what size evaporator

[jason loper]

I am looking to get a larger evaporator about 100gph to 125 gph is what
i want to boil off. What I'm looking for is advise on what size rig is best or what combination of equipment. First let me say that money is an issue. What are the pros and cons of a 3' compared to a 4' evaporator. Looking for some advise thank you.

[Russell Lampron]

Jason you would need a 3x10 evaporator to get into the 100gph range. With steam hood and preheater it would do closer to 125gph. Another option would be to get an RO machine and keep your 2x6 evaporator. When I was considering that option I went with the RO machine as it turned out to be less expensive for me.

Russ

[brookledge]

Jason,
I have a 3X12 wood fired inferno arch with pre-heater and hood. When I keep up with the firing i get 140GPH. Otherwise when I'm doing other things it is around 130-135GPH. I have 710 taps with 700 of them on vacuum. This year on good days I've been getting around 800-900 gallons and poor days around 350-450 gallons. So for me thats 3 hours to six hours for boiling per day. If you are looking to expand up to 750 taps then you need to determine how much boiling time per day you want.
I think you will be better off going with a longer 3 foot wide than a shorter 3.5 or 4 foot arch. Longer arches are more efficient than shorter ones.
Keith

[maplehound]

Jason,
I avreage 100 gph on my 3X8 Dellaire. It has a raised flue pan with 15 flues instead of 12 like most. ( or so I have been told) Also I don't have a hood or preheater. With 600 taps out this year I wish I did have a preheater since it can be hard to get it all in in one Evening. This year I often came home to over 1000 gallons of sap. WE are now also considering an RO unit to help out.
Ron

[jason loper]

I would like to be able to get home at 5:30 and be done by 11:00 for the most part not including those large runs. i like the idea of running an RO as well because i do not have large amounts of wood thats easy to get. How much extra headaches do the RO's add i like to keep things simple for my dad who right now helps by boiling during the day. do the RO's that you buy from water company's like watersoft work for sap. what about steam aways vs RO for the $

Thanks Jason

[brookledge]

Jason,
I think you will find that anybody who buys a RO will tell you that they like them and are not disapointed that they bought it. A RO will give you the highest % increase depending on how high you take the concentrate. For estimate figure around 300-400% increase.
Whereas a piggyback will increase your rate by about 75%.
The things to keep in mind are:
With a RO there is an operating cost for the electricity and heat.
You need a building that is insulated and big enough for tanks inside.
The biggest expense is when you have to replace a membrane. Depending on how well you maintain it and how much you push through it will determine how long it last.
The piggy back will not cost anything once you purchase it other than a small amount of electricity to run the blower.
It requires nothing else other than the space on top of your flue pan.
Also figure your time to clean it.
It really comes down to whats best for you. I had a 3X8 and I wanted to double or tripple my boiling capacity. I thought about an RO but I also had stainless pans with lead solder that I wanted to get rid of. I have young children and I didn't want them getting the lead so I decided to buy a new evaporator instead of keeping my old one and adding a RO.
Keith

[Sugarmaker]

Jason,
We have a older 3x10 drop flue with only 10 wide flues best we can get is 90-100 gallons per hour with hot wood. We do have a preheater and hoods also. Several 700 and 800 gallon runs make you think about more efficient equipment.
Good luck in your search. Sounds like you have the time slot allocated. now you need to do some calculating on the amount of sap you may get and the money to invest to do the job in that time frame. Also keep in mind we spend about 1 hour extra each boil just cleaning up and "doing the maple dishes"
Regards,
Chris