Basically 100 amp service at the sugarhouse
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A lot of milk tanks have been scrapped around here, and they are getting harder to find, but there are still several out there. I have two for my maple syrup production, both 600 gal, one just for a holding tank out side without a compressor unit. Then I have one inside, up in my loft with a compressor unit. when I gather my sap from the woods, I haul it back to my sugar shack and pump it into the tank in the back. I then use a sump pump to pump it up to the tank in the loft and chill it if necessary. I then gravity feed out of this one to my evaporator.
This second tank with the chiller, was a real game changer. Our weather swings so violently I can now gather for a few days and chill it with out worrying and have enough for a good boil. Before I would have to boil a few hundred gallons, and shut down.
How much electricity are you using? What are you running at the sugarhouse with the 100 amps? How many amps are "left" with everything else running? My tank is not hard-wired in- it's on a hay wagon gear so it's movable if need be- so I had my electrician put a 30ft. cord on it and it has a 220V, 20amp, three prong plug on it. So, it's not drawing a lot of electricity. Well, not a lot compared to other 220V devices like dryers, ovens and welders.
Steve
Not just for the big guys, but all depends on the time you have available and what your time is worth? Are you making syrup to make money, or is it just a hobby? The size of the tank depends upon how high you're concentrating, how many taps, and how long you want to go between boils.
The compressor for the 625 gallon tank is 3HP, about 17amps plus a couple for the agitator motor. For me when the temps are above freezing for a few days in a row I can spend time in the woods, fix leaks and boil every other or third day when the vacuum is bringing in .75 to 1 GPT a day. I am sure there will be times early season when I will not turn it on but can if needed or a short run. I will know more in a few months if it was the right choice for a small producer.
I don’t think you’ll have any regrets even if you don’t use it every week. It’s going to save you a lot of time over the course of the season.
I agree with Maine. I can not envision any serious sugarmaker saying they regret investing in refrigeration after using one of these tanks- regardless of their size. My biggest regret? Not getting mine operational sooner than I did. And I won't be without one going forward.
Steve
Dr. Tim, what do you do between boils with the sweet in the evaporator? Filter it and add it to the bulk tank once cool to preserve until the next boil? I just got a 600 gal delaval that worked but the compressor was shot. Will have it up and running for next season for time / life management.
Thanks,
Andy
Typically at the end of a boil we drain the front and back pans into separate insulated draw-off tanks and put the lids on. This allows us to clean the pans. The liquid is hot enough that it kills any residual microbes. We don't open them again until we pump the sweet back into the pans. We usually boil about once a week, so the sweet is fine that long with this procedure. If it was going to be really warm for a few weeks, we'd probably pump the sweet back into the pans and fire up for 5 min (easy to do with an oil-fired evaporator) -- just long enough to boil the liquid a bit. It it were really hot, we might consider putting it into the bulk tank.