Most taps on a 2X6 with a RO

[Chicopee Sap Shack]

Im looking at expanding to 1500 taps this year and adding a RO to back up my 2X6 max flue. Looking to see who is close to that number and if it works well or not?

Scott

[PerryFamily]

I did 1000 with ease. Ran about 8-10%. Made around 5 Gallons of finished syrup an hr. Lots of syrup pan cleaning though, alomost every boil.

[Chicopee Sap Shack]

I was figuring 10% would be the norm


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[lastwoodsman]

I did 1000 with ease. Ran about 8-10%. Made around 5 Gallons of finished syrup an hr. Lots of syrup pan cleaning though, almost every boil.

Good to know I am following this thread as I had the same question. Going to 400 to 500 taps next spring on vacuum. RO to 6/7%. And retire in 15 days--Focus on syrup.

[wiam]

Last year I had about 1600. 900 gph RO. Concentrated to about18%. Made 525 gallons. Drawing about 12-14 gallons per hour. I don't think I boiled more than 3 hours each day. I was severely pushing the limits of that 2x6. Running a very hot stack to evaporate close to 60 gph. Probably was hard on the rig. That is why I got a bigger rig as I have little time to boil and adding more taps.

[mellondome]

1200 taps with 600gph ro. Boil 18% concentrate longest boil 4.5 hours. Figure 2k taps is about the limit on the 2x6 for an 8 hour boil day. What is your evap rate ? Vac?
With vac and only 10% concentrate on 1500 taps, you will have some long boils without a steamaway.

[adk1]

You know what a long boil is? It takes me 10 hours to boil 300 gallons of raw sap on my 2x6 to make 5-6 gallons of syrup, how's that for a long boil. Going ro this next season and upping my tap count to 300 with 180 still on vac. Can't wait for that ro. Now I am to the point that with ro I will only be left with 80 gallons of 8% sap to boil which will take me about 2 hours to boil

[FDA]

You know what a long boil is? It takes me 10 hours to boil 300 gallons of raw sap on my 2x6 to make 5-6 gallons of syrup, how's that for a long boil. Going ro this next season and upping my tap count to 300 with 180 still on vac. Can't wait for that ro. Now I am to the point that with ro I will only be left with 80 gallons of 8% sap to boil which will take me about 2 hours to boil

I thought I read somewhere that your 2x6 would boil at 40 gph?

[jmayerl]

2x7, 250 gph RO, 8%, 500 taps this year, avg boil 3 hours.

[adk1]

It does but I am also factoring in start up time etc.

[nymapleguy607]

Same boat as you, I'm running a 2x6 with a steamaway, 72gph evaporation rate. Going to have close to 400 on high vac, picking up an MES 290 ro looking to concentrate to 8% and boil.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

I hear there is a guy in Orwell VT running 2500+ on a 2x6, concentrating to 20%.

I was boiling 1.25 GPM 10% on concentrate gauge after 1.5/2 hr of running. No steam away.
985 taps this year.

[ttowle3]

Don' mean to hijack the thread but I have a similar quandry:
How about maximum taps for a 2x8 wood fired evaporator with 200gph RO. Right now I am about 550 taps but if I expand to the gully I can get easy 800-1000 taps all on 3/16" with high vac.

[Chicopee Sap Shack]

If a 2X6 can do 1500 then I would think a 2X8 would have no problem doing 1000


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[GotSap?]

You know what a long boil is? It takes me 10 hours to boil 300 gallons of raw sap on my 2x6 to make 5-6 gallons of syrup, how's that for a long boil. Going ro this next season and upping my tap count to 300 with 180 still on vac. Can't wait for that ro. Now I am to the point that with ro I will only be left with 80 gallons of 8% sap to boil which will take me about 2 hours to boil

A long boil is 200+ taps on a 2x3 flat pan! Over 200 hours in the sugar shack this year to make 30 gallons of syrup.

[Ryan Mahar]

We were around 2000 taps with RO to 12% and a steamaway.......6-8 hours boils max..............could only boil that long due to sugarsand build up. That is a revolution pan, so reversing flow is a cinch and done often to keep the sand under control.............that was on our 2x6.....

[mellondome]

Don' mean to hijack the thread but I have a similar quandry:
How about maximum taps for a 2x8 wood fired evaporator with 200gph RO. Right now I am about 550 taps but if I expand to the gully I can get easy 800-1000 taps all on 3/16" with high vac.

It is all about how long you run the ro. If you are OK with it running while you are doing other things you can run more taps then if you want to babysit the ro. Calculate your situation by using an average run in gallons minus (your evaporator evaporation rate x time to run evaporator) and the (water removal rate of the ro x hours able to run ) You can also factor in that the ro will remove water while you are at work or doing other non boiling activities.