Did your home build work

[Haynes Forest Products]

Ill start by saying my tank floats with buzzers worked flawlessly. My $54.00 1" SS drawoff Ebay valve worked without fail and easy to clean when the grud built up. Jim from Smoky Lake Maple Products/Pan bender reworked a step saver adding ports, sight glass and mounting brackets and handles. I went from dumping syrup to pumping it:) All in all I'm happy with all the changes and look forward to all the new ideas I have with Jim's help. I didn't use a preheater this year and will be installing a new one next year that I hope will kick butt. My Marcland full feature auto draw with the home built auto shut down saved my pans from disaster:rolleyes:

[BobU]

The new pre-warmer worked pretty well, even though it was our first "try".
Checked it a few times the first day it was installed, sap went from about 38 degrees to about 145 degrees. Running sap thru at about 35 gals. per hour.
I can't take much credit, a plumber friend put it together, and I "stole" the idea from someone on this site.
Do have plans on how to tweak it alittle for next year.

[RileySugarbush]

My new stuff this year worked really well. The added over fire blower gave a nice choice:

Run at last years 40 gph and save lots of wood

or

Go nuts and boil at 55gph using lots of wood.

Our new home built water jacket bottler worked fantastically well. The bottling crew was most pleased.

I would sure like to improve our filtering for next year.

[3rdgen.maple]

Once I figured out that I needed to keep the float rod lubed up on my milk can releaser I built it performed very well holding 24 inches of vac. I was worried about vac loss in the woods when it dumped even with a check valve in place but ended that worry when I pulled a tap at the begining of the mainline and it was just hissing away. Save alot of money and had fun building it and got alot of thumbs up from visitors who looked at it and watched it dump. Now I have to build another which should be alot easier since I already did the trial and error process.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Please post pictures so we can all steal your ideas 3rdgen.

[afretired]

The evaporator worked great, though the sides were not tall enough when I got the stack temp upt to over 500 degrees. The boiling sap would splash out, so I made a temporary side board to block the splashing. This next year I will extend the sides up another 6-8 inches.

Wrapping the copper coil around the stack and putting a shield around the coil helped a little bit on pre heating the sap. To do it right I need to build a steam hood, ...maybe next year.

Bottling and filtering went well.

Plastic jugs for sap collection wasted a lot of sap. They either overflowed or I spilt to much getting them off the tree and dumping them. I believe sap sacks are the way to go for those out-lying trees. Already made 50 PVC sap sack holders and ordered 250 sacks.

Need to work on wood storage, that will be a big problem. One good note, a local cabinet shop contacted me yesterday and wanted to know if I wanted their scraps for free. All I need to do is take a trailer down there and they will load it, and when it's full give me a call to dump it. The scraps are all from 3/4 X 2" frame stock, ranging from 1" - 12" in length, maple, cherry and oak.

The local plumbing inspector is having a fit. We might be in a little P....ing contest right now. I wrote the Governor the other day and got his office involved. The inspector thinks I need restrooms for customers in my roadside market (AKA sugar house). A recent Kentucky law allows farmers to sell products that were raised and processed on their farms, in roadside markets on their farms, as long as they are registered with the state. The roadside market has to be a permanent structure, and the law does not require bathrooms. The local inspector is calling my sugar house a grocery, which does require bath rooms. Anyway I've got tired of arguing with him. The roadside market is a state program, which falls under the Governor, so we'll see what happens.

David

[Kev]

The evaporator worked great, though the sides were not tall enough when I got the stack temp upt to over 500 degrees. The boiling sap would splash out, so I made a temporary side board to block the splashing. This next year I will extend the sides up another 6-8 inches.

Wrapping the copper coil around the stack and putting a shield around the coil helped a little bit on pre heating the sap. To do it right I need to build a steam hood, ...maybe next year.

Bottling and filtering went well.

Plastic jugs for sap collection wasted a lot of sap. They either overflowed or I spilt to much getting them off the tree and dumping them. I believe sap sacks are the way to go for those out-lying trees. Already made 50 PVC sap sack holders and ordered 250 sacks.

Need to work on wood storage, that will be a big problem. One good note, a local cabinet shop contacted me yesterday and wanted to know if I wanted their scraps for free. All I need to do is take a trailer down there and they will load it, and when it's full give me a call to dump it. The scraps are all from 3/4 X 2" frame stock, ranging from 1" - 12" in length, maple, cherry and oak.

The local plumbing inspector is having a fit. We might be in a little P....ing contest right now. I wrote the Governor the other day and got his office involved. The inspector thinks I need restrooms for customers in my roadside market (AKA sugar house). A recent Kentucky law allows farmers to sell products that were raised and processed on their farms, in roadside markets on their farms, as long as they are registered with the state. The roadside market has to be a permanent structure, and the law does not require bathrooms. The local inspector is calling my sugar house a grocery, which does require bath rooms. Anyway I've got tired of arguing with him. The roadside market is a state program, which falls under the Governor, so we'll see what happens.

David

do you have anything for sale there that was not produced on your farm?

[afretired]

In reality it is pretty much a joke. I had one 100ml maple leaf bottle of syrup, and six pints and 3 quarts of honey. Which were all from my farm.

David

[Acer]

got tired of remote releaser dumping to tank and pumping it over the hill.

made a real time variable speed pump out from under vacuum releaser that pumped a half mile to the house. one look out the window at the pipe outlet and i new just how the bush was doing:)
it worked great

replaced my gear pump with a diaphragm pump
that worked great too

guess i have a gear pump for sale old releaser is spoken for


D

[sap retreiver]

I had a few trial an errors but just wanted to say congrats to those that are thinking. This hobby of ours is truely AMERICAN INGENUITY at it's finest. You guys are the reason our country is what it is!! Yes the canucks are in this too. But theres no fighting over who invented it just sharing what works and improving ideas ten fold, thanks for letting me be part of it. Sap on boys! and girls.

[GramaCindy]

i had a few trial an errors but just wanted to say congrats to those that are thinking. This hobby of ours is truely american ingenuity at it's finest. You guys are the reason our country is what it is!! Yes the canucks are in this too. But theres no fighting over who invented it just sharing what works and improving ideas ten fold, thanks for letting me be part of it. Sap on boys! And girls.

like! Like! Like!

[CBOYER]

Build a small wood rack to pressure clean buckets this afternoon, and it is great!. i turbo wash, empty them, wash again and all is fine..

3493

[Sugarmaker]

1. Homemade WRU Water Reduction Unit made 3% sap from 2% sap:) Big project for my garage equipment.

2. Fabricated a AOF Air Over Fire system going against all conventional wisdom, with ideas gleaned from the trader. Added it on to the arch at the last minute and seemed to work well and helped save wood.

3. Home made cream gear pump machine driven from Hobart mixer, is going to work if it kills me! New stainless gears have not been tried.
Regards
Chris

[3rdgen.maple]

Please post pictures so we can all steal your ideas 3rdgen.

I have been meaning to do that. I started out with it being an electric releaser opening a solenoid valve and float swithches and blah blah blah. Soon I realized I way over thought the hole thing and its a simple mechanical releaser. The main thing is the float size and the levers being just the right lenght and size. After that was figured out It worked very well. I will get pics up. Wanted to get a video of it dumping but just ran out of time or memory to get it done.

[heus]

Build a small wood rack to pressure clean buckets this afternoon, and it is great!. i turbo wash, empty them, wash again and all is fine..

3493

CBOYER,
I bet you get pretty wet but that looks like a neat idea.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Now 3rdgen I'm thinking you might be poking fun my way are you saying mine was way to technical for you;)

[3rdgen.maple]

Now 3rdgen I'm thinking you might be poking fun my way are you saying mine was way to technical for you;)

Heck no that actually didnt cross my mind. I was just trying to make something look more impressive than it needed to be to fit my needs at the time. I watched your video before I put mine together and was quite impressed. I just got into the build and decided that I had enough stuff to worry about so I went and made it simple. So simple I could show one of the kids or she who must be obeyed how to turn it on and put it to bed with no worries if I needed them to.

[CBOYER]

CBOYER,
I bet you get pretty wet but that looks like a neat idea.

first ones try me :evil: , but after i just have to displace me a little offset, and all is ok

[Haynes Forest Products]

........................................:confused: .............................

[BryanEx]

LOL... let me translate. What he means is he first sprayed straight on and got soaked. Then he stood off to the side and missed all the spray-back making his bucket rack work good-ly.

[Sugarmaker]

C'mon Haynes, Even this south of the border, part "BY GOD WV", PA born, syrupmaking slacker, figured out what CBYOER was trying to say. OK it took me a minute!
Yea he got wet and then stood off to the side and went at it! just like Bryan said:)
I do like the bucket rack too!
Chris

[3rdgen.maple]

I made 3 bucket washers over the years. One is 16 one is 13 and one is 11. I dont care if they stand right in front of the bucket or off to the side so long as the buckets get washed. :D

[CBOYER]

always remember that iam canadian , and french speaking.. and i have a lot of times to go to Google or wikipedia to understand your discussions :D

[Sugarmaker]

CBOYER,
Your doing much better with your English than I can do with French!
Espérons que vous avez un grand soir!
Regards,
Chris

[BryanEx]

always remember that iam canadian , and french speaking..
I am Canadian too but English, German, and Spanish speaking (my father was military). CBOYER... if I come visit do you think we will have enough language between us to tell jokes and understand? I would like to visit your cabane one day.

- Bryan

[Ausable]

always remember that iam canadian , and french speaking.. and i have a lot of times to go to Google or wikipedia to understand your discussions :D

My Friend - You have a good sense of humor - and You make maple syrup - Wish I could do as well with French as You do with English -- Mike

[CBOYER]

a lot of you have to remember some of your ancestors were french, and your place names are french, It is funny for us to listen how an american pronounce names given by cavalier de Lasalle when he follows Mississipi river.

BrianEx, i have work 15 yrs in Heavy chemicals industries, and have to travel in US, Sweden, Norway, France, etc. English was the language used, sometimes even in Paris...Their french is horrible :o Your Welcome to visit me, just call before leaving home;).. i will pass near your place sometimes in may, cause i have to go to Temiscaming, take road 417...

[Gary R]

My home builds were an entire tubing system with vacuum. Not that big at 104 taps, but it worked good at about 28gal./tap. The releaser was electro-mechanical. One of those complicated ones with soleniods and floats:D Too operate it there is one switch to turn it on or off. The releaser malfunctioned twice during the whole season while running at 27+ inches. It failed during the highest sap runs. Large volumes of sap overwhelmed to and filled the moisture trap. That shuts off all vacuum to the system. I believe it occurred because I have ladders in my tubing. The sap enters the releaser in surges instead of a steady stream as a typical system would. Too prevent this I will add a back up safety float and parallel it with the main one.

If some of you guy's could elaborate more, I might understand things better. For example, Haynes, what do you mean about pumping instead of dumping? Did you pump syrup out of the front pan?

[Haynes Forest Products]

Gary With the help of Jims welding skills and my pile of SS equipment we came up with a draw off bucket that mounts to the evap. It has a bottom port so I can transfer the finished syrup from the tank to the finisher by way of filter press pump.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Still waiting to hear from the auto draw off guys.

[Kev]

I made 3 bucket washers over the years. One is 16 one is 13 and one is 11. I dont care if they stand right in front of the bucket or off to the side so long as the buckets get washed. :D

LOL to bad mine growed up and moved out. I should had back ups...

[BryanEx]

Your Welcome to visit me, just call before leaving home;).. i will pass near your place sometimes in may, cause i have to go to Temiscaming, take road 417...
You are welcome to visit me, just call before leaving home. :D

[Monster Maples]

Still waiting to hear from the auto draw off guys.

I would like to hear from these guys as well. I have my temp controller, I went with a honeywell UDC 3000. I have to get the probe ordered. Found this place to order that.
http://buy.gissn.com/Imm-Temp-Sensor-8-In-Pt100-RTD-p/6cty6.htm
They seem to have alot of different options for probes, and seem to be cheap too. I am going the ebay route for the valve. Talked to one of the service centers for honeywell and explained what I was doing. Told me not a problem with the controller I have. Would like to hear how they worked for everyone

[backyard sugaring]

Built a homemade oil tank evaporator, oil fired. Glad I did it, now I feel like I am a sugarmaker. Now I need to build a real pan.

[michiganfarmer2]

I watched your video before I put mine together and was quite impressed. .

what video? Haynes has a video? I wanna see it

[michiganfarmer2]

My home builds were an entire tubing system with vacuum. Not that big at 104 taps, but it worked good at about 28gal./tap.

Thats fantastic!!!! Good for you!

[michiganfarmer2]

Gary With the help of Jims welding skills and my pile of SS equipment we came up with a draw off bucket that mounts to the evap. It has a bottom port so I can transfer the finished syrup from the tank to the finisher by way of filter press pump.

pretty neat idea. What made yu want to do it that way? is yuor finnish pan quite a ways form the evaporator?

[3rdgen.maple]

what video? Haynes has a video? I wanna see it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iwFPSbbcNc for your viewing pleasure.

[michiganfarmer2]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iwFPSbbcNc for your viewing pleasure.

People like that amaze me. Pretty awsome ability to design something like that

Thanks for the ink 3rdGen

[CBOYER]

how a guy from Wisconsin have kegs of NY Genesee beer? :confused:
i was told that genesee is only distributed in Ny state.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Thanks Michigan F 2 I was always trying to make something else out of what I had so thats why I make crazy things from what I have. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM maybe thats why I'm on my 3rd marrage.........STFUC ..........OK I admire people that can post pictures on this site, or weld 22 guage SS. I use the filter press to transfer to the finisher/filter tank because I was worried about all the lifting of HOT syrup into it. Plus with the auto drawoff. As I said every time you solve a problem your create a new one. I walked into the other room with the full bucket of syrup and dumped it into the finisher and when I set it under the drawoff the valve opened and dumped syrup:o I didn't close the valve and by the skin off my teeth I had set the tank in its holder not losing any of the syrup. So now I need to remember to transfer as the tank gets full.........................remember about creating problems:rolleyes:

[Haynes Forest Products]

CBOYER I'm in Colorado and got the kegs from a junk yard:) They are from Genesse Colo. Nice new no dings clear bright paint.

[CBOYER]

Looks on Googles, theres no brewers in Genesse Co. but found that specialty place "import " somes in Co. When i was going deer hunting in Ny, i have to bring back a case of Genesee for "she who must be obeyed", whit my deers:lol:

[KenWP]

I bought a SS keg in Lennoxville that was made in St Louis go figure that one out. It sort of still looks like a keg just has the valve in the bottom removed and welded over and the wooden plug removed and welded over and then the top cut off and a plate with a 8 inch hole welded on. It works great to filter into now as I welded 4 studs around the 8 inch hole to attach a cone filter too. Most batchs of syrup run through it now that it dosn't cool down on me. My last batch had a bit hang up due to it being a bit too thick and extra niter to gum up the filter.
My two drop tube flue pans work great to boil sap. They start to boil pretty fast compared to the first pan right over the flames even. Sap jumps so high I had to put 8 inch extra sides on one pan and a screen in the bottom of the other to keep everything in the pan.
Now to figure out how to make the sap get in the pan by itself.

[3rdgen.maple]

Looks on Googles, theres no brewers in Genesse Co. but found that specialty place "import " somes in Co. When i was going deer hunting in Ny, i have to bring back a case of Genesee for "she who must be obeyed", whit my deers:lol:

Okay Boyer leave my deer alone and take all that skunk beer home you want. That stuff is nasty. Dont know a single person that buys the stuff other than the high school kids with no money and thats all they can afford to buy for the backwoods party on saturday nights lol.

[CBOYER]

I leave your deers alone, they prefer jumping in front of cars than meet me in wood:lol: as i said she ask for this beer, i dont take any beer , i am Rhum addict :o

[3rdgen.maple]

I leave your deers alone, they prefer jumping in front of cars than meet me in wood:lol: as i said she ask for this beer, i dont take any beer , i am Rhum addict :o

Ahhh theres alot of Captain running through my veins as well.