Originally Posted by
wmick
I second the float box suggestion.. Lots to look after without monitoring and adding sap.... I built my own... Started out with a small 1/2" float-valve from livestock waterers... Turned out to be too small to keep up, when things got roaring... so now I use one of these.
https://www.cdivalve.com/products/de...b-float-valves It works good. Playing around with different float shapes... Most recently, using a flat tupperware container... it is working well.
Keep the fitting/port between the float box and the pan fairly large as well... it might need to flow a lot of sap in a hurry, and there is basically no head pressure there... Learned from my mistakes.
If you use the valve linked in the post above, that valve says nothing that would indicate it is lead free. Looking at your concrete block pl;atform you made, be careful about it getting out of level. As the frost comes out of the ground you might need to adjust for level, it should be at most 1/8" off or less. Best would be much closer to perfectly level. If you have buddies near the camp, use them. They can collect the sap, and put it in a clean food grade container, banked in snow. About every 3 days they should fire it up and bring it to a boil. If the temperature gets to the mid 40's then every 2 days, if to 50+ every day will be needed. Building a way to add sap as needed is best, but it doesn't need to be a float box/valve. You could make a warming tank with a lead free drain valve. Set it on top of the pan you made, at one end, the end opposite the draw off (3 sections) then adjust that valve to add a slow steady flow to match the evaporation rate. Then when a thermometer (a good digital maybe) says the syrup at the draw off is 7.3F above the boiling point of water, draw off some very slowly. To get that temperature, boil water until it at a rolling boil and get that temperature, add 7.3F and that's the correct draw off temperature. Be aware, if weather conditions are changing, the boiling point will change with it.
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.
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