Looking to build an ro
I’m currently running a 2x6 cdl with raised flue pan and forced air, around 350 taps and I find when we get really good runs I spend every bit of my time just trying to stay ahead of the sap flow. I get tired of the 15 hours a day boiling, I’m looking at building an ro to save some time and a lot of wood, what would be a good setup as far as membranes and pumps in my situation, I have zero experience with an ro so I’m looking for suggestions on a setup. Thanks
2013 135 Taps 35 on Gravity, 100 on Buckets 11 Gallons Made
2014 310 Taps 75 on Sureflo 4048, 235 on Buckets, 16'x16' Sugarshack, 5" Filter Press, 2x6 Smoky Lake Hybrid Pan (SOLD) 23 Gallons made
2015 315 Taps, 17 on Sureflo 4008, 62 on Sureflo 4048, 236 on Buckets 31.25 Gallons Made
2016 New Northwoods Stainless Finisher and Steamhood
2017 325 Taps 34 Gallons Made
2018 150 Taps New Northwoods Stainless 2x6 Raised Flue w/ Air Tight Arch 40+ Gallons Made
Do you have vacuum, either a pump or gravity using 3/16 laterals? If not a single 4x40 membrane unit will be OK, a 2 membrane would be better. A 1 membrane, if designed to run at 275 PSI, will remove about .75-1.0 gph of water, 2 can remove about twice that. Running either can take 2% sap from 2% to 7-8% concentrate, the single membrane would need 2 passes. If the RO is designed to run at a lower pressure the removal will be less.
If you have vacuum, I think the 2 membrane will be needed for best results, but that costs money. Even an RO bucket RB 25 will help a lot. The specs show it as removing half of the water on 40 gal/hr flow, reducing it to 20 gal, or think of it as removing about 20 gal/hr.. Check that option. Then if you grow, you can easily sell the bucket RO to another smaller producer.
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.
I built and used this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s106bSrcfno&t=43s prior to this I only produced about 5-7 gallons of syrup in 3 full weekends of boiling. Last year in my first voyage with this I had 12 gallon in two weekends and not putting in full days.
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