Need more gph.

If I'm going to keep sugaring this year, I'll definitely need a better setup. I boiled all weekend. I tapped four street side sugar maples I have access to and I'm going to need a better set up than a turkey fryer with an old wood stove as a preheater!

It took about 15 hours to make a gallon of syup (and I think I only had about 25 gallons of sap or so!)

When I was done, my son was really excited to see all of that syrup - he's hoping for some candy this year!

Molly
19 taps (8 of them are golden!)

I think I know he answer, but did you test the brix of that sap? I am sure that it is pretty high to be roadside trees. that is a long time to boil, but if your only looking to make a gallon then its simply a fun weekend. Did you test the syrup with a hydrometer?

Molzep . . . . that sounds about right. On my turkey fryer, I only get about 1 1/2 gallons per hour. If it took you 15 hours to boil 25 gallons of sap, that's about right.

But I agree about a better setup. I'm looking to build a 2x6 arch this summer. I'll probably use steam table pans for the first year or two, then look for a good pan set. Of course this is dependent on my ability to get more taps.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PapaSmiff

Molzep . . . . that sounds about right. On my turkey fryer, I only get about 1 1/2 gallons per hour. If it took you 15 hours to boil 25 gallons of sap, that's about right.

But I agree about a better setup. I'm looking to build a 2x6 arch this summer. I'll probably use steam table pans for the first year or two, then look for a good pan set. Of course this is dependent on my ability to get more taps.

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Bill, do you have the Backyard Sugarin book? Lots of excellent ideas and setups for a low budget backyarder!

ADK1
I don't have that book, but have been absorbing everything on MapleTrader for three years. I'm hoping that my next expansion will carry me up to a eventual capacity of 500 taps. With that in mind, my only option is a custom built 2x6. Then add RO when needed.

I've also considered a barrel evaporator, but I don't think that will take me to 500 taps. The cinderblock arch was an interesting low-cost option, but I want to boil indoors.

I started out with a 3 foot square flat pan sitting on blocks with a wood fire that evaporated 10 gallons per hour