New guy from CT with questions .

[Kcorey]

Hello all. New guy to forum from Connecticut . I have some questions . This year is my first time making syrup myself and I was planning on making my own homemade evaporator and pans but running out of time . I have around 90 trees on my property to tap. What would you guys recommend for a evaporator and pan setup? Wood fired , i was looking at the smoky lake maple products setups. Also looking for recommendations on finishing pans and filters. This is just a hobby for me and my girlfriend and hoping to pass it on to my niece and nephew. Thanks a lot ! I’m in the process now of building my 14x20 sugar house!

[Pdiamond]

Welcome to the trader Kcorey. It mostly depends on what you want to get out of it and how much you want to spend to do it. When I started out it was with about 25 to 35 taps on buckets and has grown in tap count. I still use buckets and bags, but have upgraded to a much faster system for boiling. You can get a lot of good information here and good luck with your upcoming season.

[Kcorey]

I am planning on tapping every tree , with about 20-30 of those trees being big enough for two taps . I would like to stay under $3500 or so for the setup . I have buckets that were given to me , have to buy taps though.

[Lukie]

Go on Bill Masons web site he makes his evaporators right here in Maine and they are well built and good prices .
I just picked up a 2X4 XL MASON you will hear a lot of good things about Bill on this site good luck.

[BAP]

One of the main things to consider when sizing your evaporator is the gallons per hour evaporation rate and how much time you will actually have available to boil. For people with less available time that is more important than the size of the evaporator. Each brand and model of evaporator will achieve different gph rates. If you are undersized and end up boiling all night, you are less likely to enjoy it. Oversized will mean you might not have enough sap to boil without waiting a few days. People will start shouting out brands they are loyal to, but they may not be the right fit for you.

[Sugarmaker]

kcorey,
90 taps could produce from 40 gallons to 120 gallons of sap depending on the trees and the run.
Depends on how much time you have to boil too. boiling rate of the rig will determine how much time you spend boiling plus a hour or more for start up and shut down.'
A rig boiling 10 gph, you have 40 gallons of sap, your looking at 4 to 5 hours of boiling.
I would suggest a rig that boils about 25-30 gph. As you may quickly get some more taps and have more sap.
Regards,
Chris

[Noah's Ark]

Welcome to the addiction. I recommend that you go to the Maple Syrup Producers Association of Connecticut meeting on January 18th. It is going to be held at Lebanon High School from 8-2:30. Most of the breakout sessions will be geared for smaller producers and will give you a good chance to meet other maple producers. There will also be a few dealers with equipment to check out and ask questions. They will all be happy to give you quotes on equipment and answer any questions you might have. There is more info on the associations web site ctmaple.org. Next Gen also makes some inexpensive 2x4 and 2x6 models you might look at to start with.

[Ed R]

I would be looking for newer used 2x6 evaporator with a flue pan in it. If you buy a flat pan set up with over 100 taps I would buy or build a small ro.

[Pdiamond]

Check as many options as you feel necessary. Going to the maple event and meeting producers and suppliers of materials is a good option too. You mentioned that your intention was to use a wood fired evaporator, which means you have a source for or already have the wood, correct? With time of year you may be limited with options for equipment available to get for this season. If there is anything you want to discuss you can send me a (PM) and we can talk anything specific you may think of.

[Kcorey]

Thanks for the reply’s. I’ll have to see if I can make it to that meeting . Boil time is a factor for me since I work full time and would be boiling on the weekends . Also yes , I have the wood and a source for it . I have been looking a lot a better smoky lake maple evaporators. The Corsair with a hybrid pan. But I’m not sure what style pan to get that would be best for a beginner

[Kcorey]

Did you build your own RO system ?


I would be looking for newer used 2x6 evaporator with a flue pan in it. If you buy a flat pan set up with over 100 taps I would buy or build a small ro.

[Super Sapper]

Getting a new one at this time can be a challenge before the season begins. Most are a couple months out minimum. I have no experience with Bill Mason equipment but they are highly recommended on here. I have Smoky Lake pans and the quality is as good as anyone's and they typically have a much shorter time to get one made and shipped. I have been there several times and they ship a lot of evaporators on a weekly basis. I have the drop flue but either or is your choice. The drop flue has only one float box so there is one less thing to watch as you are learning how to boil on an evaporator. Boil rate can depend on many things but you have to run it hard to get published rates on any of them. I have personally seen the Smoky Lake 2 X 4 raised flue do 50 gallons per hour but sap was splashing everywhere. I can get in the mid 50's with my 2 x 6 on a homemade arch but I do have to push it. With the RO now, I am probably doing in the mid 40's as I do not have to push it as hard. Calls are better than an Email at this time of year as most places are very busy. Good Luck and enjoy the season.

[georgelineman]

Welcome, I am about 2 hours east of you in Cornwall NY. 85 taps, I boil on a home made wood fired arch 2X3 flat divided pan. Found plans on line Davie Jones style evaporator. If you can weld it is not that bad to build. Check Face book Marketplace and Craigslist I saw some used ones on there in the drivable area. On a good day we can boil off about 60 gallons in a 10 hour day. I am retired so I have time but if I did it over I would build a 2X4 arch to cut down on boil time. I also use the Smoky Lake flat filter bottler. 45 taps on tubing 40 on buckets (plastic jugs). If you are ever over this way feel free to PM me and stop by. I am 10 miles south of interstate 84. Hobby for me also. Make around 20 gallons most years. Have Fun

[berkshires]

Getting a new one at this time can be a challenge before the season begins. Most are a couple months out minimum. I have no experience with Bill Mason equipment but they are highly recommended on here.

When I inquired about an evaporator from Bill on November 1, he said probably March or April with his current backlog.

[Biz]

You could try going with something like a 2x4 evaporator and an RO bucket. The RO bucket is cheap and easy to use, and cuts your boiling time in half with one pass, or do a couple passes for even shorter boiling time.

Dave

[Kcorey]

Just checked bascoms website and noticed they have a used mini pro. Anyone have experience with them? https://www.bascommaple.com/item/u5778/used_evaporators/

[Pdiamond]

I just watched Chris's videos from the maple guys on the mini pro looked pretty nice. might be an option for you.

[Ed R]

Did you build your own RO system ?No, I have about 75 taps and run a 2x6 mostly leader drop flue evaporator. No ro yet. The mini pro would work but I would look for a 2x4 or bigger unless I teamed it with some type of ro.

[Pdiamond]

Kcorey check out The Maple Dude, he may have something new, available in your price range.

[Kcorey]

I did a google for him and all I find is maple sugar products . Couldn’t find where he sold equipment ? Maybe I’m lookin up wrong guy?



Kcorey check out The Maple Dude, he may have something new, available in your price range.

[Pdiamond]

No that my fault. I typed in new maple syrup evaporators for 2020 and then down the list was a heading for Maple Syrup Equipment for sale or trade Public Group/Facebook. Try clicking on this and it will give you a lot of different equipment and also have in there the maple dudes items. again sorry.

[Kcorey]

No worries . If you included a link in your post it didn’t work. I can’t click on anything , unless it is my phone doing it .



No that my fault. I typed in new maple syrup evaporators for 2020 and then down the list was a heading for Maple Syrup Equipment for sale or trade Public Group/Facebook. Try clicking on this and it will give you a lot of different equipment and also have in there the maple dudes items. again sorry.

[mbascom]

Just checked bascoms website and noticed they have a used mini pro. Anyone have experience with them? https://www.bascommaple.com/item/u5778/used_evaporators/

The Mini Pro is a nice unit because it has a complete float set-up similar to the larger evaporators. While it is a little narrower than a 2x4, it does have an actual flue pan so the evaporation rate will be similar to a traditional 2x4. At 100 taps it would work well, but if you got to a 150+ you would be better off looking for a 2x6. If you have any other questions feel free to contact us directly.

[woodguyrob]

Smokey Lake w/free shipping.

https://www.smokylakemaple.com/product-category/boiling/full-evaporators/corsair/?filter_tap-count=50-100-taps

[Kcorey]

I think I’m gonna get a Smokey lake maple product . I’d like a 2x5, but may get a 2x4 for this season and see if I need to upgrade . My next question. Which style pan should I get ? Flat, flat divided , hybrid , or a raised or drop flue ? I’ve been reading about the differences in them , and I am kinda leaning toward a hybrid setup.

[Pdiamond]

Talk with the folks at Smoky Lake they will be able to give you the better information. Were it myself, i would probably choose the hybrid hobby pro pan.

[ecolbeck]

In my experience, having used both hybrid pans and separate flue and syrup pan setups, there is a distinct advantage to having separate pans when it comes to cleaning. For me, removing an 18x18 syrup pan for cleaning out sugar sand mid season is much easier than on a larger 18x48 or 2x4 hybrid pan.

[Ed R]

There is a nice looking 2x7 rig in the classifieds straight north of you in vt. There are some smaller options listed as well.

[Kubota]

Kcorey, I'm in Killingworth. This year I'm going to do 60-70 taps on a WF Mason 2x3. It's my first year with it and I can't wait. I really enjoy the hobby and don't mind spending hours boiling. I would think a 2x4 would be more than enough for under 100 taps. Even if you get a huge run on back to back days, say that puts you up to 300 gallons. you could easily boil that off in a weekend if you can get 15+ GPH rates on a 2x4 (Depending on the pan). I think a Mason rig would be almost impossible to get this late in the season. Good luck this year!

[Biz]

I have a Smokey Lake 2x5 Hybrid. Works great, but it is a 2 person job to remove and re-install pan for mid season cleanings (1 or 2). And I always end up looking like a chimney sweep when done :)

Dave

[fisheatingbagel]

Same - the 2x5 hybrid is about as big as you want to go for a single pan setup. Can be a pain to clean, and the syrup pan isn't reversible. However, it's a great pan for the price. The craftsmanship is outstanding.

If I had a do-over, I would probably go with a 2 pan, 2x4 setup with reversible front pan. Maybe - a 2x4 2 pan setup is about double the price of a hybrid 2x5, but the 2x4 pan has 10, 7" flues...


I have a Smokey Lake 2x5 Hybrid. Works great, but it is a 2 person job to remove and re-install pan for mid season cleanings (1 or 2). And I always end up looking like a chimney sweep when done :)

Dave

[Kcorey]

Hi all. I ended up getting a 2x4 mason arch setup with raised flue and blower from a member here . Now I’m looking for a decent finisher/canner . Also most likely going to use a IBC tote for a collection tank. Any known issues I should address with the tote ? Thanks .

[maple flats]

Just make sure the IBC tote had food grade only in it, and that you can clean i well. While maybe food grade, some should not be tried anyways, such as strong or spicy products. Something like apple juice concentrate, cooking oil, real vanilla extract and similar original totes are good. It can be risky to get one that has been re-used before you buy it, then you only have their word on what has been in it. The exception is if a maple producers is selling it and only used it for sap.

[Kcorey]

Down to the wire here , hoping to have the sugar house sided and the roof on by end of weekend . Got it framed today . Picked up my evaporator this weekend and about 100 buckets and taps !