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Thread: Anyone utilizing a wood chip boiler in their sugaring operation?

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by nymapleguy607 View Post
    Has anyone on a small scale just shoveled in chips over the coals after the fire is established?
    My guess is this would be difficult unless you have air under fire and air over fire. A few shovels of damp(ish) wood chips could smother a bed of coals pretty quick with a natural draft.
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  2. #12
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    The closest I've ever come to burning ships, is when I clean up around the front of the evaporator while boiling. It seems I often get a qty. of bark pieces mixed in with lots of chainsaw sawdust/chips. I sweep it and sometimes there is enough to fill a really large dustpan (industrial size). I open the door and toss it in, this does not smother the fire, it flashes immediately and burns. This however is not the same as filling the arch with chips as a main fuel. I think however, if you can add then often enough in smaller batches it could work. However I think that may keep you overly busy and detract from other things to do, along with some of the enjoyment.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  3. #13
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    I was told D&G would put a larger feed tube in their pellet arch for chips if someone wanted to give it a try.

  4. #14
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    IMG_0896.jpg

    Here is a picture of the one I built.
    Last edited by Mark; 05-15-2014 at 12:04 PM.

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    Attachment 9734

    Here is a picture of the one I built.
    That's awesome! Nice job I really like how clean the fabrication was done.
    I'm looking to use chips but on a smaller evaporator. I have a 30" x 8' forced draft unit with max combo pans. I have the clean wood, I have the chippers and trucks and even a machine to transfer chips.
    I have located a chiptec boiler unit that was set up residentially and removed because they couldn't find chips. I'm hoping to some how modify this unit to fit my evaporator but I'm still learning about how to burn chips.

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ball Brook Maple View Post
    That's awesome! Nice job I really like how clean the fabrication was done.
    I'm looking to use chips but on a smaller evaporator. I have a 30" x 8' forced draft unit with max combo pans. I have the clean wood, I have the chippers and trucks and even a machine to transfer chips.
    I have located a chiptec boiler unit that was set up residentially and removed because they couldn't find chips. I'm hoping to some how modify this unit to fit my evaporator but I'm still learning about how to burn chips.
    I would like to bolt mine on the front of a steam boiler and boil with a steam pan. I have been reading the regulations on steam boilers in Michigan and it looks like it would be costly even if I already had the boiler.

  7. #17
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    Steam is nothing to dabble in. Don't try to make your own. If you do use steam, buy the unit and then fit the pans with the exchange tubes. Steam in homemade rigs are a real explosion hazard. Steam has an almost unlimited force if done wrong.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by maple flats View Post
    Steam is nothing to dabble in. Don't try to make your own. If you do use steam, buy the unit and then fit the pans with the exchange tubes. Steam in homemade rigs are a real explosion hazard. Steam has an almost unlimited force if done wrong.
    I wouldn't try to make my own and would have someone set it up. What I mean is my chip burner would power the boiler. A local guy 20 years ago was putting them on boilers at schools. It was a neat setup but the price of oil went down and they went back to oil. Mine is the same size as the ones that went on the 250hp boilers.

    In Michigan even if you had it set up by a person with a boiler installer license you could not change a steam coil in the pan on your own. I did some checking, you would need a union worker to come in and work on the coils if they need to be removed or reinstalled. I have been told by a guy that boils with steam in Vermont that there are no regulations in Vermont and no inspections. It is completely different than Michigan.
    Last edited by Mark; 05-16-2014 at 07:59 AM.

  9. #19
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    After all that being said, Bascom boils for his 60,000 taps (or maybe he's up to 80,000 now) on a single steam powered boiler. It looked to be maybe 6' x 16' (but I didn't measure it), just a single syrup pan. In each channel is a steam tube. Done right steam is a super method. As I understand it, boiling with steam you can burn the syrup nor the pans.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  10. #20
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    Bascom is running 82,000 taps now and they told me it was impossible to burn the syrup.
    Brandon

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