Here's is another way to use your Ale Pale

[Northbound]

I've switched over to using carboys for primary fermentation and have found a good use for my old Ale Pales, maple sap.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l95/northbound448/IM002211.jpg

When I collect enough sap I'll brew a maple brown ale. SWMBO thinks we're making sryup, Yea right.

[Big K]

Is there a certain type of Maple tree that you gather sap from over others or do basically all maple trees work?

[Northbound]

I've heard it both ways, we just tapped what I know to be maple trees.

Used my brew kettle to boil and my mash tun to hold the fresh sap. I kept a constant flow from the tun to the kettle and adjusted to match the rate of evaporation that way adding sap wouldn't stop the boil.

Next year I'll boil 20 gallons down to 5, it had an interesting earthy , vanilla flavor , then I'll mash it with some grain and brew a brown ale or porter.

[zimmzala]

That sounds absolutley great! What about using it what sryup you have this year for bottle conditoning? Wouldn't it give a nice sweet maple flavor to the finish?