# Maple Syrup



## AAASTINKIE

I was out in my garage (very loose use of the word garage) trying to
move enough junk out of the way to see if I can get to my maple syrup
equiptment, I haven't made any for a few years but I bought a new
truck a few months ago so no more excuses.

I have this batch of welches wine making it's in the secondary a week
now and still gasing off, when it gets done I'm going to put in some
camden tablets, stablize and bought some liquid clearing agent, then I
was thinkig about sweetening with a small amount of maple syrup, maybe
I'll rack into my 5 gallon carboy and a 1 gallon jug and try 1 gallon
first.


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## Hippie

Yes, I would do small taste tests before ruining the entire batch.


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## AAASTINKIE

just imagine I have 500 primary fermenters out in the garage, and everyone has a hole drilled in the side and one in the lid!!




(these are my sap buckets)


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## MedPretzel

The one in the lid isn't so bad. 


And depending on where the hole is (upper, lower, mid-line) in the bucket, it might not be bad to make some 1-gallon batches at least.


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## AAASTINKIE

medpretzel, I see you are a "Senior Member" now that must mean you get there at 100 posts, I'll have to work xtra hard now to post, that will be great some new guy will see that and think I know something about wine..lol



the story of my life, good at taking multiple choice state tests


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## Hippie

Stinkie, do you really mean you drilled holes in all those buckets?


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## AAASTINKIE

you have to drill a 1 1/4" hole to hang them on the spout with, that's
OK most of them are jelly buckets from bakeries that I paid 25 cents
each for, three years ago I bought 200 for $1 each I never used them
and they might be undrilled but they are only 4-5 gallons each anyway,
fortunatly I don't have a good space to use for wine yet, my space is
good but only room for 3 batches at once, probably good I'd have 10
pails going by now..lol


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## Hippie

Oh well, ok. I know nothing about collecting syrup. Sounds very interesting, however. An old timer here speaks of collecting syrup from sugar maples in the woods. They are wild trees.


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## AAASTINKIE

I just realized today only 7 days to tap tree's...eeee..I don't know if I'm ready


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## AAASTINKIE

Making maple syrup is like an addiction, you dread it, lots of work, you decide not to hang so many buckets this year cause you don't need all that syrup anyway, then that crystal clear nectar starts dripping one drop at a time and it is worse than heroin to a junkie!! you run around hanging more buckets!! you can't get enough....HELP I'm hooked!!



then the expensive part comes in, you bottle it and give it to your friends (that's where you guys come in



) oh wait I forgot the part where you scrub 300 5 gallon pails and lids clean in one day


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## Hippie

Since being in this hobby for a number of years, I started remembering why I didn't have alot of friends growing up and I got bullied alot. I am stingy, especially with something I have worked hard to get.


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## MedPretzel

I have to agree with you there. I am quite selective of who I give my winner wines to. In fact, I give them only to people who give me something not only in return, but in advance (bottles, etc). I also have a "Wein-Schwein" (wine-pig in German - wine piggy bank in english. Wein Schwein just sounds better). Most people are smart enough to contribute. For adollar even, they get2 whole bottles of wine.*Edited by: MedPretzel *


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## Hippie

Wow! That is some cheap wine! You are way more generous than I.


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## MedPretzel

Well, like I said, I'm very selective of who I give my _winners_ to. I have given a lot of "cooking wine" away in the past.














They still seem to be thrilled.


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## Hippie

I have some Rotgut anyone can have if they come get it.


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## MedPretzel

how old is it and how rot-gutty is it?


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## Hippie

It is very rot-gutty and has been in the bottle close to a month after bulk aging over a year. NASTY. I might try a bottle in 5 years.Do NOTuse too many dark raisins in any wine! *Edited by: Country Wine *


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## MedPretzel

Could you use it as a marinade?


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## Hippie

I am afraid it would ruin anything and everything soaked in it. I only bottled it because I tell everyone else to bottle whatever they make and it will get better. I have my doubts about this one. I think it might work well for polishing silver or stainless steel or chrome. Actually, it might be too harsh for chrome.


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## AAASTINKIE

I just changed my avitar to a maple leaf, that is a sugar maple also known as a rock maple, fitting for an elf such as myself.


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## AAASTINKIE

You can tell a sugar maple from a red maple by the leaf, the sugar maple spaces between the leaves are smooth like the webs between your fingers, all other maples (reds, silvers) are jagged and sharp.


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## AAASTINKIE

Tomorrow is GO time for me to tap tree's, I checked out my gas drill last night, haven't used it in 3 years, put in some fresh gas and it started right up, it's a RYOBI and I bought it new about 10 years ago, only use it once a year to drill 300 holes in one or two days, have never had a bit of trouble with it. Tonight I have to boil my taps to sterilize them, everything must be real clean for this operation too.


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## MedPretzel

Doesn't that really hurt the trees?


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## Hippie

I am sure they won't feel a thang.







I am pretty sure a rock maple and a sugar maple are 2 different trees, maybe a rock maple is a subspecies of the sugar maple. We have all kinds of maples here, also, just not as many sugar maples.


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## MedPretzel

Oh, we have a lot of sugar maples here. We even have a "Maple Syrup Queen" 





Gotta love the midwest.


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## Hippie

Does she get syrup poured all over her during the crowning? Now that would be good.


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## MedPretzel

Hehehe, you're mind is always in the gutter.



No, she sits on the back of the convertible and waves in sub-zero weather during the Maple-Syrup Festival.


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## Hippie

They would have to pay any female here for that.


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## MedPretzel

You are kidding! This is like a big honor in our neck of the woods!


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## AAASTINKIE

Rock maple are sugar maple are the same, red maple we don't tap less sugar in the sap. I'm glad to be back at work, tapped 6 more today now have 230 buckets hanging. I collected 190 gallons last night and was spent when I came out of the woods with the last of it. I have to get up at noon tomorrow and collect, the weather is perfect for sap right now, sunny and 40's with 25 at night. "it don't get no better than this"


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## MedPretzel

good for you! Good luck, and may there be lots of maple sap this year!


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## Hippie

Sounds like there is already lots of maple sap this year.


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## MedPretzel

There can never be enough. Stinkie, do you sell the syrup? or the sap?


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## AAASTINKIE

I use syrup to win friends and influence people.


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## MedPretzel

Sounds good to me.


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## Hippie

Syrup influences people? Man, if only organized crime knew that. It would give a new meaning to 'sweet deal'.


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## MedPretzel

Glenvall, there's nothing like real maple syrup. If you had ever tasted it, you would know. It's fantastic.


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## AAASTINKIE

country wine will get his chance to taste some, for those of you keeping count, 210 gallons more sap today, glad to be back at work I need the rest, slept 4 hours today and had to go collect.


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## MedPretzel

Glenvall, don't pass up the chance!


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## Hippie

If I had ever tasted it? Come on now girl! I have been to a few goat-ropings and 2 or 3 county fairs in my time. I have tasted pure, real, unadulterated, no sugar or preservatives added, 100% no bull maple syrup plenty of times. Thanks, Stinkie.


Did I not mention we have sugar maples here?


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## MedPretzel

I must have not read thoroughly enough. I am so very sorry.


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## Hippie

No need to be sorry, but really, who hasn't had maple syrup?


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## AAASTINKIE

Hauled 280 gallons of sap last night, total 930 gallons so far this season, picked up 10 gallons of syrup, I get 10 gallons for every 800 gallons of sap. I'm beat today, working now.


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## Hippie

Stinkie, you are a better man than I......


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## MedPretzel

Well, I was talking about the real stuff. Not the Aunt Jemima kind. There is a big difference, I think.


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## RAMROD

When will the sap stop flowing Stinkie?


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## AAASTINKIE

I'll pull my buckets down around the 15th of april


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## RAMROD

Well hang in there and be careful. Do you ever have any wildlife damage your buckets and taps?


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## MedPretzel

A good day. Taxes are due and sap is finished!


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## RAMROD

If I ever have taxes due I dont think I would call it a good day.


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## MedPretzel

Well, I was trying to combine something good (sap) and something bad (sarcastic)... hehehe


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## RAMROD

Ahh I see says the blind man.


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## AAASTINKIE

250 gallons today, giant flakes of snow coming down like being in a
majical forest, sap season is the best. PS went upstairs and got a
bottle of the welches my son made has agad well nice bouke' much
stronger alcohol level that the wildberry schiraz though, I'm
screwed..lol


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## AAASTINKIE

The weather is not cooperating this year, way too warm, after the rains
dumped all my pails on the ground yesterday, hoping for cold weather
this week need it to go below freezing at night, am way behind on
production, about 1/2 of normal so far but weather reports call for
more warm weather. I have 15 gallons of syrup now.


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## AAASTINKIE

Went to check on sap today but tree's have dried up for this year, pulled 170 cleaned and ready to put away.


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## RAMROD

Was there a big difference from what you gathered last year? Man them trees sure do have a lot of primary's attached to them! LOL


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## AAASTINKIE

this is the first year since I started in 1989 that I didn't get my
normal amount of syrup, I got 1/2 my normal amount but I didn't make
any the last two years so I'm going to be just fine, it's in 5 gallon
pails right now but I have the canning rig all set to go so I'll
probably hot pack some this week. The weather was way too warm, it's
cold now but the heat allowed the bacteria to seal the tap holes to
seal back up.


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## AAASTINKIE

Someone asked the question, doesn't that hurt the tree's??





Well, they started bitching one year and I had to regain control or else!

(Deniro in Taxi Driver)

First I cut one down to get their attention!!










I was in the center of them bitches (Chappelle on comedy central), and I had their attention!!










You talking to me??










I know you ain't talking to me!!










You talking to me????










YOU......talkin' to...ME??


*Edited by: AAASTINKIE *


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## Hippie

Looks like you need a good chainsaw!


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## AAASTINKIE

That big saw is a Johnsered 630 super my man! bitch (chappell)


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## Hippie

I see what it is andam just waiting for a point to be made. Nothing like a Stihl. Nothing. Used one all my life. I have also used Lombardo, Alpina, Homelite, Jonsered, Craftsman, Husqavarna, Makita, you name it. Nothing like a Stihl, especially if you are going to do some serious cutting or logging.


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## AAASTINKIE

Time to pack the syrup.










I pick it up in 5 gallon pails.










Bring it to a boil and pour it throught the filter.










Fill the bottles with the canner, keep temp over 180.










Pancake time.










The end.


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## masta

Whenshould I expect to see my sample arrive?


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## PolishWineP

Yeah! All your new-found friends need some sweet treats!



I'll take my in that gift bag.


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## RAMROD

It all looks Real Good, and like a lot of work GREAT JOB!


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## AAASTINKIE

Today is first night shift, I brought in 4lbs of bacon, pancake mix, butter and a fresh jug of maple syrup, breakfast is at 21:00 hours!!!


There are 8 of us here, yea 1/2 lb of bacon each should get us by.


Too bad I put all the blueberry's in the wine...lol*Edited by: AAASTINKIE *


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## Hippie

YUMMY! That looks really good, Stinkie!


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## Berrywine

i LOVE maple syrup!


berry


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## AAASTINKIE

Packed and shipped syrup for the tree owners today, will start on friends list soon.


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## AAASTINKIE

So I'm at the post office yesterday shipping everything parcel post
trying to save a buck (except Hawaii, that went priority) cost me 42.
for postage after 1.69 per empty box and the lady says, you know you
can get this special rate box that goes anywhere in the US including
Hawaii for 7.70 (priority no weight limit) and the box is free....you
should have told me this last week when I bought the boxes, sorry I
wasn't thinking....oh well, I have the free boxes now. Sorry I didn't
put letters in the boxes but I just wanted to get them on their way. If
your box has an animal that excaped from my zoo, please ask a young
child to take care of it for me, please.


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## AAASTINKIE

Whenshould I expect to see my sample arrive?





Umm, today.


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## AAASTINKIE

Umm, don't get upset but since I don't actually know where Arkinsaw is, I might be off on when your sample is going to show up...lol






I thought it was west of South Carolina but if it's north of texas it might be a while, what side of the Mississippi are you on?


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## Hippie

A good Christian boy such as yourself should know where heaven is, Grasshopper.






Yes, west of South Carolina a few states, just north of Tejas, south of Missouri, west of the Mighty Mississip, east of Oklahoma


Does that narrow it down for ya?


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## AAASTINKIE

I looked you up on the weather channel, you are pretty close to Geo and Ramrod, of course your states are a lot larger than up here in the northeast, I have to go through 3 states to get to mastas house but that's only 5 hours away.


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## masta

Got my sample today and can't wait to make some Johnny Cakes and try it!


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## masta

My boy Hunter is eating pancakes right now with syrup....he says thanks Mr Stinkie it is excellent!


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## AAASTINKIE

It's a lot of work, but it's worth it, nothing like the real thing.


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## Hippie

You can say that again! I got the sugar shakes!


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## AAASTINKIE

Well, I got the barbeque shakes, they got a SS Cookshack down in New
Hampshire $575.00 no tax waiting for me, it's going to be a while.


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## Hippie

Go for it Stinkie!


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## Maui Joe

Stinkie,


The maple syrup is great! I hid it way back in the refrigerator just so....because!


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## Berrywine

That's some fine stuff there stinkie. Great job!






berry


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## RAMROD

Ya every one loves it here that is some fine stuff I can see why you would work so hard for that 40 to 1 ratio its great!


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## AAASTINKIE

Don't forget to refrigerate your syrup after opening, it won't go bad ever but mold can grow on it, if it does just bring it to a boil and skim off the bad stuff and put it back in a clean container.


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## ljcjd

Hey AAA, what a nice surprise to come home to! You certainly have a lot of energy and have interesting AND productive hobbies. Thanks so much for the syrup. I'll try to reciprocate with something unique from Michigan. Thanks again. I have a lot of catch up reading on this site to do.


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## AAASTINKIE

I finally got around to bottling the 5 gallons of syrup I was saving for Christmas today.


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## Berrywine

say Stinkie whatcha got in the quart jars in the last photo? looks awful good.


berry


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## JerryNTA

yum looks good stinkie


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## RAMROD

Very nice are the first set of bottle glass? all looks good.


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## AAASTINKIE

The quart jars are some chicken soup I made and canned for my daughter,
the first syrup are tiny glass jugs for children, they are hard to
fill, but are really nice. I found a case up in the attic.


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## Waldo

That Chicken Soup looks really good Stinkie



..As does the syrup


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## AAASTINKIE

I hung 102 buckets yesterday, even though I have the flue, can't be
dilly-dadlin when it's sugar time, sick will have to wait. I'll take my
camera today, it's easy this year, no snow on the ground!!


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## Waldo

Hope you get to feeling better podner and would love to see some pics.


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## jobe05

I to, Hope your feeling better stinky and would love to see pictures of your maple syrup process. When I was a kid in upstate NY, we had family that made their own syrup and it was wonderfull, when I got older (8), my brother and I would go out and collect the sap (water) from the trees and try to make our own......... Man I miss those days......



*Edited by: jobe05 *


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## AAASTINKIE

I hung 160 more buckets today, with the flue it feels like someone beat me up..lol


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## AAASTINKIE

Someone asked how do you get the sap?



You drill a 7/16/' hole 2 1/2" deep and tap in a spile:

I use a battery drill till the batteries go dead (about 70 holes) then I use the gas drill.


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## AAASTINKIE

If it's warm like today the sap will be dripping out right away:


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## AAASTINKIE

Driil a hole in a few primary fermenters and hang them on...lol


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## PolishWineP

Tree wine!


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## pkcook

Are you planning on some Maple mead?


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## Waldo

What is the average yield per tree Stinkie?


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## AAASTINKIE

10 gallons of sap per tap is average, it takes 40 gallons of sap to get
a gallon of syrup, I take my sap to a professional outfit to boil and
we split it, so I get 1 gallon of syrup for every 80 gallons of sap I
bring, that's OK though, I get to go home and he stays up all
night...lol



pkcook, I'm not planning on making anything with syrup, but have been
looking for wine recipe, but there aren't many out there, iI assume it
just doesn't work all that good, but masta speaks of a maple beer, I'll
have to look into that!!


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## pkcook

Stinkie,


I've been looking at Honey Wine recipies on the Internetand most places usually havea similar recipe for mead made from maple syrup. Sounds pretty good to me




.


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## AAASTINKIE

Today I hung the old fashioned metal buckets I have, 66 of them, you
need to have a hook on the spile to hang the bucket on, that gives me
320 buckets out, I'll call it good for this year!!


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## AAASTINKIE




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## AAASTINKIE




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## peterCooper

But where is the syrup?Is it frozen in them there trees?


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## AAASTINKIE

The sap of the sugar maple trees is aprox. 2% sugar, it is in the roots
in the winter, moves up to the tree when the temp goes over freezing,
and back to then roots when it goes below, thats why you can only make
sugar in the spring (you can make it in the fall also but no one does).
You can't make sugar from maple trees that grow too far south to get
the freeze thaw cycle.


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## AAASTINKIE

275 sap today and still had 100 buckets left for tomorrow.


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## masta

How long does it take to get that much volume in the buckets we see? Looks like 2-3 gallons in most of them and 4 in the last picture.


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## AAASTINKIE

they will do that in one day if the weather is right!! Those were the best buckets, many had only 1 gallon.


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## AAASTINKIE

225 gallons today, 500 total, sorry I'm keeping my records here...lol


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## Funky Fish

AAASTINKIE said:


> pkcook, I'm not planning on making anything with syrup, but have been looking for wine recipe, but there aren't many out there, iI assume it just doesn't work all that good, but masta speaks of a maple beer, I'll have to look into that!!




I have tried a maple syrup desert wine up in Canada. It wasn't too bad, but I didn't think it good enough to buy a bottle.


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## AAASTINKIE

I guess I should try a 1 gallon batch, not too much too loose that way.

I'll have to wait till I get some syrup first though...lol


*Edited by: AAASTINKIE *


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## pkcook

One thing for certain, it wouldn't fail for lack of freshness!



I'm betting it would be wonderful



!


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## pkcook

Stinkie,


Found this on Jack Keller's site. It is made from the sap and not syrup. Enjoy!
<CENTER>*MAPLE SAP WINE*</CENTER>



*
<UL>
<LI>1 gallon maple sap 
<LI>up to 2½ lbs granulated sugar 
<LI>1 large or 2 small lemons 
<LI>12-15 cloves 
<LI>1/8 tsp tannin 
<LI>1 tsp yeast nutrient 
<LI>1 pkt Reisling wine yeast </LI>[/list]


First measure the specific gravity of the sap with a hydrometer to determine how much sugar to add to achieve a starting specific gravity of 1.085-1.090. Different saps will contain different amounts of natural sugar, and even the sap from the same tree will differ from year to year. In an enamel- or teflon-coated pot, stir the required amount of sugar into the maple sap and bring to a low boil for 15 minutes, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. In a separate pan, combine a cup of the sap with the cloves and zest of the lemon(s) and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the latter into a primary and add the boiled sap, juice from the lemon(s) and yeast nutrient. When cooled to 75° F., add the activated yeast. Cover the primary and stir daily for 8-10 days. Transfer to a secondary and fit airlock. Ferment to dryness (6-8 weeks), rack into a sanitized secondary, refit the airlock and bulk age 12 months, checking airlock from time to time to make sure it doesn't dry out. Rack, sweeten if desired and bottle. [Adapted recipe from Steven A. Krause's Wines from the Wilds]*


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## AAASTINKIE

thanks, cook, i have seen those before, maple sap is so weak it would
be maple in name only, kinda like log cabin syrup, 2% maple syrup and
that 2% is the pan scapings...lol


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## pkcook

Kinda like the sorghums we make back home



. Takes a whole lot to make a little molasses, but heata small amount of fresh molasses with a pinch of baking soda and dip a hot buttered biscuit in that and your tongue will slap your brains out it's so good



. This has got me wondering if molasses will make good wine/mead?


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## winebug

It was ask if taping a treedamages it.


The sap wood and bark will grow over the hole in 3 or 4 years. just like when you cut off a limb. 


When a tree is cut down and made into lumber it is full of holes about 4 ft. from the trunk.


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## AAASTINKIE

I was asked that question last year (does it hurt the trees) I answered
the question on page 6 but first to understand you need to watch the
movie TAXI DRIVER, with my friend Robert Deniro, and it helps if you
see Chapelles show on Comedy Central...Ive been working too hard...lol

PS I got home from hauling 250 gallons of sap tonight at 9pm after
leaving for work this morning at 4:20 am. Sap don't come easy!!


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## winebug

AAA:


When I was in high school we used a team if horses and pulled a sled through the wood, and we got to tend the fire on week ends. We only had a flat pan 3' by 8'. The neighbor kids would come over and we had an all night party.


Now with the woods sloping. My brother uses small plastic pipe from tree to tree, and 1" pipe main lines runs about 200 trees into one 250 gal. tank. Took all the fun out of it!!!!


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## AAASTINKIE

winebug, took all the work out of it also though, I hauled 555 gallons
of sap today, that's 4800lbs of sap, no kiddo's to help anymore, just
one old man, doesn't matter how long you have been sappin' you never
know when it's going to run, I was going to cut firewood this morning
and I noticed the buckets were all full, so it was back to the house to
pick up the sap tank and off to work!!


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## peterCooper

555 gallons.
How much maple wine does that make?


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## AAASTINKIE

All I can tell ya is I get 7 gallons of syrup for that sap today. (the syrup maker and I spit 50/50)


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## winebug

Peter:


Sap is about 2 % sugar. A neighbor boil sap down to about 18 % sugar then use it to make wine. He would not let me have any. 


My dad always said it takes 50 gallon of sap and 50 lb of woodto make a gallon of syrup. I think it took a lot more wood than that.


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## AAASTINKIE

I hauled 275 more gallons today and picked up 15 gallons of syrup, I
was at the bottle lady's today and she gave me a case of pint wiskey
bottles, I asked her to save me 5 more cases, I am going to save money
on bottles this year.


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## AAASTINKIE

Normally I make syrup till the 15th of April, today all my buckets were
taken down and cleaned, and put away, it is 68 degrees out, way too
warm for saping, but I'll be OK 27 1/2 gallons, only had 15 gallons
last year.I was going strong all day, then I stopped and took a shower
when I was all done, now I feel the muscles aching...lol


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## Waldo

Come on down and take a good long soak in my hot tub Smurf


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## peterCooper

My pool is getting ready to open. Took off the winter cover, threw $50 of 
chemicals in it, started the pump and am clearing out the leaves. Roll on 
mid April. It's too cold to swim until then.


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