What size evaporator?

[CharlieVT]

Gents and Ladies,
Newbie here, I jumped in with both feet when I bought the contents of a sugar operation. My previous post queried how many taps would I need to keep a 4x10 evaporator going. I appreciate the replies I got.

I'm still trying to figure out how I can utilize this evaporator. I now have about 115 taps on tubing, I can reasonably get up to about 300 taps with addn'l tubing and buckets. I can get about 100 of the taps on check valves with vacum.

I don't want to spend a lot of time boiling, and am willing to pay the price either in wood or fuel oil to do frequent, short boils during the season.

The evaporator I purchased, but have not yet moved into my sugarhouse is an oil fired 4x10 with a preheater and hood over the flue pan. The pans are lead-free soldered stainless. It is a nice rig and I'd hate to part with it, but I'm realizing the problems of using it with only about 300 taps. I've even consider buying some sap at the beginning of the season to get the rig started so I don't have my own sap sitting and waiting for enough quantity for my 1st boil.

Opinions please: should I keep this evaporator and deal with the problems of not having enough sap to "feed" it? Or should I sell it and get a smaller evaporator? And if I should get a smaller one, what size? Please consider I'd rather not stay up 'till 2AM boiling.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and opinions.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

When my Dad was gradually reducing the number of taps he handled (as he approached his 80th birthday), He got as low as 400 taps on a 4x12 wood fired evaporator. If you have 300 taps for a 4x10 and the possibility of a few more and 100 are on vacuum, I don't think volume of sap will be much of an issue. You will lose efficiency (as you have alluded to) because of the short boil times. If you have this rig already, and if there is the possibility of any future expansion, I'd go with it.

[oneoldsap]

your situation isn't bad . being oil fired you have instant shut down . She'll start boiling way quicker too . You'll need a couple day sap to sweeten it up , then you'll be fine and your boils will be short . That's a good thing , you can spend more time in the woods , that's where the money is made . That old Lightening rig will work just fine . I'd be happy to give you a hand with your first few boils , if you aren't too far away .
Mike

[GramaCindy]

your situation isn't bad . being oil fired you have instant shut down . She'll start boiling way quicker too . You'll need a couple day sap to sweeten it up , then you'll be fine and your boils will be short . That's a good thing , you can spend more time in the woods , that's where the money is made . That old Lightening rig will work just fine . I'd be happy to give you a hand with your first few boils , if you aren't too far away .
Mike

There ya go again……aren't folks nice here on the trader!;););)

[Flat47]

Holding sap for a day or two is another option, too. Syrup quality (grade) won't suffer too badly. That's a nice rig, especially being lead-free. I don't see why you couldn't use it with your planned number of taps, and you'd be ready for more in the future. I say go for it. You've got good options.