Those are some awesome works of art for your set-up. Having done both I would find a way to drain the pan and at the same time start filling with fresh sap if you still have a fire going. Your other option is to boil all the sap and allow the fire to die down and out then drain the pan. You should be able to get fairly close to syrup in the pan without burning it, you just have to watch it constantly, while the fire dies. Always have an oh s**t bucket of sap or water on hand when you boil.
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
Hi, been lurking and learning here for the past couple years. Small backyard operation going on year 3. A few other neighbors started joining in and tapping too, so we do a weekly boil together since we haven't collected much < 40 gal. We built a concrete arch with 3 stream pans, and building another one this year because I've tapped more trees. I should be up to 35-40 taps all on buckets (very flat land), up from 15 last year, and 5 the year before. Picked up some 5/16 CV spiles to try on some trees to hopefully get a longer season over the lapierre ecolo ones we typically use. No slope really for natural vac, not sure how the CVs will do, all part of the fun. It's a slippery slope as you all already know, and figured I'd officially join the forum so I can ask advice for some future expansions if like to add (tubing/pump/RO) if I can't find an answer. Love having this site as a resource, and extremely thankful for all the knowledge and advice given by the contributors throughout the years.
Welcome tapdat. Many of us started rather small, then we grew too fast.
Last edited by maple flats; 01-24-2021 at 04:07 PM.
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.
Haha, I'm sure, especially for you folks staring at acres and acres. My 35-40 taps are pretty much my max, I walked my woods and marked everything already haha. Land is at a premium in my area. That said, I'd still like to get every drop I can out and increase efficiency. So a pump/RO is something I'm eyeing if I can figure out the tubing with my weird layout. Trees are kind of on the outside of an L with my house in the middle, all flat. But that's for another year... Thanks for the welcome!
Name's Al, i'm retired and live in Ontario.This will be my 3rd year and will probably be around 50 taps on pails
but undecided.
Completely homebuilt 18 x 60 with a front syrup pan and rear drop flue sap pan.A great way to keep busy during March.
I have a lot to learn and lots of questions too...Just a hobby right now.
We don't all stare at acres and acres. My first 2 years I tapped on my land, then in yr 3 I had leased taps from others. When I had my highest number of taps at 1320, all were leased. I then spent time and $, bought a vacuum pump and started tapping my FLAT land again, using vacuum and sap ladders. Even the big guys lease some or maybe most or all of their taps.Originally Posted by tapdat
To tap, look at designs for a sap ladder. Then using vacuum, run from the highest area, even if only 2-4' higher than the low area. Run your lines on a slope and add a sap ladder to lift the sap to a higher elevation, then slope downward again. 2% slope in good, 1% can be done. To get a sap ladder to work you need some sort of vacuum pump and not a little diaphragm pump. They don't move enough air volume to lift the sap up the ladder.
On my currant 400 tap system, I have 2 mainlines, each with 2 sap ladders ranging from 5' to 11 feet each. I now use a very old dairy pump, a BB4 piston pump, in the past, on those leases I used other old dairy pumps, one location had an Alamo 30 for about 650 taps, the other had an Alamo 75 with 700 taps at it's largest number. Pumps like the last 2 are only designed to give you 15" vacuum, to get more, you must increase the oil flow for lubricating the bearings.
With vacuum if done right you can get 1/2 gal of syrup per year in an average year, but to get that you must do everything right and have high vacuum. High vacuum for your size operation won't likely happen unless you luck out and find a piston dairy pump in working order. The piston pumps can deliver high vacuum if the rings and valves are good. A vane pump might get you 22-24" if you get the lube right, but then you need a releaser. When I had 2 alamos, one had a releaser but I ran the pump on a 6.5 HP Honda, all I could get out of that was 18", a bigger engine would have done better. On the other I got 19", because it was on a vacuum tank that could implode if I went over 20". This "hobby" can be as big or as small as you want it, just remember, keep it fun!
Last edited by maple flats; 01-24-2021 at 04:32 PM. Reason: long after thought
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.
Welcome AL, I'm also retired twice, once at 51, again at 71. After retiring at 51 I got bored, then drove school bus for about 20 years. Finally my wife said"you don't need to work that much" and I finally retired for good. Now I just do maple, farm 4.5 acres blueberries and run a sawmill just for my own use only. What else do you do with your time Al?
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.
Welcome ir3333 and tapdat, It's fun to be small. a whole lot less work. I would bet you'll see how much of an addiction this is and figure out ways to grow and improve each year.
2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
made 17 gal. syrup
2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
2021 - Didn't work out
2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start
oh boy..you name it i've been in to it.Mostly a diyourselfer...but anything outdoors.Wish i was still young enough for extended canoe trips!Don't hunt anymore but like trout fishin" ...and bass!
Have an old 340 Dart i've restored and a modest shop where i built my current evaporator.I spend too much time on the internet!
You're right about that.Will be using my third home built evaporator this spring.Hoping this system
is another step forward....Love to try new things and learn!
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