# of taps for 3x12 evaporator

[AdirondackSap]

Well after only my second year sugaring it was a success. I made just about 200 gallons of syrup but was alot of work.I can honestly say theres nothing better to enjoy the fresh maple syrup which we worked so hard for. Escpecially boiling 12-14 hours a day on are leader 2x6. So i went ahead and bought a new to me evaporater a leader arch with small bros lightning pans. Im also adding another 1200 taps and a delaval vac system on 500 taps. that would give me about 2000 plus the 500 taps on vac. So i could see 3000 gallon sap runs plus. The 3x12 does 100 gallons per hour plus the 2x6 at 40 gph thats 140 gph. What size R/O would I need for 5000 taps bc thats my goal in 3 years. I only want to boil max 8 hours a day.

[michiganfarmer2]

I just bought my RO. Im only concentrating to 6%.I have a 3x12 also. Im thinking you are going ot have to concentrate to 10% if you are gonna have 5000 taps, and only wanna boil 8 huors a day with 140 gph evaporation rate. taking 2% to 10 percent is an 80% reduction. 5000 - 80% is 1000 gallons to boil. This is just some rough math Ive done in my head.

My 500 gph ro will concentrate 400 gallons of 2% sap to 6% in about 45 minutes. I dont know how long it woudl take to concetrate to 10%

[mapleack]

You do NOT want to try to run two evaporators. Sell the 2x6 and the 250gph RO and find a 600gph expandable RO. Run it for a few years and then add a second tower to be at 900+ gph. Or, plan on having a 600gph RO for several years and then trading in again for a 1200. If you end up with 5,000 taps and want to boil 8 hours, you're going to need a 1200.

[Jeff E]

I agree. Once you get really going with an RO you will be busy feeding the 3x12 and filtering syrup, and keeping the evaporator happy.
A 600 will get you out of the sugarhouse in 8 hrs with 3000 gallons of sap. If that is 2.5% sap, you will be pulling off about 10 gallons of syrup per hour.

Put the other post on there, and 900 gph run in series, your output will be about 13% and match you evaporator pretty well. Your output will be up to around 16 GPH of syrup. Got a good filter press?:)

When you get to 5000 taps, and have a 5000 gallon day, you will run the RO for 7 hrs with the expansion kit and be a happy man with your 120 gallons of syrup.

[AdirondackSap]

Thanks for the help I think i might sell my 2x6 and small R/O and use that money to buy a bigger R/O to match my 5000 tap goal. This way i can concentrate on one evaporator and maybe down the road add a steamaway or piggynack unit.

[Russell Lampron]

I have 700 taps on vacuum and 100 buckets. My evaporator is a 2x6 raised flue and I have a 150 gph RO. I concentrate to 16% plus. I draw off 6 or 7 gallons of syrup an hour and the concentrate from 1000 gals of sap is usually gone in 2.5 to 3 hours. Sell the 2x6 and 250 gph RO and get a 600 with a 7.5hp pump. When you add a second tower to it it will be a 1200 gph RO. The 3x12 evaporator will be more than enough for 5000 taps if you concentrate into the upper teens low 20's.