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Thread: Weather effect on this years sap production(Southern IN)

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Location
    Northeast Indiana
    Posts
    58

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    Put in 20 taps on bucket drop lines and 6 on wine bags last Saturday. Have collected 53 gallons as of this morning and added 4 more bags.

    This is my first year and I'm having a blast!
    Sunrise 2X4 Hobby
    Smoky Lake Hybrid Pan

    2020
    100 Taps

    2019
    40 Taps

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Crawford County Indiana
    Posts
    93

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    So 2 weeks ago I collected 480 gal of sap, but after RO’ing to about 45 gal, float box stuck while boiling and I had run inside to make the kids some breakfast; burned my pan. Seriously burned it. It had embers in the pan. Cleaned it up (warped as all get out), collected 450 gal sap last weekend. Had a kid event smack in the middle of this weekend, so I just went out after that and dumped about 380 gal of sap. Should have been more, one barrel fell over and squirrels put a few holes in another line. I did get 2 overflow barrels hooked up, so hopefully next weekend will be good.
    2014 - 30 taps
    2015 - 50 taps
    2016 - 140 taps
    2017 - 115 taps - 85 taps on 3/16, 30 buckets
    2018 - 150 taps, all 3/16

    Smokey Lake 2x3
    Homemade 2x XLE-4040 RO Unit
    Kubota L3940 - big sap hauler
    Polaris Sportsman 570 SP - little sap hauler
    I'm 1:20 remote from sugarbush, so I let run awhile between boils, and time is at a premium, so I try to oversize things

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Freedom, IN.
    Posts
    184

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    We've processed over 1900 gallons so far this season, yielding just over 29 gallons of syrup. The homemade RO we put together has been a real game changer, enabling us to eliminate 75% of the water without lighting a match. I think we may call it quits after this coming weekend, if we get one more good run.

  4. #24
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Lebanon, IN
    Posts
    291

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    Tony, how is your RO set up, & what's the rate it processes sap?
    Doug
    Maple Creations
    Coatesville, IN
    350 taps on 5/16 tubing & 4 Lunchbox pumps
    MemProTec Concentrator 300 RO
    Wood-fired 30"x8' D&G Model 500 raised-flue w/Steam hood & blower
    Smoky Lake finisher, D&G filter press,
    http://www.facebook.com/maplecreations

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Freedom, IN.
    Posts
    184

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    Doug, I used Hodorskib’s setup with 5, 150 gpd membranes. I was really worried that it would be too small, but that hasn’t been the case. We’ve been regularly processing 10-12 gallons of sap per hour, with Saturday night’s 160 gallons started at around 6:00 pm, and the sap tank was empty when I got to the sugar house at 8:30 Sunday morning. It left us with 44 gallons to boil, and that’s with sap still flowing into the holding tank when I left Saturday night. We’re boiling on a homemade arch with a 2x3 flat pan, and I while I don’t think our current RO will keep up with the expansion I foresee in our future, it has opened my eyes to the possibilities. After just one season with it, I would hate to go back to boiling raw sap.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Lebanon, IN
    Posts
    291

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    Thanks for the info, Tony.
    With a system around that size, it seems like it would work, but would probably have to run constantly.
    And we'd have to figure out the logistics of processing what we have coming directly to the sugarhouse in tubing, what we collect from the bags and what we collect from our remote location...more stuff to debate while we're boiling
    Doug
    Maple Creations
    Coatesville, IN
    350 taps on 5/16 tubing & 4 Lunchbox pumps
    MemProTec Concentrator 300 RO
    Wood-fired 30"x8' D&G Model 500 raised-flue w/Steam hood & blower
    Smoky Lake finisher, D&G filter press,
    http://www.facebook.com/maplecreations

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    North Shore Lake Lemon, Monroe County
    Posts
    135

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    I did the 4 membrane 150 setup, and then this year added 4 250 membranes. Going through about 20 gallons of sap per hour and getting about 8-9%, Not lightning fast, but a huge time and wood saver. I only have 80 taps this year, but last weekend I had a little more than 200 gallons of sap which I processed overnight and then brought home and just finished on a turkey fryer. Slower than my Mason 2x4 evaporator for sure, but nice to be home and spend some time with my wife and kids. Realistically anything over 30 gallons of concentrated sap I should do on the evaporator, but this weekend for example I had 75 gallons of sap that I ro'd down in 4 hours and was easily managed on the propane turkey fryer.
    2014 - 8 taps, turkey fryer, 130 gallons sap, just under 2.5 gallons syrup.
    2015 - 50 taps and counting.
    2016 - 60 taps on 3/16 and a Bill Mason evaporator on order.
    2017 - 115 taps on 3/16, homemade r/o.
    2018 - 150 taps on 3/16, r/o a big help, but lots of leaks killing yield.
    2019 - sticking with 150 taps or maybe less, focusing on good vacuum and less waste to increase yield. Doubling up my r/o, and made a vacuum filter that looks promising.

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Freedom, IN.
    Posts
    184

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    Andrew, what did you end up doing regarding a pump? Did you go with the procon, or is the 8800 pushing through all 8 membranes.. seems pretty unlikely?

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    North Shore Lake Lemon, Monroe County
    Posts
    135

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    Quote Originally Posted by TonyL View Post
    Andrew, what did you end up doing regarding a pump? Did you go with the procon, or is the 8800 pushing through all 8 membranes.. seems pretty unlikely?
    Hi Tony, Sorry...I haven't been on for a while. I am using the 8800...it seems to have no problem holding pressure at 125, and I haven't even turned it up, which I may do.
    2014 - 8 taps, turkey fryer, 130 gallons sap, just under 2.5 gallons syrup.
    2015 - 50 taps and counting.
    2016 - 60 taps on 3/16 and a Bill Mason evaporator on order.
    2017 - 115 taps on 3/16, homemade r/o.
    2018 - 150 taps on 3/16, r/o a big help, but lots of leaks killing yield.
    2019 - sticking with 150 taps or maybe less, focusing on good vacuum and less waste to increase yield. Doubling up my r/o, and made a vacuum filter that looks promising.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Nov 2018
    Location
    Northeast Indiana
    Posts
    58

    Default

    Are you guys in Southern Indiana still going or is it over down there?
    Sunrise 2X4 Hobby
    Smoky Lake Hybrid Pan

    2020
    100 Taps

    2019
    40 Taps

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