My plan 2022/23

[Pdiamond]

It's only a real expenditure once, after that it's all down - hill from there.

[DrTimPerkins]

It's only a real expenditure once, after that it's all down - hill from there.

In theory.... Doesn't seem to be that way in maple however...there's always something to be had.

[Swingpure]

I put up a 13 tap line today, a 5 tap line and a new 4 tap line, (that had buckets on it last year). Last year I had about 75 taps on lines on my property and adjacent properties, this year there will be about 80. There will also be 80+ new ones on the steep hill I am allowed to tap this year.

I cannot put up any more lines until October 13. Now we move to barrel final rinsing.

[Pdiamond]

So true Dr. Tim so true

[Swingpure]

My main job today was reclaiming the inside of the garage, but along the way, I put fittings where they should be, I added taps to two 35 gallon barrels and one 55 gallon barrel, finished off the pipe going through the garage wall and had the hose from it go into the 55 gallon RO raw sap barrel and also added the fittings from the RO barrel tap to the RO pump.

I guess the barrel should be higher, but it is above the pump and when full the sap will be much higher.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/07fR...dl_sS-7u0Nh4OA

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0acC...ZHv9WN4_FRV9EA

[Swingpure]

I just ordered an 1100 Amarine bilge pump, to pump from my 35 gallon transfer tank with a small opening at the top, into my RO barrels in the garage. I can open the garage door, drive in, close the door and then using one of my boats two deep cycle batteries, can power the pump and get the sap into the RO barrels. If I don’t use it there, I can use it to pump from the 35 gallon transfer tank filled with concentrate, into the feed tank. I also have the pump I used last year and use both at the same time, to half the time, if time is a big factor.

I am just going through the various scenarios in my head, of transferring sap from three collection barrels into the 35 gallon transfer tank on the ATV into the RO raw sap barrel(s) in the garage. They will also be a fourth collection barrel that I will pump direct into the garage. I have no idea how fast the two 400 gpd membranes will create the concentrate, but I would like to run the RO sometime after midnight, again first thing in the morning after I have removed the concentrate and if there is enough sap, run it one more time. On a high sap day, I could produce at least 75 gallons of concentrate. The concentrate from the first RO would go into the feed tank. While the RO is working on the second batch, I would go out and collect more sap, then start boiling. At two different points during the boil, immediately after a draw off and adding wood, I would race to the garage, seconds away and refill the transfer tank with concentrate and refill the feed tank.

My guess is with the feed tank, float box and just after a draw off, I should have a few moments where I am not standing over the evaporator.

After the boil, I would go out and collect sap again depending on how it is running. If the sap is not running that hard, I could maybe skip the morning collection.

I don’t know if I am correct in saying this, but 10 gallons of concentrate should boil twice as fast as 10 gallons of raw sap? If true, if my evaporator boiled at 10 gph, the. I should be able to boil 20 gallons of concentrate in an hour.

Is this true?

Thanks

[wobbletop]

I don’t know if I am correct in saying this, but 10 gallons of concentrate should boil twice as fast as 10 gallons of raw sap? If true, if my evaporator boiled at 10 gph, the. I should be able to boil 20 gallons of concentrate in an hour.

Is this true?

Thanks

I don't think that's the way it works. With RO you've already removed a lot of the water, so it won't take as long to boil, but your boil rate should be the same. Going from 2% to 6% you've already removed about 75% of the water, and that's where the time savings is.

[Swingpure]

I don't think that's the way it works. With RO you've already removed a lot of the water, so it won't take as long to boil, but your boil rate should be the same. Going from 2% to 6% you've already removed about 75% of the water, and that's where the time savings is.

Lol, this is what confuses me. With less water to evaporate off, doesn’t it take less time to boil it?

[Z/MAN]

Swingpure, I have that same 1100 pump. It works great (it will surprise you) and you don't need the deep cycle batteries. It will work just fine off the ATV battery. Use the correct size hose for the pump, don't downsize it. I clamped my pump to a 4-foot length of PVC pipe and zip tied the hose to that pipe and it drops down into a 55 gal drum or small opening tank very easily. I also installed a quick connect plug on my ATV and the end of the pumps power wire. Putting an inline on-off switch at the top of the PVC pipe makes the whole job much easier.

[Swingpure]

Swingpure, I have that same 1100 pump. It works great (it will surprise you) and you don't need the deep cycle batteries. It will work just fine off the ATV battery. Use the correct size hose for the pump, don't downsize it. I clamped my pump to a 4-foot length of PVC pipe and zip tied the hose to that pipe and it drops down into a 55 gal drum or small opening tank very easily. I also installed a quick connect plug on my ATV and the end of the pumps power wire. Putting an inline on-off switch at the top of the PVC pipe makes the whole job much easier.

Thanks for the tips. I have the quick connect on the ATV already, and I will order another quick connect switch. I have one already in my transfer pump setup.

I was thinking the deep cycle battery, as my ATV would be off inside the garage, and I was worried about draining the ATV battery.