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Maple Syrup

Drawing Off Finished Syrup

YouTube · Smoky Lake Maple Products · Apr 27, 2022

Thanks Smokey Lake Products!
https://www.smokylakemaple.com/

How to Use a Maple Syrup Hydrometer

Thank you to the good folks at Bascom Maple Farms.

https://bascommaple.com/blogs/news/how-to-use-a-maple-syrup-hydrometer

Field Guide for Monitoring Sugar Maple Bud Development

Thank you University of Vermont for this valuable information!

https://www.uvm.edu/~entlab/Publications/MapleBudFieldGuide.pdf

I stop collecting at Initial but swell (stage VI). I'll try to remember to record the dates here

Tapping the trees

On February 9th we tapped 13 trees using 26 taps. We try to keep the taps on the south side of the tree. This year we included 2 trees up on the field.

Sap collection

On nice days we collect the sap for a cook. The ratio for our sugar maples is 40 gallons of sap to 1 gallon of maple syrup.

March 12th was the last day collecting this year, we collected 205 gallons for 2022.

Setup the evaporator

At the Crack of dawn

Setting up the evaporator

Boiling the sap

The evaporator boils 7 to 9 gallons of sap per hour. If it rains or snow, we have our handy little tent up.

Fueling the fire

This little fan helps keep the fire going and the sap in a rolling boil.

Near the end

Small bubbles start showing towards the end of boiling. At this point the coolers are empty and we bring the big pot out.

Draining the syrup

This is when the first filtering occurs. We used to go by temperature but now we just have an eye for it. From here the syrup will be reduced further on the stove. Remember to use double filter!

Keeping things clean

As a way to clean the pan, we run cold water at the end. Notice how it pushes the last bit of syrup.

In the house

Some water may have gotten in our syrup. Boiling it down until we see small bubbles takes a couple of hours.

Brix scale

We look for 59 Brix at 209 F. The hydrometer comes in handy. It's best to favor the bottom of red line if it's at the top you may come up short of the 66.9 to 68.9 Brix needed after it's cooled to 60 degrees.

Measuring before withdrawal

Somewhere above 35 Brix sounds like a good idea.

Dirty job

After the first filtering...

Double is the way to go

Bottling between 180 and 190F

When we have about a gallon of syrup done, transferring to the milk container brings the temperature down to 190 F, perfect for bottling.

The yield

This year 2022 we had 4 cooks. We collected 204 gallons of sap to obtain 17 quarts of syrup.

Down memory lane

Back in 2019, our small operation started with a big pan that fits 269 tamales. That very first year we made a couple of gallons, tasted funny and it was done over 4 days witg at least 12 hours of feeding the open fire. So glad we have our little evaporator!

2023 Season

Tapped first trees February 5 (completed 2/9)
30 taps on 15 trees
Stopped collecting sap March 18
(could have collected a few more days)

Collected 432 gallons sap
14.4 gallons per tap
Brix of raw sap 2%

Boiled on ten days between Feb. 14th and Mar. 19th
Yield 10.25 gallons finished syrup
Ratio of sap to syrup 42.19 to 1