Making syrup

Bill in IL · Feb 22, 2013

I just started on this maple syrup making adventure. I like it so far as used to hate "mud season" no I have a reason to like it. I put together an evaporator using an old 200 gallon saddle tank and used 2 steam pans for boiling pans. I attached a picture to give a better idea.

Just looking for more ideas on how to do this smarter. The larger guys use continous flow evaparators. How do they work? What creates the flow in the pans or how do you keep the sap from the syrup? I got some stainless scraps around and would consider making one if it would work for me. I only have 30 taps and could do about 10 more till I am out of trees so my size doesn't justify much.

Zachary Hoyt · Feb 22, 2013

Your setup looks better than how I started, which was one steam
table pan on two cinderblocks and a grate over an open fire. There
is a boatload of information on everything you could ever want to
know about the subject on mapletrader.com, it is much like this
forum in that it is free but you have to register to post.
Zach
Maple forums

JRSutton · Feb 22, 2013

far from an expert, but I've made a few batches over the years.

Large flat boilers are better - more surface area lets the water boil off faster.

At least till you get down far enough - then I think it's easier in a pot for a consistent temperature in the syrup.

how big are your trees?

you can do multiple taps per tree if they're big enough. Wish I could remember the rule of thumb - but been too long. I'm sure somebody can chime in.

something like 1 tap up to 1' diameter - 2 taps up to 16" ... 3 for 24"....

55deere70 · Feb 22, 2013

This is a pic of out hobby setup. We tap up to 50 trees. We finish off in the round pot you see next to the one boiling. The rule of thumb as I understand it is 10" one tap, 20" two and 30" three taps.

Nebraska Cowman · Feb 22, 2013

gravity is what makes the syrup flow. Syrup is
heavier that sap. With you size of operation I'd
think you would want to boil in a flat pan but yours
look shallow. Can you keep it from scorching?

Bill in IL · Feb 22, 2013

Not a big operation only about 30 trees could do 40 if I had more buckets not many are big enough for 2 taps. I am always looking for ideas of how to make things easier and faster.

Those pans are 4 inches deep. Seems to work for me so far I can get about 2 gallons in at a time and boil it down a ways then combine the 2 pans start a new one boil them down drain off the concentrated sap for later finishing. I had looked at doing it like Zachary said but didn't have the firebrick on hand to line the blocks.

Errin OH · Feb 22, 2013

My first year as well. We went open kettle and been making about a gallon a run from 30 taps. I finish in a smaller pot over propane.

Indiana Ken · Feb 22, 2013

I have a wood fired evaporated I made out of a 55 gallon barrel, turned on it's side. The pan lifts off to allow me to empty it. I take the sap to maybe 50% syrup with the wood fired unit and then finish it off with propane. I find propane is much easier to control.

I use an old 60 cup coffee maker to bottle it. The filter is mounted on top and the hot filtered syrup drains into the pot. The bottle to be filled is held under the coffee valve - no drips or sticky floor that way. Note the heater is not used - do not plug in the pot.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 22, 2013

I like the coffee pot idea. I was thinking about using my beer
bottling bucket but so far it's all gone in mason jars and I have
had small batches.. Still figuring out the filtering. I did order a
felt filter hopefully that does it.

Determined · Feb 22, 2013

Hi Bill
I took an old livestock waterer that had a 20 x 40 inch stainless bowl 9 inch deep on top, gutted out the inside and brick lined it with a 1/4 inch steel plate just below the stainless pan. Mounted a 4 foot chimney on one end and a loading door for the wood on the other end. Acid washed the stainless bowl to get rid of all the cow snot.
This is all mounted on a 4 wheel wagon so I can park it out of the way in the off season.
Comfortably it holds 25-30 gallons, as it cooks down I add more sap.
It takes 8-10 hours to boil 40 gallons down to 2 gallons that I remove and finish in a pot on a propane burner or kitchen stove.
Dave

Indiana Ken · Feb 23, 2013

When you figure out filtering let me know. I have found that the felt filters need a pump to push the syrup through or some means to keep the syrup from cooling. As soon as it cools the least bit it just sits in the filter. I am making filters from 3 layers of old (clean) T-shirt material sewn to fit in an old cone shaped colander. The syrup passes through much better but I also get some small bits which settle out in the bottle after several months.

Making syrup

Bill in IL

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Zachary Hoyt

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JRSutton

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55deere70

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Nebraska Cowman

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Bill in IL

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Errin OH

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Indiana Ken

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Anonymous-0

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Determined

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Indiana Ken

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