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Thread: One order of extra light

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Erin, Ontario
    Posts
    170

    Default One order of extra light

    Cranked the old fisher wood stove up yesterday for a first run. As usual, he was a hungry fellow, eating through wood faster than the kids could collect them.

    Ended up with 1 1/4L of extra light syrup from about 35L of sap. I've never made extra light before. Didn't think it was possible with my batch method.
    Call me nuts, but I prefer the darker more maple-y flavour. This is like sugar with a hint of maple.

    Pleasantly surprised at my sap to syrup ratio, though. Hopefully, that'll be the norm for my season. At my boil rate, I need all the help the trees can give.

    I calculated that if I'm there to tend the fire to keep it cranked up, my evap rate is 1.5-2 gph.
    School will be in session outdoors the next few weeks. Or maybe we'll just call it phys ed - collecting sap & hauling wood.
    Homeschooling mama to 8
    2010-30 taps, steam pans on a fisher grandma bear woodstove outdoors. Bottled 18.5L
    2012- 70 taps - 20L
    2013 - 70 taps, 3 steam pans on concrete block arch. 50L
    2015- 70 taps, 50.5L, 3.3lbs accidental sugar
    2021 - 120 taps, new-to-me 2x5 flat pan with a cast iron arch atop a brick firebox.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,759

    Default

    Years ago we used to make syrup on a Fisher, (it is still heating our home). Try to get another pot or 2 if you can fit them on the Fisher. It seems we used to have 5 pots going and we kept a good fire going. We kept the nearest window open on each side of the Fisher as needed to keep it from getting too hot in the house.
    Have fun, the kids will remember this and some are likely to do the same with their kids.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought 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.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    NE PA
    Posts
    1,564

    Default

    I also used to evaporate on a Fisher though slowly in the house because it was our heat source. If you're using pots you might want to look for flat SS pans. I grew a nice collection through yard sales, etc. Flat square and rectangular pans will give you more surface area than round pots and with a couple of different size pans you might even be able to cover the whole stove top. Use the upper stove portion as a sort of preheater.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Erin, Ontario
    Posts
    170

    Default

    Yes, I've heard that Fisher can drive you out of the house when it's fired up! We actually used to have it in our basement - but the cranky insurance company didn't want insure our home if we insisted on keeping it. So we got a new woodstove for the home and sent Fisher out to the yard - glad we kept it for sugaring!

    I've got the biggest steam pan I can fit on the Fisher, a few roasting pans and pots. Whatever fits is on the stove.

    DSC_9950.jpgThis picture is from '09. Got to get another steam pan to make better use of the surface.
    Homeschooling mama to 8
    2010-30 taps, steam pans on a fisher grandma bear woodstove outdoors. Bottled 18.5L
    2012- 70 taps - 20L
    2013 - 70 taps, 3 steam pans on concrete block arch. 50L
    2015- 70 taps, 50.5L, 3.3lbs accidental sugar
    2021 - 120 taps, new-to-me 2x5 flat pan with a cast iron arch atop a brick firebox.

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