Sugar Bear: today’s run was about 1 gallon of sap per tap. Ok, but no record. I’m holding off on adding taps for another week at least.
Sugar Bear: today’s run was about 1 gallon of sap per tap. Ok, but no record. I’m holding off on adding taps for another week at least.
Finished up all of my tweaks to the evaporator and made use of this fine January day to get my first boil of the year in.
2017 25 taps on buckets got me hooked 1 gallon of sweet
2018 51 taps on 3/16 tubing/ DIY oil tank evaporator 8.5gallons finished
2019 60 taps 7 gallons finished ended season short
2020 New 2x4 divided pan ready to get away from the headache that is steam table pans
2021 off year due to pandemic and projects
2022 back at it
Cjadamec What kind of temps are you getting from your pre heater. I just rigged one up and haven't boiled or tapped yet up here in Pomfret.
2020 ~New Smokey Lake Dauntless w/flat pan
Home made coil pre heater
40 taps on drop lines
7 on hanging buckets
At the current flow rate which I'd say is around 10-12gph and a freshly fuled fire the thermometer reads 171F coming out of the preheated.
Last edited by Cjadamec; 01-27-2020 at 01:54 PM.
2017 25 taps on buckets got me hooked 1 gallon of sweet
2018 51 taps on 3/16 tubing/ DIY oil tank evaporator 8.5gallons finished
2019 60 taps 7 gallons finished ended season short
2020 New 2x4 divided pan ready to get away from the headache that is steam table pans
2021 off year due to pandemic and projects
2022 back at it
Nice. I'll be happy very happy getting 171* and or 10-12 gph
2020 ~New Smokey Lake Dauntless w/flat pan
Home made coil pre heater
40 taps on drop lines
7 on hanging buckets
You should do a test run or two with water to work the kinks out of the new rig. With enough fire you should be able to get in the 10-12 gph range when you are firing hard.
2017 25 taps on buckets got me hooked 1 gallon of sweet
2018 51 taps on 3/16 tubing/ DIY oil tank evaporator 8.5gallons finished
2019 60 taps 7 gallons finished ended season short
2020 New 2x4 divided pan ready to get away from the headache that is steam table pans
2021 off year due to pandemic and projects
2022 back at it
What do you guys think of these buckets are they bad news? I got them super cheap. The one on the right is the worst, the rest look like the one on the left with alittle rust. I'm thinking of plastic lining them.
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I also got these taps with the deal? Should I just get new ones?
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Right, wrong or indifferent, I've used buckets over the years much worse than those pictured, with no known effect. I just use a soft brush so I don't wear off any zinc, to clean them, until they get rusty then I retire them. As some of my buckets have gotten worse (actual surface rust forming) over the years Ive begun replacing the fleet with plastic, but still run some buckets just like yours in places tubing wont work. I'm sure somewhere there is a heath study saying using galv buckets is bad, because of the zinc wearing off but I say run'em. As for the taps, they look like they're aluminum? if so they should cleanup with a little work and a soft brush.
Last edited by Person25; 01-27-2020 at 06:40 PM.
1990-2013 - 35+, 7/16, on milk jugs+3gal galv buckets, 55gal drum firebox, 125 year old 10 gallon porcelain pot, outdoor boiling fun.
2014 - 40+ Built a 10x12 sugar shack, new 2x3 Mason.
2015-2023 - 75+ 5/16 Buckets, 3/16 tube, DIY RoBucket, on the mason in the shack, me, the dogs, sometimes the ole'lady, and defiantly a few beers.