Some pics from last season. All my boiling is done in a residential neighborhood, in my driveway, by myself. Goes to show that you don't need a farm or sugar shack to make syrup, all you need is imagination.
Some pics from last season. All my boiling is done in a residential neighborhood, in my driveway, by myself. Goes to show that you don't need a farm or sugar shack to make syrup, all you need is imagination.
250 taps on bags - This is my hobby, not a job
2x4 SL Raised Flue Evaporator w/Hood & AutoDrawoff
Sl Flat Filter Bottler (going to press when funds permit)
Homemade Sap Pan Bubbler
Homemade Sap Tanks Recirculation & Aeration System
Homemade Sap Tank UV System
50 Gal SS Head Tank with Automatic Fill
I stop at 40 - 75 gal Syrup - that's enough
All boiling is done outside in the driveway
Yes, it can certainly be done, but a sugarhouse helps a lot. In many neighborhoods and jurisdictions a sugar house could not be built because of local laws.
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.
Jim,
You have a very nice evaporator! you probably get a lot of slow traffic going by the house gawking!
Keep Boiling! Do you have plans for a sugarhouse?
Regards,
Chris
Casbohm Maple and Honey
625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
12" SIRO Filter Press.
2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
Too many Cub Cadets
Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck
www.mapleandhoney.com
Jim,
Why bother with the hood when you're boiling outside?
I used a hood the year I boiled outside too. I felt it kept moths and other things from getting into the syrup.
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.
Thanks Flats, I just wasn't sure if there was some other benefit I was missing.
That looks like an air injection unit in your pans. Is that a home made unit?
Camp Wokanda
Peoria Park District
2023 - 210 on 3/16 shurflo, sap storage shack w/ 1100 gallon tank - 123 gallons
2022 - 210 on 3/16 shurflo, homemade vac filter & water jacket canner - 104 gallons
2021 - 215 on 3/16 shurflo, added 2nd membrane to RO - 78 gallons
2020 - 210 on 3/16 shurflo, upgraded hp pump on RO - 66 gallons
2019 - 150 on 3/16 shurflo, Deer Run 125 dolly RO - 73 gallons
2018 - 120 on 3/16 shurflo, 2x6 raised flue w/hood, homemade arch w/ AUF & AOF - 34.5 gallons
looks cool, not too far off my Shack Whacky setup
Been tapping since 2008.
2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup
My father and I were outside for years! Ours had a hood too and then I built a preheater for it. Even without the heater, the hood keeps the wind off your sap. What happens when you blow on a hot spoonful of soup? Yes- it cools off. The hood helps maintain the boil. And we had make shift "guards" (stainless and aluminum pieces of sheet) that we clamped on and around the front pan -depending on which way the wind was blowing.
Nice set up you have there! And no mud!! LOL.
Steve
2014 Upgrades!: 24x40 sugarhouse & 30"x10' Lapierre welded pans, wood fired w/ forced draft, homemade hood & preheater
400 taps- half on gravity 5/16, half on gravity 3/16
Airablo R.O. machine - in the house basement!
Ford F-350 4x4 sap gatherer
An assortment of barrels, cage tanks & bulk tanks- with one operational for cooling/holding concentrate
And a few puzzled neighbors...
http://s606.photobucket.com/albums/t...uckethead1920/