Sap is like milk. Keep it cold and it will hold for a few weeks. If it gets to warm, it will get ropey. What is ropey???? you will know it when you see it. It gets string like stuff in it and is no good. If you can get your sap to freeze a bit it will help you as it acts like a natural RO process by removing water from the sap and concentrating the sap for shorter boil times.

I'm getting taps and buckets tomorrow

Check out youtube "Maple Syrup Poem Live at the Ripton Coffee House" Seriously,We have an evaporator and put out 200 taps a year. Have tapped trees for 45 years. Go for it and enjoy. Also, lots of info on "Maple Trader.com.

Oh, and also, what part of the state are you at?

I'll be sure to check that out

SW

how do you guys like the bags vs the buckets??

Bullock, I too keep Bees and decided to try some Maple syruping I did not know much but researched all I could find and set up some blocks. Bought 3 stainless steel 22 gauge warmer pans bought 10 taps and some tubing. Ran 60 gallon of sap through the pans got 1.5 gallons of some very good Maple syrup from Gods great creation. Already had the buckets and two fish cookers. I kept up with the 10 gallon batches and cooked down to two pans then one pan. While adding new sap to the empty pans. Could cook down 20 gallons at a time in one day all the way to bottling.
We had a very short season here in Ky about 4-5 weeks. That was 10 taps and just 5 trees. I know how to do it now and could easily get larger next season if I decide to. Good luck and read and study and don’t try and short cut the process anywhere.

Thank you, and good luck with your bees this year WHSKR