6 boils 17 quarts of syrup not sure how much sap.

[maplerookie]

Well spring is fast approaching. it is time for me to take down my block arch and ready the concrete pad for the 4-H pigs coming in a couple of weeks. I feel I did fairly well for my second attempt. I may have tapped a little early but got a nice early run in Feb and then a 3 week test of patience due to the weather. Burned a batch. oh that was the 7th boil that I didn't count. Had some major backdraft issues so had to rebuild the arch and seal some gaps then go see the eye doctor due to so much smoke in my eyes. steroids work wonders. daughter says I should have worn swim goggles to keep out the smoke. Any way I burned lots of wood , had fun and tweaked my operation throughout. Lifted the pans out of the fire so only 1.5 inches was exposed to the flame. I kept that 1.5 in liquid so I got no burn inside the pans at the foam line. Made a flat steel frame so the pan taper for each pan rested at the stated depth . Next year looking at 55 gallon drums for the arch or an old 275 oil storage Tank. not sure which way to go. Also may graduate to a larger flat pan with a draw off so I don't have to pick up boiling hot steam table pans I cant wait till next year and then maybe the year after I may be retiring from my regular job. who knows how hooked I will be then. . Happy sugaring !

[John c]

Good job, sounds like you had fun even with the smoke in yer eyes!

[maplerookie]

Good job, sounds like you had fun even with the smoke in yer eyes! Thanks John. I did have fun. The syrup I produced will be enjoyed by family and friends. Heck I even sold a few pints already. I figure to sell a few more. Medium amber throughout. I hope your season is going well.

[optionguru]

Sounds like a great success, we tapped about 20 in Feb and made enough to do maple nuts and for our own breakfasts. Tapped another 25 about a week ago once it finally got above freezing. We're having a tough season, really hoping for a few more days of sap. My vote for you evaporator next year would be the oil tank, lots of options and different designs on here. There are some very creative people to copy and improve upon. Enjoy your syrup.

[maplerookie]

Sounds like a great success, we tapped about 20 in Feb and made enough to do maple nuts and for our own breakfasts. Tapped another 25 about a week ago once it finally got above freezing. We're having a tough season, really hoping for a few more days of sap. My vote for you evaporator next year would be the oil tank, lots of options and different designs on here. There are some very creative people to copy and improve upon. Enjoy your syrup. Thanks Pete! I am leaning towards the oil tank.. I have two of them in the yard that used to hold kerosene for the Monitor space heater... well still do have about 50 gallons of kerosene in the tanks. when I bought my first gallons it was 99 cents a gallon. Today it is 4.58 or more per gallon. I am now heating with propane on a forced air system. . Well Pete I think everyone had a tough season this year. very uncooperative weather. My dad always said" make the best of a bad situation and keep a cool head". sometimes easier said then done. I hope the rest of your season brings a ton of sap and minimum problems.

[maplestudent]

I agree that it sounds like a success. Interesting that after the backdraft issues, you rebuilt the block arch and sealed the gaps then went to the doctor. looks like you got your priorities straight. :D

anyways, regarding barrel vs oil tank arch.....here's my 2 cents worth:

I boiled for a couple years on a barrel arch with 2 steam table pans because that's what I had to work with (I used the standard barrel stove kit too). this year I extended it by attaching a "ramp" section to the back. before doing so, I cut off the rounded top part where the stack collar was attached, so I could re-attach it to the back end of the ramp section after I added it. The result is similar to what optionguru's oil tank arch looks like (at least from a straight-on view) except that instead of having 4 full size pans, the front half is made up with 4 half-size pans (because I got a great deal on them). so I have 2 half size, 2 half size, full and then another full. I need about 7 gallons of sap in the pans before lighting, and I can boil down to about a gallon in one of the half-size pans. Three of my four boils so far this year I started with 25 to 30 gallons of sap, and boiled down to one half-size pan to about 217 degrees. Took hardly any time to finish on the kitchen stove.

However I think an oil tank would be much easier to work with. First, they already have legs. they also have flat sides, which I think would make for easier modifications, add-ons and patching of gaps. Barrels are completely round, so anything flat you are attaching to it is going to have to be attached to a rounded portion (well, except on the ends). Also, every barrel I have seen has at least 2 ribs that run around the circumference (I assume for adding strength) and they're a PIA to work around, patch around, and trying to bend the steel at one of those spots is not easy. My opinion is that an oil tank is a better starting point, especially if you already have one.