This is what the wife referred to as Hooterville. It is a pallet frame wrapped in plastic.
This is what the wife referred to as Hooterville. It is a pallet frame wrapped in plastic.
Smoky Lake 2x6 dropflu pans and hoods on homemade arch
Smoky Lake 6 gallon water jacked bottler
Concentric Exhaust
250 Deer Run RO
325 taps
Would something like this work?
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/f...-0881336p.html
2015 - 8 buckets, 332L sap, 8.5L syrup - Barrel evaporator, 2 steam pans
2016 - 8 buckets, 432L sap
2017 - 10 bags, 470L sap, 9L syrup
2018 - 20 bags, 1050L sap, 17.6L syrup
2019 - 20 bags, 970L sap, 22.2L syrup
2020 - 17 bags, 813L sap, 17L syrup
I actually have a grill gazebo that I still have to set up
Maple camp
Not to take away from this thread, but your new shack looks pretty amazing. I like what you have done with the front.
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
I can understand the need to keep your cost down but I think you'd be compromising too much on convenience, efficiency, and maybe even safety. Why not just do a pole barn roof like Maple Camp. Then you can improve the structure every year - maybe add a wall, make shelves and benches, etc.
With a temporary structure, you'll still need a storage area for all of the equipment, tools, tubing, parts, etc. And, if you have at least a roof with 3 walls then you'll have space that mostly protected from the weather all year round.
Ken & Sherry
Williston, VT
16x34 Sugarhouse
1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/
We built a quick temporary boiling shelter by using two large shipping skids (6' x 11') turned on their sides with a sheet of plywood bracing the back and 2x4's tying the roof together. First try we put clear plastic over the top - big mistake as the steam had no where to go. We changed it to put plastic just on the sides of the roof and left the center open which worked well. Stacked wood at the front to block the wind and easy to add to the boiler. We did have one of the warmest Marches we can remember though so we were never cold. Tore down really easy. Will do this again next year and if we like doing this (I seem to have caught the sugar itch pretty bad) we will build a more permanent sugar shack next summer using 6 of these same pallets.20210306_164524.jpg20210313_093746.jpg
Dan of Jack & Daniel's syrup.
2021 - First time tapper, 40 TAPS, 7 GAL syrup
2022- 105 taps, 17 gal syrup,
2023- 143 taps, New permanent 12x16 shack. Lost my father in law Jack who helped me build it. His name lives on in our syrup. New Badgerland filter press.
Congratulations and welcome. You my friend have caught the maple syrup bug. The only possible cure is to keep doing it and growing with each season. Most importantly is to have FUN doing it.
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
I am also going to try and make an inexpensive removal “sugar shack”, built around an existing cinder block evaporator I just made. To be honest I did not give it much thought when I built it, thinking I would throw up a wood frame with a tarp thrown over it. I did not appreciate how much steam and condensation there will be.
I am still thinking exactly what I will do, but I will make a floor surrounding my evaporator, build structural post and beams, then will have a half wall with two removable upper panels on each wall. The upper panels would be off while evaporating, weather permitting. I would have a shed style metal roof to top it off. It will only be like 9 x12 in size.
I would like to build a larger, fancier, more permanent structure, but I already have too many permanent structures on my property.
The main goal is to keep any precipitation or debris off of the pans while evaporating.
Last edited by Swingpure; 07-31-2021 at 09:39 PM.