Otherwise, read on. Sorry for my ignorance. We have never replaced the filters. Our maple season can be very short and using your RO cuts boiling time down considerably. Do you still have to filter the syrup prior to bottling? 0; . and3.5-4 after I ran mine thru the RO system. A pre-made RO system like the Sugar Cube can cost up to $500, but if you are going to use it over the course of many years, youll save that much in firewood and your time to make it worth it. I had a great season here in SW Ohio, collecting over 525 gals of sap from 68 taps. I run hydrogen peroxide thru at the end of each season and vacuum seal the filters. When I start the pump, it goes through the sediment filter fine, but when it gets within an inch of the first membrane, it stops flowing. On that unit I used all 3/8 lines and 3/8 fittings and 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! What I see of it looks like an improvement over mine. (We use the 150 gpd filters. I asked Bill but sadly he said no, he hasnt tried that. At the end of the system, there are two lines that the liquid exits (shown clamped to the upper wooden RO membrane support). Maple Tap Farm will also participate in the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival on April 1. 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. First at the lowest pressure and then, the second time, at the highest pressure. 0; . Ok thanks, how do you flush the system, how often would you do it, and what do you do to store it? Hi Mike, I built mine last year(2021) and ran into the same issue. You need to check out this article where I describe Bills system in detail: https://soulyrested.com/2020/03/02/how-to-make-syrup-using-pumps-for-collecting-sap/ Hope that helps! RO device ran from 7:50 to 10:15 a.m. removed 3.8 gallons from a 5 gallon bucket at 50 watts tanks of propane. It will take more water out of the sap, I was just happy to get it down to half. Approaches to syrup production. Im in Wisconsin, and I have a brother who also makes syrup in Vermont. Wanna know how to build your own Reverse Osmosis system for making maple syrup? We collected over 3000 gals of sap this year in 5 weeks. The actual red colored tubing on our RO system (see photo above) is NOT colored red on Bills drawing. Volunteers boil it down and the park sells it. Michelle, My first time finding your web page and read thru all of your posts. The 1/4 inch tubing works fine into the pump, no need to convert. Hi Michelle, I was setting up my RO. This may be a good place to introduce yourself and your site or include some credits. We have 110 taps and process roughly 5 gallons of sap through the RO every 45 minutes.). I found that leaving out in the sun and wind did more than just rinsing with water daily. just goes to show attention to detail is vital. WE BUILT THE RO SYSTEM AND IT SEEMS TO RUN EVERYTHING RIGHT THROUGH WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING. Your land sounds wonderful, and I hope your red maples give you lots of wonderful syrup this year! (Read about Ray Inghams ro experiences below.). Yes. I expected the permeate flow to be really really really low and most would just flow into the water tank. Im building one but now I see the challenge with the first filter change. I did find this suggestion for the seasonal storage of RO membranes: Storing your membranes in the off season: * For your membrane, you can choose the one linked above, for50 gallons per day, or upgrade to one for100 gpdor150 gpd. We are always looking for fresh content and new ideas. Michelle. Open the tops and add additional solution if needed. I have additional questions regarding cleaning and storing the filters : He wound up making twice as much syrup using almost half the amount of propane: I made 2 gallons of syrup this year, using 2.5 tanks of propane. Your email address will not be published. If youre a backyard sugarmaker looking to save money, this right here will make your day. I think it now costs me almost $30 per gallon in LP to make. For you, it is more about the experience than the production. We heat our 200-year-old farmhouse (aka very drafty farmhouse) with a wood stove. Larry. Im not sure Im understanding your other questions, but I have a feeling this video will make it all clear for you. I hooked it up with the three I have and was getting 1% sugar in my permeate. Hi Bill, Im not sure Im understanding your question but the 50% is the increase in sugar content. When searching maple trader, some were using these. Works like a charm! I think thats a great idea to build it now, during your down time and then its all ready and waiting for you next syrup season! It does have an ID of 3/8, but it should have an OD of 3/8. But no, Bill made the unit intending to take the filters out at the end of each season to clean and store and reuse the next season. But first, let me applaud you. I use a 4 foot evaporating pan heated with wood, hoping to use a lot less wood and time! We always, always run the sap through twice, even with the 4 membranes. thanks for putting this down for people like me! I only have 40 taps, but if this works I will tap more. I got a lot of wet. Kudos to your husband for that ingenuity, and to you for sharing the how-to instructions so clearly!! Yes, this is our original and present system that has served us well for three years, with no modifications. Rev O did 0.03 kwh per gallon water removed Hi, what is Bill using This item for? Wow, 3 days of banging my head against a wall 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. No, reverse osmosis doesnt remove sugar from your sap. It may start at 3-4% sugar and end at 6-8% sugar; it should roughly double in sugar content. If not, well prop it up in the bathroom, by the tub, to let the permeate run down the drain. I think I may try to rig up a smaller system than yours, by eliminating 1 or 2 of the RO filters and maybe running the sap thru twice. Happy sugaring!! We dont often have time to boil more than once a week. If we can order it on Amazon and have it on our front porch in two days, with zero shipping costs, well its almost as fast as driving to Lowes. Plenty of elbow grease and lots of clean, hot water are the best cleaning agents for maple syrup equipment. I may try that this year.. Assuming your sap is gravity feed to the pump, is there any suggested distance above the pump for the container of sap to be for this to work? Pump and transformer,membranes* (you will need 4 but see other links for varying gallons per day),membrane casings(4),filter 4-pack,filter housing,pressure gauge, a straightneedle valve. Taste and see that theLordis good. Iam going to build one as per your drawings. Hi, love what you have come up with. Thanks for the great instructions. Hi Jim. 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!! We run it at 60-70 psi, which we regulate with the needle valve. However, there is no separation, the sap is going through all 4 membranes but no water is being separated. 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. For that reason, it actually makes more sense for a backyard operation. Oh, boy, any technical questions I have to run by Bill. Cant wait to try it out. WebTotal 9584 products from sugar free substitute for maple syrup Manufactures & Suppliers You will glue on an end cap on one end and then install a threaded cap on the other. See a 2,100-tap operation using a tubing/vacuum system, reverse osmosis and a wood pellet-fired evaporator. All very-long-cold-New-England winter. How long are they typically good for? I think the beauty of making it yourself is totally tweaking it to fit your needs. Just follow their directions and it will work for you.. Looks like we will need a bigger system next year. It was capable of running raw sap from 2% up to 14% by running it thru multiple times. We chose 4 membranes cause we read that any more is pointless, but wanted to maximize what we could. Youll find the latest designs right here (like the one Im wearing here) . lol. Great question. Keep them from extreme heat and freezing and they will be safely stored until next season. I am hoping to make one before this years season! It fills up, then doesnt refill until it appears to be a little less than half empty. tanks of propane. ), If you wanna read more about why we ro,go here. But for now, our little homemade one gets the job done. Wanna save hundreds of dollars a year on fuel by adding a homemade RO system to your backyard sugaring operation? When ready to boil I run it into I saw on line there are 400gpd membranes and housings available. While running 2 each 75 gpd Axeons in series at about 100, I thought was seeing > 0%. I have quadruple-checked everything and cant seem to find the problem. 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 While researching, Ive read about some RO systems running at 100 110 PSI, however this system runs around 60. Then keep scrolling for a totally unprofessional, hope-you-understand-what-hes-talking-about drawing of Bills design. WebConsisting of one sediment filter and two reverse osmosis filters, the Sugar Cube RO Replacement Filter Kit contains everything you need for the annual maintenance of your prototype Sugar Cube RO. She lives on a small homestead in Vermont with her husband, two children, and a rambunctious border collie. Go here to read the full (ultra fun) legal disclosure about that. Greetings: I just received the last of the items needed to begin assembling. Why four membranes? Hi Jason, Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trialby clicking through this link. 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? This is the one we use: https://amzn.to/2MhygVd. [68] In 2019 it led with over 7.8million litres (2.07million US gallons), followed by New York with 3.1millionL (820,000USgal) and Maine with 2.2millionL (580,000USgal). 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. Thank you so much for sharing this DIY RO set-up. The process takes about 30 minutes to transform the syrup into a gorgeous golden, thickened maple cream. Click either the item name or the picture for ordering information. I also list, below, every single item Bill bought to build our system. I keep having to relearn to push the tubing ALL THE WAY IN. Do you clean the system during the season and if so what do you use? Any addivce? Weba maple syrup producer records the amount. . A backyard sugarmaker in New England, and author of Sweet Maple. We live in the Deep South. We run it at 60/70. Im wondering if your system would cope? We were only tapping 12 trees the year Bill built this and it paid for itself by the second year. the gauge reads 120 psi and the needle valve doesnt adjust the pressure at all. After running your sap through your RO (you can run it through twice if you want) you want to IMMEDIATELY process it. Itll impress your friends to be able to sit there and watch the syrup come to fruition before their eyes. And, yes, the refractometer is AMAZING! will be compatible for the smaller volume of birch sap you will process. 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. One of those tubes produced clean, clear water, and the other produces highly concentrated sap. You can put your sap through the RO system on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday and then more easily and safely save it up for the weekend. Great post. When were making maple syrup, reverse osmosis also leaves you with pure water, but what it removes is actually what we want to keep highly concentrated sap. You know the ones that that filter out the impurities and leave you with wonderfully pure drinking water? Since most backyard sugar makers use wood to boil their syrup, the savings on fuel by cutting your boiling time in half is huge. It does cope well, and efficiently. Wisconsin has won every family taste test (blind of course). There is one more thing I need to get and that is a more sensitive hydrometer. That top will not spin unless the line is cut. Thank you so much for sharing. 5. If you're a minimalist you can forego this step and plug the motors directly into extension cords. But I like the convenience of having an off/o thanks again for the great info.. Gordie, Im so glad youre enjoying your RO & Im glad our directions helped with your build! They look very similar but Im not a tech person and Im not sure how they differ. Great questions. I think it is 33 by 30 to be exact. Steam the tofu 5. drizzle with maple syrup and mustard mixture. I know nothing, as you can tell. This post contains affiliate links & I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post. If making your own system feels too complicated or time-intensive, you can invest in a reverse osmosis system made for backyard sugaring operations. Required fields are marked *. The whole point of boiling sap is to evaporate water and be left with a thick, sugary maple syrup. even read about storing the filters in permeate. 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. We dont feed our sap directly into our RO. $8.99. Your email address will not be published. Im sure youll notice lots of time savings this year! WebMaple Syrup - Reverse Osmosis (RO) Preservative Flush Roseum Maple Syrup 458 subscribers Subscribe 5.9K views 3 years ago ROSEUM MAPLE SYRUP This video My primary limitation is sap storage. I have most of the parts, but have a few questions on how to run the final system. All this and so much more is explained in Sweet Maple. This is really interesting! He has 400 trees. Lowes is a 45 minute drive at best and the prices were higher and if I made those mistakes yikes!! Hope that helps. 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. I looked into RO years ago but never realized one could build one. Vermont is the country's largest producer of maple syrup. If the weather is going to be particularly warm, we can take this smaller amount of sap and pop it in a cooler or the fridge so it doesnt warm up too much. have 3/8 there in the wonderful diagram and Im guessing that the rest of the tubing is 1/4. You can also follow my Maple Syrup pinterest boardright here. So I asked Bill to walk me through exactly what he did to make this sweet contraption. icon below: window.fd('form', { Of course, no matter what you use for fuel, cuddling with a barn cat while you watch the sap boil makes everything a little more puuurfect. 3. That would still account for only 60 of the missing 130 grams. Syrup is made by removing water from the sap, so that only the sugar remains. Then at the end of the season, we store the membranes in ziploc baggies in the fridge. And finally, whats the function of the clear line filter? Whats the measurements on plywood board. Heres our Reverse Osmosis set up. Honestly, getting all the pieces is the largest drain on your time. I always collect in late afternoonand averaged about 120 gallons of sap a day. 10. Glance at myResource Pageif youd like to get a glimpse of other supplies I use for maple syrup making (as well as gardening, homeschooling, homesteading topics, nature journaling, and more). Never ever occurred to me that an RO system could be used in this manner. 2. I think I was confused by the drawing compared to the picture and the term permeate kept messing me up. Its kind of you to share all this information with the back yarders. It will cut your fuel costs in half, if not more. Great question, Jerry. My name is Carrie Williams Howe and I am the founder and editor of Homestead How-To. 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 How do you clean the membranes for storage off season? Webbiogen senior engineer ii salary. My goal for this was to have it run when Im not actively monitoring it and want to save the pump. We have 110 taps and process roughly 5 gallons of sap through the RO every 45 minutes. To test, i just ran tap water through. Ive had this bookmarked for a while and finally made mine. Happy sugaring! 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. Haha. When that bucket is half full I pull it and start the next bucket. Excited to start using this. Ray Ingham is a hobby sugarmaker inHuntington, Vermont. Never mind. Hi Lucas, glad you solved your problem before I even saw your comment. Hi Tim. 7. If you are prone to fits of unrestrained enthusiasm, such as I am, you may want to add capacity by adding additional RO membranes in series. It What a great question. The 1/4 inch tubing works fine into the pump attention to detail is vital they look very similar but not... 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