Looking to upgrade need some advice

[1/2 pint sugarhouse]

I'm boiling on a 1/2 pint leader and having fun but I would like to speed things up a bit. I am looking at buying a 2x4 leader drop flue has anyone used this size or style evaporator. Need some input from all you veterans





1/2 pint leader
Artic Cat 500
78 taps
10 x 12 sugarhouse

[maple flats]

I have not used a 2x4. I went directly from half pint to 2x6. A good used 2x6 will likely be available for the same price as a new 2x4 or there abouts. If you do go to 2x6 I can give you some ideas. You need at least 75 gal sap for your 1st boil so I suggest 75 taps min. A 2x6 drop flue will boil about 25gph with good dry wood, a raised flue does slightly more. That 1st boil with 3 hrs boil should leave you with enough sweets to keep the pans from freezing, less than that you should probably drain the pans. On either size use dry wood and split it to about wrist size for a real hot fire, the hotter the better. Fuel often but only keep a med level of wood in the firebox. On mine I get the best results just under half full and fuel it every 6 minutes by the clock. Don't have the door open any longer than necessary. Give it lots of air, either natural or blower. I hope these are some of the things you are looking for. On used evaps try for leadfree or welded is better yet.

[tapper]

As a former 2x6 owner operator myself I dont think maple flats could have put it any better. I enjoyed the 2x6 that I had but if you get much more than 150 taps it is just too slow.

[Daren]

Hey Maple...What is the minumum you would fire for once the pans are sweet. I 88 taps right now and on a couple of days this year only collected about 30 gallons. I like being able to fire up a small amount of sap before it starts to cloud and go bad on me. If you don't have the volume to fire up...do you just have to dump what you do have? Dumping sap makes me cringe!

[tapper]

No dont dump! 30 gallons is an hour or more of boiling. Even if you dont get a draw it will put you that much closer to one on the next run. If the weather is cool just wait another day and boil the bigger batch. Fresh sap will keep a few days unless it is over 50 degrees and sunny.

[tyrod2]

No dont dump! 30 gallons is an hour or more of boiling. Even if you dont get a draw it will put you that much closer to one on the next run. If the weather is cool just wait another day and boil the bigger batch. Fresh sap will keep a few days unless it is over 50 degrees and sunny.

I have a 300 gal. milk bulk tank and I found that every time I empty it if I clean it out and scrub it with a brush and garden hose the next batch of sap will keep a little longer. And in my suger house at night I hang a light bulb over my pans to hold down on ice around edges of pans . That what is working for me. I have been doing this for 5 years.Adding moore and moore every year. I have the maple fever bad. At least that what my wife tells me.

[WF MASON]

I believe Goodrich's open house in Cabot is in May, he will have a 2'x4' raised flue evaporator there you can check out.

[John Burton]

1/2pint sugarhouse
ive sent you a private message

[325abn]

This was my first year with my Small bros 2x4 raised flue oil fired rig. I start at about 13 Gal/hr and have now tweeked it to 28 - 30 gal/hr. Although it took me a while to find I got this rig for a great deal.

[1/2 pint sugarhouse]

Thanks for all the feed back, I think that both rigs would be a big improvement (speed) over the 1/2 pint.





1/2 Pint Leader
Artic Cat 500
78 Taps
10 x 12 Sugarhouse
and a wife that can't wait for sugar season to end!!

[Russell Lampron]

With a 10x12 sugarhouse a 2x6 is going to be tight. My sugarhouse is 12x12 and I don't have much room to fire the evaporator. It really gets crowded when I have visitors. Something else for you to consider when upgrading.

Russ

[maple flats]

As far as firing with just 30 gal on a 2x6, I would do it unless the weather is close to freezing where the sap will keep a little longer. The only time i dumped sap was before my first boil if it sat too long and when it spoiled if i couldn't keep up with a fast run. This season I didn't have to dump except once real early before my 1st boil and that was very little or I would have done it all in the canner from start to finish. I do keep it early in the season for 3 or 4 days, it is run thru the UV light and into the tank the first day. Each time the tank is emptied it is washed, brushed and rinsed. I have 2 tanks for this so new can be held while the main tank is cleaned. Keeping it clean helps storage life, as does keeping it cold.

[John Burton]

2x6 would fit ok 1n a 10 x 12 sap house jus have to plan your layout well

[maple flats]

As far as taps, I think 250 gravity is ok for a 2x6 or 150 vac, I did 300 gravity but that season was a poor season. I did dump sap once when I couldn't keep up. I am beginning to think a 2x6 with RO might be best, after i went 3x8. It all depends on what your tap count will be and how much boil time you have. If you consider John's evap you can make about 3 qts/hr or go to RO at 10% and you can do over 3 gal/hr. I went 3x8 and can only evap 70-80 gal/hr which w/o RO is almost 2 gal/hr and had to rebuild the sugarhouse to accomodate it. Would have done better with RO in the end. But now I could tweak it some more and add RO and really make some serious syrup. My rig could get 100gph ant at 10% sap with RO now I could make10-12 gph syrup.

[SteveD]

I have a 2x6 Dominion & Grimm in a 10 x 12 foot sugarhouse. Its no problem at all when I'm by myself or if its just me and my wife. Add a couple guests and a few dogs ... and folks have to be aware of the operator's need to move around the rig. Most of the time its no problem .... but some folks are more aware than others.

-Steve