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Awesome, looking forward to hearing yalls successes

Nice Blackstrap !
I hope to be able to taste black walnut syrup. They're not really inclined to novelties here, so it's hard to find anything but maple syrup

Been using my boiler to cook the sap down to around 215 degrees and then I finish up on a propane camp stove. While the sap is boiling away I have been building a 55 gallon barrel stove and found a local Amish guy to build me a pan which is done and I can pick it up tomorrow. Hopefully the sap will continue to flow this weekend so I can try out the new setup. Just got done burning the paint off
of the barrel. My still boiler is pretty good for sap but I imagine the electric bill will show that it is not the way to go. I have a 220 volt 4000 watt element that I have been controlling to around 125 volts that really boils fast.

Samples my way fellas!!!

Sap flow has been slow due to unusually warm nights and the trend looks to continue this week : (

I've been thinking as I watch the steam roll out of my boil kettle, and it smells so good... Then I had an idea and wanted to get yawls thoughts on it ... Started with 15 gallon reduced down to 5 gallon & store in the fridge to keep from fermenting. Collected 7-10 more gallons weather / trees permitting, add this to the reduced 5 gallon at this point it's at 1.015 SG. So I will have to do this a few more time... But here's what I was thinking, since I'm boiling out the water. Why couldn't I use my keg still (15 gallon capacity) and run it as a pot type still and collect the distilled "water"...(which is legal in the USA with a permit...haha), then when making a beer or whiskey use that distilled water for fermenting. The steam has a wonderful syrupy smell.... But I wonder what flavors would this water bring over?

Anyone else use distilled water for fermentation?
Has anyone used their still for distilling water?

Does my idea sound reasonable, and what should my concerns be using my still to reduce Black Walnut tree sap to a 1.06 - 1.09 gravity for fermenting into a wine/mead type product... and possibly if sap keeps putting out like it is, distilling this product to a Black Walnut distillate... By definition what would this distillate be closest related to? (Rum, Brandy)

This is the new rig I finished recently. Added a fan in front of the air intake and really increased the heat. I am able to boil off about 3 gallons an hour. The pan was supposed to be 6 inches longer but that is another story.

that's an interesting setup ben stiller...I like it...How much are you able to boil off at the start of your process?
In other words, How many gallons are you able to start with?

I start off with roughly a gallon which is about one inch depth in the pan. This allows the boil to start very quickly which is key to
getting through a lot of sap. I do cheat a bit and preheat 3 to 4 quarts at a time in a pot on my propane camp stove. I keep adding the
preheated sap and eventually get to what I would guess is no more than 3 gallons in the pan. Tonight's run was 8 gallons boiled down to probably 5 quarts in 2 1/4 hours. I have the 5 quarts on the wood stove for the night and will finish it on the kitchen stove tomorrow night. The pan will hold 6 gallons with head space but I don't think this would be very efficient since it is all about the boil rate. Next project will be to put a coil around the stove pipe and let the pipe preheat the sap and then use a valve to drip it into the pan hopefully at the same rate that it is boiling off. Hope this answered your question. Tractor supply has the barrel stove kit currently on sale for $48. I had a local Amish fabricator build the pan. Cost $85 with the valve.

Nice rig ben.

That's nice!
I'll have to go to ts and get that kit, was it hard to fabricate?

Thanks Cede!
Not hard at all to fabricate with just a few tools. I used a drill and saws all to cut out the door and stack openings.
For the large pan opening I bought a pack of 5 cut off wheels for my 4 inch grinder from TSC for like $6. Since most of
the heat is in the back of the stove I chose to move my pan all the way back and put the stack out the rear. The stack
outlet/damper that comes with the kit is concave shaped to match the top of the barrel. I mounted this on the flat end
of the barrel and just tightened the bolts a little at a time and let the metal pull out and form to the concave shape. Really
worked good. There are lots of videos about building barrel stoves and evaporators. If this kit didn't pop up for sale I would
have Rube Goldberged my build. Just a note. Do not move your pan all the way back because you need room for the damper to
swing. I think I left 2 inches and it is really close.

yes sir shine
me and my son taped 2 buckets last night on a hard maple
got a half gallon of sap over night
made some maple chamomile tea with that
gonna tap 10 more buckets tomorrow night
should get 10 gallons a day
sugaring is in full swing here now

just did an og test on a quart of sap i got in the fridge.
came out at 1.020 straight
if i freeze separated i think i could get 1.050.
next test is on 10 gallons

Man Duke, I'm so jealous right now!!!
We
finally got a day in the mid 30's and tonight is going to be mid 20's but it's already too late.

Hopefully I have many more years to do this and one day I'll get up north and see firsthand.
Keep me in mind when you finish this years harvest

Keep the posts coming folks, I'm loving it!

Sounds awesome dukethebeagle120 I like it, and so cool your making it a family project.

I'm curious to your process on freeze concentration of the sap.

Would it be similar to freeze concentration of apple cider?
Where the sap ferments and then freezing to extract the alcohol.

Are you using a specific yeast strand?

Here's to a great outcome for ya.
Blackstrap

i have never freeze separated per say
usually in the mornings,the buckets are froze
the ice on top is the water and whats on the bottom is your sugar
and boy its sweet
sweeter then 7up
you throw out the ice and keep the sweet stuff
plan on doing this for a while till it gets warmer then putting 5 gallon pails in the freezer
when the top freezes and the sugar drops to to the bottom
then you pop a hole on the ice and pour out the sweet
thats my thinking
thats how it happens in nature
at the sugar shack we always chucked the ice that was in the buckets
its always just water
dad and my uncles are sugaring now
tapped 1800 buckets
4000 capacity
there getting older
boiling to separate is ok but takes time
i think this method would save time and work
cause all your looking for is sugar for fermentation
fermenting sap needs to have nutrient or its a no go
whenever i made syrup shine i just used bread yeast
although a champagne yeast may be better
your not gonna carry over flavor anyhow so why waste time trying to get all kinds of flavor
i will post pics of our sugar shack setup
boiling also when we pick sap
if anyone is interested
also i tried to post pics from my cell phone but it says the file is to large
what gives

dukethebeagle120 wrote: your not gonna carry over flavor anyhow so why waste time trying to get all kinds of flavor


also i tried to post pics from my cell phone but it says the file is to large
what gives

First, your files for pictures to upload can only b a maximum of 500 KB i believe, and a max of 800X800 Pixels, if i recall correctly. When you try to post a picture it usually lets you know the max size and pixel rate in red lettering. You might have to get an app on the app store for resizing, there's plenty of free ones. Please do so, i'm sure we'd all appreciate it, as a picture says a thousand words!!

2nd... What do you mean there is no flavor carry over? I'm sure i saw someone (Maybe SCD, sry can't remember) who had success making a ferment using maple syrup as the sugar source, and i don't think all or a ton of flavor came through, but some did for sure. I know i've seen recipes for Honey Shine using honey as the sugar source, of course rum made from molasses or Panella has a unique flavor, and pretty much all spirits will have some impact on flavor from the sugar used. I'd say that is one of the most incontrovertible undisputed facts in the entire field of distilling and on HD. The sugar source you use has a huge impact on your distillate flavor. Even AG whiskey, our sugar source is the grains. That's why AG and Sugarhead have different results.. the source of the sugar. So, sugar choice, IMHO, is one of the most critical variables.
So, perhaps i misunderstood you, but what do you mean exactly when you say (I think your saying) that maple syrup used as the sugar source would not carry over as a flavor in the distillate? I'm not saying it's a new, or perfect idea, after all. Maple syrup is crazzzzzy expensive, at least the good stuff. But, i think a big part of the plan for ShineOn, was that he wanted to try the tree tapping and harvesting and subsequent boiling of maple sap into syrup, so he could have a go at fermenting it. It would only cost him the price of the taps, time, and effort to collect and then boil it down until it was at an SG that would be high enough to get the yield he needed.

CC

CatCrap wrote:

dukethebeagle120 wrote: your not gonna carry over flavor anyhow so why waste time trying to get all kinds of flavor


also i tried to post pics from my cell phone but it says the file is to large
what gives

First, your files for pictures to upload can only b a maximum of 500 KB i believe, and a max of 800X800 Pixels, if i recall correctly. When you try to post a picture it usually lets you know the max size and pixel rate in red lettering. You might have to get an app on the app store for resizing, there's plenty of free ones. Please do so, i'm sure we'd all appreciate it, as a picture says a thousand words!!

2nd... What do you mean there is no flavor carry over? I'm sure i saw someone (Maybe SCD, sry can't remember) who had success making a ferment using maple syrup as the sugar source, and i don't think all or a ton of flavor came through, but some did for sure. I know i've seen recipes for Honey Shine using honey as the sugar source, of course rum made from molasses or Panella has a unique flavor, and pretty much all spirits will have some impact on flavor from the sugar used. I'd say that is one of the most incontrovertible undisputed facts in the entire field of distilling and on HD. The sugar source you use has a huge impact on your distillate flavor. Even AG whiskey, our sugar source is the grains. That's why AG and Sugarhead have different results.. the source of the sugar. So, sugar choice, IMHO, is one of the most critical variables.
So, perhaps i misunderstood you, but what do you mean exactly when you say (I think your saying) that maple syrup used as the sugar source would not carry over as a flavor in the distillate? I'm not saying it's a new, or perfect idea, after all. Maple syrup is crazzzzzy expensive, at least the good stuff. But, i think a big part of the plan for ShineOn, was that he wanted to try the tree tapping and harvesting and subsequent boiling of maple sap into syrup, so he could have a go at fermenting it. It would only cost him the price of the taps, time, and effort to collect and then boil it down until it was at an SG that would be high enough to get the yield he needed.

CC

thats what i said
you don't carry over that maple flavor
you do carry over sweetness but not maple flavor
straight maple shine has a mineral woody flavor but not maple.
the fun of it all is the process
but don't expect alot of flavor
done it quite a few different ways
better to flavor after the fact or in the thumper
withy really black stuff you will carry over the smokiness but not the maple flavor
its like a ghost i guess

Duke,

Have you tried adding syrup directly to the boiler rather than fermenting it? I have read where some have had success carrying over
the flavor this way. My plan is to ferment a light rum and then add syrup to the boiler and see what happens. For those interested in
this topic search for Randy Marsh's maple rum. It is highly regarded by all that have tried it.

ben stiller wrote:Duke,

Have you tried adding syrup directly to the boiler rather than fermenting it? I have read where some have had success carrying over
the flavor this way. My plan is to ferment a light rum and then add syrup to the boiler and see what happens. For those interested in
this topic search for Randy Marsh's maple rum. It is highly regarded by all that have tried it.

That may Work well
But Carry over after fermentation has never worked for me
I may try that though with Black stuff
THnx

thanks, Ben Stiller... i knew someone had success with it. It was Randy Marsh CT.
There is a craft distillery here that makes a rum with maple syrup, called "Roaring Dan's Maple Rum" They put maple syrup in the boiler on the spirit run. It has a hint of maple flavor, but it's pretty subtle.
Dukethebeagle,
What do you mean "Black Stuff"?

black stuff is last of run of maple syrup production
as the season wears on the syrup gets darker and darker
at the end the season the syrup is black like molasses
the flavor is intense and smokey
if making rum this is what you want seeing gas it has the most flavor
and it has the least economincal value
we tap 2000 bucket and usually have 15 or 20 gallons of black stuff
people usually buy it for cooking
but it can be a bit strong for pancakes
think of it like fancy molasses and farm grade molasses
both are molasses with very different flavors

The reason I asked about the yeast is I plan on making a mead/wine so to speak this will carry over flavor, as it's not being distilled... I should have about 3 gallons of Black Walnut sap condensed down to 1.05 which should be about just over 9% ABV then back sweetened to taste.

I am confused about the frozen sugar water. ..How would you explain a Popsicle? (Sugar Flavored water frozen on a stick)

Ya'all have a great day; Life is good
Blackstrap

you're looking more like 6.55% and that's if you ferment down to 1.0 or a couple more points if .990

IMHO to get the maple flavor you want it would be best to boil to a nice syrup and ferment it and stop at 1.020 for a nice sweet mead and to keep some of the natural flavor.

You could go super dry .995 if possible and backsweeten it with some maple or walnut syrup.

That's what I love about this is the options to do and try different ways, although it could be costly if you mess up ( don't ask )

The only way to get the rich flavors from the sap is to boil, it starts to caramelize the sugars to get the specific flavors in which we are used to tasting.

Good luck with the experiments
Shine0n

Well, that just saved me a crap load of fighting with the family for gallons of sap... I was hoping for some real maple flavor, but I guess adjuncts are fine with me.

And more syrup for the boys!

Shine0n wrote:you're looking more like 6.55% and that's if you ferment down to 1.0 or a couple more points if .990

IMHO to get the maple flavor you want it would be best to boil to a nice syrup and ferment it and stop at 1.020 for a nice sweet mead and to keep some of the natural flavor.

You could go super dry .995 if possible and backsweeten it with some maple or walnut syrup.

That's what I love about this is the options to do and try different ways, although it could be costly if you mess up ( don't ask )

The only way to get the rich flavors from the sap is to boil, it starts to caramelize the sugars to get the specific flavors in which we are used to tasting.

Good luck with the experiments
Shine0n

made about 2 quarts on my bbq this yesterday
tapped 10 buckets in all
gonna make some more this week
pa and his brothers got 60 gallons made
1800 tapped.
running good today

Good going Duke, as you all are frozen I'm sitting in the OBX watching the blue moon rise above the Atlantic in a tee shirt, sure is nice. lol

You did get my info? if there is a plentiful season I'd definitely take you up on the offer. wink... wink

Well, I only got 6 taps out this year, but 4 of them produced pretty well.

I'm not collecting enough in a single run to make real syrup, so I'm boiling it down as far as I can, then putting it in a jar and repeating until I have enough built up to do the final syrup boil.

At least, that was the plan. The problem with this plan is that this mostly-but-not-quite-completely-boiled liquid is incredibly tasty without all the cloying sweetness of full-on syrup.

What's the problem with that, you ask? It's that it tastes incredible mixed into corn whiskey. I'm not sure I'm going to have any left to finish boiling.

raketemensch wrote:What's the problem with that, you ask? It's that it tastes incredible mixed into corn whiskey. I'm not sure I'm going to have any left to finish boiling.

No problem, sounds like it would be wasted on pancakes.