How do you guys keep your raw sap before you RO it . is it outside or inside warm ? Because doesn't it need to be a certain temp before hitting the RO?
Raw sap storage?
How do you guys keep your raw sap before you RO it . is it outside or inside warm ? Because doesn't it need to be a certain temp before hitting the RO?
It needs to be above freezing, but it processes faster if it is warmer, but the condensate spoils faster when it is warmer. I keep mine in my garage. I can open the door to the house to warm the air in the garage and I can open the door to the outside to cool the garage. I try to keep it around 38F.
CE
44° 41′ 3″ N
2019 -- 44 Red Maples - My home and sugarbush are for sale.
2018 -- 48 Red Maples, 7 gallons
2017 -- 84 Red Maples, 1 Sugar Maple, and 1 Silver Maple , 13 gallons
2016 -- 55 Red Maples, 8 gallons
2015 -- 15 Red Maples, 6 Birches - 3+ gallons maple syrup
An awning over my deck is my sugar shack.
An electrified kitchen sink and an electrified steam table pan are my evaporators.
I have 3 SS dairy tanks that are insulated and outside with lids.it makes a big difference. I changed my ways and don't RO until I'm ready to cook. I keep the sap for no longer than 2 days and it has payed off in all my syrup this year going at grade A. Do not heat it up before ROing
Mine is stored in SS tanks outside. The issue of temperature is that sap spoils if not kept cold. RO's for maple are rated for gph at 37 degrees, the warmer the sap the faster it flows, but it also spoils faster.I think most producers try to keep the temp below 40F if they can. I like to see it at 35-37F.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered 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.
I store mine in a SS bulk tank which is outside. I leave the sap in the woods as long as possible because it's colder down there. I leave the door to my RO room open when I'm concentrating to keep it as cool as possible. My concentrate tank is in my woodshed which is on the cold side of the sugar house. See a theme here? I'm willing to sacrifice a little processing speed to keep the concentrate as cool as possible.
Russ
"Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!
1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
Four chainsaws and no chickens!
I pushed a lot of sap through the RO at or 1 degree below freezing this year. It is slow going and the best I can do with 2x 600 GPH membranes is 2GPM concentrate and 8 GPM permeate. On Easter Sunday we had sap that was +6C going through the machine and I was getting permeate flows in the range of 12 GPM. That meant I was getting rid of water 50% faster and making higher % concentrate.Originally Posted by StephensMountainVermont
So no it doesn't have to be heated but if you can heat the room with your raw sap tank it saves a lot of time trying to get the valve on the tank thawed out after a cold night!
4,600 Taps on vacuum
9,400 gallons storage
3 tower CDL RO
3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
Twitter & Instagram: @ennismaple
www.ennismaple.com
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