Making Maple Syrup - Sugar Shack Tour

Tour of sugar house/shack used to make maple syrup.

[BissellMapleFarm]

I like that you lifted the evaporator up higher. So it is easier to fire the evaporator. Smart.

[davelindahl]

Nice set up. Easy to understand the process. I’ve been making syrup for 48 years, still enjoying doing it!

[sgtcote]

What an amazing setup. With my current setup of 60 taps as of 2024. I upgraded from a homemade 55 gallon drum evaporator, that had two stainless pans, to a homemade oil tank evaporator that holds my 2x3 stainless flat pan. My evaporation rate trippled which is awsome but its still very hobby rated lol. It suits my needs but I'm still in awe with your amazing setup. Hopefully I'll build my sugarshack to keep everything indoors during the off season. My garrage will be so much happier, lol.
Thanks for sharing and providing us hobbyists with ideas for improvement.

[MrCAcompora]

Man, it gives me memories of our shack down below. Brother in law and I built it in late 2014 and finished it just before syrup season in 2015. It is close in size to yours, but we used rimough cut from neighboring Amish saw mill, using downed wood from our land, giving logs in trade to them as well. We also paid them to help us with the roof. The shack is in the bottom of a bowl of sorts, so we had 150 taps on average, about a hundred on 5/16 line, other 50 on 3/16. 3/16 ALWAYS outperformed the 5/16. We also had it run into a main line which was directed into same type of food grade tote. That was up hill of the shack, bro in law made a bing with a hose that ran it into a holding tank inside. We bought a cobbed together 2 by 8 set up. The front was a leader half pint. Rear pan was just a long flat pan. Even without flues, we had a tremendous draw in the arch, and it was anywhere from 15 to 18 gallons evaporated per hour. We did have many 18 hour boiling days though. Hard to get the time now, so I just tap 12 to 15 up by my house, use a buffer pan and boil on a Solo stove bonfire. I can place it on the patio, work out nearby and watch it, or do any other manner of other chores or tasks and not be latched down into our woods with no ability to do anything else on my days off that I would like to accomplish. We used to make 30 to 40 gallons down below, now I make about 2.5 to 3 a season. I just buy small containers, sometimes etched glass designs, and give 2/3 away as gifts and we use the rest. I love how you can see inside all of your pans. The steam away hoods detract from the ambiance of boiling for me. I only know what I am used to though, and that was learned on an open 16 sq feet of area to watch. Hope your seasons goes well this year.

[ewddy]

I love your shack, man, it’s pretty cool! Been following along with a bunch of your videos which I just discovered today, and we both have a similar set up. I’m solar in the woods to a vacuum pump controller S4 Mountain Maple pulls 150 ish taps. Then we RO smaller scale with RB25 from The RO Bucket guys. We have a propane evaporator then into the same CDL vac filter. Your videos are excellent and you have a very nice way of explaining your system set ups! Thank you Rudi! I wish we were closer. We are in West Charleston Vermont, about 10 miles fr9m Derby Line entry.

[RetiredOutdoors]

Really nice build of your sugar shack. Can you tell me what size the building is?

[AJ-sbqk]

Very awesome set up, I love it. How much did your evaporator cost?

[Dick-vh]

Do you ever heat your building overnight? If so, how much propane does the heater use?

[justinwekenmann]

Do you have a link of where to buy your temp probes and the temp reading device? Thank you

[Dick-vh]

Where are you located? I am going to build my sugar house this summer and I would love to come tour yours and talk to you if you are not too far away.

[stevensaunders]

Very nice set up. Where did you get your plans for your Sugar House? I’m looking to build one about this same size. Is it a wooden floor? Thanks for sharing.

[ryanreed]

Do you a link you could post on your solar panle an battery set up like where you got them?

[Monroecheeseman]

Do you get dripping from the rafters under the cupola? I am going to build a sugar house and was trying to figure out a way where there are no rafters crossing under to the cupola to eliminate dripping back in the pan. My current repurposed porch has rafters and a tin roof and when its steaming good i get dripping from the rafters.

[bayview]

Great shack. Did you ever seal the wood sidding ?

[mitchs]

How do you keep the sap cold during the warm days? Ours tends to become cloudy and bad very fast when its above freezing.

[bladewiper]

Very nice set up. Would I be wrong in guessing a gallon of syrup per tree per year ?

[DrStevenACreek]

Thanks for the video! Really helpful as I build my shack. Curious why you've got the evaporator on blocks? Do the ashes fall into the blocks?

[inthemillshed]

What make is your evaporator? I’m just milling the lumber to build my sugar shack this summer and looking to purchase a good hobby evaporator

[slhomeandpropertymaintenan]

I have the exact set up. Except my is 2 1/2x8’. With a hood