ericjeeper
01-19-2009, 03:44 PM
Hello to all. First let me say thanks for allowing me to join such a truly dedicated site.
I am married with three kids 21-18-16 gbg. My son loves to help on the farm. I got into sugaring just mainly to show the kids how it was done.The past few years I have done my syruping outside on a block and tin arch. This year I am going to upgrade to a home made half a 275 gallon oil tank setup. I have a 2x4 pan I welded up a few years ago.
I am a low budget hobbyist.So I am trying to accomplish two things, cheap and productive. LOL
I have plenty of firewood cut, Plus I got a big bundle of poplar 3/4x3/4 +-x 8 feet long. about a ton of it.. It will get a fire going really hot.. Yeah you got to stand and feed it..
I have a lot of questions. Not many syrup producers around here anymore.
Why do some speak of building an airtight arch? Then the next guy adds a blower? Seems to me you need to consume as many btus as possible to get the heat. So might as well use a poor sealing door to begin with. (My plans are barrel stove kit for the door.)
I designed and fabricated my outdoor woodboiler, so the 137.5 gallon arch should not be out of my grasp. I do plan on using a ramp to get the heat up to the pan and an 8 inch flue.
I plan to build a steam hood too as I will now be cooking under my 18x31 carport type woodshed. It certainly will be nice to be in out of the rain that always seems to fall when I get to cooking off. I will be building it out of aluminum brake metal. I am in the window business and have a brake and plenty of coil. I also plan to vent it with 8 inch galv.
I have read to put a trough around the bottom of the hood with a drain on one end to catch the water that runs back down the hood. That will not be difficult to do either.
Ok I will close this simple introduction that has somehow turned into a book.
Any other Hoosier tappers here?
I am married with three kids 21-18-16 gbg. My son loves to help on the farm. I got into sugaring just mainly to show the kids how it was done.The past few years I have done my syruping outside on a block and tin arch. This year I am going to upgrade to a home made half a 275 gallon oil tank setup. I have a 2x4 pan I welded up a few years ago.
I am a low budget hobbyist.So I am trying to accomplish two things, cheap and productive. LOL
I have plenty of firewood cut, Plus I got a big bundle of poplar 3/4x3/4 +-x 8 feet long. about a ton of it.. It will get a fire going really hot.. Yeah you got to stand and feed it..
I have a lot of questions. Not many syrup producers around here anymore.
Why do some speak of building an airtight arch? Then the next guy adds a blower? Seems to me you need to consume as many btus as possible to get the heat. So might as well use a poor sealing door to begin with. (My plans are barrel stove kit for the door.)
I designed and fabricated my outdoor woodboiler, so the 137.5 gallon arch should not be out of my grasp. I do plan on using a ramp to get the heat up to the pan and an 8 inch flue.
I plan to build a steam hood too as I will now be cooking under my 18x31 carport type woodshed. It certainly will be nice to be in out of the rain that always seems to fall when I get to cooking off. I will be building it out of aluminum brake metal. I am in the window business and have a brake and plenty of coil. I also plan to vent it with 8 inch galv.
I have read to put a trough around the bottom of the hood with a drain on one end to catch the water that runs back down the hood. That will not be difficult to do either.
Ok I will close this simple introduction that has somehow turned into a book.
Any other Hoosier tappers here?