Boil rate

[Ultimatetreehugger]

What is a reasonable evaporation rate to expect from an oil fired 3/8 with a steam away?

[Brian]

I would guess about 65-70 ish gallons an hour. I know with out the steamway it should be about 40-50 gph.

[HillsideMaple]

I was thinking quite higher. I’m boiling on a 2x8 wood fired with a preheater. Generally I’m around 70-80 gph. Plus with the oil fired it’s a constant and consistent heat.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Hillside do you have a steam away?

[maple flats]

I would also think much higher, if the right gun and nozzle. I get 70 gph+ on wood without a steam away. My guess would be more like 100-110 gph, but just a guess. And maybe as much as 85 without steam away+75% for steam away= almost 150 gph.

[fred]

3x8 will do 100gph without. with a steamaway 110 and dark syrup.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Fred, I'm wondering where you got your 110 number. I've read and witnessed evaporator get 50 to 70 percent increased productivity with an steam away. Thanks for your help.

[Brian]

I dont belive A straight up 30x8 can make 1.75 gallons of syrup per hour from 2% raw sap, I would have to see it. that would be 75.25 gallons of sap on jones rule of 86.

[HillsideMaple]

I just have a preheater. Also a hobby RO which helps a lot.

[nymapleguy607]

Cant speak for oil fired but on my wood fired arch pre Steamaway average GPH was about 45-50gph, with the Steamaway we are running at an average of 90gph. The flue pan needs to really be ripping to get the efficiency out of the Steamaway.

[Brian]

That sounds right, but that means good wood and split small and no messing around. See alot of people figure how much sap they have and sugar % but forget to minus the gallons of syrup they made that day so it slides the numbers alittle. The 30 x 8 was the first evaporator I ran and I would boil all day and half the night for about 15 gallons of syrup. that was when I learned to take sap to Glen Goodrich and trade for supplies because with 500 taps I could not keep up. Then came the 4x12 ,more taps, ro,more taps, trucks, more taps, bigger tanks ect,ect.

[fred]

Fred, I'm wondering where you got your 110 number. I've read and witnessed evaporator get 50 to 70 percent increased productivity with an steam away. Thanks for your help.

so for more clarity a 3x8 will do 90 per hour 100 with preheat. add a steamaway which will remove the preheater becomes 110 maybe 115.remember we are talking about a smaller rig which is less efficient.
i had a leader 6x16 which did 450 an hour, with the steam away on it was 600, on a perfect day it would do 700 but maybe twice in a season. when your talking real numbers it went up 150 gallons which is 25% gain. widest and longest will have the most efficiency, we're talking about half that size. when your a salesman your going to give perception of something bigger which is the leader pitch of 40% efficiency not 25% production.

second this is an artificial boil with foreign air. the syrup gets darker because it sits at pre-bacteria killing temps and furiously grows until it gets to the flue pan(steam pan, piggy back alike) to be killed. and due to the bubbler forcing air it constantly mixes instead of naturally moving in progression towards the flues.

if your paying for a steamaway relative to your evaporator the money is better spent with an ro even at 50% reduction. the actual numbers become 100% or double capacity and more than likely any 600gph RO will do 75%+.

[Brian]

I know a lot of sugar makers with steamaways and never heard of it darkening syrup. The people that use them always drain them after every boil so therefore the sap passes through it. the ones that have them love them especially the amount of hot water they produce. The steam away should run a temp of 180 deg f which should kill most of the bacteria in the sap. My cousin has one on his 5x14 and he has a hard time making dark. But yes the ro is the best bang for the buck.