Complete new setup

[Brad W Wi]

A year from this coming spring I'll be retiring at the age of 55.I want to expand up to 200 pails. (I now use 51) I'll be getting a new evaporator and will be building a new sugar shack. I'm not sure on the size evap. or shack. Some of the land is on a rolling ridge, so tubing is possible. At this time I like pails because I'm a tradionalist in most things I do. At this time I plan on using horses to collect my sap.I could tap more but I want this to be a pleasure not a job.I have the tendency to go overboard on things if I don't watch myself. Any suggestions will be listened to as I've always figured there's people out there smarter than me and have done things and learned from them. Thank you for your help.

[Al]

Hi Brad, I' going to 120 buckets this year with the option of going to 200 in the future and I like to do most thing in a traditional manner. Like you this is a fun project not to be confused with boiling 24 hours a day all season. I have a 10 by 26 sugarhouse with a Algers Thrifty model evaporator. It's a 24x66. If your doing 200 buckets I'd recomend a 2x6 evaporator. When you build your sugarhouse make it a little bigger then you need or think. I started out 10x14 but found out with little boys running around they needed more room. Are you going to do an inclosed wood shed or a overhang type? A 12 x 24 is a good size to start with not including the wood shed. Also clear out plenty of room for future additions. :D Do you have a barn for your horses close to your sugarhouse? If not you may want to make a lean too for the horses also.
My neighbor has 10,000 buckets and on a busy day has 5 team of horses in the woods. Love to see it!! :D This is my 4th season and enjoy it more every year. I use a stainless steel turkey fryer for my finisher and a coffee pot for my bottler. A suggestion from people here on this site.
I used rough cut lumber for my sides. 10 " pine boards with bat. Plywooded my roof ,tar papered it, strapped it, and put the tin on. The reason for the plywood was condenstion. I've been in some sugar houses and it was like it was raining all the time. :D Used limestone on the floor it packs down pretty hard and if you spill something who would know? Besides it's cheap. $20.00. Don't have permenant power yet. Just run a long extension chord from my garage.
Hope this helps. This board is a wealth of information and most of us have learned from experiance no matter how little we have.
Hope this wasn't to long. As you properly can tell sugaring is one of my most favorite things to do.
Take care.

[Brad W Wi]

Al, Thanks for your reply. I plan on a overhang for the wood with a door opening in so I can load wood to the walls. The barn isn't built yet so I will have that close enough but not to close so I have to worry about fire. I'd like to see your neighbors setup. I also use a turkey pot to finish but I haven't heard about the coffee pot . Does the temp get to high or is it around the 180 degree mark? As far as condesation how about a hood? I would think one a foot or two off the surface of the evap. would help and I remember some one talking about a lip with a bit of piping and going to a bucket on it to collect water for cleaning. The size you recommend sounds good I do want it big enough. When I do this I want to do it right. Thanks alot

[forester1]

Hi Brad, You sound like me. I retire in 4 years at 55 and plan on making syrup as my main activity. I prefer tradition and being kind of rustic too. Unlike you I actually did give in to my tendency to go overboard and bought a 4x12 evaporator, since I have the land, trees, and wood. One thing I didn't think about was how heavy a 4x8 flue pan is. Duh. So now when I need to move it I need 3 strong guys to help, which is a problem when you are 20 miles from nowhere. Anyway my building is 16x24 with a 16x24 attached woodshed out front. I would say the building is too small for that size evaporator although it works ok. I have hoods and went with a metal roof over rafters and perlins. It is cheap and easy. I doubt I have over $2000 in the building since I had my own logs sawed and traded stuff for more lumber. All board and batten construction. Used storm windows. I built it entirely alone and the metal went on in a couple hours. The concrete floor and arch foundation was mixed with gravel from my own land. It seems like a lot of people put big money into modern facilities which is ok and maybe the wave of the future as far as licensing and health rules but I just don't see the money being there to justify it, at least in my remote location.

[forester1]

One other thing to think about if you think of expanding in the future. In the catalogs they rate the smaller evaporators for number of taps. Really they should emphasize gallons per hour evaporation rate. A larger evaporator would free up time to do other things instead of boiling, plus allow for possible future expansion without buying new equipment. Of course a 2x6 with hoods and and upgrades like blowers would allow more than your goal of 200 taps.

[mapleman3]

Hi Brad, I have a 2x6 wood fired evap, last year I had 320 taps on it and let me tell you, thank god that 1 of my bush's didn't run good, I only really used about 230taps with a little from the other bush.I would have been knee deep in sap,that because I only get to boil Wed, Sat and sunday(maybe fri night). now if you boil every day you could easily handle the 200. I boiled on the average 30gals per hour, and about 6-10 hr days sometimes 12hr. I won't say that it's not alot of work to boil.. I loaded the firebox every 8 minutes, and was drawing off syrup almost constantly, so your tired at the end of the day. so with all that said, choose your size wisely and anticipate growth, or how long you really are willing to boil, 10 hrs on your feet in a sugarhouse is alot of work..... but darnit it sure is a hell of alot of fun or all of us here wouldnt' be doing it year after year :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :wink:
ENJOY

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Brad,

Sounds like you are on the right track and I am sure the info you get on here will help a lot. If you are considering buying an evaporator, I would recommend you going to a 2x8 instead of a 2x6 if you are buying new. It is only about $ 500 difference in price and will give you close to 10 more gph which is a lot when you have four or five hundred gallon of sap to boil off on a busy day. You may be able to find a good 2x8 if you are going used. There are several good places to find used evaporators if you decide not to go new.

[Brad W Wi]

I want to thank all of you for replying to my questions. I'm taking it all in . I want to this right and the only real way is to "find out from them that have done it". I'm hoping more will join in. I'm going to get one chance and I need it right. Also there was a note on using a coffee maker for bottling. Can any one go into more detail. Does it get the syrup hot enough or to hot? Also any pictures of your outfits will be a great help. I've got copies of a few so far. Again thank you for all your help.

[mapleman3]

Brad, the coffee maker does keep it at 190ish deg. just be sure it's hot enough when you can, and don't use it for anything but syrup so you don't get any "off" flavors. and if you want to see alot of setups go to my website linked below, lots of the guys here have pics on it. enjoy

[Brad W Wi]

Thank you Mapleman 3, I have been to your web site. And it has been a great help. I have it on my favorites list and check it every couple of days.I've checked out the pictures a number of times and seem to pick up something each time. Thank you for the info on the coffee maker looks like I got to go out and buy something else. I'm still hoping to see more. Everyone I know boils out side like I do just small operators. Thanks again .

[mapleman3]

Thanks Brad
Within the next month or so I will restructure the website so more setups or changed setups will be in, so I'll keep everyone posted!! :lol: :lol:

[themapleking]

Rick ( syrupmaker ) showed me a picture of his 6 ft x 20 ft oil fired evap. that they are getting for this season 1000gph on that baby. We 're installing it this weekened. Sure glad your coming over Jim.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

[mapleman3]

I thought it was 10 x 30? turbine powered with an afterburner... Heck I'll help with anything for the right kind of beer :lol: :lol:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Brad,

Whenever you bottle the syrup, it should be at least 180 degrees. It doesn't matter what you use, just make sure it won't leave any off flavor in the syrup and make sure the syrup temp is 180 degrees. :D :D