Car port/Stor port for syrup shack

[Diesel Pro]

We cooked outside our first year and things went well, but there is a nasty biting wind that comes up off the creek. Also storing the sap inside the cabin is pushing things as it warms up even with the heat off. My idea is to set up one of those versa tube carports as a stor-port. I'd basically go like 24' wide and 32' long and then I'd enclose say 16' and leave the rest open. All of my tanks could be inside out of any UV and kept cold. I use my Polaris Ranger as a sap buggy and I'd have a pr of roll up doors so I can drive in one end, offload by pumping and then drive out the other end or just park inside. I can do larger tanks to hold more permeate and also run longer cycles on concentrate before I would need to switch over.

The cooking would of course be under the open end. I may add some side wall steel or a canvas curtain to block the wind. With the steam under a steel roof I'll have condensation issues I'm sure. I was thinking I would either use a basket fan to blow steam off, or make a range hood type apparatus and an inline centrifugal blower to draw out the steam.

Any other words of caution?

It would be styled like this:

http://vtcdn.versatube.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/media/classic-product-gallery-page/thumbnails/0_92330700_1338697097.jpg

I figure in the off season I could store my firewood racks under the cover also.

[spencer11]

Go to my facebook page in my signature, I have a car part sugar house that I used last season, there are tons of pics up the whole process and overall I am very happy with the building

[BreezyHill]

I have designed a modification to my dads preheating hood...the old system caught the steam and took it four feet to the wall where it jacketed a 1.5" copper pipe for 10' then went up and back for another 10' and then up an 6" stack. The front pan went up into a hood and out an 8" stack. The room was pressurized by a 42" fan.
Problem is that by increasing the pressure you increase the boiling temp. Definitely helped the fire to burn better.

The modification will have a centrifical fan on the 6" and 8" to pull the steam away. The sap into the flue pan is usually 180 to 185.

Do everything you can to reduce drafts around the pans of the boiler. This will increase your boiling rate a lot. I am looking at stainless over an insulative sheet material to reduce drafts and the possibility of burns to kids and adults on the tours in our sugar house. This should increase the boiling rate a good percentage.

Consider enclosing the entire unit. There have been several thefts in VT & NY of stainless and aluminum from sugar houses. Most places are under lock and key and I know of several with security cams.

Great Initiative! Keep tapping until its boring!

Old tappers never die...they just move to a new bush.

Ben