Our collection had a slow start, but this weekend we boiled (and are continuing to boil, as I type) over 28 gallons of sap. We should get 3/4-1 gallon of syrup from it. The classic ratio is 40:1, but our previous experience has shown us that the sap from our trees has a higher-than-usual sugar content.
Our evaporating setup uses our propane burner that normally is used for brewing, and a large stainless kettle. Once it's at a boil, we add sap to it gradually, using a cooler that otherwise serves as a mash tun in brewing. The valve from the mash tun is set to a dribble, which drops into a pre-heating pan, suspended over the main boil on a wire rack. This keeps the cold sap from breaking the boil as it drips in. As the cooler drains, we add sap to it from our white food-grade garbage can which has been our storage bin.
Later, we'll finish the boiling in the kitchen, to get the density just right. More on that in another post!
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