A
Acer negundo, 15, 17
Acer rubrum, 15, 16, 17
Acer saccharinum, 15, 16, 17
Acer saccharum, 15, 16, 17
Alaskan birch syrup, 85-86
Ash leafed maple trees, 15, 17
B
Backyard evaporators. See Evaporators
Barbecue conversion, 64-65
Barrels, for evaporators, 86-87
Birch trees, syrup from, 85-86
Boiling calculations, 30
Boiling down process, 68-81
canning and storage, 78, 80
making maple sugar, 80-81
step by step on author’s rig, 71-78,
Boiling surface area, 28
Boiling temperature, 70, 78, 81
Box elder trees, 15, 17
Box stove conversion, 66-67
Buckets, for sap, 11, 21-24, 48
C
Candy thermometer, 69, 70
Canning, 13, 78, 80
Cement block evaporators. See Evaporators, cement block
Cheesecloth, as container cover for sap storage, 26
Containers
for sap collection, 11-12, 21-24
for sap storage, 25
for syrup storage, 13, 80
D
Drums, for evaporators, 45. See also under Evaporators
E
Eggs, maple flavoring in, 85
Evaporators, 27-67
barbecue conversion, 64-65
barrels for, 86-87
boiling calculations for, 30
box stove conversion, 66-67
building, 32-33
cement block, 33-44
basic block sugarin’ rig, 34-35
basic block with stack and damper, 36-37
high capacity block evaporator with multiple pans, 38-41
pans for, 38, 40, 42
semi-pro cement block rig, 42-44
commercial vs. homemade, 27-28
engineering principles, 28-30
firebox of, 28, 45
pans for, 28, 30-32
steel drum and tank, 45-63
converted oil storage tank, oil fired, 56-59
double pan, converted water pressure tank evaporator, 60-63
50-gallon drum evaporator, oil fired, 54-55
50-gallon drum evaporator, wood fired, 50-53
pans for, 46, 52, 83
25-gallon drum evaporator in stone wall, 46-49
wood storage near, 84
F
Firebox, of evaporators, 28, 45
Firewood
for sap boiling, 12-13
stored by evaporator, 84
H
Hard maple trees, 15
Holding tanks, for sap storage, 25-26
Homemade evaporators. See Evaporators
Hydrometer, 69
I
Insects, attracted to sap, 26
M
Maple sugar and cream making, 81
Maple syrup
canning and storage of, 13, 78, 80
commmercial vs. homemade, 68-69
density of, 69
filtering, 77, 87
finishing, 58
grades of, 68-69
making (see Sugarin’)
preventing boilover of, 76-77, 79, 87
quantity desired, 11
thickness of, 78
Maple trees
identification of, 16, 17
number and size needed, 12
selection of, 15-18
tapping of, 18-21
types of, 15-17
Milk bottles, plastic, for sap collection, 11-12, 22-24
N
Niter, 77
O
Oil fired evaporators, 54-59
P
Pails, for sap, 11, 21-24
Pans
for cement block evaporators, 38, 40, 42
cleaning of, 76
for evaporators, 28, 30-32
scorching of, 75-76
scummy foam on, 73-74
siphoning sap from back to front, 72-73
for steel drum and tank evaporators, 46, 52, 83
Planning, 11-14
R
Red maple trees, 15, 16, 17
S
Sap
boiling of (see also Boiling down process)
wood for, 12
collection of buckets and pails for, 11, 21-24, 48
when to stop, 20-21
frozen, 24
storage of, 25-26
Silver maple trees, 15, 16, 17
Smokestack
for cement block evaporators, 36, 38
for drum evaporators, 50
Snow, as water source, 75, 76
Soft maple trees, 15
Steam, from evaporator, 7, 27
Steel drum and tank evaporators. See Evaporators,
steel drum and tank
Storage of sap, 25-26
of syrup, 13, 80
Sugarin’
appeal of, 88-89
author’s early involvement with, 7-8
for charity, 84-85
costs, 8, 83
with frozen sap, 24
planning, 11-14
reader comments on, 82-87
woodlot management and, 48
Sugar maple trees, 15, 16, 17
Swamp maple trees, 15
Syrup. See Maple Syrup
T
Tanks, for evaporators, 45. See also under Evaporators
Tapping trees, 18-21
drilling hole for, 18-19
setting spout for, 20
time for, 18
Thermometer, candy, 69, 70
Trash cans, for sap storage
Trees
birch, 85-86
maple (see Maple trees)
W
White maple trees, 15
Wood
for sap boiling, 12-13
stored near evaporator, 84
Woodlot management, sugarin’ and, 48