Let's be realistic

[Ultimatetreehugger]

I have sold sap since 2016 and I'm now exploring purchasing my own evaporator and everything that entails.

So my question is this, on an 4x14 evaporator with hoods and no steam away, concentrateing to 18%, how much oil would I use per gallon of syrup/ per hour of boiling?

I'm assuming an evaporation rate of 180 gallons of sap an hour producing approximately 40 gallons of syrup a hour. Is this realistic?

Thanks for your help in advance.

[BAP]

I have sold sap since 2016 and I'm now exploring purchasing my own evaporator and everything that entails.

So my question is this, on an 4x14 evaporator with hoods and no steam away, concentrateing to 18%, how much oil would I use per gallon of syrup/ per hour of boiling?

I'm assuming an evaporation rate of 180 gallons of sap an hour producing approximately 40 gallons of syrup a hour. Is this realistic?

Thanks for your help in advance.

How many oil burners? What size burners? If you are doing the 3750 taps that you list in your profile at the bottom, a 4x14 is awfully big for the number of taps if you are using a decent size RO

[ecp]

A 4-foot rig (in my opinion the most efficient width evaporator) is likely going to have 1 burner and unless it's a CDL master it will probably have a calin 701 or 801 burner. Depends on the nozzle they have installed on the burner but you a are likely looking around the 13 to 15 gallons per hour of oil. Without all the details (burner, nozzles, ect) my numbers are just generalizations. I would echo that a 4x14 is large for 3700 taps at 18%. You will probably have a hard time getting enough sap to RO to 18% and fill the pans every night so things will sit a lot more (in other words you will run darker on the scale of color). To be real you will be around the 3 gallons of syrup for 1 gallon of oil mark on the worse side of that.

[Brian]

Ultimatetreehugger if you are not going to get any bigger than you are. I would go 3x10 or 3x12. That should give you a 3-4 hour boil day every other day. On heavy run days that could be 2-3 hour boil days. I have a friend in St Jay that has 4x14 and sap sits to long in the rig and can't get it through the rig so he makes dark syrup. He has about 3000 taps and makes 1000 gallons a year. He also works a full time job so some leaks don't get fixed til weekend. He may get a smaller rig in a few years and turn up the Ro. I have a 4x12, 4ft front 8ft drop flu carlin 701 5gal low fire nozzle 7gal hi fire =12 gal + 140 psi oil pressure makes it about 15 gph of oil. The first hour cold start up about 40 gallons of syrup per hour. The sec hour, I am up to about 60 gallons an hour. at about 18% -20% consentrate.I use about .34 gal of oil to a gal of maple syrup. The funny thing is a 701 carlin oil burner says 12 per hour max. You are welcome to stop over.

[Brian]

Ecp hit the nail on the head, that is what I was trying to say but got to rambling.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Thank you guys, if I do get an evaporator I would add 3000 taps at my home woods. Because I'd have to put a pump station down in the woods to get the 3000 extra taps I feel like I am at the point where I need to decide if I go full scale with more taps and boil or stay the same size and continue selling sap. Both have benefits but I think I'd be better off boiling at a larger scale.

I have an 1800 gph ro expandable.

Brian, I'll stop by the next time I'm over that way.

[Brian]

On that note, I would buy a 4x12 or a 4x14 and start boiling. On the other hand it is alot to keep up to by yourself, do you have friends or family that are interested in helping? I know the stupid mistakes start to happen when I get tired. Then I give my self hell and my wife asked me who I am talking to? But you get the best return on your work by boiling it!!