Steamaway

[Bob Shields]

I have been making maple syrup for about 12 years. I started with a barrel evaporator and now have a 2.5 x8 with a preheater hood. I purchased the 2.5 x 8 eight years ago. It was set up for fuel oil ( I used wood befor) and I really liked the constant cooking temp./ not having to collect fire wood/ & easy starting & stopping of the boiling operation.
Fuel oil was $.60 the first couple of years. I don't have to tell anyone who uses oil that is not true the last several years. I have 550 taps & don't plan on many more ( just an expensive hobbie).
My Sugar House is cold and can not justify a RO because of expense.
I don't read any info on steamaways on any of the forum disscussions.
Does any body out there use a steamaway and could this be a plan of attack. Thanks for any responce.

[Maple Flats]

welcome aboard Bob Shields. Your first post is a good one. I'll just sit back and look for answers because I also want to find out about Steam aways. I did talk to my local leader dealer who has added one as of 2 seasons ago and they say the approx. 75% increase in rate is about right with no more fuel but then they also sell them. Would like to hear from users who don't stand to profit from their reccommendation of one. Pro's and cons is what I want from truly objective users.

[mountainvan]

a friend of mine has a piggyback unit on his rig, oil fired 5by 14( things bigger than my truck). he's had one for a long time and likes it very much. concentrates sap up to 4.5%, lots of hot water, can't remember the rest. down side is blower is very loud!! some guys put them outside, my friend has his in a insulated attic, still loud. he did say last year that if oil continues up he may switch back to wood and an ro!!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

The good thing about a steamaway is that the only cost is the initial investment. I costs basically nothing to run other than a little electricity and there is nothing to wear out, so with proper care, it would probably last forever as the only heat that ever hits it is steam. :D

[brookledge]

Bob,
If you go to page 2 of the evaporator forum about 2/3 of the way down is some info on the last time it was dicussed
hope that helps.
Other than the $$$$ to spend upfront the rest of the way is payback.
Keith

[Bob Shields]

Thanks Keith for steering me in the right direction. From what I could read from the responses, it would seem those who have them are somewhat happy with theirs. It seem some have went with airtight doors,preheaters,ect. They are probably wood fired arches. I just don't feel I can go with an RO with my operation just being a hobby. I though more people heating with oil, and using a steamaway, could tell me if they are getting a 75% increse in product with the same amount of fuel consumption. Thanks again

Bob

[brookledge]

Bob,
I know what you mean. R.O.s are nice and save alot of time and fuel but one has to remember to weigh the operating cost and the replacement of the membranes.
Whereas the steam a way requires nothing except time for cleaning.
I have found out that a longer arch will increase your evaporation rate with out increasing your wood consumption. When I went from a 3X8 to a 3X12 I drasticly increased my GPH while burning the same amount of wood. With the shorter arch I had a much higher stack temp which was wasted BTUs going up the stack.
Keith

[nhmaple48]

When we expanded to 4000 taps 4 years ago, we put in a 6x16 oil fired. The next year it had a steamaway on it. A buddy of mine in town has a 3x8 on oil with a steamaway and boils about 140 gal. per hr. It's definetly worth it if you burn oil.

[Bob Shields]

I have been thinking about the steamaway for some time and have a couple of questions.
My 2.5 x 8 boils about 50 GPH with a steam hood with a preheater.
A steamaway looks like it would hold 20 to 30 gal of sap. How much of the steam tubes are exposed to the main body of sap? I guess I am asking at what level do you run the sap in the steamaway?
How much air volume is needed for the air tubes and would you still use a preheater in the hood over the steamaway?
I was told you need a hood because of the splashing sap in the steamaway.
If I need about 50 gal. to keep the evaporator operating the sap is not going to be in the steamaway very long.
I think I heard 4% sap from a steamaway, is that true?
Thanks for any replies.
Every one have a Merry Christmas, good New Year, and a wonderful
MAPLE SEASON

Bob Shields

[Sugarmaker]

Bob,
I have had similar questions. I have been considering a steamaway for our 3x10 (5 ft steamaway) to increase capacity and spend a little less time in the sugar-house. We run at about 80 to 90 gallons per hour now. I will be watching for answers form some of the steamaway users. Some of the previous responses are positive.

I heard that the sap needs to be cooler when entering the steamaway to get the desired effect? I wondered about using a preheater above the steamaway also.

Guys Help me here since I have not seen one of these steam aways run. But I have looked in them and have a pretty good idea how they work.
Pressured air is "pumped" through the "warm sap". Sounds kind of like the Air injects being offered?

I would like to design and build one (someday). The Leader unit is massive. What does one of these units weigh? I would like to make something that several guys could lift and remove for cleaning??

Anyone have ideas on how to make a compact (lighter) version of one of these??? Just Thinking??

For 2006 we will be still using the steam hood and preheater. Our preheater seems to help a lot. sap is approx 200 Deg F entering the back pan if the flow is consistent. Also we get 7 to 8 gallons on condensate off the preheater tubes that helps too. We don't use a condensate pan, and I believe we get more steam to the preheater tubes. So all in all we are pretty happy with the set up currently. But like you always looking for ways to improve in the future.

Merry Christmas

[jmattice]

Chris,
Just a quick question. How do you gather your condensate without a pan?Are there some kind of channels that catch it?
John

[Sugarmaker]

Bob, Thought you might catch on to this. Yes I have a channel under each preheater tube. This was a suggestion from another syrup maker and it works real well to collect the condensate and allows steam to flow between the channels, allowing the preheater pipes to get steam direct. Not really any magic here just had not seen another built that way and thought it was a good suggestion and has worked well.

I have been setting down sketching a "simplified" steam away. Nothing concrete yet. I have seen that the steam-aways increase sugar content a couple of points. Is it boiling in the steamaway? Seems like it would have to be or you wouldn't get much results?
Any idea how much sap would be in a 3x5? Est 40 gal.???

Also any clue on the blower cfm to charge the air system? I assume the air bubbling effect allows more steam to be released.

Chris

[Sugarmaker]

Sorry John,
Thought that was Bob responding. I need to read more and type less.

[MASSEY JACK]

I have seen several steamaways in action. As I understand it-- the only way for the steam to escape the flue pan is up through large diameter copper pipes. These pipes lay in a gutter that is filled with the cold sap coming into the unit. The cold sap level is halfway on the steam pipes. under the steam pipe immersed in the cold sap is another pipe with air holes drilled in the bottom. That pipe is fed by a blower to cause rapid bubbling. The bubbles cause the sap to splash onto the hot steam pipe and that is where you get the evaporation from(kind of like spitting on a wood stove). The sap is also preheated by touching the bottom half of the steam pipe. The steam in the pipe also condenses as it gives up it's heat to the colder sap. The water flows out through the pipes as hot water and is there for you to use. There may be more to it but that is how it was explained to me. I was told that Glen Goodrich holds the patent. I don't think that you want your sap to be cold for it to work. It is a matter of transferring BTU's. The warmer the sap the faster it should evaporate. As far as mounting a steamaway, they all were suspended by small cable and pulleys to lift it up for cleaning. I met a guy last week who is installing one and he says they are not supposed to be supported by the evaporator. Too much weight. I will say that I do not have one. But I have been looking at some in action and asking a lot of questions. I'm no expert.Hope this helps.

Jack

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Sugarmaker]

Jack,
Great explanation. I did not realize that the sap was only part way up the steam tubes. Are these units hard to clean? Seems that it would be though to get under those tubes? Still sketching on that better mouse trap.



Merry Christmas

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[Sugarmaker]

Kevin,
Thanks, This Picture is not coming up. I don't think I have the correct viewer.

[brookledge]

Chris,
The diagram comes up for me when I click on the link and scroll down to image.
Keith

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

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[nhmaple48]

Chris, to clean you fill with water to top of steampipes, add acid, get hot by boiling flue pan, turn on blower with heat off, rinse , flush, etc. after about 3-4 hrs. depending on size etc.

[Sugarmaker]

Yes, That makes sense on the cleaning method. Thanks!
Tree is up, Presents are wrapped. Family is coming home. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! I even started cleaning out the sugarhouse!

[GregMVT]

Chris, I prefer to use a mixture of white vinegar/water about 50/50 to clean mine. It is the only thing I've ever used on the steamaway or the evaporator. It has worked pretty well and I don't have to worry about what could end up in my syrup. I'll stock up on vinegar during the year when I find it at a good price.

Greg

[sapman]

I added a Steamaway in 2000. I have been very happy with it. This is a 5 footer, on a 2.5x8 Leader. At that time, my evaporation went from about 70-80gph with forced draft, to 105-120gph. I'm now on oil, so average is anywhere from 100-110+ gph. While a 75% increase is attainable with many evaporators, smaller machines like mine don't give as good efficiency as larger ones. Still worth the investment, though, in my mind.

For cleaning, all I've done for the last couple years is what I learned from Glenn Goodrich at Bascom's a few years ago. Recirculating water through the entire evaporator for several hours. I usually let it cycle all night. While it may not get as clean as with acid, at least I know it's not doing any harm to the stainless.

Tim

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Tim,

Explain exactly what you do with recirculating the water?? :?:

[sapman]

I fill the evaporator and steamaway to a higher than normal level with the water, with all floats sealed off. I then use a sumbmersible bilge-type pump at the draw-off point, and mimic the normal flow of sap, with the pump hose shooting back in to the steamaway. You get a really good circulation going! The tricky part is getting the flue pan float adjusted to the right point, so that you are letting enough, but not too much, water into pans. My pump is 12 volt, so by morning the battery was getting pretty low. And the flue and front pans were very full. I don't remember if I left the blower on the steamaway going or not, but it would have to help, I think.

Tim

[Sugarmaker]

Well the steamaway won't happen this year but the increase in boiling rate would help reduce boiling time. Maybe next year!

I just lifted the steam pipes with newly installed hand winches. This worked really well. I can now lift the steam pipes by myself instead of needing 2 men and a boy.
I took the hoods, preheater and drip 'tray" off and am ready to start the pan cleaning withing the next week or so.

Went muzzle-loader hunting again this afternoon and chased out a nice buck to my hunting buddy Gerry. No shots were fired. We were hunting in our shirt sleeves (almost) NICE!.

Sounds like cold weather is coming back for the weekend. We need several good hard freezes while the snow is off to be ready for maple.

The bees loved it today as they were able to get out and fly.

More updates to our website as we continue to play with it. check out the forum (looks familiar?)