boiling

[saphead]

Just got home from the sugarhouse where I work.Got the stack up,evaporator plumbed and cleaned,boiled a little straight sap to check on the repairs to the 50 year old arch. The RO should be up and running tomorrow, but only with 1 membrane, waitng for an adapter for the other new membrane. I,m glad I didn't help tap this year,they tapped 12,000 in 4 1/2 days! I would have had a heart attack trying to keep up! Should be plenty to boil tomorrow.

[saphead]

Boiled for about 8 hrs. yesterday,my body kept reminding me that it is out of shape.Around 7 last night looked @ the tanks and decided to boil again today rather than do a marathon boil. Made nice flavored light amber. Using liquid defoamer this year after using butter for ever, don't like it yet but I don't want to make a final judgement after just the first boil. Nice freeze last night and it's 41 out now...time to go a boilin'

[Ed K]

I started using the defoamer too. Only thing wrong, is it hardens up over night. So far its working out ok. Its easier than using a stick and butter as I don't have to stick my hand into the steam hood to defoam.

[mapleman3]

I'm loving using 100%canola oil, I have just a cup of it with a wood skewer from the kitchen, and it drips drops perfectly.. and no taste!!

[TR Hardwoods]

Is the defoamer only necessarry when using an evaporater? I use a flat pan and have only developed foam when it is 'almost' ready. Just curious?

[mapleman3]

you tend to get more foam from the furious boiling in the sap pan, but if you do get alot of foam on a flat pan it will knock it down, just use very sparingly so you don't impart a taste. and drop it just near your drawoff so it draws the suger that way.

[saphead]

I took the day off today to boil. Off to Gould's for breakfast and to drool over Edgar's new rig(not over the open pans of course!), then up to the farm to do battle with the old rig.Looks to be a good day to boil. Have to rest up this weekend, next week could be busy.

[saphead]

Well breakfast was expensive ,but good. The new 6x16 w/revolution pans and a steam-away was an awsome sight to behold...should be for around $50K! Still don't like the single door set-up, I have a better way to do it but for now I'll keep it to myself.Boiled for about 5 hrs.,made 75 gallons and home before dark! Family time!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Saphead,

What kind of evap rate can they get on that 6x16 with steamaway?? 900 gph??

[brookledge]

Craig
I wonder why they went to a single door on larger units. when I bought mine (3' wide) it had the single door and anything larger had two doors. So I wonder why they changed. Like I said I heard that they had a new unit but never seem to have time to travel around to see everybodys
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mine has a single door being only 2'. I don't like the looks of the new large single door, but it may be better, time will tell. Price sure came down as it now comes with ductwork and blower too I think. :D

[brookledge]

Iooked in both leaders catolog and Bascoms and they still show the inferno arch with two doors so maybe Goulds ordered it special? Just a thought.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Keith,

I think the pic is the same pic they have had in both catalogs for several years. I don't think you can get it but with one door now. :?

[saphead]

Well they say the rig will do around 1000gph. As for the single door on the inferno arches,they all come that way now because most people who bought the arches w/two doors were not told how to fire them.The two door arches have hollow square tubing around the door openings and one in the center.Attached to these are the over fire air nozzles.These nozzles(45 degree pipe elbows) were at first steel which burned out,had to be replaced w/cast.The second problem is that between the grates and the door is a space 2 fire bricks wide,in early arches this was left uncovered. I know of one owner that was never told to keep this gap open and only put wood on the grates,the front section obviously got damaged,but the rig works nicely now w/cast nozzles and the wood kept back.On new rigs this section is covered w/fire brick.I prefer the origional 2 door design,smaller doors means less bending moment on the hinges and you have to like the semi-trailer door latches. I'm sure some complaned about a post in the middle. The single door arches have one huge heavy door that swings off to the side remaining parallel to the arch front.This is accopmplished with duel pivoting arms,2 on top 1 on the bottom.This works nicelly but should incorperate the use of heavy duty bushings to handle the weight.On the bottom right of the door is the air intake for the air nozzles in the door,the door has to fit into this as well as the main sealing gasket.With the present arrangement it wouldn't be long before you will be lifting the door in place to get it to seal.I played around with Gould's yesterday and the lack of alignment guides or pins in combination with the poor latching mechanism had me very disappointed,all this on a $10,000 arch! I may have to take a trip to Leader w/the farm owner I work for so his arch will have my improvements added. Sorry about being long winded.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Saphead,

On my 2' inferno arch, I have a single hinged door. I have just the stanard grates in my arch. In the last couple of years they have came out with forced air grates for 2' arches. What I do it I have two firebrick turned across the front of the arch laying flat. This gives me a guide of where to fire and I keep all the wood back past the edge of the firebrick.

Is this good or should I take the firebrick out and just leave the space open?? To me, that would kill efficiency as most of the air would be blowing out this hole instead of in the fire. The new 2' air grates are only 18" long, so on my arch, I would have to firebrick up a wall 6" from the door.

[saphead]

Brandon, I'd leave well enough alone. The gap in front of the door provides room for gases to burn,the bigger arches have air nozzles on the sides of the door frames. When I build my arch I'm going to add air nozzles near the top of the slope to burn gases as they enter the flues.