Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 13 hours ago
Thanks for joining me for today's Maple Tree Tapping and Syrup video! I hope it was helpful for you! Leave your questions in the comments below.
*Amendment* I noticed while finishing syrup this week that boiling syrup is done when the hydrometer floats at 60 on the BRIX scale. 66 BRIX is what it will float at when the maple syrup is room temperature.
00:00 Maple syrup season
00:44 Tapping the trees
01:15 Adding buckets and water jugs
02:23 Collecting sap and removing ice
03:57 Reducing sap in electric roaster
05:09 Fire pit for reducing sap
06:19 Reducing sap over fire pit
08:00 Finishing syrup on stove
08:39 Using a hydrometer
09:45 Filtering syrup
11:01 Canning finished syrup
List of supplies used in this video:
Drill
Spile and tubing kit https://a.co/d/iYCQn9w
Maple tapping/syrup kit https://a.co/d/cyHSv11
Empty water jugs
Five gallon buckets - food grade (TSC buckets or check your Walmart bakery)
Stainless steel pans https://a.co/d/0k1KS88 (We bought ours from a local discount store)
Stainless heavy bottom soup pot
Candy thermometer
Hydrometer https://a.co/d/gePHYi0
Metal hydrometer tube https://a.co/d/5DPtEHx
Jar funnel
Pint Jars
Maple trees should be tapped once the daytime temps are above freezing and nighttime temps below freezing. Your season will be over when the nighttime temps are consistently above freezing. You will see leaves beginning to form on your trees (earlier in the season you'll notice red buds - those are fine). When sap is good, it will look clear like water and have no smell. When your season is over, the sap will get darker and begin to have a smell - some describe this smell as dirty socks. Some trees will have a shorter season than others.
Thanks for joining me for today's Maple Tree Tapping and Syrup video! I hope it was helpful for you! Leave your questions in the comments below.
*Amendment* I noticed while finishing syrup this week that boiling syrup is done when the hydrometer floats at 60 on the BRIX scale. 66 BRIX is what it will float at when the maple syrup is room temperature.
00:00 Maple syrup season
00:44 Tapping the trees
01:15 Adding buckets and water jugs
02:23 Collecting sap and removing ice
03:57 Reducing sap in electric roaster
05:09 Fire pit for reducing sap
06:19 Reducing sap over fire pit
08:00 Finishing syrup on stove
08:39 Using a hydrometer
09:45 Filtering syrup
11:01 Canning finished syrup
List of supplies used in this video:
Drill
Spile and tubing kit https://a.co/d/iYCQn9w
Maple tapping/syrup kit https://a.co/d/cyHSv11
Empty water jugs
Five gallon buckets - food grade (TSC buckets or check your Walmart bakery)
Stainless steel pans https://a.co/d/0k1KS88 (We bought ours from a local discount store)
Stainless heavy bottom soup pot
Candy thermometer
Hydrometer https://a.co/d/gePHYi0
Metal hydrometer tube https://a.co/d/5DPtEHx
Jar funnel
Pint Jars
Maple trees should be tapped once the daytime temps are above freezing and nighttime temps below freezing. Your season will be over when the nighttime temps are consistently above freezing. You will see leaves beginning to form on your trees (earlier in the season you'll notice red buds - those are fine). When sap is good, it will look clear like water and have no smell. When your season is over, the sap will get darker and begin to have a smell - some describe this smell as dirty socks. Some trees will have a shorter season than others.
