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Posted

Bravo, sir. Former neighbor of ours has started a family business here in Wisconsin, including different infusions and a cocktail syrup for old fashioneds. Can't beat the flavor of maple.  Enjoy it ... and all the gratitude of your friends and family.

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Posted
  On 2/24/2025 at 10:07 PM, Jerry Callo said:

How much wine does it take to make maple syrup?

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Think of sugaring (the term for making syrup) like BBQ. It takes long enough you need a drink and if it wasn't 35 outside, your drink would need a koozie.

The drinking is the best part.

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Posted

That's cool but... what do you do with all the syrup? I may eat syrup 5 times a year. 

I guess if I HAD a bunch of syrup I'd make pancakes more often. 

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Posted
  On 2/24/2025 at 10:08 PM, jimmyjazz said:

I don't know nuttin' about no syrup but that looks awesome.

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It's basically an excuse to drink and sit around outside. Despite being cold as hell, you just don't care that much.

 

  On 2/25/2025 at 12:20 AM, Underdog said:

You can bring me a bottle when Texas plays in Storrs next season. 

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You're on. I'll try to get the seat in front of you like at UConn.

 

  On 2/25/2025 at 12:24 AM, ztejas said:

That's cool but... what do you do with all the syrup? I may eat syrup 5 times a year. 

I guess if I HAD a bunch of syrup I'd make pancakes more often. 

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I give most of it away. My goal this year is really like 2 gallons. It's a stretch, but doable.

 

  On 2/25/2025 at 12:27 AM, Pato del Muerto said:

super-troopers-syrup.gif

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Damn straight.

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Posted
  On 2/25/2025 at 12:24 AM, ztejas said:

That's cool but... what do you do with all the syrup? I may eat syrup 5 times a year. 

I guess if I HAD a bunch of syrup I'd make pancakes more often. 

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You can use it in place of sugar or other sweeteners in most recipes, esp in baking. But you can use it in a lot of savory recipes, as well. My wife cooks a salmon with maple that's out of this world. Also any chicken or pork or winter squash you'd want good carmelization on, the darker two grades of maple syrup works wonders. Easy and sensational desert is baked, sliced granny smiths with a little butter and maple syrup.

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Posted
  On 2/25/2025 at 2:35 PM, jimmyjazz said:

I use maple sugar to make pork breakfast sausage, but if the texture works, maple syrup could be great.

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Maple and bacon is one of the world's great flavor combinations. A good maple-bacon donut or croissant will, in some cases, make a guy forget a crappy football game.

Posted
  On 2/24/2025 at 10:03 PM, Captain Ron said:

There was a thread a few months back about small town living. I live outside of Boston, but have a vacation home in Vermont. North East Kingdom if you want to look it up. I shared my thoughts on it on that thread.

313422090_10119218109491400_6580751156935975133_n.jpg.e87eab3d4bbdbbfd72329e40de14afed.thumb.jpg.62e567607101b79c1551942cf88a6707.jpg

But one thing I never mentioned, Each of those trees you see in color is a maple. And the last few springs I have been making my own maple syrup. This will be year 3 and I finally bit the bullet on starting this thread. I will post a lot more details soon, but a few pictures of the process.

-CXST_XQ.thumb.jpeg.7cb5dd50258231df464d9a6d2c20a904.jpeg

 

fFGdVFEw.thumb.jpeg.32a21a3453b9c8be707b960cdea045c6.jpeg

And results

2023

-XrSRZCg.thumb.jpeg.349a80377148859279b784dea77133a5.jpeg

2024

gdubUolA.thumb.jpeg.67544bf39be521b56978c53da50bc2bb.jpeg

 

This year I also decided to build a dedicated evaporator instead of that jankey ass rig you see above

 

DPbrZHMU.thumb.jpeg.cb8128d60ba6f6826b13371e92bd0cfe.jpeg

 

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So how did your syrup turn out in your estimation?  As good (or better) than store-bought?  Not so good?

And has the quality improved at all since you started doing this and gained experience?

I have a friend who makes wine with grapes grown on his property.  His first couple bottlings were drain pours.  But he's getting better -- his last batch was at least drinkable.  I'm wondering if it's the same for you and your syrup.

 

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Posted

I don't see any apple cider donuts in your pictures. My SisIL was the principal at Elliot, ME Elementary for a number of years. They tapped all of the Maples around the school and made/sold syrup to fund school projects. I made sure to order early to get a couple small bottles of it. Good stuff.

Posted
  On 2/24/2025 at 10:03 PM, Captain Ron said:

There was a thread a few months back about small town living. I live outside of Boston, but have a vacation home in Vermont. North East Kingdom if you want to look it up. I shared my thoughts on it on that thread.

313422090_10119218109491400_6580751156935975133_n.jpg.e87eab3d4bbdbbfd72329e40de14afed.thumb.jpg.62e567607101b79c1551942cf88a6707.jpg

But one thing I never mentioned, Each of those trees you see in color is a maple. And the last few springs I have been making my own maple syrup. This will be year 3 and I finally bit the bullet on starting this thread. I will post a lot more details soon, but a few pictures of the process.

-CXST_XQ.thumb.jpeg.7cb5dd50258231df464d9a6d2c20a904.jpeg

 

fFGdVFEw.thumb.jpeg.32a21a3453b9c8be707b960cdea045c6.jpeg

And results

2023

-XrSRZCg.thumb.jpeg.349a80377148859279b784dea77133a5.jpeg

2024

gdubUolA.thumb.jpeg.67544bf39be521b56978c53da50bc2bb.jpeg

 

This year I also decided to build a dedicated evaporator instead of that jankey ass rig you see above

 

DPbrZHMU.thumb.jpeg.cb8128d60ba6f6826b13371e92bd0cfe.jpeg

 

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so generous of you offering your vacation home as my next get away. this place is full of amazing people  🥰🥰🥰

Posted (edited)
  On 2/25/2025 at 6:08 PM, Carl Spackler said:

So how did your syrup turn out in your estimation?  As good (or better) than store-bought?  Not so good?

And has the quality improved at all since you started doing this and gained experience?

I have a friend who makes wine with grapes grown on his property.  His first couple bottlings were drain pours.  But he's getting better -- his last batch was at least drinkable.  I'm wondering if it's the same for you and your syrup.

 

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It's different. I mean when you get right down to it syrup is syrup, just take sap and boil it forever.

That said, every syrup will have a flavor of "the region" I happen to think my syrup has a very subtle vanilla flavor. Other syrups from the area are the same (IMHO).

I will admit, I don't boil it nearly long enough, I think the syrup is a touch thin - but I am going to work at that this year. 

 

Yeah, you learn something each time, I am getting better.

Edited by Captain Ron
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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

Going up this weekend, will run a fire in the barrel to burn out the chemicals and give the new evaporator pan a test run. I'm also going to tap my trees. I'll post pictures.

The barrel I got had the nasty chemicals in it

IMG_1831.thumb.jpeg.3144509ebd90744db140d8108c73c188.jpeg

Filled it with water 3x to make sure I didn't blow myself up when I cut it open.

 

Edited by Captain Ron
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Posted

IMG_2025.thumb.jpeg.6150438b47c47709d06fc773dcddd95f.jpeg
 

first thing I did this weekend was run a fire in the new guy. Good thing, I smelled the chemicals when I did it. That was pretty straight forward.

i also tapped the trees. That is pretty straight forward.

get the spiles (the device that taps the tree) and buckets ready

IMG_2055.thumb.jpeg.f52c79915390caa1d3a0044a9febdb2a.jpeg

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i line the 5 gallon buckets with food grade bags. Easier than having to clean buckets for each use. 
 

Taps are easy, drill and hammer 

IMG_2041.thumb.jpeg.2c0de35903e5fc0c91311d93390847fb.jpeg
 

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Then put in the buckets  

IMG_2035.thumb.jpeg.8db6c56a131f445762064aafcd601030.jpeg
 

IMG_2034.thumb.jpeg.090f6a3d3e2e503b246535b009e4f395.jpeg

 

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Next week is the first boil 

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Posted
  On 3/7/2025 at 7:15 PM, Captain Ron said:

Going up this weekend, will run a fire in the barrel to burn out the chemicals and give the new evaporator pan a test run. I'm also going to tap my trees. I'll post pictures.

The barrel I got had the nasty chemicals in it

IMG_1831.thumb.jpeg.3144509ebd90744db140d8108c73c188.jpeg

Filled it with water 3x to make sure I didn't blow myself up when I cut it open.

 

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Good lord....tell me you're joking

Posted

"This delicate small batch Vermont maple syrup has notes of vanilla creme, French lilac, churned butter... and industrial grade chemical print solvents."

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Posted

So on the barrel thing - from what I have read, so long as you run a burn in your barrel before you use it to cook, the chemicals will be burned out of it. Non-food grade is not an issue.

Food grade barrels are available, but must be ordered, and need a lead time (the place I called assembles them).

 

Posted

You can buy a new 55 gal drum with lid for about $100.  It might have some manufacturing oils and solvents remaining, but at least it didn't hold something like benzene at one time.

Posted (edited)

Did some reading* - you guys talked me out of this one. It's like $10 vs $85. 

The only downside is that I won't have the barrel this weekend, so I am going to use the Ghetto rig (pictures 2 & 3 from above). I'll deal for 1 weekend.

 

* I will say everything I am reading about using any barrel is really no big deal:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1030933133632407/posts/3810763372316022/
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wUbfl4eIdI - this guy used a fuel barrel 

 

Still I have a food grand barrel on the way.

 

Edited by Captain Ron
Posted
  On 3/13/2025 at 3:40 AM, Captain Ron said:

Did some reading* - you guys talked me out of this one. It's like $10 vs $85. 

The only downside is that I won't have the barrel this weekend, so I am going to use the Ghetto rig (pictures 2 & 3 from above). I'll deal for 1 weekend.

 

* I will say everything I am reading about using any barrel is really no big deal:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1030933133632407/posts/3810763372316022/
and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wUbfl4eIdI - this guy used a fuel barrel 

 

Still I have a food grand barrel on the way.

 

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Any reason why you couldn't run a gas burner? Seems like it would heat more evenly. Unless the wood smoke imparts some kind of flavor, but it looks like you just need a heat source for simmering?

 

Gymax-Outdoor-3-Burner-Stove-High-Pressu

Posted

that is what large operations do. But in then end you would burn a ton of gas. I mean we are talking about boiling for the whole day. The ratio of sap to syrup is 40:1. Wood is way cheaper to do.

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