has anybody come up with an effective preheater to feed the sap pan?
preheater
has anybody come up with an effective preheater to feed the sap pan?
Depending on how fast you need to feed the feed pan I'm going to use copper coil around my chimney about 10x's. Once that chimney gets hot it will be nearly boiling by the time it gets to the feed pan.
I used to use a huge coffee urn to heat up my sap then feed it to the feed pan.
I have heard about people doing this before, using copper tubing. But I am leery of using anything that might leach unwanted stuff into the sap. I would think that when you heat the sap, as you are doing in a preheated like the copper coils, isn’t there something in the copper that might leach into the sap? I have considered this method of preheating, and I like the concept, but I think I need someone to tell me scientifically that it is okay to do this.
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
Copper is used extensively for cooking so wouldn't it be OK? If the coils ever run dry is there a problem
with the extreme heat and will they coke up with calcium and minerals like a pan does?
Remember if the sap stops for long in the copper pipe, the sap in the pipe will burn and ruin your syrup.That happened to me about 20 pluse years ago.
Blaisdell's Maple Farm
started on a 2x2 pan in 2000 and now
custom built oil fired 4x12 arch by me
Thor pans Desinged by Thad Blaisdell
4600 taps on a drop flue 8-4 split
tx...was just about to call a friend who tried this a few years ago. Couldn't remember why he didn't like it?
I think it was shutting down that created the problem.
I never tried it but I was told the fear is getting a vapor lock in a coil and being unable to keep the sap flowing to the pan.Originally Posted by randolphvt
CDL 2.5*8 Venturi with all the bells
Leader Clear 5 bank filter press
Memprotec 350H RO
600ish taps and looking for more.
I used about 20' of 1/2" copper coil on my stack to pre-heat the sap. I additionally wrapped a piece of stainless steel around the outside to cover it and try to keep in a little more heat. I then had it running into a float box with a float valve. if the float valve shut off, the sap would boil in the tube, and like VTnewguy said, it would vapor lock and scorch the sap in the coil. When all was running wide open and the evaporator rocking, the sap didn't have time to warm up much. Also I had some spots in my coil that didn't drain completely and would freeze and swell the copper. I finally done away with it.
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
According to upcoming new Vermont Sugar House Certification program, using copper is not allowed. There is supposedly some lead in copper piping.
Joe
2004- 470 taps on gravity and buckets
2006- 590 taps on gravity and buckets 300 gph RO
2009- 845 taps on vacuum no buckets, 600 gph RO
2010- 925 taps on vacuum new 2 stage vacuum pump
2014- 3045 taps on vacuum, new 1200 gph RO
2015- 3104 taps on vacuum
2017- 3213 taps on vacuum
3' x 10' oil fired evaporator with steamaway
It's not the lead in the copper it's the lead in the solder used in putting it together.
First introduced to making maple syrup in 1969
Making syrup every year since 1979
3 x 10 oil fired
Revolution syrup and max flue pan
Almost 1300 taps total with 900 on high vacuum
Bought first Marcland drawoff in 1997, still going strong.
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