Wed love to hear from you! Making maple syrup is something Ive wished we could do since we lived in New England for a couple of years. (Easier to tell if one of the membranes is plugged as each has a separate discharge line that you can monitor). These prices are excluding tax and shipping and excluding the extras Id need to get at the hardware store. If you have a refractometer (I explain that tool here: https://soulyrested.com/2020/01/25/how-to-make-syrup-what-tools-do-you-need/), you should measure your brix (sugar content) before and after the RO. (And all the money it saves you!!). This way I dont have to add another tank. Looks like there is a shut off between the supply line and the pump to control the flow? Approaches to syrup production. WebAs a result, not all maple equipment (reverse osmosis, evaporators, filters, etc.) We are always looking for fresh content and new ideas. Im not like you. Im in Wisconsin, and I have a brother who also makes syrup in Vermont. WebPlace maple syrup and mustard in small bowl and stir with fork to combine. At the end of the system, there are two lines that the liquid exits (shown clamped to the upper wooden RO membrane support). I think it is 33 by 30 to be exact. I would boil this down in less than 3 hours in my 24 pan. Psalm 34:8. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 1654 Queen St, New Dundee. Wanna know how we even do some natural ro for FREE? Maple Tap Farm will also participate in the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival on April 1. I have no idea what to expect it to look like while running. The easiest way to do this is to make PVC vessels. (Read about Ray Inghams ro experiences below.). Its kind of you to share all this information with the back yarders. Then see what the system does under various operating conditions. Reverse Osmosis in the Maple Syrup Industry The maple industry utilizes this technology to separate a large percentage of the water from maple sap. Also, youll get a shorter life out of your membranes if youre working them more (just a thought). Sorry if that is confusing. thanks again for the great info.. Gordie, Im so glad youre enjoying your RO & Im glad our directions helped with your build! To test, i just ran tap water through. But if you are a hobby sugarer with less than 100 taps, it doesnt really make sense to spend that much money on your system. All very-long-cold-New-England winter. The other item you listed, 1/4 polyethylene tubing (25 of it) item #814305, model #98584, Is correct, but technically it has an OD of 3/8 and the ID is 1/4. THANKS AGAIN. Yes. Man I wish I could have Bill on video chat! Thanks so much. Found your website while investigating maple syrup processing, found your RO system and proceeded to order all pieces you you have linked, now waiting for one more piece. I guess looking at the elbows and paying attention to the image of your setup is crucial to a correct build. Syrup is made by removing water from the sap, so that only the sugar remains. The 1/4 ID has a 3/8 OD. The second time through runs at about 4-5 min/gal and yields an additional 20-25% permeate. Likewise, as much as we love sitting outside by the evaporator with friends, there comes a point where 18 hours of boiling each weekend can feel cumbersome; getting to syrup faster is not a bad thing. Just follow their directions and it will work for you.. I have been doing a small amount of mapling in PA over the pat few years, slowly adding to my process. The only problem I run into is getting the pump primed and pulling in the sap, but a little elevation does the trick! btw, if you dont already have Amazon Prime, I highly recommend it. HI Michelle, If not, well prop it up in the bathroom, by the tub, to let the permeate run down the drain. I just received all the parts today and hope to assemble over the holidays. For others who are reading through these comments for help, Ill paste your final comment here as well trying to get it working and it came down to the one-way valve and having the needle valve hooked up to the wrong outlet of the 4th membrane. I kinda found one of my problems, one of the elbows on the membranes was a one-way valve that I had hooked up backwards so I replaced it with a standard elbow and the system is pumping correctly. N ow that I have gone to a small backyard evaporator I plan on building one because I do know what an RO will do for me, I just did not want to lay out th money for even the small ones that most of the Maple company make. . This video shows you our DIY reverse osmosis (RO) filter, which cuts our family's costs in LESS THAN HALF when we make maple syrup. I made my first syrup this spring and quickly came to the realization that ROing the syrup first is essential to cut down the time spent boiling. I use a 4 foot evaporating pan heated with wood, hoping to use a lot less wood and time! a five gallon bucket at around 7%. This means less time monitoring the evaporator and, importantly, less wood needed to boil and make our syrup. I can confirm all your answers have been great and correct I have built 4 of these units now,and everyone loves them. Will the water be coming out of the tube marked permeate? Good Luckthis a great little unit and has saved me so many hours of boiling. Cover and let stand overnight. So I asked Bill to walk me through exactly what he did to make this sweet contraption. Ray Ingham is a hobby sugarmaker inHuntington, Vermont. Cant wait to try it out. Is this not correct? Out of stock Categories: DIY Maple Syrup Supplies, Packages My questions are. Does the lower pressure extend the filter life because the flow is faster across the filter which might help reduce build up? Hi again Michelle, Thanks again for all the info. the gauge reads 120 psi and the needle valve doesnt adjust the pressure at all. Separation by reverse osmosis Up to two-thirds of the water in maple sap can be separated by using reverse osmosis before the boiling process, which will If nothing else, sign up and get all these goodies delivered to your door for free shipping, right away, so you can start saving money on your propane. And then the downer a material balance. How do you clean this system? It appears that the RO filters will be a challenge to change due to the lines set top and bottom on the casing will not allow the top of the casing to be unscrewed???? Hi, Im Michelle. Thanks for doing this, we will follow up with some of your cookbooks, etc. Yes!! Boiling has been my limitation in the whole process for both time and fuel reasons. It still takes a long time and a lot of fuel to make the syrup, so your RO system sounds like it would help with both. 8. Before you run valuable maple sap through your unit it is a good idea to test it on 50-100 gallons of clean water. Fill a tank with 50 - 100 gal The authors homemade PVC hangers for collecting syrup. Never mind. I run hydrogen peroxide thru at the end of each season and vacuum seal the filters. Halekulani. Thanks for doing the legwork to find the correct tubing. I have run straight hot water thru and the water drain flows freely. But the good news is there are 31 varieties of trees that can be used to make syrup (no one seems to know this so many folks think its sugar maple or nothing) and every single state in the U.S. has at least one native tree that is good for making syrup. Maybe Im blind. Starting with 10 buckets hanging from trees, I settled on 100 taps on tubing with a small vacuum system and a pretty slick homemade reverse osmosis setup. You definitely want to build it in series. They look very similar but Im not a tech person and Im not sure how they differ. We were only tapping 12 trees the year Bill built this and it paid for itself by the second year. Can you explain the flow pattern? At the end of every season, we run 5-10 gallons of permeate through the system, then we remove the filters from their casings and mark where each filter was in the system (so we can change their position each year, to hopefully give them a longer life) Then we put them in a ziplock bag and store them in the refrigerator until the next sugar season. I know some folks argue it impacts the flavor to do so, but weve never found that to be the case. Enjoy your sugar season!! And I have huge respect for Bill and for YOU, since youre here. Do I need to find couplers to change to 3/8 or can I just use 1/4 for that part. We use the 150 gpd filters. And finally, whats the function of the clear line filter? Youll also need some tubing and connectors, as well as another valve. Michelle, Cook zucchinis, garlic cloves and rosemary for 4 mins until beginning to colour. Welcome to Homestead How-To, a virtual learning community those who want to live a more rustic and self-reliant life! I have quadruple-checked everything and cant seem to find the problem. I know nothing, as you can tell. Webbiogen senior engineer ii salary. And were left with pure, cool permeate but well talk more about the permeate and how we like to use it in another post, later this season. Im wondering if your system would cope? Remove from frying pan and set aside.4. She lives on a small homestead in Vermont with her husband, two children, and a rambunctious border collie. Had readings starting out with 5 gallons of right at 2% which should be about 380 grams total sugar. We have 100 taps and the wood saved and time saved in one season has made it worth every penny!!. Thanks Bill and Michelle sharing you drawing on a RO system. EZ-FLO 0.170-in ID x 150-ft Polyethylene Tubing Item #879275Model #98632. Many readers often ask what camera I use to take the images you find here on SoulyRested. Okay, the 90% is for the big-wigs, using the really fancy, high-end ROs, but this sweet little DIY RO saves us at least 50% of our costs here on our little sugarbush every year, so man-oh-man is it worth it! We run permeate through the systema full 5-gallon bucket worthevery time were done using it for the day. Thanks for making me not look wrong. We wont cover the full instructions for building your system in this article, but this set of instructions from Souly Rested offers great guidance on how to do so. Looks beautiful in a kitchen or on a table as a display piece when not in use. 4. I generally have used garden hose to connect the low pressure system components together. It's universal, it's cheap and readily available. It's I put one together last year using 4 100 gpd membranes. The smallest ones you can purchase are definitely a costly investment that would take a backyard sugarmaker anywhere from 4-10 years or more to recoop. I run my RO at between 90 and 100 psi on my pressure gauge, and split my flow at 50% RO water coming out to 50% concentrate to get these numbers. Thanks in advance. Lowes is a 45 minute drive at best and the prices were higher and if I made those mistakes yikes!! How often have you have to change filters? We chose 4 membranes cause we read that any more is pointless, but wanted to maximize what we could. Hi Michelle, I have built your RO and have come across a problem. The Sugar cube is an RO system built into a compact ammo box with handles so that you can move it around as needed. Hope that helps! Yep, we often run it through twice. Its all Bills work. WHAT PRESSURE SHOULD I HAVE? Sadly, yes, you have to filter many other times throughout the whole process. My sap went from1.5% sugar to 4 to 5% sugar after running through my ro. Hi Mike, I built mine last year(2021) and ran into the same issue. Anybody else with similar experiences? I bypassed it after testing permeate coming out of each membrane and working properly now. Heather Gilson, whose family has about 50 taps in their backyard on any given year, explains, My husband built one last year and man was it a time saver for us!! Hi, So I basically clicked all the links you provided and bought all the stuff, and ordered the part numbers from Lowes.. It will cut your fuel costs in half, if not more. How do you adjust the pressure; is that what the needle valve is for? Our family lives on 14 wooded acres, and we cut and store a lot of wood. Vermont is the country's largest producer of maple syrup. IS THAT MY PROBLEM? Your email address will not be published. . Sap is running in SE Wi. * For your membrane, you can choose the one linked above, for50 gallons per day, or upgrade to one for100 gpdor150 gpd. Suggested uses (non-specific recipe uses): Use birch syrup to enhance sandwiches, using a hearty bread like sourdough or peasant bread makes the experience even better. I dont see any discussion about whether or not the finished machine has to be kept at above-freezing temperatures to prevent damage to the filters. Hope you have a fantastic sugar season! Ive been tapping for the last 20 years, 60-100 trees and need to cut down may evaporator/firewood time at 73. so am excited to get this up and running. Im curious as to whether or not you run the concentrate thru multiple times? Larry. I love my Nikon; you canread more about my camera and even purchase your own here. Ive been a hobby sugar maker for somewhere around 20 years. Thanks. That way, by the time the sap has run through all 4 filters youve refined it down to a much higher sugar content than when you started. The 1/4 inch tubing works fine into the pump, no need to convert. He has 400 trees. Hello Michelle, I am in the process of assembling my RO. 3. You will need to attach the high pressure Procon pump to your motor.Before you mount the pump, wire the motor for 220V temporarily so you can te I need to get me some Sweet Maple! If you are still learning how to collect, boil, and bottle maple syrup, head over here to this article about making syrup, step-by-step or, better yet, pick up a copy of Sweet Maple. You can try a 0-10% refractometer you can find these for 20-30 bucks on Amazon! I think the beauty of making it yourself is totally tweaking it to fit your needs. I have never run an RO system and am not quite sure how to run it. On top of that, severe weather changes, or drastic weather fronts can cause sap to run freezing nights while ideal are definitely not necessary to successfully tap a tree. They said they could see the difference. But for now, our little homemade one gets the job done. But Im a little slow. Hope that helps. I flushed the system after each run. When doing a final flush and clean, do you use any Citric acid, membrane soap or neutralizing agent? The drawback is that you need 4 needle valves, one for each sap line/canister to create the proper back pressure. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE NEEDLE VALVE ON THE LINE. Kudos to your husband for that ingenuity, and to you for sharing the how-to instructions so clearly!! . Except sugarmakers use the idea in reverse. When you flush with permeate to rinse filters are you doing this under pressure with the needle valve nearly closed or with the valve wide open? Thanks for all the hard work you do to spread the sweetness! The links were particularly useful, and i made good use of them.. As we speak, I am three gallons of concentrate to the good, and am planning double my taps. Its being hailed at the Book of Knowledge of all Things Maple., But maybe you stumbled here wondering what an ro system is, Ill explain, An RO system is exactly like a water filtering system. I am going to give it a go. Ive had this bookmarked for a while and finally made mine. (In fact, youll see below thats exactly what were usingfilters from a water purifying system.). I had a few doubters when I said I was going to do this. then go bake some maple cookies while they do the hard work. Mark & Colleen Falardeau, backyard sugarmakers who built this RO system, explain, It cost us roughly $300 to make our RO and it takes sap from 2-3% sugar content to 7-8% in one pass! We live in Northern New York, think near the Canadian border north. (Bill said youre welcome. its nice for him to know its helping others after it took him 2 years to break down and put it all on paper for me. RO Maple systems enhance the syrup Every detail you need Hi Michael, No need to apologize I could never build one of these myself. Go here to read the full (ultra fun) legal disclosure about that. Its just reversed. The whole point of boiling sap is to evaporate water and be left with a thick, sugary maple syrup. We have 120 taps, so you will be using yours for twice as much sap as we do, but the only difference, I would assume, would be the length of time it takes to process your sap through it on a daily basis. This may be a good place to introduce yourself and your site or include some credits. I love the way you do things here! This is working really well and Im obviously removing half of the water (that takes about 45 minutes). Thanks again for this post! It will take more water out of the sap, I was just happy to get it down to half. To build a reverse osmosis set up of your ownand seriously slash your fuel costsyoull need a piece of plywood, or something similar, for mounting everything, and youll need the following items, which are all pictured below as well, in the order theyre listed. Alan. 2. The frame is a rectangular base welded from 1 1/2 in angle iron. It measures 18 inches wide by 24 inches long. It has a mounting plate for the h Theyre the exact same filters. 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