Originally Posted by
maple flats
2 things. Earlier you were asking or wondering about draw off frequency, just do it by temperature and don't try to time it. Actually back when I had a 2x6 I attended a seminar by Glen Goodrich and he said he draws continually. Yes his evaporator was far bigger, but I started doing continuous draws. As the temperature got to syrup, I cracked the draw off valve slightly. Early when I tried I was able to get 15-20 minute long trickle draws before I had to close the valve. In time I got better and a few times I got draws of 45-60 minutes. Then I graduated to a 3x8, the draws got longer. However after fighting getting an auto draw I finally got one, WOW, so much easier.
Cupola, they are easy to build. It's common to make them the same size as the evaporator. Just make them a little house on the roof with both sides openable and closeable, from below, at floor level.
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.
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