Hey. I have a bunch of pictures of the build. Can't seem to upload them. Taken on iPhone and typing on a MacBook. The little icon thingy above lets me choose the photo but then tells me it failed to upload. Any suggestions?
Disregard. I was able to post a little video on youtube. Here is the build. I will make a better video of it in action when I filter the first batch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frz7QXGVyFk
Last edited by 4Walls; 02-23-2022 at 04:04 PM.
Excellent video, thank you!Originally Posted by 4Walls
The Dutch Oven is almost sold out at our local Walmart I will pick it up tomorrow.
Instead of the clamps, would some sort of arrangement that went from the handles of the kettle to the handle of the pot work?
Just going to check out the “bulkhead” fitting from Amazon. Would this be the fitting?: https://www.amazon.ca/High%E2%80%91H...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
The plastic 90° angle thing that goes in the kettle that connects to the bulkhead for the vacuum, is there anything special about it?
Last edited by Swingpure; 02-23-2022 at 06:26 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.
Just wondering for the Northern Ontario folks, what was the latest date you ever started tapping and the latest date you ever finished tapping?
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 only have last year as experience. I tapped on March 8th and pulled the taps on April 7th. They went dry. I am on buckets.
2021 - Year one. 15 taps using 5/16" and drop tube into buckets. Homemade barrel evaporator with 2 steam trays.
2022. 32 taps. Added AUF.
2023. 51 taps. Ditched the steam pans for an 18x22 flat pan.
2024. 56 taps. Built a proper evaporator to fit the 18x22 flat pan and 1 steam pan.
2025. 62 taps.
I'm also a newbie. One of the old-timers here in Huntsville told me to have the taps in by March 1st regardless of the weather, which I do and it works out quite well for me. The thinking is that we want to be ready in case the weather changes in our favour. This is important if you have hundreds of taps and need a few days to finish tapping. in 2021, I also stopped around the 10th of april.
Right now I am thinking of tapping on March 4th, for the reasons you mentioned above.
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 went to Walmart and picked up the 13 qt Dutch oven you mentioned and it is an exact fit. It so happens I have two Toronto Brewery kettles, one with the ball valve and thermometer and one without. I think I will use the one without.
I also want to CDL in Orillia and picked up the circular filters that you mentioned. While I was there I saw that my bucket filter would also fit the pot. In the picture, I placed the bucket filter in the pot. It would work great, but I think it would hold more residual syrup in the fibers, so I will go with the flatter circular filters.
I will order the bulkhead and silicone baking sheet tonight.
I am going to see if I can find a mechanism that attaches to the handles of the two pots, in order to hold them tight together.
I was hoping to try the bucket filter on its own and may still also give it a try.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/02bc...4wGuo6Rfwmb9bA
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.
A friend shared this link with me, on when you should tap and the importance of waiting until the bark has warmed up to prevent bark cracking and to have better holes.
https://onmaplesyrup.ca/tapping-101/...c-temperatures
This will change when I will tap, I guess I just have to be more patient. For next year I will have March 15th in my brain for tapping and if you can tap before that, that will be bonus.
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.
Still patiently watching the forecast, if it just warms up a few more degrees in March, maybe we can get underway.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/09cH...u-J5mz04AIBzfg
Drilled the holes in the pot for the vacuum filter today. The bulkhead will arrive this week, then I will get the connecting parts in town. I will look for a 7/8 hole saw while I am there. My shop vac is a 5 gallon, 2 hp one, so hopefully will be perfect for the vacuum filter.
https://share.icloud.com/photos/022G...k4JIve5mrdRBWA
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.
-25*c here tonight
Mid to late March for tapping up here. Once we get to around 2*c I will start cleaning buckets and preping everything g else
Purchased a new tapping bit this year to see how much better it is than a regular drill bit
Not sure what youre drilling but I found the step bits from canadian tire work great for drilling stainless steel and they make a nice clean hole. They come in handy for many other uses as well and they're on sale this week.
2019 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 44 taps 13 Liters syrup
2020 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 51 taps 21 Liters syrup
2021- New homemade 2x3 evaporator and flat pan 80 drop lines to buckets
2022- (,)1350L naturally ROd sap 44L syrup
2023- "\_(°°)_/" 1100L sap 30L syrup not accurate due to natural RO
2024 { ';' }1862L sap 52L syrup 52 drop lines to buckets
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