Releaser

[vernon]

How do you place your releaser on top of your milk tank to drain into tank so you can still open covers to wash? 600 gal. Tank. Thanks Vernon

[Jeff E]

I don’t cover the tank. I used C channel aluminum to span the tank, bolted to the released stand. Mine are inside so I don’t worry about the cover.

[maple flats]

On one of mine the releaser is about 4' from the tank. It sets over a half barrel (food grade plastic). The releaser is then covered with a roof. I have a support bracket to hold the releaser level and when it gets a little off level, I just add a shim to relevel. The shims are attached to a 2x4 that they rest on. When the sap dumps in, it flows out a fitting on the barrel to a 1.5" milk grade hose and flows to one of 2 tanks, depending on which I want it to fill.
My other tank is a vacuum tank and uses no releaser, but it in limited to 20" max. vacuum. That will be changed to be similar to the one I explained above but it will just dump into one of 2 openings on the top of that tank, each is 2". Originally those openings had a motor on top and an agitator inside to mix the milk for uniform temp as the tank cooled the milk. Then I will be able to run higher vacuum at that woods.

[vernon]

Thanks for the replies.. I currently have my tank outside and plan on making a shed to hold tank, releaser and vacuum pump sometime this summer? Like the idea of using center opening on tank to run hose.. sometimes the obvious is overlooked. The open cover would work also. Vernon

[Haynes Forest Products]

That is the problem with us releaser out side guys. both of mine sit on top of my cage tank and I refuse to chop the top off making it into a firewood holder. I had a HVAC friend make up triangle splash pans with down pipes out one corner to direct the sap into the hole. They have 6" sides to contain the sap during the dump cycle. I have straps that hold the releaser in place and position.

Once my releaser is in place and running for the season I don't touch it because of the plumbing and the swivel joint it very touchy and is a bitch to get in the exact place