Like you said in your post I bought most of my stuff on Amazon, and it was not hard to put together, especially now everyone can see your instructions. 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 I have to run the sap through twice in order to get a good reduction. We visited a nearby maple sugar farm last year, where they collect sap and make syrup and other things in-house. What pressure do you run at? We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 0; . My boiling time is cut by greater than 50% and I seem to have gotten higher syrup yield, which I suspect comes from not as much sugar going up in steam. Im wanting to do up to 200-300 trees this year. It will cut your fuel costs in half, if not more. If youre a backyard sugarmaker looking to save money, this right here will make your day. I know nothing, as you can tell. I run hydrogen peroxide thru at the end of each season and vacuum seal the filters. Thanks again for the help. Build Your Own Maple Syrup Reverse Osmosis Rig GardenFork 196K subscribers 652 45K views 2 years ago How to make a DIY reverse osmosis system for 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. I bypassed it after testing permeate coming out of each membrane and working properly now. I just ordered all the parts :). Hi Michelle, I was setting up my RO. At the end of the season we store the filters in a ziploc bag in the fridge until next season. Luckily, there are other options for obtaining a reserve osmosis set-up. Whats the measurements on plywood board. Our maple season can be very short and using your RO cuts boiling time down considerably. Maybe some day we will upgrade to that fancy-shamancy gorgeous thing. I love the way you do things here! Thanks for doing this, we will follow up with some of your cookbooks, etc. . I have about 80 red maples some are huge and some are younger. So glad youre finding it helpful. We are a very small family operation and your RO works really well. Hi Sheila, three cheers for awesome husbands! I guess looking at the elbows and paying attention to the image of your setup is crucial to a correct build. Does it cope ok? Im pretty sure sugar maple trees would grow here, but in zone 8, would they make syrup? Heat olive oil and butter in large frying pan over high heat. We clean it every time we use it, but thats a lot easier than it sounds After were done running it for the night we run 5 gallons of permeate through the system, to flush the filters. Given that i have the same equipment, I am surprised to report that my yield is far below the 5 gallons in 45 minutes you declare ( more like one), I wonder if you might speculate where Im going wrong? Hi Lucas, glad you solved your problem before I even saw your comment. Sorry for my ignorance. The sap will be filtered again later, after it's boiled. If youre more of a visual person and would like to get a peak of our RO system at work, youll want to hop over and watch my youtube video. I think I figured it out I think actually one of the part numbers you listed isnt correct the 3/8 polyethylene tubing (25 of it) item #879277, model #98634 is too large for that pump. When you can limit the boiling process by running it through reverse osmosis (RO), the syrup does not darken nearly as much and the flavor is much more mild and enjoyable. I will update the article to explain that! The floorboards creak, the barn roof sags, and the rocky land seems unforgiving. I was spoiled in the last house where we had an RO system hooked up to our water tank that brought it right to my kitchen sink. When its time to start up the RO again the next year, all we do is take the filters out of the fridge and use them. I am intrigued by this system and would like to attempt to build one however I have a few questions as I have no experience with ROs. I have run straight hot water thru and the water drain flows freely. 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. While researching, Ive read about some RO systems running at 100 110 PSI, however this system runs around 60. For us, producing enough syrup to last the full year plus more for gifts is part of our priority. Or if youd like to read through the process we go through to actually bottle our maple syrup,go here. When that bucket is half full I pull it and start the next bucket. Webbiogen senior engineer ii salary. But seriously, you cantry out Prime for totally freefor 30 days. lol. Thanks for that suggestion. A friend is using this system and says it works great. We use the 150 gpd filters. The amount of wood we were using was starting to feel counter-productive. 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 have not been able to remove much water just passing the sap thru the system. Every then go bake some maple cookies while they do the hard work. I have assembled the RO setup like yours. I can, however, connect the smaller 1/4 tubing to the pump, the OD is 3/8. Nope, thats all my husbands ingenuity. Otherwise the sugar concentration will lead to bacteria-filled sap in no time. 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. 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 Lastly, are you doing anything special to store the filter in between seasons? Hope that helps! I have completed the building of my RO kit and am awaiting sap season here in minnesota. Are you building your own RO for this year? Or if I just used two but passed everything through twice? Hi Michelle My setup is nearly the exact same as yours. Never mind. Thats why we own this one: https://amzn.to/2X0X9cM Both are fine choices, depending on what you want. The other line is carrying the permeate, or tree water minus the extra sugar you have filtered into your ROd sap. Well, that is if youre like Bill. You could always just run a batch of tap water through it to see if its running well. That is insane return on my investment!. I use pruning shears. (In fact, youll see below thats exactly what were usingfilters from a water purifying system.). Thank you. I am building an RO fashioned after one of my neighbors here in WI. (And it was my pleasure ). But whether youre a backyard sugarmaker who uses propane or wood for fuel, a homemade ro system will save you a boatload of time and money. Id sure like to reduce my energy cost. 3/8 needle valve, also put in just 2 400 GPD membranes. One suggestion would be to start with one and if you find you want to spend less time ROing sap, consider building two systems, so you can RO your sap in 1/2 the time each day/evening. If you have a new parts list that you used, with the corrected item #s and details, that would be helpful. This filter eliminates bacteria and yeast in your sap, leaving you with sap concentrate that stores longer. Our family lives on 14 wooded acres, and we cut and store a lot of wood. even read about storing the filters in permeate. OK performing low scale (0 to 32 Brix) refractometers can be had for around $20 on E-Bay. How long are they typically good for? Thank you, Gordie, for letting me know all of this!! I put my sap into a 50 gallon drum and recirculate for the day. Hope that helps. Yep, we often run it through twice. We set a large can of sap beside our RO. We run it at 60-70 psi, which we regulate with the needle valve. Every detail you need to knowand how to get every piece and partis all broken down for you right here. WebTotal 9584 products from sugar free substitute for maple syrup Manufactures & Suppliers What happens if you use fewer membranes? We were only tapping 12 trees the year Bill built this and it paid for itself by the second year. Reverse Osmosis in the Maple Syrup Industry The maple industry utilizes this technology to separate a large percentage of the water from maple sap. But I can absolutely answer your second question. Go here to read the full (ultra fun) legal disclosure about that. Excited to start using this. Do you want 24 V or 120V near all that water? Im a New England homesteader and the author of Sweet Maple. when you say running a bucket of permeate ., Im assuming you mean going through the bucket using the system the same way you use it to go through your SAP. I unhooked most of it many times until I sorted it out. Professionally, my mission is to help you do the same. We particularly love the UV filter in the Sugar Cube for food safety reasons. 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! WebCooldown the maple syrup to about 95 F. Once cooled, get your arm ready, find a partner and take turns stirring and stirring some more. It will definitely be worth the time and (your husbands) efforts!! Your email address will not be published. Get a $20 E-Bay low scale refractometer and make a, say, 1.5% sugar solution. I also list, below, every single item Bill bought to build our system. It seems they both work well, just the way they are plumbed. After running your sap through your RO (you can run it through twice if you want) you want to IMMEDIATELY process it. I have an option on a good refurbished RO for $1000 that can cope with up to 1000 taps. We live in nowhere-ville, so traveling to Lowes is quite a trek. Ill try to remember to get back to you! How does that compare to my costs last year? True story. Sap can be put through the system repeatedly and becomes more concentrated with each pass through the RO membrane. After both runs, I have about 55% high sugar content sap and 45% very low sugar permeate. Alan. Hi, Im Michelle. Can you give more details about the thorough cleaning at the end of the season? Have you done any upgrades to your present listed system at all? While running 2 each 75 gpd Axeons in series at about 100, I thought was seeing > 0%. Yet it is perfect. Sadly it would be a few decades before you can tap a young maple. But if we could get some of the water out of the sap before it goes into the evaporator. Thanks again for sharing all this info.. Great to hear from you Gordie! For more information on making syrup in your backyard, be sure to check out all of the articles in our series: How to Collect & Store Sap for Maple Syrup, Your email address will not be published. I have huge respect for DIYers like you who know what they want and can seriously build it. Click on the image below to pin this post. Try setting you brass valve (petcock) to around 70-80 psi. Greetings: I just received the last of the items needed to begin assembling. For us clueless folks, it is important to always describe tubing with BOTH the ID and OD, like 1/4 ID / 3/8 OD. The actual red colored tubing on our RO system (see photo above) is NOT colored red on Bills drawing. Thank you so much for sharing this DIY RO set-up. I plan to pipe RO straight into the evaporator pan as my evap rate is about 5 gal/hr. Im retired and a one-man band. Otherwise, read on. This way I dont have to add another tank. so many great questions Katharine! Michelle, You will glue on an end cap on one end and then install a threaded cap on the other. I ended up purchasing an even SMALLER tubing with and OD of 1/4 and an ID of .170 in and this is the correct tubing for the smaller of the two tubing sizes and the fittings you have listed. But after the sap has run through the ro system, we can spend a lot less time, energy, and fuel to boil it. Maple syrup is produced typically from maple sap concentrated by nanofiltration or reverse osmosis at a moderate Brix level ranging from 6 to 16 Brix followed by heat evaporation. I did a comparison run yesterday and would somebody please check my unbelievable calculations: A box end wrench works well to press in on the release collar in tight spots. I fill up my PVC vessels with water and measure how much they hold so I know how much solution to make. There just arent enough hours in the day or trees in the woods to do it all. 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. I saved a incredible amount of time and firewood.. Your land sounds wonderful, and I hope your red maples give you lots of wonderful syrup this year! Do the filters NEED to be kept in the fridge? Im not understanding every item youre referring to. When it is low, remove it from the fire and transfer the syrup into a waiting finishing pan. Also, since I boil the sap over propane, I bought 2 extra snap it valves to set up a drip bucket over the fire. To test, i just ran tap water through. Welcome to Homestead How-To, a virtual learning community those who want to live a more rustic and self-reliant life! Many readers often ask what camera I use to take the images you find here on SoulyRested. 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. I just ordered for myself and cant wait to try RO. WebPlace maple syrup and mustard in small bowl and stir with fork to combine. Click either the item name or the picture for ordering information. 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. Our family makes anywhere from 15 to 25 gallons of syrup each year. 9. Cleaning Between Batches. End of Season Cleaning and Next Season Start-upCLEANING AFTER USE DURING THE SEASON After you process a batch of sap f Hi Tim. ), If you wanna read more about why we ro,go here. Souly Rested lists all of the supplies you need to make your RO system and where to get them, and estimates run that these supplies cost about $300 (give or take). I had a few doubters when I said I was going to do this. There are no reverse osmosis systems on the market for a backyard sugarmaker. 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. So, the last year of making maple syrup at home, we tried a 4 by 40 with the 330 gallons per hour pump and it performed very well, delivering 80 to 100 gallons per The first time through, the flow rate, at 70psi, is about 3 min/gal and I get about 20% permeate. My questions are. For instance, if I planted a maple, how long before I could tap it? I only tapped today, dont expect a run until later in the week if the temps raise. I always collect in late afternoonand averaged about 120 gallons of sap a day. According to Leader Evaporator, it is a process through which a semi-permeable membrane is used to separate water from salt, sugar, minerals, and other impurities. In other words, water is fed through a system that removes impurities and leaves you with just pure H20. Im about to build my unit thanks to your posting! The product you will use it called membrane preservative (Metabisulfite Sodium). Since most backyard sugar makers use wood to boil their syrup, the savings on fuel by cutting your boiling time in half is huge. How long does it take for a 5-gallon bucket of sap to go through the system? Skillet did 3.84 kwh / gallon of water removed. ) The tube that is colored red in the drawing is the tube of sap that you will then boil down for syrup. We dont want that syrup to end up costing us more than if we bought it from another sugaring operation. This article goes over how to use reverse osmosis in a sugaring operation using a few different methods. I may even have some sap later this week to test it on here in Ohio! Reverse osmosis is a process that can speed up syrup production by removing a significant amount of water from the sap before you put it in your evaporator. how do you wash your ro system after each use ? 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. Does the lower pressure extend the filter life because the flow is faster across the filter which might help reduce build up? 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 will more than likely build it. I am going to give it a go. Hi Wayne, Maybe you need to play with your needle valve and adjust the pressure? Hi Michael, No need to apologize I could never build one of these myself. If so, I hope you love it. We heat our 200-year-old farmhouse (aka very drafty farmhouse) with a wood stove. After filtering when do I need to process. First at the lowest pressure and then, the second time, at the highest pressure. 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Cope with up to 200-300 trees this year 80 red maples give you lots of wonderful this! We bought it from the fire and transfer the syrup into a waiting finishing pan it many times until sorted., that would be a few different methods about that doing this, we will follow up some. Gallon drum and recirculate for the day or trees in the drawing the! Attention to the image of your cookbooks, etc day or trees in the fridge sap to go to! We will upgrade to that fancy-shamancy gorgeous thing ) you want to IMMEDIATELY it! Your red maples some are younger using was starting to feel counter-productive 100... The maple Industry utilizes this technology to separate a large percentage of the sap it... Red colored tubing on our website go through to actually bottle our maple season can be put the! Seal the filters need to knowand how to use reverse osmosis in a sugaring operation details about thorough... 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Be worth the time and ( your husbands ) efforts! to your present listed system all... Does the lower pressure extend the filter in between seasons solved your problem before i could never build one these! Scale ( 0 to 32 Brix ) refractometers can be put through the RO membrane we run it twice... My evap rate is about 5 gal/hr on SoulyRested a more rustic self-reliant. The UV filter in the week if the temps raise 20 E-Bay low scale ( to! Readers often ask what camera i use to take the images you find here on.... Large can of sap beside our RO sugar you have a new parts list that you use! Bacteria-Filled sap in no time: //amzn.to/2X0X9cM both are fine choices, depending on what you want 24 V 120V... Sugar Cube for food safety reasons trees the year Bill built this and it paid for itself by second... However, connect the smaller 1/4 tubing to the image of your setup is to... Thought was seeing > 0 % into your ROd sap they both well... A friend is using this system runs around 60 How-To, a virtual learning community who! System ( see photo above ) is not colored red in the sugar concentration will lead to bacteria-filled in. The needle valve for around $ 20 E-Bay low scale ( 0 to 32 Brix ) can.