Evaporator size

[cadocter]

Well my Dad and I are looking to grow bigger in the near future and I was wondering what size evaporator we need. I am looking at growing into a possible 500-700 taps in the next 5-10 years. I have heard of people running 750 taps on a 2'X6' evaporator before but most run around 200. I'm thinking maybe a 2.5'X8' would be best but I'm worried our shack will be a little cramped. Our shack is 12'X15.5'. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Bucket Head]

I would go with the 2.5x8 right now with a couple hundred taps. 200 on a 2x6 makes for a long boil session. I would go with a 3x8 at least with the tap count expansion you mentioned. Get as big an evaporator you can afford right now. Even if its a little big for the shack, you can add on to the shack in the future. What you can't do is get a 2x6 to perform like a 3x8. You will be completely overwhelmed with 500 taps on a 2x6. Without an RO in front of it, don't even think about expansion with the small rig. I speak from experience on that. Unless you have all night, or all day the next day to boil before you go out to gather again, 200 is a lot for a 2x6.

Steve

[3rdgen.maple]

I ran over 600 on a 2x6 for the past 2 years. It can and will get very discouraging but in the end it was fun. If you dont have the time and plan on 700 and like to boil the raw sap you should expand the building and jump up to a 3x8 or 10. That is my opinion and Im sure your going to get some more and som RO suggestions as well. Wether you go RO or go bigger its a decision of how many potential taps you are willing to get into over the years and of course the almighty dollar. I really wish I would of skipped the 2x6 and went with atleast a 3x8.

[maple flats]

One thing to balance the decision. RO VS bigger evaporator. The bigger evaporator needs more fuel, the RO needs electric power and a heated room. Fuel is expensive, even if you burn your own wood. A 2x6 will handle 200-even 300 taps but you will be boiling some real long hours. The same 2x6 with an RO, taking the sap to 8% sugar, can boil about 4X as many taps in the same time. 600 easy, 800= long hours again. Even a 2.5x8 will do much better and as your boild get long, add an RO.

[Russell Lampron]

I am a fan of the small evaporator and big RO. I made 275 gallons of syrup with my 2x6 and RO this season. I have somewhere between 750 and 800 taps. The longest boils were 5 hours or less and I only used 3 cords of wood. I recommend that you get a 2x6 now and plan on an RO machine when you outgrow that. I did it when it wasn't as popular to do so and have never regretted the decision that I made.

[gearpump]

We also have a 2x6 and made 350 gallons of syrup on it this year. You have to dedicated to cleaning the frount pan every day to avoid buildup. I am wishing of a 2.5x8 or a 3x6, but you have to start out somewhere.

[PerryW]

Well my Dad and I are looking to grow bigger in the near future and I was wondering what size evaporator we need. I am looking at growing into a possible 500-700 taps in the next 5-10 years.

My 650 tap gravity operation is perfect with my 3x10. I make around 100-150 gallons per year and my boiling time is usually less than 5 hours (400-500 gallons of sap).

For me, being a luddite, it is the perfect keep-it-simple-stupid setup with no pumps or motors except the sap truck. There are little or no expenses or maintenance except end of season pan cleaning. But the one thing to keep in mind is you have to enjoy putting up firewood.

All said and done, I spend 10 days devoted to filling a 10 cord woodshed with softwood (for 150 gallons of syrup). You have to enjoy it or else; go with RO, a steamaway or a high-efficiency (complicated) wood-fired rig.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you don't want to go with a RO, then you could probably go with a 2x8 with a max flue pan and get close to the same with as a 3x8. I run 650 gravity taps on my 2x8 with just a standard flue pan and boiled 5500+ gallons of sap on it. On a normal day, I can do 65gph with startup and shutdown included and may add a steamaway next year and hopefully get around 100 gph. As Russ said, you don't need much of an evaporator to make a lot of syrup with a RO. I have chose not to go the RO route not because I can't afford it but because it is something that I have several people that help me boil some during the day and the evaporator is about the max their mind could handle. Can't imagine them trying to run an RO and with a RO I would eliminate them and they are retired and it gives them something to look forward to an enjoy. Maybe in the future when I have no help, but that doesn't seem to be a problem as I always have volunteers as I pay them in syrup. One guy is blind and can't fire the evaporator but can see enough to be able to get wood in and he looks forward to it the entire year.

[Sugarmaker]

cadoctor,
I wrote this and then realized you are in Meadville about 30 miles from us. Do you belong the the NWPA maple association? Your always welcome to stop by and chat.
1. Yep you have all the growing pains! Its all about balance. The North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual is what I used as a guide for setting up our operation and it was right on the mark in all aspects.
2. Seriously look at you sugarhouse first. Can you expand? as you add more taps all of the systems may grow to.
[By the way your expected size is about where we are right now check our web site]
2.1 More sap storage: We have 1200 gallons of storage in the field and 1200 gallons of storage at the sugarhouse.
2.2. You tend to get more machines/ equip: filtering station or Filter press, canner, maybe R.O. cream machine candy machine kitchen, sales area?
2.3 Space: Room for syrup, racks, freezer, shelves, supplies all take up space and need to be close by.
3. Seriously look at the time you can devote per day to sap collection. We spend from 2.5 to 3.5 hours to gather sap.
4. Look at the time you have to boil each day. If you bring in good sap from 600 taps might have 1,000 gallons of sap. Plan to get it boiled that day. So boiling raw sap on a 3 x 10 might be able to get 80 -90 gph = 12 hours of boiling time. Steamaway might cut this to 8-9 hours? R.O might cut to 4-5 hours.
5. Fuel to make the syrup. If you go bigger on raw sap you need storage for about 1 cord per 20-25 gallons of syrup. Needs to be bone dry and easy to get to the rig.
6. List out the cost of the expansion and equipment that you will need to support your production. Write it down and add it up. You have a 10 year time line so lay out the plan with the sugarhouse expansion as the primary, the rest will happen year by year.
7. be realistic about the help you will have to share the work. I have tried to set it up so I can do it all if required and still enjoy making quality syrup.
Maple syrup production is really about your time and material handling of wood, sap, and syrup.
Like some say remember its just a hobby, but for some its a hobby business and for others its their business.
Regards,
Chris

[TroutBrookSH]

I purchase a CDL 125 RO a couple years ago and have significantly increased production on my 2x6, although I feel like a slacker after seeing some of the previous numbers; made over 170 gals in 2011. Got up to about 500 taps this year, and am thinking 700-800 could be possible for next year.

Brandon, now I see how you keep up w/out. It's good to have company and help on those long days and nights. I like and welcome the help but will still end up doing a lot on my own.

Anyway, found my way to this thread because I am considering upgrading to a 2x8 or 2.5x8, and MapleFlats and WVM have posted frequently about air over fire. (Just learned the term the last couple days.) Since my shack is 16' long, and I won't expand it further, I am thinking an 8 footer will be good. With a 2 or 2.5 x 8, is air over fire worth considering or do I run a bigger risk of scorching when considering I can concentrate between 8 and 12 percent? Is it worth the apparent additional complexity?

Greg

[Sugarmaker]

Greg,
[Slighty highjacked thread sorry]
We added AOF plus steam away [WRU] this year.
We made a lot more syrup on the same ammunt of wood. I am a rebel and added the AOF on the top rail. not recommended but seemed to work. Which one helped the most? probably the steam away [WRU]. But the AOF seemed to keep the stack temps down and provided more uniform boiling. You could sel lots of swirling flame action in the fire box too. Probably burned up more of the wood gassed. Less sparks out the stack and no black smoke as in prior years.
Chris

[cadocter]

Mr. Casbohm,
My Dad and I actually were at the maple meeting and are members. I'm thinking that 700 taps is the max I want to and can put out. I don't really want to tinker with adding on to the shack. I have a wing the same size as the shack to hold wood and I love cutting. Do you think a 2.5x8 would be a good size then? I'm planning on buying a bigger evaporator in the next few years. I think my first year on it I am going to only put out 200-300 taps then gradually add a few more each year? What do you think?

[Sugarmaker]

cadoctor,
Would you consider a R.O in your future plans as you expand tap count? If yes then the 2.5 x 8 would work real well. Others can comment. I would guess that a 2.5 x 8 would get 50 gph on wood? 3 x 8 probably 65 gph. and 3 x 10 maybe 80 gph.
Another option is a steam away if you have the head room.
Welcome to the trader!
Regards,
Chris

[cadocter]

Chris I probably wouldn't add an RO because I'm not a fan of them. I think it would be too much of a hassle and I like to keep things simple