Hi-tech sugar shack ya got there
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Rutty Buck Maple Syrup...soon to be sold in stores all across southern Minnesota!Comment
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Hmmm could ro be used in making shine? RuttyBuck white lightening maybe?Comment
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WowComment
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Whelp, I know I said that I would post pictures of us tapping the trees next, but this is my thread and my syrup camp.
Since it was in the teens for temps yesterday and no trees were being tapped. I decided to do some work on our preheater. In years past, we were wasting all the heat that was in and around the stack and back of the barrel. This year we decided to use some of that heat to our advantage. The main advantage being; this will allow us to add HOT sap to the main pan. Adding sap without bringing the rolling boil down in the main pan is a he thing for bumping up efficiency. The main thing is, we want to keep that rolling boil in the main evaporator pan going. Anyway, few weeks back, I welded a steel frame to fit two stainless steel hotel pans to be used to preheat the sap, before it goes into the evaporator pan. The heat from the barrel is being used to heat the main pan, but not ALL of the barrel heat is being used. Consequently, I needed a system that would allow the sap to preheat and the flow into the main evaporation pan with out me having to manually dump the pans.
Now that I have the pans set on the main frame. I can sweat some copper pipe, add a valve and we should be good to go. I wanted to make sure both pans were flowing evenly. I ordered three stainless steel hotel chaffing pans for this project. With two pans, I will be able to hold over a gallon of sap concentrate. Since the exhaust from the barrel flows under and between these two pans, I know we will have more than enough heat to preheat this sap.
Here is the basic layout. Very simple, I ain't no plumber, but I can do simple stuff like this. I used a threaded copper coupler through the pans. Then I soldered to a couple of 90-degree elbow. I had to connect it to a T-coupler so it can meet the brass valve at the end of the line. This way I can control the feed going into the main evaporator pan. It will also allow the cold sap to fully preheat before adding it to the main pan.
First union made.
Elbows added
Now I need to measure to make sure the valve will clear the first preheater pan. (We place a large hotel pan on top of the main evaporator pan. It covers roughly 1/3 of the main pan, but this was the old system. We will still use it, but I want this new system to go over the top of the old pan, directly into the main pan. You can see it in the photo directly below)
Something like this!
After getting it all soldered in, I punch two holes in the pans with a step bit. This worked really well, surprisingly. I am pretty happy with the results here. I think this will allow us to use more of that unused heat that was bleeding off the barrel. I know this will help our overall boiling process. Improvements every year, folks! That is the name of the game.
For today........tapping some trees! Finally! Stay tuned more pics to follow this evening. (Maybe tomorrow,
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No, we just like to get further and further into the weeds as the years go by. We have scaled it up every year. That being said, we are a long ways from being able to go commercial. I need to build a sugar shack! Elton's BBQ -
Will you have clearance under the copper to maneuver the full hotel pan? Also with that long of copper before the valve, is the leverage ok on it, not gonna bend or buckle, or blow the joints is it?
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Okay folks! We got most of the trees tapped and the sap is flowing! It is officially syrup season.
Sabrina and I started out at home tapping the trees in our yard. (Of course we had to have Ripley with us so we can teach him the ways of the sugar)
We always look for trees that are at least 10" across to make sure they are mature enough and there is enough sap in the tree to make the tap worth the time and energy. The sap starts to flow within the tree when we have temperatures are above freezing during the day and freezing at night. The freeze/thaw cycle causes the tree to expand and contract, causing the sap to flow with in the sap wood of the tree.
Here is a shot of Sabrina with the drip and a 5/16" drill bit. These will fit the taps perfectly and ensure that they seal tight. We make sure the drill bit is oriented at a slight angle to avoid the sap pooling in the tree and the sap not going into the tap. The bit is marked at 2", so we are making sure we are drilling deep enough for the tap. We tap many of the same trees from year to year, but we always make sure we drill new holes and we are some distance from last years taps. The trees heal as the spring and summer progress.
Here is a shot of the taps we use. These are the new age taps. In the past they were made from metal and the sap would flow from the taps into bags hanging on the tree. However, we use these plastic taps, which are much cheaper. And for us, easier to use.
Once the hole is drilled, you place the tap in the hole and then give it a few taps until the tap is all the way in. (Here is a shot of me and then my buddies daughter, Liv) The taps have a blue poly line that allows the sap to flow through into our buckets. The lines actually help to sanitize the sap as it flows into the bucket by using the UV light from the sun.
We drill a small hole in the lid of the bucket to run the line through. The lid keeps critters, rain, snow and particulates out of the buckets. As you can see below, we had to dig a ton of snow out from around the tree to get the bucket to the ground. We have to dig all the snow away from the tree to make sure the tap line can reach the bucket once the snow melts. If we do not reach the ground, we have to prop the buckets up as the season progresses. After every thing is set, the buckets are then surrounded by snow to help keep the sap cold as it will spoil if it is allowed to warm in the sun. Basically, you need to treat the sap like you would a carton of milk. We want to keep the raw sap under 40 F. The large trees can take 3-4 taps, while the smaller trees only get one tap. We try to keep the buckets on the shade side of the tree to avoid direct sunlight. While the taps are placed on the south/sunny side of the tree to maximize the amount of sap we can get.
Now with all the trees tapped. We wait. The flow was good yesterday with the sun being out and the temp in the mid 30's. Today and tomorrow are going to be even warmer, so that will help even more. We should have all of these buckets filled by Wednesday. We will then dump the raw sap into our IBC tote where it will run through the RO for processing and eventually make it to the evaporator this weekend.
I will post more as we start to collect. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more updates.Comment
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Jerod Broussard yeah I was so confused. Didn't know they made heavy coats that weren't camo.
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Once the bucket is filled, we remove it and add a fresh, clean bucket and lid. The taps will continue to run until we remove the taps. The good sap will run for about 3-4 weeks, depending on the weather. Once the tree buds begin to swell and break open, the sweet-tasting maple sap turns into a green and bitter-tasting sap (called buddy-flavor). This is from a chemical change in the sap, which is more conducive to the growth of the trunk, limbs and leaves. barelfly
The end of the season is when we need to really watch the trees to make sure we are collecting high-quality sap.Comment
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I just checked some of the taps........We got sap a flowin’ folks!! (I pulled the tube out of the bucket so you could see the flow for the picture. Usually the tube is inside the lid and sealed.)
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The sap was really flowing. We have a collected 50 gallons of sap since Sunday, with more running today. It is crazy to think of the sugary nirvana that is hidden with in that clear sap. I dumped these into our tote for RO processing. Emptied all the buckets for refilling today. Things are rolling. Gonna be a solid boil this weekend!
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I guess me not knowing how this process works - i was expecting an amber colored sap…I thought that was usually the color of sap I see running from trees when I do? Maybe it’s tree specific? But it makes sense the cooking process provides the color, as it does for sugar. Man…I’m getting educated! Love it!
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Yep
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I was curious about the beginnings of maple syrup, so I googled it, and thought others might enjoy the read too:
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barelfly The sap should be clear. Once it begins to discolor, that means it is starting to change, chemically. This happens when the trees start to bud out and/or flower. The sap you see running from trees is probably clear, you just do not realize it against the color of the trunk or branches. Or it is resin and not sap. What many people call "sap" is actually resin, especially in conifers.
In general, the color comes from the cooking process. The quicker you boil, the lighter the color of the syrup. It is a bit more complex than that, but that is the gist of it.
Here is the color of the sap when it is preheated. A little foam. but generally clear. As it heats up, it gets a little cloudy but that is just micro bubbles as the boil continues.
Further along in the process, as the sap becomes more concentrated and more water is removed the sugars begin to change color. (There is raw sap being preheated in the upper pan for reference)
Here is the sap right before I take it out of the main evaporator pan and move to inside for finishing.
And finally, here is the finished product from the evaporator. And here is the pure maple syrup coming fro the evaporator, through the series of Orion filters and into our vessel for bottling.
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