Bohen Family Maple Farm: 1st Boil Journey

I was going to include a few pics in this post but the MapleTrader upload images feature is NOT user friendly. I'm sure I followed the directions but failed to upload, multiple times.

In 2022 I had about 295 taps and sold my sap to a local sugar maker. In 2023 my plan is to install up to 500 taps and have a temporary sugarhouse to boil my sap on a Smoky Lake Maple Silverplate which is expected to be delivered between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I thought I would start my “1st Boil Journey” posts with pita of the site where I am planning to build a temporary sugarhouse. Your comments and advice are welcome.

The 40’ X 80” poured foundation used to be an equipment shed many years before we bought the farm. The foundation is in excellent condition. My plan for boiling in 2023 is to build a 20’ X 40’ temporary sugarhouse inside the foundation after cleaning up and leveling the ground there.

An excavator I expect to hire to clean up / level inside the foundation is recommending laying down Geotextile fabric with a layer of 3/4” clean crushed stone on top. My concern is that some of this work, should I build a real sugarhouse in the future, would have to be torn up to install evaporator drains, water lines and/or a pipeline for a septic system. I’m thinking that all I want done now is cleaning up and leveling for the 2023 temporary sugarhouse. I’d love your thoughts on this.

The temporary sugarhouse will be a pipe-frame structure and I’ll use tarps for the roof and sides. I’ll post a pic of the pipe-frame structure.

The foundation is just a couple thousand feet from the entrance to our lower sugar-bush. Our 2nd bush is further into our forest and higher up. It has enough elevation to install 3/16” gravity for the 2023 season.

What size will the "temporary" sugarhouse be?
You might want to consider building a smaller permanent sugarhouse, then add on in the future. Make it a good size for what you think the largest evaporator you'll ever have with adequate space around it, and build it with the drains and all. Design it to tie into later as you grow. Then as you need more "sugarhouse" you can have a boiling room, and additions for a kitchen, wood storage (if burning wood), barrel storage (both empty and full and sap storage additions.
How many taps do you anticipate maximum?

Aren't the smallest SL silverplate arches 2 x 8? Is there still a lot of material from the shed old foundation and you need the excavator to clean it off? Were it me I would do a temporary for next year until I knew how much I was going to grow. Then as Dave said build your sugarhouse bigger than what you think you will need, but be able to add to it using the existing foundation. By the way is your silverplate wood or oil?

I am following with much interest!
Pictures don't work on this site at this time. Not sure if they ever will. People seem to be using icloud and providing link. Or you could use any other photo sharing site and link it here.
I am not an expert on what you are doing... I'm just here to ask why is the leveling needed? Trying to make the site friendly to lots of visitors? Just wanted to mention that for every maple sugarhouse open house I've been to, its been BYOMB (bring your own mud boots). Not sure if that is helpful or not!
In any case, I'll come to your open house!

Dave; The temporary sugarhouse will be 20' X 40' and I plan up to 500 taps (400 on Sap Saks + 100 3/16" gravity in 2023.

I'd love to build a real sugarhouse that I could add onto in the future, but am being realistic regarding my ability to get it done and for financial reasons.

Andy; Thanks for you comments and interest. I'll keep you posted on this thread.

My Silverplate will be a 2' X 6', wood-fired, AOF, raised flue with lots of bells and whistles to assure I can operate the evaporator myself although I expect family and friends will drop in. If I find I need an RO, I'll add one for the 2024 season.

Try this link for a video and photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/B7ukytBcSFkkLsCv5

Here's links to a video and photos.

At one point in the video, I am pointing to the entrance to our lower sugarbush which I tapped 2022. The upper sugarbush is further into our forest and has enough elevation change to install a 3/16" gravity line into an IBC tote.

At about 500 taps you will want to add an RO as soon as you can fit it into the budget. With an RO and going to 12-18% concentrate you can handle lots more than 500 taps, even if you get a basic RO you can get 4-8% concentrate, and that saves loads of time and fuel wood. For the wood, split it to wrist size and the boil will be faster. I suggest a Super Split, much faster especially when splitting to wrist size, they split as fast as you ever want to go.. Sometimes on a big tough gnarly piuece you need to retract and hit it 2-3 times, but even then it's still faster than a basic hydraulic splitter for cycle time. My wife bought us one for Christmas about 15 yrs ago, it still amazes me ho fast they are. In fact, the 2 of use split a truckload just 2 days ago, we both really like it. I got the Honda Version, I like Honda engines, very dependable. At the time we got ours there were 3 choices, the basic was a Subaru engine, then Honda, or an electric. At the time our only electric was from an 11hp generator, I couldn't see running a generator to make the power to use an electric motor, then in 2012 we got grid power, but the honda still runs like new 10 yrs later.

I have the 50gallon head tank from Smoky Lake that I use for my 2 x 4 evaporator. Are you planning on having some type of head tank to feed the 2 x 6, because it is going to boil close to 70 gallons per hour when you keep the fire on it. I know mine does 50 or better depending on how hard I fire it. You are are really going to enjoy using that when you get it. Make sure and once you get it set up do a test boil with water. That helps to seat everything and you can see if you have any leaks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pdiamond

I have the 50gallon head tank from Smoky Lake that I use for my 2 x 4 evaporator. Are you planning on having some type of head tank to feed the 2 x 6, because it is going to boil close to 70 gallons per hour when you keep the fire on it.

---

Yes, I will have a head tank to feed the 2X6 Silverplate. The plan is to go into the sugarbush with a collecting crew and my tractor with an IBC tote on the FEL and two IBC totes on a trailer and bring back what's available.The tote on the FEL will be swapped out for a tote on the 3/16" gravity line. The totes will be emptied into the head tank as needed.

What size head tank?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OrangeAgain

Here's links to a video and photos.

Video - At one point I am pointing to the entrance to our lower sugarbush which I tapped 2022. The upper sugarbush is further into our forest and has enough elevation change to install a 3/16" gravity line into an IBC tote.

foundation photo

14-Leg High-Peak Frame Kit

---

These links don’t work for me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BAP

These links don’t work for me.

---

Try this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/B7ukytBcSFkkLsCv5

My plan is to use slab wood, primarily softwood, in the evaporator. I'll get the slab wood delivered. Although I've got plenty of softwoods in our forest, I don't foresee having the time or energy to get enough.

The photos really help make sense of what you have to do. the outside walls were concrete, and the floor was dirt.

With the tank I have from Smoky Lake it has a float switch mounted on it so when the sap gets down to a certain point it refills the head tank from the outside bulk tank. This coming year I will have a 400 gallon outside stainless steel tank for my bulk storage. There is a submersible pump that I use that plugs into the float switch.

Making some progress on the site for my temporary sugarhouse for the 2023 season. The pipe-frame fittings arrived. I purchased the 1" EMT conduit and the site within the 40' X 80' foundation has been prepared for assembling the 20' X 40' pipe-frame.

Here's a few pics of the site preparation.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw...-no?authuser=0

I hope I have copied the correct links to the pics. It boggles my mind why we can't upload photos from within this MapleTrader forum. I can't even get the admins for this forum to reply to my question about how to upload photos.

That is looking very good. Hope the weather holds for you.

You're making a 20x40 pipe frame structure out of 1" pipe?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TapTapTap

You're making a 20x40 pipe frame structure out of 1" pipe?

---

Yes, I'm using 1" EMT conduit which is what the fittings were designed for. Now that I am actually assembling the pipe-frame, I have decided to downsize to 20' X 25'. The pipe-frame sugarhouse won't be stressed with heavy loads, except for snow on the roof which I believe it will handle. During sugaring season, I'll install tarps on the sides to protect me while evaporating. My evaporator will be stored in our barn until sugaring season.

You would need to make trusses out of that pipe to carry a 20 ft span. And I'm not following you on the tarp sides but if you're thinking of open sides the it could easily lift off your supports from wind, not to mention a snow load.

Update: The 20' X 30' pipe-frame is up. Next I will install ground anchors and decide on roof material (fire-retardant tarp or corrugated metal). I am aware of the risk of smokestack sparks landing on a tarp roof and burning a hole, I received several comments from backyard sugarers that had used tarp roofs with very little or no burning of holes. Since this is a temporary sugarhouse, my preference is a fire-retardant tarp, but haven't made a final decision.

My evaporator would be placed at the far end of the pipe-frame with the smokestack outside of the roof.

Here's pics:

https://ibb.co/g3g8WrZ
https://ibb.co/RczvQ9n
https://ibb.co/3zDd3Jr

A big fault of mine is that I'm always over thinking things and end up spending way too much time and money making my structures overly robust. I guess it's my engineering and construction background.

But, I need to be clear- I don't think your pipe structure will hold up to wind or snow loads. Just as a gut check, I measured the pipe on my fabric garage and it was 1.69" od for a 9 ft span with frames at 5 ft oc. My fabric garage has seen 4 winters and is still standing. But, 1.5 inch tubing has over 3 times the strength of 1 inch. And the bending moment on my 9 ft span is about 60 percent less than your 20 ft for the same load.

In other words, your structure may not last long.

Ken

It may be just the way the picture is, but it seems to me there is a lot of space between the rafter pipes on that frame. I don't know how much snow or wind you get, that area around there looks pretty open and if you have a tarp on the top and nothing on the sides a big gust may pick it up. Now that just an observation on my part, because I don't know what kind of anchors you have to hold it down. An idea did cross my mind while typing this. You could make the structure smaller by cutting into the ridge poles and placing the rafters closer together. Maybe go 16" OC.

As a point of reference, I have a 14' x 25' hoop house that I raise vegetables in during the winter (central Indiana). My frame is made of the top rail used in chain link fencing - pipe is 1-3/8" diameter bent into hoops spaced 5' apart. It is covered with 6 mil greenhouse plastic - starting 3rd winter with same plastic. It has held up well with only one small tear repaired with duct tape. What I think helps mine fend off winter winds is that the plans (from Johnny's seeds) call for rope to be criss-crossed between the hoops and over the plastic (making an X between each set of hoops). Mine is up from early October thru mid-May. I'm thinking that what you have will be strong enough, but consider putting the ropes to help your tarp resist the wind. Snow has not been an issue, I think the most snow at one time since I first put it up was about 10". It slid off the hoops and did not overweight the plastic or the pipes. Now obviously there are differences between a hoop house and a temporary sugar shack, but I think that the wind and snow concerns are similar. Good Luck.

So I'm curious. Why don't you just build a wood-frame structure? If it were me, I'd pick a corner of your old foundation and build a three sided wood-frame shelter that could one day serve as your woodshed. One of my wood sheds is a salt-box style with widely spaced horizontal boards as spacing (for ventilation) and an open front over the short roof side. I used my own rough cut lumber except PT posts and a metal roof. I can imagine using it as a sugarshack until you do your permanent one and the original structure becomes your woodshed.

Ken

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TapTapTap

So I'm curious. Why don't you just build a wood-frame structure? If it were me, I'd pick a corner of your old foundation and build a three sided wood-frame shelter that could one day serve as your woodshed...

---

Ken; I like your idea. My original vision for my first time boil setup was to buy an evaporator and build a temporary sugarhouse for the 2023 season. This would allow me to learn what changes / improvements I needed to implement for 2024 perhaps including a wooden structure as you suggest.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pdiamond

It may be just the way the picture is, but it seems to me there is a lot of space between the rafter pipes on that frame. I don't know how much snow or wind you get, that area around there looks pretty open and if you have a tarp on the top and nothing on the sides a big gust may pick it up.

---

I am planning on adding some diagonal and horizontal stabilizing to the pipe-frame.

I'm thinking I don't have to add a roof or sides until just before the 2023 sugaring season when most of our Vermont winter is over. Just the pipe-frame should withstand the winter. We usually get a wet and heavy snowfall in March so I'll have to watch the weather. Once the risk of wet / heavy snowfall is over, the wind will be my biggest challenge once I install a roof and sides.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OrangeAgain

Ken; I like your idea. My original vision for my first time boil setup was to buy an evaporator and build a temporary sugarhouse for the 2023 season. This would allow me to learn what changes / improvements I needed to implement for 2024 perhaps including a wooden structure as you suggest.

---

It seems to me that you're one extra year from your dream sugarhouse by building the pipe frame. I don't know how old you are, but in my case I'm trying to get to what I want to do while I still can do it!

Ken

OrangeAgain, You have a Silverplate evaporator on order from SL. Are you planning on building your sugar shack around the evaporator once it is set up? I don't know what the size is, but once you get the grate, fan, and bricks installed it will take a tractor or loader with forks to pick it up.

I had a very similar setup but about 6-8 ft shorter. It was alongside my garage and the wind did pick it one time and blow it about 20 to 30 feet away and bend it all up. I straightened the pipes out and put it back together, this time clamping the one side of it to the garage so it would not blow away again. An unexpected October snow fall flattened it down on my boat. I would not recommend your plan.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pdiamond

OrangeAgain, You have a Silverplate evaporator on order from SL. Are you planning on building your sugar shack around the evaporator once it is set up? I don't know what the size is, but once you get the grate, fan, and bricks installed it will take a tractor or loader with forks to pick it up.

---

I do have a 70hp tractor with pallet forks and FEL. My plan is to NOT cover the sides of the pipe-frame with tarps until I'm boiling. I'll cover my Silverplate when I'm not boiling.