Any ideas for a cheaper homeaede small scale evaporator.

[Sam Caruth]

I am a second year maple'er from Michigan. I run about 30 taps. Last year, I just had 4 cinderblocks in a square, with a grate on top. It was very inefficient. I would like to do something like a barrel evaporator, but cant seem to find a barrel on CL, so I would like to have some other ideas to fall back on. I do not weld, but own common tools. (cut off wheel, pop rivet'er, dremel, drill, Ect.) Any help or pictures, and suggestions will be appreciated!

[madmapler]

A lot of guys convert an old oil tank. I made one out of solid 4x8x16" blocks that worked real well but I had a grate under the fire and some decent pans to evaporate with. I also fabricated a metal door to close off the front but some guys just prop metal in front. Theres a ton of info on this forum. Do a search in the homemade equipment section and you'll get plenty of ideas. Welcome to the Trader.

[psparr]

I second the block arch. Cheap, no real tools required, and will work just as well as an evaporator.
Use steel air duct for the stack. Only $5 at Lowe's. Fire brick it so it lasts more than one season.
You could have a local metal shop weld a steel pan for cheap, mild steel not stainless.

Good luck!

[Agent914]

Hi Sam,
Try this link:
http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?18368-Barrel-Evaporator-Designed-under-100&highlight=agent914

I put a design in for a 55 gallon barrel with 2 warming trays for under $100… it only tool 2-3 hours to build and was light enough to manually transportable. I was surprised on how well it worked without insulation but the heat defector Warning when I added insulation to the outside metal fatigue set in but the burns were even (meaning less attention to wood addition required).
Good luck
Agent914

[optionguru]

I would lean toward the oil tank or block evaporator. I had a lot of metal working tools and I can weld which made it prettier but I think you could make it with a bunch of cutoff discs. The barrel may not be big enough for 30 taps, I'm not sure what kind of boil rate they get. There's a bunch of great info on building any of the three different kinds. I have some pics of my oil tank evaporator on my user page. Good luck and let us know if you have any questions.

[spud]

I am a second year maple'er from Michigan. I run about 30 taps. Last year, I just had 4 cinderblocks in a square, with a grate on top. It was very inefficient. I would like to do something like a barrel evaporator, but cant seem to find a barrel on CL, so I would like to have some other ideas to fall back on. I do not weld, but own common tools. (cut off wheel, pop rivet'er, dremel, drill, Ect.) Any help or pictures, and suggestions will be appreciated!

There is a guy in Saint Albans Vermont that makes little 2x3 evaporators for $1100. They look pretty nice. Go to Vermont CL and type in evaporator under the farm section. Not sure what it would cost to ship one to you.

Spud

[Ligonierbeech]

I built mine from a 55 gal drum. I used a barrel stove kit from northern tool and bought my pan from Anderson maple it is 16x30. Total of $350.00-400.00. Including firebrick. Not hard to do 3-5 hrs.8311

[Errin OH]

What was the inefficency?

Our first rig we used a $100 20 gal SS pot in a fire ring and could get up to 10-12 GPH boil rate when we had the sap to run it right. Slowed way down as the sap level dropped and the surface square footage in the pot dropped. We finished on a propane burner. After boiling 50 gallons of sap it still was not finished when we had 1-1.5" in the pot. Our ratio was running 45-50 to 1 sap to syrup.

In our case we utilized the sides of the pot increasing the square footage. with 12" of sap in it we were close to 6 foot of surface area. When the sap was boiled down, we were down to a little over 1.5 SqFt and had to be real careful to not burn it on the sides. With 27 taps we made 14 gallons of syrup, batched boiled 50 gallons at a time, 5-6 hours start to finish. If we had been limited to the 1.5' bottom only it would have took 3-4 times as long to do the same.

Just about everything i have seen here says build the arch for the pan and the pan is all about surface area. In lue of a barrel, an old wood stove with the top cut / removed for your pan??? Block arch (actual fire brick) would be my choice, but again, it would be built to suite the pan and very easy to make.

Here was our first rig. The arm holding the pot could lift and swing out to take the pot off the fire in a hurry if needed.

83128313

[Too Tall]

My 275 gallon oil tank was completed with no welding. Just a drill, sawzall and pliers to bend some metal. Pretty easy to build. Holds 3 steam table pans.

[Paperman]

Man the west side MI crew should have a get together. With what the OP mentioned a cutout drum as the post above would be the quickest.

[Sam Caruth]

Thanks for all the help guys, and making me feel welcome. I didnt think there would be any others from West Michigan! What city are we all from?

[Green Hill Maple]

I have a better n bens wood stove with the top cutoff and use a 20"L 12"W and 8" deep food service pan for sap. It holds 7 gallons of sap. It works really well. Good luck and have fun.

[eustis22]

cheap as in $$$ or cheap as in time/labor? you can one or the other, but not both. :)

[michiganphil]

This was my first setup. I used steam table pans and a piece of round duct for a stack. I think the pans were $10-$15 each, and the duct wasn't any more than that. Everyone's got a pile of blocks laying around the farm don't they...
It was definitely not pretty, but it boiled sap.
8352

[Sam Caruth]

I know it sounds crazy, but I can't seem to find a steel barrel anywhere! Any business that often times have barrels for sale?


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[Paperman]

Come to Ludington I'll give you a few. There is a place in Hart or Shelby right on old 31 that sells the for $10 or so. Call the local oil distributor and se if they have any empties?

[Sam Caruth]

I dont think I can make it up to Ludington. But Ill try the local distributer, as well as quick lube and feed stores. Im cutting it too close!

[Evets]

You might try a scrap/recycle yard. I recently got one here for $8

[eustis22]

have you looked on craigslist ?

[Sam Caruth]

Found one! Called a auto shop, and they refereed me to where they get there oil. Found a really nice Shell brand one! (not that it maters) lol. Im starting building today. Ill post pics when its done.

[John T]

Sam,
I found this site while looking for barrel stove evaporator ideas. I think this is an older model Leader Evaporator half pint on a barrel stove. This is the direction I'll be going for next year and thought it might be interesting to you.

http://thefieldandtable.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/maple-syrup-a-long-road-to-sweetness/

[retubjb]

I am in Scottville but get down to Muskegon fairly often. I am a backyarder also but have been doing for about 10-12 years now. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Where are you at?

Paperman, where do you boil at?

[Paperman]

1/2 way to Manistee from you. On Fountain Rd. North of 31 where the airstrip goes into the woods. Building a new arch as I type this, only a few weeks to till tappin!!!

[Sam Caruth]

Got started on the barrel evaporator today. I got the barrel kit on, now am burning it out. For some odd reason, I decided to go with 4 inch pipe. How many feet should the stack be in order to get a good draft? I have about a foot of stack on now, and for some odd reason, I'm not getting good draft! (Sarcasm) thanks guys!


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[Pete S]

6" vent stack would be a minimum. I am a big fan of going to the junk yard. For your stack, maybe dumpster dive at a HVAC installer, with permission. Free is fer me!

[maple flats]

Absolutely use 6" or maybe even 7" stack. Make the stack at least 2x the evaporator length. In your case 7-8' minimum. To get more draw, just raise the stack a little taller. You will need good draw on the stack to get the necessary draft under the fire. The harder you burn the fire the faster the boil and the better the syrup.

[Sam Caruth]

Absolutely use 6" or maybe even 7" stack. Make the stack at least 2x the evaporator length. In your case 7-8' minimum. To get more draw, just raise the stack a little taller. You will need good draw on the stack to get the necessary draft under the fire. The harder you burn the fire the faster the boil and the better the syrup.
Could I leave the 4 inch inlet, then use a coupler and make the 4 inch into 6 inch? Or would it be for the best just to change it to a 6 inch inlet?

[Pete S]

You need to change it so it is at least 6 or 7" where it couples to your evaporator. If you constrict it to 4" you've kind'a just defeated your efforts.

[Tom59]

8599Sam, didn't the barrel kit come with a 6 inch stack outlet? like this one.

[Sam Caruth]

8599Sam, didn't the barrel kit come with a 6 inch stack outlet? like this one.
It did, however, I am running 2 pans horizontal, and dont have enough room for it with the pans. I need to run it out the back of the barrel. The attachment that they supple is rounded for the curf of the barrel.

[John T]

Sam,
I've been struggling with the same issue. There are lots of flue collars available from England for too much and way too much postage. I just found this site:

https://www.usstove.com/index.php?route=product/product&keyword=flue%20collar&product_id=347

They are in the US and their prices seem good. They have various sizes of collars. I'm not sure which size I want to run. Too much diameter slows exhaust gas flow. Fast flow through a long pipe creates the best draft, especially if the pipe decreases slightly in diameter.

[Agent914]

Sam,

Go with a 6" pipe I mounted mine by cutting a hole in the backside of the barrel. Buy some 6" piping pieces at Lowes mount a short 6" flange with some self taping sheet metal screws add a 90' elbow some verticaly sections for a total of about 6ft. You will need to punch some holes vertical pipe for the metal flue damper. Try mounting a simple smoke stack temperature gage (all total for a total $30) cover the open end with a bent sheet metal cover to prevent rain from going down the pipe. I secured my stack by driving a tall pole into the ground and hose clamping the stack to the pole, but I have seen others build a bracket off the back end....send some pictures.

Agent914

[Sam Caruth]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/16/u9ugu9e6.jpg
Well here she is! Took little time, and holds enough sap! I got me a winner. I still need to run pipe, and brick the inside however.


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