2 Saps, the new, the good, the bad and the ugly...

[mrgriz]

We've been lurking here for quite a while now and owe you all a big thanks for the ideas and help we've gained from reading thread after thread about this "hobby" (or should i say "obsession")! Maple Trader has given us a ton of great ideas and inspiration to improve our equipment and process, increasing our production and digging us even deeper into the maple syrup hole. Let us start by telling you a little about the way it all started and then bring you up to today, finishing with a few questions about the future (sorry in advance for the long post, keep reading it'll be worth it).

Three years ago it all started with one tapped tree and a Nesco, yielding just over a quart of golden goodness. The second season increased to 13 trees tapped and about four gallons of some really good syrup; not to mention two different wood stoves to improve on the Nesco! Our big problem was size (no comments from the peanut gallery), with the giant round pot on the small wood stove we couldn't get over a boil rate of 5 gallons every three hours. Take a look at the pictures and you'll see what we mean. That made for some long nights of cooking and a lot of time to think, discuss, re-think and re-discuss the need to improve for this season.

To be continued...

[Ausable]

Dang - Sounds like a real Cliff Hanger. Now You have me "Lurking". Stay tuned for the further adventures of........... Will the syrup make it to the pan cakes? be back after this important message........ lol ... Mike

[3rdgen.maple]

LOL ausable I was and am trying to figure out the deal on this one as well. It sounds like it is going to be a maple trader soap opra show.

[KenWP]

Trying to find the pictures. Sort of one of those lets wait and see things.Reminds me of the old batman show.

[Ausable]

--- Maybe mrgriz has something here --- When I was a kid there was a Radio Show called "The Shadow" and it started "Who knows what Evil - lurks in the Hearts of Men - The Shadow knows...." . Now along comes mrgriz with his Adventures in Sugar making idea -- He could start each new chapter or adventure with ------ Who knows what Evil is Lurking - The Sugarmaker knows hehehehehehe ------ --- Guess it is time to go outside ----- Mike

[mrgriz]

Guys we have to apologize not sure what is going on we could not get our entire post including pictures to post last night. It seemed the server was blocking us, we then cut the post and dropped the pics and what you see went through, but would not let anymore be posted to the sever, tried several times today after bing frutrated last night. If this goes I will try to get the photos and the rest of our post to this laptop.
Thanks for waiting to all.

[BryanEx]

mrgriz... if you were getting an "internal server error" then I know what the issue is but unfortunately can not address it. It must be corrected at the server level which I don't have access to. It is caused by specific strings of characters and the only way around it is to reword your post. Your photos should post fine providing they are under the max file size.

[Kev]

waiting on the pics is like waiting for sap to run....

[Ausable]

waiting on the pics is like waiting for sap to run....

Ah! -- But mrgriz is a Professional - He is building Drama, Mystery, Suspense - also an audience -- soon he will have commercials --- lol -- Mike

[mrgriz]

Sorry guys after the post at 8:44 and saw it went through I resent the remainder of the post and it booted me out. I must be better at making syrup than running this thing.

[mrgriz]

Heres a few photos I'll send a few more of the steam hood and sugar shack.
The Jenn air blower you see in the picks was the first attempt at AOF on a water test boil. Upgrader to a gardern tractor, trailer lawn and leaf vac blowerpowered by a 1hp electric motor, works great. We had an incredible boil for 2/3 of the pan, back was lazy.
I plan to make a new pan for next year and am considering a flue pan and new syrup pan with dividers, or was considering an entire flue pan for large sap boil downs and finish later in a flue syrup combination, or the old pan.

Give me your thoughts and thanks

[Ausable]

Aw Shucks ---- The Mystery, Suspense and Drama is over - maybe. Hey - mrgriz - looking at your pictures - is that a sap preheater around the stack? If it is - how does it work. I like your rig being portable - is part of the base a scaffolding frame and wheels? How big is your large front pan? Looks like it could be devided for a flow thru - if that what you wanted.... Hey - thanks for being a good sport about the kidding .... Mike

[adk1]

mrgriz..thanks for taking some heat off of me! :) when ausable and 3rdgen get going.....

[mrgriz]

The large pot is my preheater(that is what we cooked in last year, I believe it is an old style washing maching tub) cut a hole and welded 8in stainless pipe to fit around the 7in stack. Seems to work okay after about two or so hours we get about 180, have thought about decreasing the size it holds to see if it can hotter it holds about 15gal as of now.
As for being portable it was a former wood furnace in a house(found for removing) the back was burnt through, I cut it apart and reshaped the side walls to open up the top dimensions to as wide as I could get with the front wall being my max. The ramp of the stove is actually deeper than needed so I can accomadate the future flue pan. Found 3in thick firebrick that is 9x4(one end)x 3(other end) 1/2in taper down the sides. Was not bad to use only had to trim one side to get a row started then they stacked beautifully. Put two layers in the ramp. Top of the stove is 2x3 tube for the AOF. Orange wheels are just on a 3/4 shaft just ahead of center of the stove, jack stands in back are used for lowering, raising, and rolling (work great), the front stands are two adjustable M16 threaded rods with semi trailer landing gear swivel pads(had to cut them out landing gear units at work), jackstands from work also.
The pan is 20x54(former restaurant buffet cart lower pan), welded stainless angle around the pan so I could make the stove as big as possible for future expansion.
By the way I know this is not the classified but if any one is interested I have alot of firebrick for sale, let me kow if your interested.
I will post a few more pics tomorrow. Unable to modify the pics here.

[Ausable]

Hey - Thanks again for the pictures and information. Have never saw a preheater of that design on a home built rig and I think it is kind of neat. It works and that is what matters -- Mike

[3rdgen.maple]

beep beep beep beep beeep beeep attention attention I temporarily interupt this broacast to let any and all know that ADK1 has opened his wallet and found some green paper underneath the dust to purchase sap equipment. This is not a test I repeat this is not a test. ADK1 has spent money. LOL

Mrgriz that rig looks pretty cool. I must say though I am a little dissapointed in the fact that you got me a worked up over an amazing maple story that was about to unfold and then I get pictures of a cool looking evaporator but no ending to the story you started. Hmmmm Im going to bed. :)

[3rdgen.maple]

I do however have to ask what is a Nesco? I also like the preheater and 15 gallons at preheated to 180, I would say leave it alone. There are alot of guys who have spent a few hundred bucks to get that.

[Ausable]

As tempting as it is -- I'm going to bed too - And leave ADK1 alone - Hey - He actually spent money---- Whats up with that? Darn - mrgriz turned out to be a regular guy making maple syrup like the rest of us. I was kinda hoping for a Sugarmaker Super Hero -- You know -- Truth - Justice and the ---------North- American Way -- to save us from evildoers - But alas - it was not to be --- Mike

[Sugarmaker]

mrgriz,
Very industrial and very mobile evaporator.
Nice Job,!
Thanks for getting through the posting process. Trial by fire here man!:)
Regards,
Chris

[mrgriz]

mrgriz,
Very industrial and very mobile evaporator.
Nice Job,!
Thanks for getting through the posting process. Trial by fire here man!:)
Regards,
Chris
Sugarmaker, how did your bees do? Good friend and his bee buddy lost about seven hives together this winter.
He has put his name on a list to tr and get new bees for this year bu sound like where he gets them there might be shortages.

[KenWP]

I do however have to ask what is a Nesco? I also like the preheater and 15 gallons at preheated to 180, I would say leave it alone. There are alot of guys who have spent a few hundred bucks to get that.
A Nesco is a roaster. I tried to weld a tube in the middle of a pan like that last year and never got far doing it.To thin of metal. Fellow I know has a tig and I am going to get him to weld it for me this summer.

[Ausable]

A Nesco is a roaster. I tried to weld a tube in the middle of a pan like that last year and never got far doing it.To thin of metal. Fellow I know has a tig and I am going to get him to weld it for me this summer.

One of my Grandsons is a welder -- and with a Tig can weld two razor blades together and the weld is clean and smooth. I was amazed the first time I saw this and didn't think it was possible....

[maplekid]

we had a pro tig welder come into school and he welded pop cans (in the x pattern) and gum wrappers. thats the most amazing thing ive ever seen. taking to of the aluminum foil gum rappers a fusing them together.

[mrgriz]

Wanted to throw a few more pics, been turkey hunting.