This will be my third season on a Deer Run 125. Aside from the quick how-to Ray gave me and the great manual Maple Flats put together, I just kind of run it the way that seems right. I'm curious how others run theirs as a comparison.

I typically start it up and start tightening the high pressure valve until it reaches about 255 psi or so. Then I begin opening the recirculation needle valve and simultaneously, slowly tightening the high pressure valve - keeping the pressure right around 255 psi. I've found that if I go higher than that, the pressure spikes quickly and the high pressure cut off shuts it all down and I have to start all over. The high pressure seems to cut off around 275 psi rather than the 295 that the manual says. Either that or the needle rockets up before I can see it. I'm wondering if that's typical for others.

For the first 10 minutes or so, the pressure slowly climbs and I have to slowly continue opening the recirculation needle valve to keep it at 255. In the next ten minutes, I have to do it a little less. In the next hour, even less. I'll keep an eye on it and tweak as needed, but it usually sits right around 255-260 the rest of the way.

By this point, after all the tweaks and evening things out, the flow rates are around 1.0 gpm on the permeate and .5 or .6 on the concentrate. That gives me about 90 gph and takes my 2.0-2.5% sap to 6.0-7.0% concentrate. I have only done single passes.

The 90ish gph works for me and I get a lot done while I'm waiting for the concentrate. At this rate though, I try to get most of the way through the raw sap before lighting the fire. At .5 gpm for concentrate, my evaporator can actually outrun the RO. The upside, is I'm squeezing a lot of water out of the sap on one pass.

How does this jibe with how others use their Deer Run? I've always wondered if there's something less than ideal about my settings.

Sean