Sugar House for 2011

[Maple Ridge]

I had a 12 X 16 slab poured in April with a drain in the floor and a drain pipe for a sink. July 2nd I had the cement blocks laid 2 high. Left an opening for a 4' sliding door and a 3' entry door. Yesterday I ordered some of the lumber from a local saw mill; hope to get it this weekend. (Awfully hot to be cutting lumber). I hope to get started on the frame work the week of July 12th. If I can figure out how to post my pics, I will load them. I plan on a 10 / 12 pitch for a roof.

[red maples]

Git R done!!!

[Randy Brutkoski]

My 24x26 pad is being poured this saturday. Cant wait until everything is done.

[Maple Ridge]

24 X 26. Nice. What size evaperator.
I have a question for anyone out there. I will be buying a new evaperator this fall. I am undecided on a drop flue or a raised flue. What would be best. I like the idea of drop flue because the heat area, but you need to remove the pan to drain it. A raised flue, you draw off the bottom, no removing the pan to drain. Any Coments on this?

[Jeff E]

most if not all drop flue pans have a drain pipe at the bottom of the flues, so you can drain without removing the pan.

[Father & Son]

I had an old drop flue Leader that didn't have any way to drain the flues. All I did was use 2 or 3 pieces of lateral tubing and syphoned it out. An evaporator with a flue drain is sure nice.

Jim

[Randy Brutkoski]

Concrete is on hold until next week. Due to flash flood warnings for the next 12 hours. I am buying a 4x14 Hurricane Force 5 with all of the bells and whistles. Got the green light to order it . The USDA approved my FSA loan today. Obama is writing me a personal check,but i have to give him the first gallon of syrup i pour off in 2011. lol.....

[3rdgen.maple]

Gee Randy glad we could help pay for your new evaporator. lol Atleast the money is going for something that can be appreciated. Also I am pretty ositive any reputable drop flue manufacture now adds a drain and have for a few yearss on drop flue pans. It works like a charm and the only time I pull my flue pan is at the end of the season for an outside flue cleansing.

[Quabbin Hill Farms]

24 X 26. Nice. What size evaperator.
I have a question for anyone out there. I will be buying a new evaperator this fall. I am undecided on a drop flue or a raised flue. What would be best. I like the idea of drop flue because the heat area, but you need to remove the pan to drain it. A raised flue, you draw off the bottom, no removing the pan to drain. Any Coments on this?

One advantage is you only need one float since the sap/syrup levle is the same across both pans. i don't have draines in mine so it is harder to empty but a siphon tubes work ok

[Maple Ridge]

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking about a 2X4, but now I think I will just do it and go for the 2X6. My walls are up and are in the process of putting on the boards. Hope to be putting up the rafters by next week. So much to do, and work too. I am glad I got started early. I need to get the evaperator on order soon.

[Maple Ridge]

I placed a deposit on a new unit. 20 X 66 CDL Maple Pro:) . It looks like it will do just what I want. Now to finish the sugar house to put it in. Should have the roof on in two weeks. It's hard working after work when loosing day light. Trying to figure out the best way to buils the coupla. Looks like 3' X 6' is the plan with 2' high doors. I think that will work. Every thing I read points to around that size.

[Mavors]

Pictures??

You know we are dying to see em!!

[Maple Ridge]

I need to figure out how to add pictures now. I am going to try tonight after work.
The wife has 800 pictures on her camra. What is up with that. I think it would be faster if I just went out and bought my own camre.

[Maple Ridge]

I figured it out. These are the earlier picturs. I am a little further along now. Will add more later.

[Maple Ridge]

I have been looking at allot of recommendations for roof material. I can see that I need to stay away from OSB. I was thinking about Advantec, but not sure of that either. Might as well stick to boards. It will take longer, but should last longer also. Need to update the photos.

[Maple Ridge]

I would like to use advantec because it would be faster. Just need to make sure it would last.

[Thad Blaisdell]

I used Advantec on the upstairs floor of my sugarhouse..... so far very happy. I have a section above the arch that is wide open to the cupola so the steam escapes quite readily.

[PARKER MAPLE]

Im in the building trade, and i can speak first hand. when it comes to plywood, theres nothing like this stuff. it holds up in the elements very well. resists rain, and stays flat. would reccomend it for any project. as a matter of fact i had an old trailer with a wood bottom,4x8, that needed a new floor. so i used a shhet of this i had laying around 3/4in i believe. i had hauled rocks and other debris on it and still looks like new. very good product

mr

[Maple Ridge]

Thank you for the input. Advantec it is.

[Maple Ridge]

OK. Now for my next issue. I am purchasing a new CDL evaporator. I see that there is no pan under the grates, just open to the floor. The person I am purchasing it from said that I don't need one that the majority of the ash will go out the stack. Just a little will end up on the floor. Anyone have a similar outfit? And if so what do you do.

[farmall h]

You mean an ashpan such as found on a wood stove? I didn't realize archs had them...maybe somebody with a smaller unit will chime in.

[maple flats]

I've never seen an arch with an ash pan.

[C.Wilcox]

Does your arch have a blower fan? If so the guy was probably right. When I run mine there's no ash to remove even after a full day of boiling. If I don't run the fan then there's definitely an ash/coal build up.

[Jeff E]

I have never seen a commercially made arch with an ash pan. I just scoop the ashes out as need, usually every other firing or so.

[Ausable]

Hey - why not go all the way - V shape the bottom of the fire box - with a grate over the top for the ashes to fall thru - then have a water jet in front at the bottom of the V and an opening at the back of the V and when needed turn on the water jet and sluice the ashes out the back of the fire box. Hummmmmmm -- have to do some more thinking on this - now the wet ash mess is on the sugar shack floor and it is below freezing outside and we are not in an Electric Power Plant with an ash removal system - Hey stick to the ash pan and I'll plod on with my little hoe and shovel -------

[Maple Ridge]

I guess what I am saying that my fire box dose not have a bottom, only grates. I was just wondering if that is how some of them are. This is a new evaperator, and I just need to understand how it works.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Most do not have bottoms, merely sit on the concrete floor. The ashes are shoveled off the floor. I clean mine each morning before I start a fire.

[Ausable]

Please excuse me and my bad water jet idea - Mine is a home made rig ----- 2'x5' - from a 250 gal. fuel oil tank and has a bottom lined with fire brick and I have a clean out door on it. I didn't realize some of the commercial rigs had no enclosed botton - just grates. I can see where that could be a problem. Also - if you run into some trouble - no way to control the excessive draft. ----- Mike

[3rdgen.maple]

Im confused ( as usuall) but what commercial rig has no area under the grates that isnt enclosed or have a draft door on it if its wood burning. I have never seen a rig without out it, homemade or not. The ashes need to go somewhere and the draft needs to enter somewhere doesn't it? This makes no sense to me.

[farmall h]

Mapleridge, your arch sits on a cement pad. You should have a draft door? The space from the floor to the grates acts as your ash box. Can you post a pic?

[Maple Ridge]

Thank you all for the feed back. I have not picked up the evaperator yet. I plan on picking it up in a couple weeks. I need to get the roof on the new sugar house first. Vacation next week, plans to get er done. I hope to update my photos soon.

[Maple Ridge]

Bascom's is having a tubing seminar October 1st. I have signed myself and wife up. This should be interesting. Hope to learn allot.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I think what is missing in the conversation is What do we call a bottom or what we think the bottom is. If your arch has a space under the grates you HAVE a ash pit/space...........IF your arch has a metal plate at the bottom of the ash pit that is the BOTTOM.......IF you dont have anything below the arch when it comes from the factory then your sap shack floor will be your BOTTOM.

If your arch is open to the bare floor and the floor is wood then yea steel WITH insulation is recomended:) steel corrigated roofing works good because of the air space criss cross a few sheets and all is hunky dory. Make sure that the top one runs front to back for easy cleaning

[Maple Ridge]

Everything is together now. Just a few fine tuning of things and will be ready for the 2011 season. I am suer there will be somthing not right, but will need to deal with them as they arrive. Snow cover is good, tempatures not all over the place, could be a good season. This is my first season with my new evaperator and a little nervice. Bacon's farm is having a class on running and maintenance of an evaperator and I will be there. No such thing as too much information.