Hobbies And Interests
Bucket and Spout.
Before maple syrup can be made, the sap must be extracted from the tree. This is accomplished with one of two methods: bucket and spout or pipeline. With the bucket and spout method, a hole is drilled into the maple tree. Beneath it, a bucket is hung from a hook to collect the sap. The bucket is also covered so that material from the outside does not get in.
Pipeline
The pipeline method deviates from the traditional bucket method, but it makes collection easier. Rather than collecting sap from individual buckets, a pipeline is attached to a small hole in the tree. A straight tube is set up, flowing downhill into a holding tank below. Gravity is used as a means to make the sap flow, but large-scale syrup producers may apply a vacuum to the pipes, increasing sap production and delivery.
High-pressure Filtration
Sap is perishable, so producers must quickly begin to process it. In order for the sap to be turned into syrup, it must be separated from the water. Traditionally, boiling is used. However, a new method is being employed by large producers called high-pressure filtration. Using a machine called a reverse osmosis (RO) filter, the sap is pushed through a filter at high pressure. Two thirds of the water can be removed this way. Although boiling is still required, the initial reduction in water saves time and energy.
Boiling
Whether or not the sap has been pretreated with RO filtration, the boiling process is universal. Evaporator pans or evaporator devices are designed specifically for maple syrup production. The evaporator is above a heating source called an arch. Arches can be fueled by wood logs, propane, oil, natural gas or wood chips. The sap is heated 7.5 degrees Fahrenheit beyond the boiling point of water. Once the water has been boiled away, the syrup is extracted into a container called a finishing pan.