Stay Homemade or Upgrade - running 200 buckets

[Maplesapper]

Technically a batch boil, but sometimes we leave the pans sweet if we don't collect enough raw sap in a run.
Started with 45 buckets and have added 40-50 buckets a year as the fun grows !!
Stopping now at 200 buckets, avg collection is 160 gallons of sap.
Boiling on a cement block arch 8' long; with one ( 2' x 4' ) pan with a 5 gallon pot that gets a little boil as a sap pre warmer.
Gets approx. 15-20 gph when its roaring with a blower.
Takes all day to get to finished syrup.

At what point do you invest into a self contained evaporator, pans and floats vs just adding another 2x4 pan?
Small evap runs 3.5k at Atkinson's in Barrie, and it gets the same gph we are running now?

[Sugarmaker]

Maplesapper,
When its not anymore fun to boil long long hours to keep up.
When you want to make more syrup to market.
When the wife lets you.
Could buy a small R.O from Deer Run and keep the pan set up you have, probably half the money.
If you already get 20+ gph I would not get a new rig unless it boiled at least twice as fast, or go to a RO.
Finishing syrup in that big open pan is going to take a long time because its mixing and the whole mix has to get to syrup not just a half gallon near the draw off on the partitioned pan.
A good used 2 x 8 would be about right for you and allow you to expand a little over the next few years. Would boil at 40 gph and you would draw a qt of syrup every 15 minutes.
my 2 cents.
Regards,
Chris

[Maplesapper]

Anyone try the JUNIOR by LaPierre ?
Any other brands or suppliers other than Atkinson's, that I should consider?

[wrushton]

did you look on kijijij.ca they a few on there

[Maplesapper]

Kijiji needs $ 4000.00 for a used rig- and that seems to be pans only...

If you have 200 taps, a 2X4 pan, and a 12 gallon pot as a pre-heater...

What would be the one single thing you could add/remove to reduce your boiling time per run?

Thanks guys-

[Big_Eddy]

Boiling on a cement block arch 8' long; with one ( 2' x 4' ) pan with a 5 gallon pot that gets a little boil as a sap pre warmer.


Not quite clear to me what you're doing right now. You have a 8' long arch but a 4' long pan? Or you're moving from a 2x4 pan and want to know what to do next?

I'm assuming that your baseline is a 2x4 flat pan and you are asking where the big gains are made.
My 2 cents worth

To double your production (but not your wood consumption) add a second 2x4 pan at the back of your arch. Plumb the 2 pans together, or build a siphon bridge, adding sap to the back pan only. You'll evaporate almost twice the sap with the same wood consumption. You concentrate into the front pan and add raw sap in the back pan. $100-$500 investment depending on what you buy or can make yourself

Next step up is to buy / build or have built a flue pan for the back half of your arch. Huge increase in evaporation over the flat pan, again without increasing wood consumption. Now you're evaporating ~4x the sap for the same time and same wood. $500-$1500 investment

Once you're at a 4:1 arch (length:width) with flues in the back half or 2/3rds - the next big jump is to RO. $2500-$xx,000 investment. Now you're still evaporating the same amount each hour, but you've already removed 1/2-3/4 of the water so the syrup comes off that much faster.

Floats are handy but don't make much difference to evaporation rate- they keep the level where it belongs when you get distracted or busy. With a float - you will run shallower than without and therefore evaporation is marginally faster but not the same step up as more surface area. Hoods / Preheaters / Steamaways etc can each add another 5-10% to the evaporation rates - but the biggest gains come from length, flues then RO.

[adk1]

Keep doing what your doing and keep your eyes peeled, be on both maple websites, want ad digests, classified adds etc looking for a used evap. You will find them, particularly mid summer. If you are gonna stop at 200 buckets, a decent 2x6 evap with forced air will be perfect. make sure you insulate the arch. I am getting around 40-45GPH out of mine with good dry wood. I run about 225-250 taps on tubing.

[Maplesapper]

Thanks Big Eddy;
The arch is 8' long but we over hang a door on the cement blocks which takes up space, the pan is 4' long and we lose another 2' for the stock pot.
$549 for another 2x4 pan, and we may just leave it at that.
Cement block arch is just a pain to rectify every year, replace cracked blocks etc.
Just not prepared to put on the big boy pants and drop $ 6k new for a 2x6 Storm........but would love one

[Paperman]

You could build a standard arch like the commercial ones are made. Takes some skill and equipment but can be pretty cheap. Another option is make the brick arch a perminate item. Lay up the walls like a block basement, line with insulation and cover the whole thing in firebrick inside.

[BreezyHill]

Maplesapper;
Growth depends on three factors: time, funds, & fun.
When there isn't enough hours in your day to finish boiling the days supply, the funds are available, and change will make it more fun...it is time to grow.

I like to get more out of every $ I invest. My wife says I can squeeze a fart out of the buffalo on a nickel.
Don't reinvent the wheel just make it work better while spending only what is necessary.
Since you have the blower already what about a custom flue pan to replace the 5 gal pot pan and add a steam hood and steam heater down the road. Since your block arch works for you how about running Air Over Fire thru a square tube from the back of the arch to the fire box area so it will be preheated air to increase efficiency.

There is no perfect setup out there. Every thing can be fine tuned to get a little more efficiency or production. Glean a few theories off the high efficiency rigs like: steam preheaters, AOF, hoods and get a little more from the investment you have made; and when the funds are available and you want a new toy, jump in.

There is no point fighting your addiction... it is worth the time and effort for the pleasure and the product.

Good Luck!

Ben