A lot of milk tanks have been scrapped around here, and they are getting harder to find, but there are still several out there. I have two for my maple syrup production, both 600 gal, one just for a holding tank out side without a compressor unit. Then I have one inside, up in my loft with a compressor unit. when I gather my sap from the woods, I haul it back to my sugar shack and pump it into the tank in the back. I then use a sump pump to pump it up to the tank in the loft and chill it if necessary. I then gravity feed out of this one to my evaporator.
This second tank with the chiller, was a real game changer. Our weather swings so violently I can now gather for a few days and chill it with out worrying and have enough for a good boil. Before I would have to boil a few hundred gallons, and shut down.
Sorghum Producer
60 Bee Hives
200 Acres of Ky hills
225 Taps on Gravity
2018 - Lapierre 2X8 Storm
1963 Military M37 Sap Hauler
and if things get tough...M35A2
youtube videos
How much electricity are you using? What are you running at the sugarhouse with the 100 amps? How many amps are "left" with everything else running? My tank is not hard-wired in- it's on a hay wagon gear so it's movable if need be- so I had my electrician put a 30ft. cord on it and it has a 220V, 20amp, three prong plug on it. So, it's not drawing a lot of electricity. Well, not a lot compared to other 220V devices like dryers, ovens and welders.
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/
Not just for the big guys, but all depends on the time you have available and what your time is worth? Are you making syrup to make money, or is it just a hobby? The size of the tank depends upon how high you're concentrating, how many taps, and how long you want to go between boils.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
The compressor for the 625 gallon tank is 3HP, about 17amps plus a couple for the agitator motor. For me when the temps are above freezing for a few days in a row I can spend time in the woods, fix leaks and boil every other or third day when the vacuum is bringing in .75 to 1 GPT a day. I am sure there will be times early season when I will not turn it on but can if needed or a short run. I will know more in a few months if it was the right choice for a small producer.
2.5X10 HE
600 RO
Vac
I don’t think you’ll have any regrets even if you don’t use it every week. It’s going to save you a lot of time over the course of the season.
305 taps on 2 Shurflo's, 31 taps on 3/16" and 229 taps on gravity. 565 in all
Mountain Maple S3 controller for 145 of the vacuum taps
2x6 Darveau Mystique Oil Fired Evaporator w/ Smoky Lake Simplicity Auto Draw
Wesfab 7” filter press
I agree with Maine. I can not envision any serious sugarmaker saying they regret investing in refrigeration after using one of these tanks- regardless of their size. My biggest regret? Not getting mine operational sooner than I did. And I won't be without one going forward.
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/
Dr. Tim, what do you do between boils with the sweet in the evaporator? Filter it and add it to the bulk tank once cool to preserve until the next boil? I just got a 600 gal delaval that worked but the compressor was shot. Will have it up and running for next season for time / life management.
Thanks,
Andy
Andy's Own Maple
Andy Kinter (4th + generation maple producer)
Approx 790 taps on vacuum
3x10 nat. gas fired raised flue small bros.
600 gph Lapierre RO
Fine collection of used bulk tanks
Kubota MX5100 sap hauler
2 hives (that I don't spend enough time on)
A great family that works together to make syrup!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andys...27718203945398
http://photobucket.com/mapleack
Typically at the end of a boil we drain the front and back pans into separate insulated draw-off tanks and put the lids on. This allows us to clean the pans. The liquid is hot enough that it kills any residual microbes. We don't open them again until we pump the sweet back into the pans. We usually boil about once a week, so the sweet is fine that long with this procedure. If it was going to be really warm for a few weeks, we'd probably pump the sweet back into the pans and fire up for 5 min (easy to do with an oil-fired evaporator) -- just long enough to boil the liquid a bit. It it were really hot, we might consider putting it into the bulk tank.
Dr. Tim Perkins
UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
https://mapleresearch.org
Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu
Andy's Own Maple
Andy Kinter (4th + generation maple producer)
Approx 790 taps on vacuum
3x10 nat. gas fired raised flue small bros.
600 gph Lapierre RO
Fine collection of used bulk tanks
Kubota MX5100 sap hauler
2 hives (that I don't spend enough time on)
A great family that works together to make syrup!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andys...27718203945398
http://photobucket.com/mapleack