renting a big sugar house

[maplekid]

i have the oppertunity to rent out a big big sugar house with a 6x16 evaporator and i was wandering what the rent should be. i ran it across him that i could pay with 25% of each 30 gallon drum i fill and he could sell that for his own profit in turn for letting me have access to his evaporator and all other equipment. this is an all bucket operation and he said if i decide to rent it i was not a loud to use tubing. personally i prefer the primitive method .so any replies would help.
i think it is a little to big of an evaporator to handle and then you catch the risk of burning a pan

[royalmaple]

Sounds like the making for a mastercard commercial.

Trying to feed a 6x16 evaporator with wood and sap from only buckets and your 12, priceless.

You'd need an army to help you in my opinion.

[Jim Brown]

sounds as though he was hoping a 12 year old was not paying close attention to the deal!

[maplekid]

yeah im debating on whether i should so i dont think ill do it. help is limited around here and my dad bieng 70 he doesnt like to go through the woods stomping over trees and that stuff

[3% Solution]

Hey Kid,
When you going to sleep??
Your going to have a 24/7 going.
You need 600 buckets to boil, maybe 4 hours.
How long will it take you to gather those buckets.
Look at it like this, how much time do you have to devote to the making of maple syrup?
Not how big you want to be, get big slowly and mold into it.
You got 100 taps now, what is the ratio of how much time do you have to how much time does it take.
Remember, as you get bigger the JOB gets bigger (more wood, more help, more containers, maybe a different way to filter, a bigger gathering tank for your truck, hey maybe a new truck, it goes on and on).
Think it all the way through, then make your decision.

Dave

[Fred Henderson]

In a lot of ways making syrup is like a circus, its gets bigger and better every year and I am not real sure about the better part. I started with 25 taps on a cinder block arch and chaffing pans(2). Then went to 275 taps and a 2'X6'6". Last year I am at 400 taps and a 3'x8'. Its worse than being addicted to drugs although I never have uesd them.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Another thing to think about is going from a backyard setup to a 6x16 sap eating monster. It would be very easy to burn up and the pans on that thing would probably be 25 grand. Not anyone could handle an evaporator that size.

Remember, enjoy life as a kid while you can and the backyard setup. The next 6 years are the best years of your life and about everyone else on here would agree. You will learn many things with a small setup and as you get older you can expand a little at a time.

Hopefully you have your whole life in front of you and if you make syrup for the next 40 or 50 years, the things you learn now will teach you a lot!

[ennismaple]

That's about the size of our evaporator (plus a 2'x4" finishing pan). We've got 4000 taps on vacuum plus a 600gph RO to feed it sap. At that size it's not a hobby, it's a full-time, 7 days a week business for 2 months plus almost another month to cut and split wood. Unless you have the time, energy and resources to go big I'd recommend you stay small for now and enjoy yourself.

[Pete33Vt]

Sounds to me everyones on the same page. Stay small. As was said 600 taps and you could boil for 4 hours. I am sure you want to try and break even. It takes alot of work and manpower to run a operation that size. Do you have a tractor to haul with? You need alot of wood. And your Dad being 70 leaves alot of work for you. What about replacement money? Something happens to the rig and I am sure the owners gonna want to fix it right off.
If it were me I'd stay small and learn learn learn. You have a lifetime to get bigger.

[John Burton]

It has always been my experiance that controlling growth is the key to success. by that I mean let the rig your on pay for the next oneI have always tried to keep future expansion in mind but have let my hard work today make tommorows expansion possible. also suggaring because you have to is never the same as doing it because you want to. grow slow enjoy what ever level you are on focus on making the best product you can

[Jim Brown]

maplekid; all of the post are good advice! Take heed!!

[royalmaple]

You may just ask around and find someone a little older with a license and wheels to partner up with. It is a lot to do on your own and especially at your age it wouldn't hurt to have someone else take you under their wing and go from there.

Then you'll be a pro before you know it, or a pro in training anyway.

Or it would be worth all the money to stay in contact with the big sugar bush owner and see who takes him up on the rental of the equipment etc, and shadow them. I bet in about 1/2 a day you'll be very happy that you are involved from a distance, and might be an eyeopener for you with no consequences since you are only helping or watching.

[maplekid]

i talked with the guy and he said that i could do it and i can cut all wood i need. but then i ran it across him that i could run the risk of burning a pan.
pete i do have a good sized 4 wd( new holland TL80) so that could have done good

[thenewguy]

MK, just curious but do you not go to school?? I know spring break falls usually somewhere into sugar season up here in Canada. But I was always taught that school always comes first before any hobby or job. Running an operation like that and trying to keep school work upto date is impossible. Like everyone else has been saying, stay small for now. Thats the way I started out when I was younger. I'm 25 now and just starting to expand, maybe to 120 taps this spring from 50. I work full time and even 50 taps can be enough sometimes when they are running.

[southfork]

I would not do it. You might try increasing to 500-600 taps on a 2 1/2 x 8 and master that step. In my opinion going the proposed route is too much without adding some outside labor and serious sugarbush equipment.

Good luck in your ventures------- Race in Wisconsin

[220 maple]

Maplekid,
I am relatively new to this myself, Next year will be my 10th season. I'll will be 49 years old. My father and two brothers inlaws started making syrup in the Spring of 1998, Three kettles in a homemade stove set-up, 24 hours to boil 300 gallon of sugar water. My father and uncles have past on leaving me as the ringmaster of our circus. It use to be a big family get together thing. Plenty of help. Now it's myself and two neighbors who I share the proceeds with. Two or three seasons ago I had 2000 taps, but since then I have avgeraged 1400 to 1600 taps open a season. No buckets!!!!!!! If your planning on feeding a 6x16 with buckets good luck. The only camps that I have seen who do that are Amish. Plenty of hands to help. I'm sure others are doing it, but they have HELP. All previous advice on this thread is right on the money. GROW SLOWLY. or get married soon and start a big family. LOL.
Mark 220 Maple

[HanginAround]

MK, that's too much to handle, too much work and too much risk. No way a normal person could do it without lots of help. Like everyone else says, start small and work up slowly, you have lots of time to grow and learn. Ten yrs from now would be a good time to start looking at something like that. I sure do admire your ambition though. Just don't want you to jump in too deep too soon.