecting the spout to the lateral line looped down below the lateral. I didn’t think this was a big deal until the temperature dropped, and the sap in the loop of tubing below the lateral line froze.

    using-tubing-for-tapping-sugar-maples
    The wrong way to tap sugar maple trees

    The problem here is that sugar maple sap will run even when its near freezing, but if the tubing has frozen sap in it, the sap stays in the tree.

    So as a reminder to myself and a lesson for you all, you want your taps and the tubing to be above the lateral line. So the sap drains to the barrel, not collect in the tube and freeze.

    using-tubing-for-tapping-sugar-maples-1
    Tap spouts above the lateral line, the right way to tap maple trees.

    maple syrup videos
    Watch our How To Make Maple Syrup Videos here

     

  • Tap Maple Trees to Make Maple Syrup How To – GF Video

    Tap Maple Trees to Make Maple Syrup How To – GF Video

    Tapping maple trees to make maple syrup in this DIY video. We tap our Sugar Maple trees to collect sap in preparation for making maple syrup. This is a DIY low tech low volume method of tapping some trees in  your yard or perhaps a neighbor’s field. Several of my neighbor’s have sugar shacks complete with large evaporators and huge piles of firewood, some use traditional sap buckets to collect sap, others use plastic lines and taps.

    For my yard, I went with plastic taps and lines, they are not expensive, and I used the food grade plastic buckets from my homebrew beer kit to collect the sap. After we collected the sap, we boiled it down, and we’ll post a video about that soon.

    The general rule of how many taps to put in a tree, according to the Conn. DEP is 1 tap for a 12″ diameter tree ( 38″ in circumference ), 2 taps for 18″ diameter or larger tree ( 56″ in circumference )

    The holes you drill for the taps should be 1.5″ deep with a 5/16″ bit. If you are tapping trees that were tapped previously, pay attention to the previous tap holes. New taps should be 6″ left or right of an old tap hole, and 12″ above or below the old tap hole.

    Sugar Maple sap needs to be stored at 38F degrees or cooler, ideally you will boil the sap the day you collect it. If the sap has turned milky and foamy, it has gone bad.

    Do you tap sugar maple trees? What are some tips you can share with us below? Thanks for watching!

    Here is the tree identification book we like to use:

    Buy From An Indie Bookstore Here
    Buy From Amazon Here