Guidry's Maple Syrup Outfitters

Tapping and Processing Guide

by Jason Guidry of Timberlea, Nova Scotia

Tapping
What you will need:

Selecting the trees to tap: Sugar maples are the best trees to tap for maple syrup due to its sap having the highest sugar content. However, many maple species including red maples, black maples, silver maples, and Norway maples can be tapped for maple syrup production. Do a quick search online to identify the kinds of maple trees you have and whether its sap is suitable for making syrup.

Tree size: Your maple tree should be a minimum of 79 cm (31”) in circumference, which is about 25cm (10”) in diameter. A tree this size can accommodate one (1) tap - any more may stress the tree and hurt it in the long run. For a tree to accommodate two (2) taps it should be 142cm (56 inches) in circumference, or 45 cm or 22 inches in diameter.

When to tap: Watch the weather to know when to tap as it varies by region. When you start seeing positive temperatures during the day and freezing conditions at night, you can start tapping. Ideal conditions are plus 5°C during the day and -5°C at night, but any freeze/thaw pattern will help get the sap flowing.

Drilling the hole: The hole you drill should be as small as possible, however it needs to be big enough to accommodate the spile (spout). The spiles provided in this kit are 3/16”, which require a 19/64” sized hole . If the hole is too big the spile will not seal correctly. If it is too small, you risk cracking the tree and having a poor seal. For best results use a 19/64” drill bit.

You may drill a tap hole anywhere in healthy wood. Stay away from cracks, rotten areas, and previously taped holes which may be covered by new wood. Your tap hole should be drilled approximately 10 cm (4”) from the previous hole. Maintaining an equal spacing of 10 cm (4") year after year will ensure that the tree will always have a chance to heal before it is time to tap again close to a preciously drilled area of the tree. It's important to always choose a direction of tap, i. e., clockwise or counter clockwise, and maintain the same direction year after year. Height of the tap hole on the tree is not important; however, it is more comfortable to drill the taps at a height of about 1.2 m (4') above the ground.

It was previously thought that the sunny side of the tree was the best side to tap, however recent studies have shown all sides of the tree will produce equal amounts of sap over the course of the season.

The depth of the hole should be about 4-5 cm (1.5-2 inches). You can use a depth gage to make sure you do not go deeper. You can simply use a piece of tape around your drill bit or a piece of tubing around your drill bit as a depth guide.

Things to remember when drilling:

Tip: Soak the end of your drop line in hot water to soften it before inserting the spile.

When you are ready to insert the spile, hold it flush to the hole and gently tap it in with a mallet or hammer. Take note of the sound when tapping it into the tree; you will notice the sound changes as soon as the spile is deep enough. Driving the tap in too far could risk splitting the bark of the tree.

Collecting sap: Buckets and lids should be washed and dried before setting them out for the season and again once the season is over (see section regarding cleaning). Use a mild dish soap and nonabrasive cloth or pad to clean them, and then rinse well with clean water.

Sap is perishable and only lasts about one week once collected from the tree. The season's first sap may be a little dark. It is however safe to use, but it will affect the final colour of your syrup (making it darker). I typically collect sap in buckets during the week and empty them when I boil it down on the weekends.

Place the bucket at the base of the tree, in shade when possible. Take the drop line (tubing) from the spile and run it through the hole in the lid. The hole should be snug to avoid getting dirt and bugs in the sap. Try to place the bucket on a slight angle and with the hole in the lid at the top. This will help to divert rainwater away from the hole in case the seal is not tight around the drop line. If you are expecting high winds, you may want to place a rock or branch on top of your bucket to help keep them from blowing away. Sap will last longer if kept cold. When there is snow around, you can pack some around the buckets.

I use two large food-grade buckets when gathering sap. Be careful not to touch the inside of the buckets or let any debris fall inside. Dirt, especially softwood needles, can affect the flavour of your syrup. Remove any dirt before sealing the bucket with the lid.

Sap storage: Sap can be stored in the collection buckets for about a week, depending on weather conditions. The cooler it is, the longer your sap will stay fresh. If your buckets are filling up before you can boil it down, you can empty the buckets into a clean, food-grade container or barrel. Storing the sap in a cold area such as an outside shed is better than leaving it in buckets hanging on the trees in the sun. Avoid containers which once held strong flavoured foods, as your sap can easily take on the flavour and affect the taste of your syrup.

If storing the sap in a barrel outside, you may want to pack snow around it to keep the sap cold.

Processing
What you will need:

Evaporating (boiling): Now that you have collected your sap, it is time to boil it down. Ideally, everything you use to make maple syrup from this point on is made of stainless steel. Use the largest stainless steel or cast-iron pot you have on hand. Avoid aluminum and galvanised pots. Stainless steel chafing pans (like the ones in buffet tables) work well.

Although you can technically boil your sap down on your stovetop in the kitchen, I recommend you boil your sap outdoors. The boiling process creates more steam than an average home exhaust system can handle.

Sap can be boiled on a BBQ, propane stove, wood burning appliance, or open fire. If you are using a wood burning appliance or open fire, be sure to familiarize yourself with burning laws for your area and follow any fire restrictions. If using wood as a fuel source, frequently adding well-seasoned (dry) softwood split into small pieces is the best way to keep a hot, consistent fire under your pot.

Try to keep the heat on the bottom of the pot and avoid heating the sides if possible. If the sides of your pot are exposed to flame or heat it can scorch your sap, resulting in a darker syrup.

Ensure your sap is free from debris before boiling. You can pour the sap through a very fine mesh strainer when transferring it to the evaporator pan. If anything gets through, just scoop it out.

Make sure your pan is level before filling it with about 5 cm (2”) of sap and bring it to a boil. As the sap evaporates, keep adding small additional amounts of sap to the pan with a ladle to keep your level at the 5 cm (2”) mark. Be careful not to let the level decrease to the point where the sap caramelizes and burns. There are few things worse than burning syrup on the bottom of a pan - it can take hours of scraping and scrubbing to get your pan shiny again - trust me.

Foam or scum will develop while boiling. Simply remove the excess foam with a large spoon or skimmer. If you do not remove the foam, it can take much longer to boil down your sap since the foam acts like a lid on your pot, slowing the evaporation process.

You can have more than 5 cm (2“) of sap in your pan, however you will need more heat (BTUs) to heat it and keep it at a boil. However, if you are stepping away for a few minutes, adding more sap to the pan could be good insurance against boiling dry.

Once the sap gets to about 103°C (217°F) remove it from the heat source and filter it before proceeding to the finishing stage.

If you run out of daylight and want to call it quits for the evening, just take the sap off the heat, and let it cool. Be sure to cover your sap or put it in a safe spot. The next day you can resume right where you left off.

Temperature: Check the temperature of your sap often. After a lot of boiling and adding more and more sap, you will start to concentrate the sugar content and begin to make syrup. Water and sap boil at about 100°C (212°F). As the sugar content increases, so will the temperature. Syrup is made once you reach 104°C (219.2°F) . Please note changes in atmospheric pressure will affect the temperature at which water boils. You may want to consider this when determining your target temperature for your syrup, although I have never really had to worry too much about this.

Filtering: Once your sap has reached 103°C (217°F), it is time to take if off the heat and filter it for the first time. To filter your sap, you can use a clean piece of unbleached flannel or flannelette. Your sap must be hot to filter.

Please note: when using new filter material, you must boil it in fresh water 3 times to remove any leftover chemicals, including arsenic, used in the making of the material.

Fold the filter material in half twice to create a 4-layer filter material. Lay the filter material in your fine mesh strainer and place it over your large mixing bowl or second stainless steel pot.

Never use detergent or soap to clean your filter materials; any soap residue or scent will transfer into your syrup (do not use your washing machine, even with no soap). Simply rinse your filter material by hand with clean water, ring it out and, and hang it to dry. You may also boil the filter material in clean water to disinfect it. Once clean and dry, store your filter material in a zip top bag or airtight container.

Some people like to filter their sap a second time at this point. If you choose to do so, you will need another piece of filter material.

Finishing: Once filtered, put your sap back on heat indoors. Your kitchen stove or an electric burner will provide a more consistent heat source for this step of the process. Monitor the temperature of your sap constantly.

As your sap gets closer to syrup temperature you will find it has the tendency to bubble up. To stop it from boiling over and making a terribly sticky mess all over your stove, put a small amount of butter on the underside of a spoon and lightly touch the bubbles with it. The fat in the butter instantly brings the bubbles under control, but only use a very light amount of butter so as not to kill the boil. You can also use a drop of coffee cream.

Watch your thermometer very carefully as your sap reaches 104°C (219.2°F) . For this part I prefer watching the Fahrenheit function on the thermometer, and as soon as I start to see 219oF flicker on the display I turn the heat off. At this point you have maple syrup - congratulations! The syrup will continue to increase in temperature a little bit after the heat has been turned off.

If you go too far past 104°C (219.2°F) you can add fresh sap if you have some leftover, or water (distilled or filtered is best as chlorine may affect the taste of your syrup). There is nothing wrong with the syrup if it is boiled beyond the 1040C (219.20F). It will simply be thicker.

Bottling: After all that hard work, you will want to bottle your syrup to preserve it. Use clean bottles and lids. I always recommend using a new lid or seal to ensure your syrup stays fresh. Don't use any bottle or lid that previously held a strong-smelling food item which could transfer to the taste of your syrup.

To reduce the chance of mould growth, syrup should be bottled at a temperature between 82oC and 88°C (180oF and 190°F). The heat will kill any mould and help sterilize the bottles and lids.

Use a clean funnel to fill your bottles.

Some people filter their syrup before bottling to remove any niter. Niter is the sugar sand (sugar crystals) that can form while boiling your sap. It makes your syrup cloudy, however it is harmless and will settle to the bottom of your jars in time. I see niter as a sign that the maple syrup was made in small, handcrafted batches, and not commercially produced and filtered.

If you use Mason jars and any of your seals do not take, don't worry, pop it in the fridge and use these bottles first.

Wait until the jars have cooled before you place any labels on them.

Storage: Store your syrup in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight (and preferably out of sight of friends and relatives).

Once opened, maple syrup must be stored in the refrigerator and can be kept for up to a year.

If sugar crystals (which are harmless) form in your syrup bottle during storage you can warm the syrup to melt the crystals if you wish.

Check for signs of mould. Mould will usually grow on the top of your syrup. If you see any, you can try to carefully scoop it out, however there is a good chance the flavour and smell has gone through the syrup.

Cleaning
What you will need:

Cleaning is the part most people hate doing, but it is important. Once you pull all your taps and bring in your gear you will need to rinse everything off. I usually use a big rectangular tote, fill it with warm, soapy water (dish soap), and use a non-abrasive cloth or sponge to hand wash the inside and outside of the buckets. Rinse them with a garden hose and dip them in a second tote filled with a 20:1 chlorine bleach solution (20 parts warm water to 1-part non-scented chlorine bleach). Let the buckets sit for five minutes and rinse them off again with the hose. Then lay the buckets on a clean sheet and stack them pyramid style so they can air dry. You can do the same for the lids, or I prefer to run them through the dishwasher (the lids are harder to clean by hand).

To clean your spiles and drop lines, start by running fresh water through them. Inspect each one carefully and clean off any dirt or mould in warm soapy water. You may need to use a small round brush (like the ones used to clean reusable straws) to get inside the spile. Do not use abrasives. Again, I sanitize my spiles and tubes by submerging them in the 20:1 chlorine bleach solution, taking care to let the lines fill with the solution. This time let the spiles and lines soak in the solution for at least 10 to 15 minutes, rinse them off with the hose and lay them out to dry in the sun. You'll want to make sure the lines are spread out and positioned in a way to let water drain out of them and let vapour escape as the sun warms them.

If you prefer to not use chlorine bleach you can try using a no-rinse sanitizing solution from a winemaking supply store.

Once clean and dry, I store my buckets stacked inside each other with a clean plastic bag over the top bucket. I store the lids and spiles in separate clean plastic bags.