Anyone try the RO bucket?
Anyone try the RO bucket?
2006 - 12 taps on open fire
2011 - 50 taps new 2 x 4 flat pan + warmer
2012 - 65 taps new 16 x 16 sugar shack
2013- 75 taps and no more, well maybe 85 now
2016-97 taps
1 Lab and my wife's Springer
I have not tried the ro bucket but heard on facebook chats that they are very nice. I made my own just like it. Just not in the bucket. Mine works great
This is the third season for mine and love it. Saves time and firewood. I have anywhere from 75 to 85 buckets and run about half of it thru the ro bucket.
100-110 buckets
Leader 7.5" 3 Bank filter press (2023)
RO Bucket RB10 (2017) upgraded to RB20 (2020)
Homemade oil tank arch
Homemade stainless pans
12x16 Sugar Shack (new 2020)
I just bought one this week, it has shipped. I’m looking forward to trying it out. I’ve read about DIY options and maybe that’s a cheaper route. However, I haven’t read one bad thing about the RO Bucket or the guys that run it.
I'm convinced you will be happy. Carl is great to work with if you have questions or any issues at all. Once you use it, you'll be plotting how to add more taps!
2023: Award Winning Maple Syrup and Honey!
2023: 200 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
2022: 150 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
2022: Lapierre Vision 2x6 with Preheater & Marcland Autodraw
2022: Brand new post and beam sugar house
2022: 4"x40" RO
Kubota L4701, Kubota BX2380
2 Black Rescue Dogs, 2 Livestock Guardian Dogs, Many Bee Hives, A Flock of Icelandic Chickens
30 Acres of Wooded Bliss
vikingmadeforge: Artist Blacksmithing & Bladesmithing
https://blackdogbeesandmapletrees.com
I always wanted to do RO, but after many years of seeing even the smallest RO units at places like Bascoms and what they cost i sort of dismissed the idea altogether. It just didnt seem cost effective for the small guy, like me, so i put it out of mind. But a few years ago i found out about the robucket, and looked into it. I didn't act because i felt it was to good to be true and was still not exactly what i would call 'cheap'. I toyed with the idea of building my own, using their schematics but once i priced all the parts out it was basically the same, so i finally pulled the trigger this year. I got a kit from them, which I built into my own bucket and man, i am now kicking myself for not doing this when this thing came out years back. It is so cool to have it pumping out 8% concentrate all day, from 2% sap. I havnt boiled off any concentrate yet, i plan to this weekend, but just knowing im starting off with 8% vs 2% should mean shorter boils and lighter than motoroil colored syrup and I can see how it is worth the money already in time savings.
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.
Just an FYI Person25, I'm under the impression that the concentrate spoils much more rapidly that un RO'ed sap
10th year in….
100 sap sacks...Actually, I hope to never have to use them again!
1000' feet of 3/16th on gravity (not sure how many taps yet)
14x14 sugar shack
New 2x5 Hybrid Drop flue from Smoky Lake
5" filter press from Daryl
Sap Dog Chloe
2020 - 1st year - 14 taps 1 Gallon Jugs + 4x 5-Gallon Buckets + Propane Grill + lots of headaches
2021 - 2nd year - 19 Taps (and some free sap from a friend in the same town!) 145 or so OZ
2022 - 3rd year - 46 taps (3 at home, 2 at neighbors, 38 at friends, and 3 at work) added ROBucket RB10, and Silver Creek 18x34x6 Divided Maple Syrup Pan w/warming Pan+Valve+Thermometer 6 Gallons 6 OZ!
2023 And we grow some more... Starting with OldPostMaple.com!
You should be o.k. freezing concentrate.
Cindy, yes, concentrate spoils much faster because of higher sugar content = faster bacteria growth. This isn't necessarily the case with boiled concentrate because you've killed a lot of the bacteria through boiling.
If you do a search on here, you will find lots of discussion about storing/freezing sap and concentrate.
When you thaw your sap/concentrate, you can consider boiling when 2/3 has melted. The remaining [frozen] 1/3 will be mostly water (it's called freeze concentration). You can look up that on here as well for more details.
2023: Award Winning Maple Syrup and Honey!
2023: 200 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
2022: 150 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
2022: Lapierre Vision 2x6 with Preheater & Marcland Autodraw
2022: Brand new post and beam sugar house
2022: 4"x40" RO
Kubota L4701, Kubota BX2380
2 Black Rescue Dogs, 2 Livestock Guardian Dogs, Many Bee Hives, A Flock of Icelandic Chickens
30 Acres of Wooded Bliss
vikingmadeforge: Artist Blacksmithing & Bladesmithing
https://blackdogbeesandmapletrees.com
Freezing the concentrate will keep it from spoiling, but it will take quite a while to thaw. Yes, concentrate spoils much faster than sap, because you have not only concentrated the sugar but also the micro-organisms.
Proctor maple research had an article in the Maple News, I believe about how they hold concentrate for a few days, They concentrate to about 35% sugar (for more than any regular RO can get) and they refrigerate a bulk tank to I believe 26 degrees, just short of freezing. They then boil it a day or 2 later.
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.