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Thread: Sugarhouse Design & Specs

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Albany, Vermont
    Posts
    102

    Default Sugarhouse Design & Specs

    Has this UVM Sugarhouse Design been updated? This design was originally published in 1948 and looks like it was updated in 1966.

    Sources of sugarhouse designs?

    I'm planning on building a sugarhouse for the 2023 season.
    2023 - 2' X 6' Smoky Lake Products "Silverplate" evaporator + Increase taps up to 500
    2022 - 295 Sap Sak taps - Sold sap.
    2017-2021 - Didn't tap.
    2016 - 150 Sap Sak taps - Sold sap.

    https://www.larrybohenwebsolutions.com

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Williston, VT
    Posts
    615

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    Good question. I didn't look any further than the internet when I built my sugar house. For me it was just a starting point and I let my imagination go from there.

    Perhaps a refreshed design by UVM would require a stamped architect drawing and maybe more liability than it's worth. I would recommend an experienced builder with an understanding of structural building systems whenever constructing anything, especially without an architect or engineer's stamped design.

    Ken
    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/

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    No, and there are several reasons why which I won't delve deeply into. Some of it has been alluded to, but the other piece is that the scale of sugarhouses these days range from someone with 50 taps to 500,000 taps...and the facility that is needed for each is very different. Then you tack on whether someone is using wood or oil, RO or no-RO, sap coming into the sugar house directly or trucked, and there just ends up being too many different configurations. Things were a lot simpler in 1948 then they are now. There were no ROs, everyone boiled with wood, sap wasn't trucked or pumped in, collection was all by buckets. Those factors limited the size of operations to a fairly narrow range. Few sugarhouses had cement floors or running water (or heated spaces). Different time, different needs and problems, different solutions.

    The Canadians tried to do some generic designs about 10-15 yrs ago and I know they had some of the same issues. They ended up splitting it up into 3-different starting configurations, but not sure how much further it got beyond that.

    There is a section on facilities in the 2nd edition of the North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual (Chapter 12). https://mapleresearch.org/pub/mproducersmanual/ It will be somewhat/slightly updated in the new edition coming out later this summer.
    Last edited by DrTimPerkins; 03-29-2022 at 08:32 AM.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    NE PA (Pocono's)
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    Best advice I can give is go visit some in your area. Even for a PA guy like me, people were happy to share design and mistakes they made when we were building ours. Ask to take pictures. There are some beauties in northern vermont. Tour big operations and small operations, each has something to offer. One of the best ideas I got from someone is to put a big window between your evaporator room and RO room so you can see whats going on in a glance
    CDL 2x8
    Around 4000 taps
    Polaris ATVs, Ski Doo snowmobiles to get around
    Atlas Copco pumps
    Lapierre two post RO




    http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/j...Sugar%20shack/

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maplewalnut View Post
    One of the best ideas I got from someone is to put a big window between your evaporator room and RO room so you can see whats going on in a glance
    Glass patio door from one of my old houses is in our RO room for that very reason.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

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    I used most of that 50 year old design information to start the design work for our sugarhouse. For 500 to 700 taps its perfect. I also added a lot of the best features from visiting other sugarhouses. We have enjoyed it with friends and family for 20+ years! See if you find some of the same features:






    3x10 in a 16 x 24 room, wood to the right in lean to, clean up room in back with storage tanks above kitchen:


    cont
    Last edited by Sugarmaker; 03-29-2022 at 02:35 PM.
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Albion PA
    Posts
    5,099

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    wood shed is 24 x 10, still burning wood and boiling raw sap.




    Steve in the wood shed:


    Yes as mentioned, scale our operation and size to fit!
    Regards,
    Chris
    Casbohm Maple and Honey
    625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
    3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
    12" SIRO Filter Press.
    2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
    One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
    Too many Cub Cadets
    Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
    1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck

    www.mapleandhoney.com

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