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Thread: RO Bucket

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Silver Water
    Posts
    9

    Default RO Bucket

    Looking for owners reviews on the ro bucket .

    Looking at gettng one for next season !

    Thanks
    2018. First year 50 taps made 21 litres
    2019. 78 taps - 38 litres
    2020. 105 taps - 74 litres
    2021. 90 taps - 29 litres
    2022. 100 taps - 47 litres
    2023. 165 Taps - 101 litres

    18x36 Thor hobby evaporator
    CDL Nano RO
    8x12 Sugar Shack

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    20

    Default

    We purchased the R 10 kit this year. Couldn't be more pleased with the performance. Easy to assemble. Excellent instructions. Support is top notch. Would highly recommend.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Fayston, Vt
    Posts
    122

    Default

    You will love it once you get used to it. The best thing that I did not expect is when you are flushing at the end you have rinse water to clean up in shed. You will be saving time and fuel.
    2020 same
    2019 RB10 26 taps
    2018 RO Bucket RB5 taps 20, leg tank in shed w/2 5/16
    2017 18 taps
    2016 20 taps
    2015 21 taps
    2014 30 2 gravity line, 2 hotel pan concrete arch 35 g leg tank
    2013 LP hook up in shack buckets 12 taps
    2 burner cook top 2012 finisher on a bbq tanks
    2011 rookie 2+ gal
    8 taps w/ milk jugs
    turkey cooker
    50-60 up back maybe

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Posts
    16

    Default

    I bought the rb20 kit before I tapped my first tree. I can't imagine not having it. Especially since I use alot of water keeping the shack clean. That permeate water is crucial
    2020 first season ever, wife to be said she wanted to give out maple syrup @ upcoming wedding. I get carried away easy.
    100 taps on 3/16. 30 buckets. 12x20 sugar shack. 3x4 flat pan on barrel arch. Rb 20 kit RO. Tapping in iron county Michigan.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Wind Lake, WI
    Posts
    520

    Default

    Like Northbound1, I bought the RB20 kit. Best $ I've spent on my operation. Easy to run and maintain and saved me an absolutely huge amount of time and firewood. And yes, the permeate water for cleanup is incredibly useful.

    I did some non-conventional ways of wiring mine up so I can fire it up with my phone...I should write up how I did that; others might find it useful.
    42.82N
    2015 - Small operation. 25 buckets. One excited 5 year old and one 35 year old that feels 5 again.
    2016 - One year older. New Homemade 2x4 Arch, Smoky Lake Pan and looking at 52 maples, 17 box elders and 2 walnut trees.
    2017 - Shurflo 4008 hooked to 42 stingy silver maples and a few Norways. A couple buckets on sugars and Norways. 10 box elders.
    2018 - ...a few more taps.
    2019 - ...more taps on 3/16 gravity. This spiral is heading downward in a hurry.
    2020 - 4x400 RO - RB20 (uh-oh!)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Middlesex Vermont
    Posts
    655

    Default

    I love to see pictures of how your set up if working within a small space? my shack is duel purpose and serves as a shed 10 months a year. I am not sure I would have room for a tank to house the water that is separated. If I was going to do it I would by the 20 as the other appear to be to small.
    110 taps W.F Mason 2x3 and two turkey friers for finishing

    2011 expanding to a Mason 2x4 with a blower increasing taps to about 200
    2011 Hurricane Irene rips thru my small sugar bush cost me to lose 20% of taps
    2014 I have reworked my lines for 2014
    32 taps on 5/16 line with check valves
    57 taps on 3/16 line with check valves
    55 buckets with total tapped trees of 144

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Fayston, Vt
    Posts
    122

    Default

    For my rb10 I need 10 gallon of permeate for a flush. I use a 40 gallon pickle barrel. This way you extra to use if not used for a couple of days without new sap.
    Read at his site the manual for use. You could use well water without chlorine in basement.
    I figured that I needed 15 gallons of sap for a minimum. 10g permeate with 5g concentrate for a slow day, usually 20 or more to make it worthwhile to start a fire. Concentrate needs to be boiled soon. I had a couple of small batches at the end that blend together as near. Being small I could do that, you will have different volumes.
    Last edited by to100; 04-14-2020 at 07:51 PM.
    2020 same
    2019 RB10 26 taps
    2018 RO Bucket RB5 taps 20, leg tank in shed w/2 5/16
    2017 18 taps
    2016 20 taps
    2015 21 taps
    2014 30 2 gravity line, 2 hotel pan concrete arch 35 g leg tank
    2013 LP hook up in shack buckets 12 taps
    2 burner cook top 2012 finisher on a bbq tanks
    2011 rookie 2+ gal
    8 taps w/ milk jugs
    turkey cooker
    50-60 up back maybe

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Central Pennsylvania
    Posts
    228

    Default

    I just got a new RB5 RO bucket for my small-scale operation and was just wondering how you guys operate your RO Buckets. I assume you collect concentrate and permeate in separate containers, then chill/freeze or boil your concentrate soon after RO. I have a 35 gallon sap collection tank. Would it be possible to recycle all the concentrate from the RO Bucket back into the 35 gallon tank with the raw sap while collecting the permeate separately, so you're just basically continuously concentrating the sap in the collection tank?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    159

    Default

    Openwater - yes - recycle and RO again and again until you get a higher ssc (sap sugar content)!

    I have the RO 10 kit. I attached it to a board and made it stand upright. This way I can easily bring it inside when it gets too cold. You DON'T want to let the membranes freeze! I collect the permeate in a tupperware storage bin, (15 gal?). I also start the RO first as soon as I go out, get a little concentrate in the bottom of the pan, and by the time I get the fire started and going enough to get a boil, I would have enough sap RO-ed to keep up. On a good day, I get about 10 gph, and the RO 10 keeps up nicely, but I only have time to run it though once. If I wanted to run it through more than once, I need to get it going sooner.
    I also boil the same day that I RO. Sap that has a higher ssc will spoil quicker.IMG-2713.jpgIMG_1486.jpg

    I would highly recommend the RO bucket or kit. You can always add on too.
    2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
    2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
    2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
    2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
    2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Berks County PA
    Posts
    118

    Default

    I don't have many trees but bought the RO Bucket last year. It dropped by boil time down by 2/3.
    Steve

    SE Pennsylvania

    2022 - 13 taps, RO5, 21”x24” SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 17.25
    2021 - 18 taps, RO5, 21”x24” SS pan with pre-warmer pan, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove - 12 pints
    2020 - 13 taps, RO5, backyard made wood fired 55gal drum stove with 2 lg 6” deep pans - 6.75 pints (very warm winter)
    2019 Rookie Season - 14 taps, RO5, turkey fryer with 6” deep pan - 16.5 pints

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