Spring is coming! (Brewer, Norway, Washington: home, shops, garden)

[Elcarim]

LOL Brad hung the bird cage my grandfather built for me on our maple tree outside the dining room window. A day or two later, we noticed sap running down the tree under it. Should have hung a bucket!

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by starwalker

... catkins on one of the three ***** willows.

I guess that should have been Salix discolor. Strange the things you can't say. I wonder if I could talk about my Maine Coon cat without getting bleeped? He, at least, will not be partaking in any "rites of spring" having had his visit to the vet last month.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by boonelsewhere

forest, the sap from sugar maple trees or some other type of maple(red) trees?
thanks,
boon.

Mostly we have Acer rubrum [Red maple, Swamp Maple, soft maple]. It's sap is good, but has a shorter flow season. [7 taps]

We also have one Acer platanoides (Norway Maple) tapped but it has not started flow yet. [2 taps]

Our goats have been working on an area for us, eating everything but maple, so hopefully the maples will be able to open up and grow. Hopefully to give us more taps in the future.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by starwalker

I guess that should have been Salix discolor. Strange the things you can't say. I wonder if I could talk about my Maine Coon cat without getting bleeped? He, at least, will not be partaking in any "rites of spring" having had his visit to the vet last month.

It all depends on what you call your cat.

Obviously some catty names are forbidden.

[boonelsewhere]

it is good to know that, i though only sugar maple trees produce sap.
thanks.

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Mostly we have Acer rubrum [Red maple, Swamp Maple, soft maple]. It's sap is good, but has a shorter flow season. [7 taps]

We also have one Acer platanoides (Norway Maple) tapped but it has not started flow yet. [2 taps]

Our goats have been working on an area for us, eating everything but maple, so hopefully the maples will be able to open up and grow. Hopefully to give us more taps in the future.

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by boonelsewhere

it is good to know that, i though only sugar maple trees produce sap.
thanks.

If I had sugar Maples I would tap them. Sitting here in a forest, trying to think of what I can do with it, ....

I figure that I gotta try what I can.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by boonelsewhere

it is good to know that, i though only sugar maple trees produce sap.
thanks.

ALL trees produce sap. But not all trees sap tastes good when boiled down. I learned from our Maple Sunday field trip that sugar maples have 2-3% sugar in their sap and that red maples have 1%.

I dunno about Norway and the others. I DO know that Norway maples are a non-native species that spreads somewhat aggressively and is considered to be a threat to the native maples.

FWIW its importation from Europe is not a recent thing. Geo. Washington ordered two of them, back in his day...

[BoundtofindME]

Birch trees produce sap that tastes like sorghum and horehound candy....

[boonelsewhere]

learn something news every day from Maine forum, it will be fun to my own candy. Wife love white Birch trees, wants to plant alot of them on the property.

Maine Dot is planning to widen A1 in Ellsworth, about 20 trees and Bolders are to be remove. There are Maples, birchs and Pines about 2-3 meters tall, I will send a request to relocate them, hope they will do it.
There must be some of those trees in our tree growth area, have to learn how to identify the seedling of those trees to keep or replant them.

Originally Posted by BoundtofindME

Birch trees produce sap that tastes like sorghum and horehound candy....

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by starwalker

ALL trees produce sap. But not all trees sap tastes good when boiled down. I learned from our Maple Sunday field trip that sugar maples have 2-3% sugar in their sap and that red maples have 1%.

I dunno about Norway and the others. I DO know that Norway maples are a non-native species that spreads somewhat aggressively and is considered to be a threat to the native maples.

FWIW its importation from Europe is not a recent thing. Geo. Washington ordered two of them, back in his day...

I have read both.

This is what I have so this is what I am working with.

I do have a selection of hydrometers from my brewing, later I will begin testing the sap. And we will know for sure exactly what percentage I am getting.

Which brings another issue, percentages of sugar, hmm. I do have a selection of brewing yeasts and a new strain of 'turbo-yeast' [guaranteed to bring a 30% sugar solution up to 29% alcohol].

Anyone brew maple?