Minimum number of taps for a Waterloo 2.5 x 8?

[davey]

I am looking at a used waterloo 2.5 x 8 woodfired evaporator. This seems a little large for my small operation, but I may be able to get it pretty cheap and am afraid it may be too large. (I have been collecting funds for a used 2x6) Does anyone know what a safe minimum number of taps would be for this? It is currently woodfired but i would likely convert to oil if that makes a difference. Thanks for your help.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you converted to oil, you should be ok with 100 taps or more. With oil, you get almost immediate shut down, so you could easily fire it up for two hours. I usually only boil a couple of days each week, so you could save up sap for 2 to 4 days. Better to have an evaporator a little big than to have a little small.

Go for it! :D

[davey]

Thanks. The guy said he wasn't sure but he thought 400 taps might be the minimum. that seemed awful high to me and if so I could always accumulate for a few days to get enough.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Davey,

Stock, it will probably do around 45 to 50 gph. :D

[davey]

that would be really nice. Right now I have a home-made creation. It is an old power wheel-barrow that I lined with fire-brick, installed the old burner off of my hot-water heater, framed in the top and stuck a 26x 40 x 8 inch stainless flat batch pan on with no dividers that I got about 8 or 9 GPH on. I may be the only person I know who ever burned a batch of syrup because he got a flat tire on his evaporator. So with maybe 250 to 300 taps I won't have too large of a unit for my supply as far as you think then?

[brookledge]

I think 50 GPH is a good estimate for that size evaporator with out knowing if it has any extras. So if you have 250 taps plan on a good run of 1 gal per tap so you would boil 5 hrs a day. 300 taps = 6 hrs
So I think its a good size for you. Even if you get it and can do 60GPH still a good size for you. It won't take you long to find more taps and before you know it you'll be boiling 10 hrs.
Keith

[fk]

Davey,
I just sold my 30x8 Waterloo. It went real nice with my 300 taps last year and then my 400 this year. During good runs this year, I was boiling every other day letting sap build up. I would usually boil with 600 gallons on hand and that would take me 12 hours or so to boil in so 50gal/hr is about right. This was straight up though with no preheat, forced air or anything. Once the bricks started getting up to core temp though, I thought it got alot more efficient-I'll bet it was doing 60 gph by then.
I hate to see it go but I want to tap 7-800 next year. Looking for a 3x8 or 3x10 next.
Brandon,
I was at the new Leader facility today. Very nice. I thought of you. Leader makes a beautiful product-especially the Revolution with the high wall flu pan...

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

FK,

Did they have any of the new 11" flued evaporators on display?? I was talking to Randy Gaudette via email and he told me they are now producing them. The biggest problem is they have gotten the pricing figured out for them yet or how much % increase in evaporation they are getting. :)

[ibby458]

I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing what I can get fk's Waterloo to do with forced draft, steam hood & preheater and new insulated, air tight Stainless Arch! Good thing I just got a deal on a box and pan brake, eh?

[Russell Lampron]

Ibby-

I think you are going to like your new evaporator alot better than the one you used last year. It sounds like you found a nice one.

Russ

[Fred Henderson]

Russ, I know that Ibby will like his new one because the one that he was using had a very small fire box (2x6) a few years back the owner extended the arch to 9' to accomadate a ripple pan and the fire box stayed the same size. Ibby had to fire that every 10 minutes.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Ibby,

I would guess somewhere around 60gph as I get 50 with my 2x8. You might even get it to push 70 gph! :D

Biggest key is good dry seasoned wood and I fire mine every 7.5 minutes or 8 times @ hour! :D

[Mike]

Davey, If you need a burner I may have one for sale in the near future....Its 5 yrs old.............

[davey]

can you send me more info at dbandlb@rochester.rr.com

[ibby458]

Russ -
That sure is a nice unit I got from FK! It ought to boil like crazy with a 5-1/2' pan with 12 raised flues. That's 66 ft of flue, compared to the 24 on the rig I used this year. I see why raised flues are popular. I think that's 2 more flues than a drop flue 30" pan has.

The arch is in good shape too, aside from a few minor problems, easily corrected. I think I still want to build a new arch for it, but If I don't get to it, it's very usable as is. I have a few questions about arch design, but I think I'll start a new topic for them.

Fred - Come on over anytime. I expect to be home all day, except when we start hauling buckets etc, back to Bruce.

Brandon - I found with the old unit that 10 to 12 minute intervals between filling to work best. More often and I slowed down my evaporation rate, likely due to the blower being off and the doors open too often. It did vary with the wood used. 10 minutes for mostly softwood, up to 15 for all hardwood. When I had a good mix of dry hard and soft wood, 10-12 gave me the best results. Isn't it interesting how each unit differs?

Dryness certainly is the key. I've already started cutting wood for next year, piling in under the long overhang with a southern exposure. Should be dry by next season. The stuff too small to split, I ripped a strip of bark off full length to help it get started drying. Seems to help.

Ibby