ThanksOriginally Posted by maple flats
When you say “In time I got better”, what did you do differently than before? Just cracked it less?
Thanks
When you say “In time I got better”, what did you do differently than before? Just cracked it less?
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
I finally received all of my parts for the pipe that will go through my garage wall. I will be pumping from collection barrels and transfer tanks into the garage into the RO raw sap barrel.
It is a 16” stainless steel pipe, with stainless steel couplings and brass fittings and brass quick connects. I will be able to have quick connects to connect to both ends of the pipe. I will wait for fall to drill the hole and hook up the pipe.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/046b...I9f4pNJvTtRdXg
Last edited by Swingpure; 07-09-2022 at 04:41 PM.
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
Today I picked up my 3/16 tubing for my two new lines. I got the last two 500 rolls on the shelf. I also purchased all of the necessary fittings and new filters for the DYI vacuum filter.
Best of all I found a relatively cheap source for the translucent horizontal 35 gallon tanks. Still not cheap, but a lot cheaper than CDL and some other sources. I will buy two, one to go on my ATV to transfer sap from my remote collection barrels and the other will be my head tank.
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
My divided pan looks like it will come later than sooner.
I have a question. Last year with the batch boiling I never mixed batches. I had 14 separate batches. With the divided pans and draw offs, can I mix draw offs from different consecutive days, until I have enough that I want to then finish it?
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
As long as there is good flavor you can combine whatever you want to. It is purely up to you and what you want to achieve. I add my finished syrup to my bottler until I get enough to fill whatever container I am using at the time. I then grade this and bottle. The advantage for a smaller producer is less overall work by finishing less batches. The disadvantage is that you will not be able to keep all of your batches separate if that is you goal.
Smoky Lake 2x6 dropflu pans and hoods on homemade arch
Smoky Lake 6 gallon water jacked bottler
Concentric Exhaust
250 Deer Run RO
325 taps
Picked up the metal for the frame that will go on top of my cinder blocks, that will support the divided pan. The angle iron pieces will also help secure the top of the firebricks. I will get them welded up next week. The angle iron is 1/4” thick and is 3”x2”, The end flat plates are 1/4” thick and 1.5” wide.
I will put gasket material between the metal and the pan.
The frame as shown is upside down. The angle pieces will point downward on the evaporator.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0400...A06oLrjWu99Geg
https://share.icloud.com/photos/023i...5DAj6PkCZCn4Ew
I also droppped a string from the rod where the centre of the stove pipe will go and made a mark on the concrete pad below. Based on that mark, I can start to build the evaporator again, but will wait to mid August to start to build it. I will start bringing over the firewood that will surround the evaporator at the beginning of September.
Although I hope to get my pan and base stack before the snow flies in November, I am not positive that will happen.
Last edited by Swingpure; 07-16-2022 at 08:39 PM.
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
When you say “In time I got better”, what did you do differently than before? Just cracked it less?
Yes, I just got more accurate in the amount I opened the valve so the draw could keep going longer.
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 am still waiting for my metal frame to be welded and that should be done shortly.
In the meantime, I am starting to piece together my cinderblock evaporator. It is slightly shorter and definitely wider than last year’s evaporator. I am just putting some blocks down to determine whatever size blocks, metal floor and firebricks I will need. There will be a layer of firebricks over the metal floor.
The fire box will be 23.5” wide, 30” deep and 18” high. There will be an angled ramp for 7.5 inches, then a flat ramp for 15”. All of that will have firebrick on the surface. There will be 1.75” from the top of the firebrick on the flat ramp to the pan. With the fire grate added, there will be 12” from the grate to the pan. I can make it so there is 16.5” inches from the grate to the bottom of the pan, but that will result in considerably more firebrick
https://share.icloud.com/photos/099I...GyQGPj22sFDL0Q
I might not get my pan, float box and base stack until October. Hopefully not later than that.
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
My metal frame to hold the 4x2 divided pan and to help hold the fire bricks, arrived today. In the pictures the evaporator is not close to being finished, it is just little parts to see just how I am going to put it all together.
I needed to make sure my cinder blocks were the exact distance apart from each other and wanted to wait until I received the metal frame. It turned out it fit exactly and not only held the fire brick to the side of the cinder block well, but also had slight down pressure to help hold the fire bricks in place.
As this year’s evaporator is 10” wider than last years, I will have to make an additional 10” wide angled ramp and also make a 2.5 inch filler for the other parts of the ramp. I will be pouring concrete into forms tomorrow to make those pieces.
I may also get my wider fire grate tomorrow. Before the end of this week, I should have all of the evaporator built, with the exception of the base stack. I hope I get that before the snow flies.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/08ef...GJzWfsip8NcBzA
https://share.icloud.com/photos/041r...Of4R8OA37ouvew
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0ecv...lu1meuFcTEY1cg
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
Today I poured the concrete for the missing pieces of my cinder block evaporator. Before the end of the week, it should be all built except not having the base stack and divided pan.
Before I finish the evaporator, just wondering if I am building something that will succeed. I will have four inches of space below the fire grate. The fire box will be 23.5” wide. There is a 45° angled ramp about 7.5” long, then a flat ramp, 15” long, with a 1.75” space between the ramp firebrick and the bottom of the pan. There is a base stack over the end part of the 15” flat ramp that feeds into an 8” stove pipe, that will be 12’ tall with no rain cap.
Right now I am not planning on a blower, but could add one, but I am not sure one would be good for the cinder blocks.
Do you think I should have good draft with this setup?
2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
DYI Vacuum Filter
2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.
2024 - made 48 L, December to March, primarily over two fire bowls.
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