Mine are on the bottom. This season will be the first time we use the sugar house so we'll see... IMG_5181.jpg
Mine are on the bottom. This season will be the first time we use the sugar house so we'll see... IMG_5181.jpg
2016 - 2 x 4 Randy Worthen built arch and pans 11 taps; 2.625 gallons of syrup!
2017 - 29 taps; 11.625 gallons of syrup!
2018 - 30 taps; 98 pints bottled! New sugar house being built, new equipment coming!
2019 - 125 taps; 50 gallons made! New 2x6 Smoky Lake Corsair arch, drop flue pan, auto draw. Smoky Lake filter press and Steam Bottler
2020 - 173 taps; only 35 gallons made.
2021 - 242 taps; New record! 50.5 gallons made!
2022 - 321 taps; New record! 80 gallons made!
A picture of my doors from inside with the pipe "hinge" 1/3 down from the top, and one from outside under boil. These open from the bottom - no snow or rain comes in at all.
If you look closely at the interior shot you can see the pipe extends past the door into a pillow block on the frame of the cupola. I pull on a line (rope) attached to the top of the door which leads down through a turning block and cleat it off when the door is angled properly.
cupola doors.jpg boiling 2014-2.jpg
I can't take credit for the design - it was Scott Carlson from Sweet Grass Joinery who gave me the idea. Scott also did all of the timber frame work - I did the hemlock siding and made the doors, windows. Scott is an artist for sure.
John Allin
14x18 Hemlock Timber Frame Sugar House 2009
Leader 2x6 w/Patriot Raised Flue Pan 2009
Leader Steam Hood 2014 - Clear Filter Press 2015
Leader Revolution Pan and SS Pre-Heater 2016
CDL Hobby RO & Air Tech L25 Hi Vac Pump 2019
06' Gator HPX to collect wood & sap
14' Ski-Doo Tundra for winter work in the woods
Great Family 3 grown kids+spouses and 7 grand kids who like the woods
7th Gen Born in Canada - Raised in Chardon Ohio - Maple Capital of the World..<grin>.
I have 4X8 door on mine and they hinge from the bottom. I can open mine with ropes letting gravity do its thing I have hooks to allow them to open fully or 1/2 way. Snow has never been a problem because at 1/2 open the hat water vapor billowing out melts the flakes as they pass by. I also open mine independently from each other so I can use the wind to my advantage I will keep the Leeward side open all the way and keep the other one 1/2 closed. When the wind gets heavy it can cause to much swirling around the doors pushing the water vapor back in.
Great looking sugar shack!
2020: 317 taps, 2021: 360, 2022: 350 2023: 300, 2024: 230 (getting smarter)
Drop lines and hanging buckets, all hand lugged
2 X 6 raised flue evaporator
7in. Filter press
17 HP Kubota tractor
12 X 16' sugar shack
Sugar and red maples
How does one calculate the sizeof the doors on the cupola?
I have a 2x4 and 2x6 pans that may run at the same time.
2016- 32 taps, 3 1/2 gallons
2017- 150 taps, 13 gallons after building an evaporator
2018- goal is 240+ taps. 20+ gallons.
2018 Reality- 235 taps, 5 gallons of syrup. Average 50 birch taps and 3 gallons of syrup.
2019- 180 maple taps, 20 gallons of finished syrup.
~ 160 birch taps, 13 finished gallons of syrup.
Latitude 47.278150
www.facebook.com/livingoffmyland2015
If boiling without a hood,on either you want the same sq footage as the pans. Thus 2x4 + 2x6= 8+12=20 sq. foot. If you use hoods the size it really just for looks, however it does still remove a little steam. With hoods about 1/3-1/2 should be good.
Dave
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 really like the design of your sugar shack. I like how the cupola was done. I am 1/3 into my build and I’d like to build doors like you have. Can you send me some more photos of the cupola?
Also, I plan on exiting through the center of the peak with my stack. Can you send me photos of the roof jack too.
Do you get a lot of “rain” inside with the wood on the underside of the metal?
My email is knock10090@gmail.com if it is easier to send photos!
Thanks!
Here's a better picture of the cupola and door hinge setup.
I used 2x8's over the timber rafters for sheathing, then installed the metal roofing over that...we don't get any condensation at all.
Cupola was framed up, like a dog house(?) with no floor and the bottom plate angled to match the roof pitch, then hoisted to the roof top.
It rests on the rafters, with the bottom wall plate lag bolted down into the rafters. I installed the hemlock siding after all was in place.
I was notified that you had tried to send a PM - but my in-box was full. It has been cleared out.
cupola door hinge.jpg
John Allin
14x18 Hemlock Timber Frame Sugar House 2009
Leader 2x6 w/Patriot Raised Flue Pan 2009
Leader Steam Hood 2014 - Clear Filter Press 2015
Leader Revolution Pan and SS Pre-Heater 2016
CDL Hobby RO & Air Tech L25 Hi Vac Pump 2019
06' Gator HPX to collect wood & sap
14' Ski-Doo Tundra for winter work in the woods
Great Family 3 grown kids+spouses and 7 grand kids who like the woods
7th Gen Born in Canada - Raised in Chardon Ohio - Maple Capital of the World..<grin>.
Sorry, I missed this question before now. I have never had so much snow on the doors during a boil that it caused any problem. I think iyt is because soo much steam (or moisture laden warm air) is flowing over the open doors that I get no build up on them. I think I did have freezing rain stick on them once but it remained there when I closed the doors.
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.