+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Upgrading My Sugar Shack

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Carbon County, PA
    Posts
    108

    Default Upgrading My Sugar Shack

    I am coming up on my 3 season in my 24x16 sugar shack. Last year’s upgrade was going from buckets to 3/16 tubing on a surflow vacuum pump. Needless to say I pulled in more sap than I could have imagined. I pushed my 2x4 divided pan to its limit!

    This year I’m considering a home built RO and a home built auto draw.

    To start. My shack is in-insulated. I have a 275 gallon IBC outside and it’s plumbed inside to a pump where I would pump up to my head tank. The IBC is fed by my surflow which is inside. What would the best setup be to keep my surflow from freezing up? Where would I plumb in / setup the RO and keep it from freezing? How high up does the RO lift?

    Thanks
    2018 - 8 Taps on Buckets - homemade 2x2 pan and wood arch - 1.25 gallons
    2019 - 30 Taps on Buckets - new Sugarhouse , 2x4 divides pan and homebuilt
    evaporator! - 3.5 gallons
    2020 - planning 50 Taps on 3/16 tubing with shurflo vacuum

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Murrysville, Pennsylvania
    Posts
    476

    Default

    I am in the process of building a temperature controlled vacuum pump box in an old cooler. Game plan for 2021 is about 75 taps on 3/16 with CV spouts. Initial tests of it were great but the real proof will be when the season starts!

    I got the 3 pack of those temperature controllers on Amazon for about $13.

    Short video of initial test:
    https://youtu.be/Pbf35p659dk
    https://youtu.be/w9BIYKwxMy4

    You could do similar set up for RO in a larger cooler or plastic tote. Silicon strip heaters work great but you could also use a light bulb. Key is using the controllers to control that heat source to keep your box from freezing or overheating.

    As for building an RO... do it. Great info on forums. I am upgrading from aquatec 8852 pump to coronwater 8900 which has nearly 4 times the flow rate at pressure. Using 4 of the 400 gpd membranes in series. Used it for 2 years with great results but want more speed in processing the sap (hopefully more sap from more taps and 3/16 gains).
    Last edited by DRoseum; 11-27-2020 at 10:34 AM.
    D. Roseum
    www.roseummaple.com
    ~100 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
    2021: 27.1 gallons
    2022: 35 gallons

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Carbon County, PA
    Posts
    108

    Default

    I like that setup. Do you have wiring diagrams for your temp controllers?
    2018 - 8 Taps on Buckets - homemade 2x2 pan and wood arch - 1.25 gallons
    2019 - 30 Taps on Buckets - new Sugarhouse , 2x4 divides pan and homebuilt
    evaporator! - 3.5 gallons
    2020 - planning 50 Taps on 3/16 tubing with shurflo vacuum

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Murrysville, Pennsylvania
    Posts
    476

    Default

    I have some rough sketches that I can try to clean up and post or send via p.m..

    adding diagram
    20201226_211835.jpg
    Last edited by DRoseum; 01-22-2021 at 05:18 AM.
    D. Roseum
    www.roseummaple.com
    ~100 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
    2021: 27.1 gallons
    2022: 35 gallons

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Carbon County, PA
    Posts
    108

    Default

    I was looking at my shack today... I may build an under cabinet pump station / RO station and insulate it. My question is how high can the RO pump / lift the concentrate? Can I run my concentrate line up to my head tank?
    2018 - 8 Taps on Buckets - homemade 2x2 pan and wood arch - 1.25 gallons
    2019 - 30 Taps on Buckets - new Sugarhouse , 2x4 divides pan and homebuilt
    evaporator! - 3.5 gallons
    2020 - planning 50 Taps on 3/16 tubing with shurflo vacuum

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Murrysville, Pennsylvania
    Posts
    476

    Default

    It shouldn't be a problem at all. How high up is your head tank from the planned exit from the RO? Every 27.7 vertical inches of water equates to 1 psi. You will have friction forces to overcome as well, but if you are talking a handful of feet, this is only going to equate to a few psi to overcome which shouldn't be a problem for the RO pump at all.
    D. Roseum
    www.roseummaple.com
    ~100 taps on 3/16 custom temp controlled vacuum; shurflo vacuum #2; custom nat gas evap with auto-drawoff and tank level gas shut-off controller; homemade RO #1; homemade RO #2; SL SS filter press
    2021: 27.1 gallons
    2022: 35 gallons

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    What is your RO pump? All commercial RO's will have no issue, if on a shurflo, it should still be OK but that may depend on the pressure on the RO.
    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.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Carbon County, PA
    Posts
    108

    Default

    Dave... glad to here from you. Your help last year with the 3/16 and vacuum yielded huge gains!! So much that I could use an RO now!

    I’m going to build my own RO. Was going to go off the plans from on here using the sureflow and (4) 150 membranes. I plumbed my vacuum pump into the shack and it’s about 12” off the floor. From there it’s pumped outside to my 275 IBC. I was planning on bringing it from the IBC back into the shack into the RO then pump the concentrate up to the head tank which is about 9’ off the floor.
    2018 - 8 Taps on Buckets - homemade 2x2 pan and wood arch - 1.25 gallons
    2019 - 30 Taps on Buckets - new Sugarhouse , 2x4 divides pan and homebuilt
    evaporator! - 3.5 gallons
    2020 - planning 50 Taps on 3/16 tubing with shurflo vacuum

+ Reply to Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts