The Simplest Maple Syrup Sap Evaporator (But you can boil a ton of sap with it!)

[@HomesteadDreaming]

Every day I watch your ducks makes me want a pair or trio of ducks more and more and more lol!! Thanks for sharing about the maple syrup. I don't have maple trees but I spent a good 4 years of my childhood in Quebec (plus summers for another 8 or 9 years after that) so maple has always been super close to my heart

[@GoldShawFarm]

I love ducks. They never cease to amuse on the farm.

[@RVBob]

I'm running a similar setup with a big exception. I suspend my pans IN the fire pit well. The lip around the pan hangs on the block perfectly. This keeps the wind off the pans, seals the top much better and makes them much more stable.

[@ssergeant9682]

so you just make your firepit area a bit wider to accommodate the lip of the pan?

[@RVBob]

@@ssergeant9682 yes, I placed the block based on the size needed to hang my pans.

[@dx92300]

I commend you for doing this. I know how hard and pricey the maple industry is (especially here in VT). My neighbor built his own sugar shack right next door and I cannot wait till the boiling starts. It's going to smell great here! We are lucky enough to have a family friend supply us with 3 gallons a year for free which is very nice. Good luck and I am really looking forward to seeing these maple videos!

[@GoldShawFarm]

Maple season is coming!

[@CARRY69420]

Heyyyy another Vermonter

[@CreatingEssence]

My parents have done an identical(though slightly larger because they have an actual sap boiling pan) set up for making syrup for personal use and farmer's market sale since 1980. It's legit! Great work!

[@GoldShawFarm]

Thank you!

[@SimplyGarden]

I have a very similar evaporating system. I actually designed it so that the pans drop down so that the containers edge hangs on the blocks.. I also have found that you'll get alot more heat out of the wood if you block off the front. There is plenty of air coming in from the back and the cracks between the block's. I have a video that I did last year in March. Great start for the sugaring season. We already are having a flow.

[@GoldShawFarm]

That's an interesting point. I've been focused on good airflow, but maybe I should pay more attention to heat retention. Thanks for the tip!

[@ssergeant9682]

could you send me a link to your video. that sounds like a good idea.

[@HomesteadingwiththeHeberts]

Great Idea with the maple evaporator. I am going to be taping my trees today or tomorrow. I just got to dig out my supplies, take inventory of what I have, Clean them one more time and then tap.

[@GoldShawFarm]

The season is coming!

[@Winterascent]

These Toby and Abby free videos are something else.

[@coraleereid1585]

Thank you so much for sharing Through you I've virtual reality a " a farmer" and now a " Maple Sugar" purveyor How easy this was. All from couch. Thank you so much 🙌😆🤣 From beautiful Las Vegas 💪🙋‍♀️🌼 AWESOME 👍😎

[@leslieMClass80]

You’re a true Vermonter 💕 ! Love the cinder block idea! They are the handiest things aren’t they? We made wood racks for stacking our fire wood with cinderblocks. The possibilities are endless! Have a good day Morgan!

[@GoldShawFarm]

Thanks, Leslie! Cinder blocks and five gallon buckets are the two must useful items on the homestead.

[@constancemiller3753]

The fan trick is awesome. I use a cheapie tent fan for camp fire. A talented blacksmith told me you can build your 1st forge from a hair dryer and bbq.

[@HaywireHomestead]

Can’t wait to see all the maple syrup you get! We don’t have any trees to tap but we love maple syrup.

[@GoldShawFarm]

It is my all-time favorite flavor.

[@YouCantEatTheGrass]

We love maple syrup, so I'm very jealous of your ability to make your own, lol

[@GoldShawFarm]

It's the upside of life in the New England Taiga!

[@bhavens9149]

you need your buddy to make you an outdoor kitchen, oven and grill/cooktop seriously, that was some nice masonry.

[@GoldShawFarm]

That is our dream. One day (right beyond where I built the evaporator) I want to build an outdoor kitchen with a grill and oven. I will be able to convert the grill into an evaporator then. Need to save my pennies!

[@gardenlady1293]

you can partially freeze the sap and pick the ice off before boiling it. The ice is mostly pure water. That leaves a more concentrated sugar solution which boils up faster. We did this on a very small scale when my son was young and we homeschooled.

[@GoldShawFarm]

That's an interesting idea. I've never tried it before. I might have to give it a shot.

[@charlieadams1313]

This is how our ever knowing natives did it! In hollowed out basswood trees

[@timothylongmore7325]

I always do that too. I store it in covered plastic garbage cans and each morning toss the slab of ice that formed. So far this year most of the barrel is froze , but yeah, good way to concentrate your sap.

[@jLjtremblay]

Save the grills from old BBQs and use them to span across the block to support the pans. I've never had a problem. That's what they are made for. Nice video. Thanks!

[@proscriptus]

They don't melt and droop?

[@jLjtremblay]

@@proscriptus They don’t melt, but will droop eventually, but then just turn it upside down (if it hasn’t been cemented in place or something).

[@TapoNothFarm]

That was great to watch Morgan...Maple won't grow so well here in Scotland but we have a ton of Sycamore and I have been told we can make syrup from them being as they are the maple family. Also there is the birch sap too....never know we might just try this out and make Tap Sap. Thanks for the info!

[@GoldShawFarm]

We have a couple of birch trees that I might tap this year. It taste amazing. Not as sweet as maple, but a good flavor.

[@FieldFarmForest]

I’m thinking I need to go dig around in the duck house to see if anyone has started laying any eggs yet. We are thinking about maybe making syrup this year and we were just discussing an evaporating system for a first try. I do like a little smoke taste in my maple syrup. Thanks for sharing!

[@ForgottenWayFarms]

I think duck eggs are hands down my favorite to bake with! And seriously I love maple syrup, wish we had maple trees. Your set is great, I have a friend that does the cinder blocks for her cooking maple syrup too. Those trays are cool. We have birch trees and I have heard that you can can harvest syrup from them too! Now I want to try 🙌

[@GoldShawFarm]

Good luck!

[@mikeb.7722]

Birch syrup is worth it, and the sap itself is medicinal

[@ForgottenWayFarms]

@@mikeb.7722 That’s awesome, didn’t know that 😊

[@musclecarappraisal]

Great tips and Info! I worked in Canada on Maple Farms when I was a Kid...Fun!

[@GoldShawFarm]

Thanks! Were you running buckets?

[@SimplyGarden]

Yes it made a big difference in the amount of wood I used too. Plus a lot more heat

[@indianshotgun1857]

I just built my 10th stainless evaporator in the past 2 seasons. I never thought making your own syrup was popular. Figured I come see what all the hoopla is about. It tastes great. Some of the guys will throw me a few jars.

[@GoldShawFarm]

Small batch maple is one of my three favorite flavors on planet Earth.

[@indianshotgun1857]

Gold Shaw Farm. There was different shades of color in the syrups from 2 different guys. They ‘re cousins and I guess they do the same process. I think the lighter color taste better. I brought this up to them and they think it’s the trees.

[@yvanhoule2604]

I was thinking about something like this ! Thanks for tips. I am definitively going to give her a go !

[@GoldShawFarm]

Good luck! I'm tapping my trees this weekend. I have a hunch that the ultra cold is finally about to let up.

[@eileenpalumbo6578]

Great idea! Love maple syrup. My husband puts it in his coffee.

[@GoldShawFarm]

I put maple on way too many things!

[@SunshineFarm]

Nice setup Morgan 👍 I’m definitely going to consider something like this when we tap our trees for the first time this year. Jenn and I will have to pick your brain for pointers! Also, well timed Elf clip 😂 -Chris

[@GoldShawFarm]

Thanks!

[@brelsfordfamilyfarm1472]

We have a few trees we want to tap and we were going to use a turkey fryer. We have a lot of cinder blocks so we will definitely give this a try. I think I’ll put some kind of grate over the top to reduce the risk of the pans shifting and falling.

[@GoldShawFarm]

That’s a good idea with the grate. I think I have a couple old ones kicking around.

[@garym2879]

My biggest problem with this setup the first time I tried it was smoke and soot getting into the boiling sap. Despite straining it during the boil and filtering it later just prior to bottling, it had a decent amount of fine ash in the finished product. My syrup also had a "smoky" taste. The next year I bought some flat iron to run between and around the perimeter of the pans. I also tried to seal up as many gaps as I could with smaller bricks. I also included a chimney setup at the rear using round HVAC heating ducts. This SIGNIFICANTLY reduced the amount of ash and smokiness in the finished sap. My friends at work said it was the best maple syrup they ever had in their lives. No kidding!

[@jennydandelion]

Would love to see a photo of your setup!

[@stepht5]

Yum! I’m looking forward to watching when you’re making some!

[@GoldShawFarm]

Thanks! Very soon!

[@littlewhitedory1]

Very economical! Now if only the blocks don't get repurposed over the summer you will be set up for next year too!

[@GoldShawFarm]

Ha! The odds are pretty good that I will end up using them somewhere.

[@brendamontanye9877]

We haven't done syrup in a few years. This may be the year I forgive my husband for using the antique Griswald 2 burner propane stove outside in a makeshift tarp tent and LOTS of propane. It also may be the year he forgives me for reducing sap on the wood cookstove in the kitchen, which also reduced many of the drywall corner joint paper. We do have pans and concrete blocks though our wood supply is struggling to keep up with the winter. And, this might charm your tree planting soul: I think that this year the young sugar maple grove might come into limited production. Though we do have older trees that are in town, out at the farm they are pretty scattered in more difficult locations. 25 years ago when we bought the place there were a bunch of maples on the top of a knoll. The forester said to watch them closely and we would see that they were just about to get out of the deer nibbling reach, at which point they would grow up like crazy. He was right. I need to measure them and see if this is the year for some of them. I think that the last time we did a yard tree my husband switched to a simple "drill a hole and put in a blue tube to a collection container" method. Might be oversimplifying, but it wasn't very time consuming. We do have old school supplies also, which are a lot more picturesque.

[@GoldShawFarm]

We’re going with the old school buckets this year since it’s only five trees. Your young sugarbush sounds amazing!

[@mandiewalker5239]

I use a paper plate when we do the firepit or campfire. It also reduces our waste

[@Hammer_OJustice]

How come you have an opening in the back that goes to the outside and not just up the chimney? Also, where did you get your pans?

[@tompeterson1329]

Great ideas , I just cooked over an open fire too smokey!

[@Citystead]

Nice, were going to be doing some syrup this year.

[@GoldShawFarm]

Awesome! There should be a KZbin syrup club.

[@angelalibi1]

My sister and I were wondering if you put a grate or a cattle panel under the pants so they dont fall in? I love your little fire pit/stove sometimes makeshift is the best, I'll bet it lasts you a few maple syrup seasons. Great video, thank you.

[@GoldShawFarm]

That’s a good idea. I probably should add something or it is a disaster waiting to happen.

[@madampolo]

Is that a two-hole toilet in your barn behind you?

[@pelenaka]

Lol right ?

[@leslieMClass80]

Hope you and Alison are doing well

[@ganjaman3912]

Hello from Canada. What type of pans are those that you are using? Thank you

[@shwetamujumdar699]

Waiting for the syrup making day!!!

[@GoldShawFarm]

Soon! Syrup season is the first sign of spring.

[@jensenhomestead3269]

Put a couple metal garden steaks on the end of each pan to hold them in place.. that way they are not off center... 😁 have fun be safe, Shannan Jensen

[@GoldShawFarm]

That's a great idea!

[@bettinah.7429]

That is a really nifty idea for cooking sap,without having to invest too much. I wonder if an old grill on top would help with keeping the pans secure? Or would that lose too much heat?

[@jennyed137]

Bettina H. That’s exactly what I use to keep the pans stable.

[@GoldShawFarm]

I think it's a great idea!

[@joeturner9929]

Awesome, where did you get your pans?

[@pepecocomax]

Great video. I really enjoy your channel. Can't wait to see you start making your Maple syrup. I always wonder how your ducks stand that cold snow on their poor feet? LOL Have a great day. Looking forward to your next video.

[@GoldShawFarm]

Thanks, Shirley! I’ll start making syrup pretty soon.

[@lindamoore8594]

This is a little off topic, lol. Is that an out-house inside the old barn? If so, will you be repairing it, and who gets to clean it out? As for the syrup....CHUG CHUG CHUG!

[@GoldShawFarm]

THAT IS AN OUTHOUSE! Good eyes! It is an old deluxe two seater outhouse. We actually took the door off it when we were restoring the house and used it as a bathroom door.

[@bettinah.7429]

I was going to ask the same thing about those "two holes in the bench". You said the barn used to be attached to the house,I guess that was a pioneer indoor toilet.

[@cob9834]

There are two kinds of blocks, real cinder or concrete block. Real cinder can break very easily use a little tap of a hammer concrete block takes a heavy sledgehammer and mini blows or a pressured concrete drill. I’m assuming when you say cinder block I’m talking about real concrete block not real cinder. Am I correct

[@KelikakuCoutin]

I was wondering: Couldn't you use the lip that's going around the pan against the edge of the cinder block to hold the thing together a bit more reliably? Thanks for the great content! Keep up the good work!! בס״ד

[@TheMindfulHomestead]

Kelikaku Coutin You could but it’s hard to lift the pans off the fire at the end. You want to be able to grab them quickly if things go south.

[@billmonczka7197]

Nice job man!! I'm in east montpelier and we are boiling today. We have about ten or 12 trees on our land we have tapped. Got 3 little boys that just can't wait to start. Got old wood stove that I converted to a boiling rig. We have same pans you do !! Lol would like to know hows your worked.

[@GoldShawFarm]

It's pretty good so far. I've boiled a little shy of two gallons this year. I would have a lot more but it's been tough going for sap production this year. Good luck!

[@billmonczka7197]

I'm using old wood stove. Cut the top off. Got the same pans you use. Love Amazon. $20 a pan.

[@bobsmith-ud9xi]

plant more maple trees

[@mitchell8177]

If you open ur blocks a few inches more, the lip of the pans hold them in place. Cheers

[@GoldShawFarm]

Good advice. I just started cooking on it and I made your modification. THANK YOU!

[@builtontherockhomestead9390]

I wish I could make syrup of any tree. Wonder how cedar syrup would taste? Guessing awful, lol. Oh, your video disturbed my dog's after breakfast nap. All the quacken, lol.

[@GoldShawFarm]

Ha! Poor pup. I would imagine cedar is horrible.

[@gardenlady1293]

birch can be tapped too.

[@builtontherockhomestead9390]

@@gardenlady1293 I have Mountain Cedar trees. I'm in TX. If I had any trees that could be tapped, I'd be so tempted.

[@walnutcreekwoodworksofjack3520]

if you set the pans on the rim of the pan it is more stable

[@FruityOatyBar1984]

You should find somebody that is throwing away a broken refrigerator, and ask to take the wore racks/shelfs out of it to make a more sturdy place for the pans.

[@4godliv]

Thank you for sharing.

[@fishing-with-rob4868]

Where would I find big pans like that?

[@batpherlangkharkrang7976]

Hi..... 🎥👍👍👍

[@timbalbach6620]

Pine cones make a good fire starter

[@ronw8052]

Where did you buy the pans for so cheap?

[@amandawelch9125]

Just having the pans on just the edge of the cinder blocks makes me nervous that it's going slip and spill the syrup.

[@bayview63]

Do you get a smoky flavour?

[@nutmegknoll]

Good price comparatively

[@GoldShawFarm]

Oh yeah! It beats the heck out of trying to cook with propane. I have an infinite supply of wood. Renewable energy that only requires a little work to harvest is always going to be a good cost savings.

[@ctripps1224]

Where did you buy the pans? Dimensions? Name?

[@jennydandelion]

Also interested in the dimensions of your hotel pans. 6 inches deep?

[@ZacharySchulz]

Did your bricks crack?

[@juliecalene8281]

The easiest way to start a fire is with a small propane torch

[@konordyer3378]

Where did you find your pans?

[@GoldShawFarm]

At a restaurant supply store. They were super cheap. You can find them on Amazon, but you'll pay more.

[@nevrbluffs]

where did you get the pans??

[@GoldShawFarm]

I got them at a restaurant supply store. You can find them really cheap there. You can probably find a slightly more expensive ($25-30) set on Amazon. Search for "steam pans" and you should be able to find them.

[@nevrbluffs]

@@GoldShawFarm i went to local restaurant supply and it was $ 25.00 per tray. You got an extremely good deal if you got 3 of them for $20.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lorahaddad4967]

Contact your friend at Lumnah Acres. His setup seems to work well in a cost effective manner.

[@GoldShawFarm]

He has a very cool design!

[@mikehuth4807]

Anyone can make video and post to utube!

[@agent8094]

eh brik eh pas bin inhelihent

[@xrapt]

bad design

[@jennydandelion]

Can you direct me to a video that shows a similar, cost effective use of easily available materials with a better design? Or suggest ways to improve this one? I’m genuinely curious. I have 40 gallons of sap I need to evaporate and very little money for infrastructure!