+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 15

Thread: Phew I'm tired! Thinking about going GAS next year

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Richfield
    Posts
    19

    Default Phew I'm tired! Thinking about going GAS next year

    This was my first year, and it was very successful! I probably have a bit more sap to collect and boil, but in my first two short weeks I collected 160 gallons of sap from 9 trees, and made 4 gallons of the good stuff!

    I used a wood fire arch evaporator, you know the kind out of concrete block.

    I had fun, but the wood part is really a hassle. We have natural gas and its cheap here. So I was thinking, let's get one of those fancy shiny evaporators next year that runs off of natural gas!

    But I can't find any. Everything online is just wood fired, and the gas ones are just "finishers". I wanted to get one of those very efficient pans / systems but run it off of natural gas. Any suggestions?


    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Oakville, ON
    Posts
    144

    Default

    Try Lapierre equipment. I know they make a small propane fired evaporator, should be adaptable to ng.
    2023 - 130 taps, 90L from 4,000L as of mid March
    2021 - 84 taps, 50L from 2100L
    2020 - 100 taps on buckets, 21L syrup from 2700L so far (FEB 26-Mar 13) and then the pandemic hit! End of our season!
    2019 - 62 taps on buckets, 95L syrop from 3215L sap
    2018 - 62 taps, collecting by hand, 90L syrop from 3200L sap
    2017 - Lapierre Waterloo Small mini pro with 40 taps
    2014 - 2016 40 taps making one or two batches on a 2x6 flat pan over an open arch as it would have been done in 1900

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Potter County, PA
    Posts
    815

    Default

    For nat gas you have a couple options.

    1) Buy an oil fired rig and convert the burner to gas / buy the converted burner ready to go
    2) convert a wood fired unit to nat gas using one of a couple fireing options: long tube burner, torch burner, or any other high output burner you can make work ( last resort).

    How big of an evaporator are you looking to go to? New or used? Whats your budget? How many taps are you going to boil from?
    Last edited by mellondome; 03-24-2018 at 09:07 PM.
    2008 4 buckets
    ~
    2016 1300 vac tubing
    18x24 sugar shack
    2x6 Grimm Lightning w/preheater on natural gas
    7" full bank press
    CDL 600 RO
    2000 Sonoma w/ 200gal tank
    2003 Duramax w/ 500 gal tank
    2 sap guzzling kids
    very patient wife!

    Same ol' addiction

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Richfield
    Posts
    19

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mellondome View Post
    For nat gas you have a couple options.

    1) Buy an oil fired rig and convert the burner to gas / buy the converted burner ready to go
    2) convert a wood fired unit to nat gas using one of a couple fireing options: long tube burner, torch burner, or any other high output burner you can make work ( last resort).

    How big of an evaporator are you looking to go to? New or used? Whats your budget? How many taps are you going to boil from?
    Budget <2k. I have 12 sugar maple taps so hobby level.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Potter County, PA
    Posts
    815

    Default

    Small gas finishing pan is about the size you should be looking at. If my memorybis correct, a 2'x3' flat pan should get you around 10 gallons per hour evaporation rate. You would be looking at something like a halfpint or similar? You can always convert them to gas fairly easy. Something like a propane weed burner torch will be a great start. You will just need to make the orfice larger (drill it out) for nat gas.
    2008 4 buckets
    ~
    2016 1300 vac tubing
    18x24 sugar shack
    2x6 Grimm Lightning w/preheater on natural gas
    7" full bank press
    CDL 600 RO
    2000 Sonoma w/ 200gal tank
    2003 Duramax w/ 500 gal tank
    2 sap guzzling kids
    very patient wife!

    Same ol' addiction

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Richfield
    Posts
    19

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mellondome View Post
    Small gas finishing pan is about the size you should be looking at. If my memorybis correct, a 2'x3' flat pan should get you around 10 gallons per hour evaporation rate. You would be looking at something like a halfpint or similar? You can always convert them to gas fairly easy. Something like a propane weed burner torch will be a great start. You will just need to make the orfice larger (drill it out) for nat gas.
    The Leader Evaporator 2 x 4 is $2500 but I found a 16" x 38" for $600. How much per hour would that do? Can I just buy a pan and buy a nat. gas burners?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Richfield
    Posts
    19

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BCPP View Post
    Try Lapierre equipment. I know they make a small propane fired evaporator, should be adaptable to ng.
    How do you adapt it to ng? I'm not a plumber and have no experience in this (I wish I could just buy a setup already made).

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Richfield
    Posts
    19

    Default

    Could I buy 2 of these and just use a finishing pan? How many gallons per hour would I get from 2 of these?

    https://www.bbqguys.com/bayou-boiler...ss-steel-stand

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Cuba, NY
    Posts
    379

    Default

    There are lots of threads on here about hobby RO's too. Makes a huge difference on wood consumption.
    220 Taps
    2x6 Home made
    Sap Shack 20x20
    5 Shurflo diaphragm pumps
    250 GPH Deer run RO

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Covington, New York
    Posts
    1,680

    Default

    Evaporation rate is mostly dependent on the square footage of the bottom of the pan exposed to the fire/heat, not the heat source itself. It is right around 1 gallon of evaporation, to 1 square foot of surface area. A 2x4 flat pan would provide about 8 gph evaporation, IF the heat was fairly evenly spread out on the bottom. I always seemed to average around 6 1/2 to 7 gph out of my old 2x4 flat pan. Flues on pans greatly increase that surface area without increasing the footprint of the pan.
    Noel Good
    1998 to 2009: 15 taps on buckets, scavenged fire pit and pans
    2010: New 2x4 SS flat pan w/preheater
    2015: New to me Lapierre 18x60 raised flue, new shack, new everything!! 59 taps 23.75 gallons
    2016: 85 taps 19 gallons
    2017: Purchased 2.5 acres and tubed half with 3/16. 145 taps total 49.25 gallons
    2018: 200 taps (162 on 3/16ths 38 on buckets) New NextGen RO 63 gallons
    2019: 210 taps 73.5 gallons
    2023: 210 taps 89.75 gallons
    www.wnybass.com

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts