Newbie with sugaring bug

[MDR Maple]

Hi All,

Longtime lurker newbie from NW VT here. In the past few years I've tapped a few sugar maples and boiled over an open fire pit to make 20-30 oz. of syrup, finishing on the stove. I think as many beginning sugarers have found, that's a lot of work for not much syrup. This year I will make a jump from 3 taps to 25 taps on roadside trees that average 13" diameter. The roadside slopes nicely and I am considering tubing. I just picked up an old galvanized 55 gallon maple syrup barrel, barrel stove kit and 20"x30" SS pan from VT Evaporator Co that will form the barrel evaporator. I also plan to use a bucket RO. I hope to make 2-4 gallons this year.

I'm trying to decide whether to start out on buckets or go tubing. It seems like the roadside trees would work well with tubing to a collection tank. Under this approach I would use a receiver hitch cargo rack with a transfer tank on my Subaru Outback wagon and pump from the collection tank to the transfer tank to haul sap from the roadside to the outdoor barrel evaporator location. Then pump sap from the transfer tank on the back of the Subaru to an elevated sap tank adjacent to the barrel evaporator. I would then use the bucket RO to make concentrate and then gravity concentrate into the barrel evaporator pan during boiling.

The bucket approach would include a similar receiver hitch cargo rack with a transfer tank on my Subaru Outback wagon. The transfer tank would be customized to allow me to collect from buckets and then dump it into the transfer tank through a course screen. After hauling the transfer tank sap to the barrel evaporator location, I guess I would have to drain the transfer tank into buckets and manually transfer 5 gallon bucket at a time up a ladder to the elevated storage tank.

My overall goal is to make more maple syrup in less time than past years. I've saved some funds for this jump and think the tubing route seems more tuned to my goal. I have appreciated and benefited from the experience shared on this forum and would welcome any thoughts or comments.

Thanks,

[82cabby]

If you have enough slope and a place to put the collection container go that route. Takes more time to set up but less time and more sap the rest of the season. Just make sure the container at the end of the tubing run has sufficient volume for when the trees get rolling. 10 or 12 trees on one run your going to want like 15 gallon capacity. Also plan on running that ro for a few hours before you start boiling. I think you evaporator will out pace your ro.

[barnbc76]

If you don't mind a bit of a work out collecting 25 buckets isn't too bad. That's what I do. But it sounds like you have your sights set on tubing thats better. Have you gotten the barrel stove built yet? Not much time left gotta at least have that built. Find some way to get a little blower of some kind that will help. I think you will be able to expect about 4 gph on your evaporator, mine gets close 8gph although I would have to wait till I collect about 30-40 gallons before I start boiling, so usually I boil for 4.5-8hr depending. I suppose you will have about the same boiling time as you can cut it down with your RO. Have fun with it!

[MDR Maple]

Thanks for your replies.

I wouldn't mind the workout of collecting from buckets, but we have good slope and time constraints seem to make the tubing route better for us time wise. I just picked up the pan the other day, and holding it for the first time in my hands and realizing how much steam is going to be coming off that thing made me realize that this sugaring idea I've been mulling for months, just got real and there's not much time left. Evaporator fabrication has to get moving, but below zero temperatures are keeping me from it.

Regarding storage tanks, I'm planning on using 55 gallon barrels. New food grade plastic barrels go for approximately $80. Used barrels on CL go for approximately $20. The CL barrels available near me originally contained sunflower oil and olive oil. The ad says "great for maple sap". Would you use such a barrel and how would you clean it prior to sap use?

[82cabby]

For me personally, I would give the used barrels a good sniff and if there is no discernable odor i would give them a good powerwashing with maybe a bit of no scent dish soap and then sterilize with bleach.

[82cabby]

How are you going to collect out of the barrel? It will be heavy if it is half full.

[MDR Maple]

I was planning to use a 12V to 110V inverter to power from the subaru to a 110 v pump from the roadside collection barrel to a receiver hitch type cargo rack mounted barrel on the back of the subaru. I'm also looking for pumps now, too.

Just fabricated the door into the barrel evaporator.

[Z/MAN]

Buy a 12 volt bilge pump for a boat. You can power it off the wiring harness behind your Subaru and it will work perfect for what you want to do.

[82cabby]

I use a cheap 12v transfer pump with hoses powered by a 12v jump pack. Same general idea as the bilge but not submersible.

[needmoremaples]

Funny I have similar setup

So i have an outback, barrel stove and 12v pump

Surprised what they can haul with trailer brakes! Make sure you see your plan Will work with trailer or in the back. Sap weighs 8.5 lbs per gallon.

If you'd like to see my stove or mimic it I made a thread in "homemade equipment" on here. It's called " 55 gallon barrel stove build" or something of that nature.

I bought a cheap 12v pump for barrels. It's a drop in submersible one with alligator clips but I the a junk cel phone charger cord on it and the 4-wheeler or outback gives it plug in power. 12litrs per minute. It's not great pressure but can't beat the price!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06W51S49D/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?smid=A10AMY8UXD6Z8G&psc=1

The r.o. bucket is turn key operation but you can save alot building yourself too. I did for this upcoming season.