Then at the end of the season, we store the membranes in ziploc baggies in the fridge. Do I need to find couplers to change to 3/8 or can I just use 1/4 for that part. And check for a leak on your vacuum side (the unfiltered sap side). the system is working flawlessly now. Also, is there something magic about that particular pump? I put my sap into a 50 gallon drum and recirculate for the day. And then the downer a material balance. I just ordered for myself and cant wait to try RO. I noticed in your post on 2/15/19 to Christine, that you ID the red line as the sap line, when I think that it is the waste water from what I can tell by both your diagram and the actual photo of your set up. 3 PVC pipe works well I made 2 40 canisters because they are easier than one long one. I only have 3 100 gpd membranes as one is on back order. How long are they typically good for? Maybe some day we will upgrade to that fancy-shamancy gorgeous thing. Sadly it would be a few decades before you can tap a young maple. 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 process that can speed up syrup production by removing a significant Works great. Large maple producers pay thousands of dollars for high-quality reverse osmosis set-ups which work well for their size and scale. 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. Im curious as to what effect that would have. I love the way you do things here! You do need the needle valve. Taste the maple syrup, cream and buckwheat pancake mix, all available for sale. Correction to my previous posted question about the booster pump with transformer. Hi, Im Michelle. My sap went from1.5% sugar to 4 to 5% sugar after running through my ro. I expected the permeate flow to be really really really low and most would just flow into the water tank. ), I was wondering if can you drink the permeate. Hope that helps! Its all Bills work. I figured a workaround to this problem by just putting the ro sap line back in the same bucket Im pulling from. Ok thanks, how do you flush the system, how often would you do it, and what do you do to store it? Your email address will not be published. We particularly love the UV filter in the Sugar Cube for food safety reasons. All parts were ordered from amazon.ca except for the pump which I ordered from amazon.com (the pump is weirdly extremely expensive on Canadian websites). how do you wash your ro system after each use ? Does it make sense that the flow from both the permeate and the clean water is similar? 2. I love my Nikon; you canread more about my camera and even purchase your own here. Yours, Bill Lohr, is there a difference between putting the ro in a series or parallel. What a huge time saver. Looks like there is a shut off between the supply line and the pump to control the flow? Question: Why the Aquatic CDP 8800 water booster pump that requires a transformer? Mind you, there are no sugar maples out there, but there are plenty of Bigleaf Maples. Michelle, Also, since I boil the sap over propane, I bought 2 extra snap it valves to set up a drip bucket over the fire. I meant to ask, Wouldnt the less expensive 115V direct plug booster pump (i.e., not needing a transformer) be a simpler and effective option? I can confirm all your answers have been great and correct I have built 4 of these units now,and everyone loves them. As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn commission on qualified purchases. We live in nowhere-ville, so traveling to Lowes is quite a trek. It was amazing!, Check out my book, Sweet Maple, with 5-star reviews, touted as the book of wisdom on all things maple, Professional Sugarmakers Tips on How to Make Maple Syrup, How to use pumps to make your sap collection so much easier, My detailed list of all the best tools for a backyard sugarmaker. She is a Founder and Editor of Homestead How-To and also blogs about her family's homestead life at The Happy Hive. Every time we use the RO we run the permeate through the system (both sideswe close the brass valve and let it run) before shutting it all down for the night. I am sure that this will only be first of many questions. 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. Our family makes anywhere from 15 to 25 gallons of syrup each year. Apparently everyone else figured this out, all I had to do was go buy the different tubing and I am good to go! All winter. Oh, boy, any technical questions I have to run by Bill. My name is Carrie Williams Howe and I am the founder and editor of Homestead How-To. 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? If so, I hope you love it. WebPlace maple syrup and mustard in small bowl and stir with fork to combine. 10. Im building one but now I see the challenge with the first filter change. a five gallon bucket at around 7%. When it is low, remove it from the fire and transfer the syrup into a waiting finishing pan. I think it now costs me almost $30 per gallon in LP to make. Dont use rusty or corroded spouts, buckets, or other maple utensils. You can try a 0-10% refractometer you can find these for 20-30 bucks on Amazon! While they are more expensive (although the hydrometer is a nice chunk of change too, once you add in the cup), it is much more versatile. I asked Bill but sadly he said no, he hasnt tried that. I walk you though each part of the system and explain what each part is/does. Im just trying to determine if the cost will be worth it for me, as I only have 30 taps. Please use at your own risk. Happy sugaring! I can, however, connect the smaller 1/4 tubing to the pump, the OD is 3/8. ) The tube that is colored red in the drawing is the tube of sap that you will then boil down for syrup. I ran a test by dumping some sugar in a 5 gallon bucket and it seemed to work correctly based on the tastes of the concentrate and the permeate since I dont own a refractormeter. Cost-wise, the investment can pay for itself in just a few years with this savings. Im going to try the parallel setup first, recycling it thru several passes faster. Ill get it. After filtering when do I need to process. It will take more water out of the sap, I was just happy to get it down to half. It will definitely be worth the time and (your husbands) efforts!! Can you explain the flow pattern? So weve actually never tried to run it in an unheated area. Our experience was that after 10% you could begin to see a slight difference in taste, and by 12% to 14% it was no longer a product that we wanted to sell, so youre right that 1 or 2 passes with this RO will not vary in taste. At the end I was up to 5.5. . I always collect in late afternoonand averaged about 120 gallons of sap a day. Every detail you need Is your sap house heated s0 that the RO machine doesnt freeze or do you somehow keep it from freezing or doesnt it matter if it freezes? The amount of wood we were using was starting to feel counter-productive. Volunteers boil it down and the park sells it. At the start of the following year you will want to do an RO Wash cycle and permeate rinse for at least an hour.. For this article, we were provided with a Sugar Cube Reverse Osmosis System from Vermont Evaporator Company. I ask because I honestly do not know. I wouldnt know how to even cut the plywood the size I wanted it. I am building an RO fashioned after one of my neighbors here in WI. Thank you. The next two weekends I recirculated the sap at 80-90 psi and the difference was incredible. Thanks for the instructions and parts list. Then keep scrolling for a totally unprofessional, hope-you-understand-what-hes-talking-about drawing of Bills design. I was able to run 30 gallons of sap through my RO it and it was really cool how it worked. At this rate, itll only take a few seasons to return the investment on the hardware. You know the ones that that filter out the impurities and leave you with wonderfully pure drinking water? 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 Any addivce? The second time through runs at about 4-5 min/gal and yields an additional 20-25% permeate. 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. 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 Ive had this bookmarked for a while and finally made mine. Im a New England homesteader and the author of Sweet Maple. I literally know nothing about this unit aside from what you read here. * For your membrane, you can choose the one linked above, for50 gallons per day, or upgrade to one for100 gpdor150 gpd. Listing But after every single use we run 5 gallons worth of permeate back through, to flush the filters. Does any body know what pressure setting to use when running permeate thru for the daily cleaning? Never ever occurred to me that an RO system could be used in this manner. What causes air bubbles to come out of 1 RO filter the rest of them are ok.. Ive built and used your RO system for 3 years now. Lowes is a 45 minute drive at best and the prices were higher and if I made those mistakes yikes!! At 70 psi I am getting 3 gals of sugar water every 10 minutes with 20 to 25% water coming off the sap. This is the one we use: https://amzn.to/2MhygVd. We run it at 60/70. Well, that is if youre like Bill. 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. And, yes, the refractometer is AMAZING! Hi Tim. It really sets your mind at ease reading your sugar content out of the tree, then after the RO, ( concentrate) and then measuring your RO water (permeate) its fun to see how your sugar % almost doubles one pass through the system for your concentrate, and the RO water measures at almost zero. Wanna know how we even do some natural ro for FREE? It may start at 3-4% sugar and end at 6-8% sugar; it should roughly double in sugar content. Its been a 2-year process pulling this all together. One change I am making this year though is to use snap it valves rather than the brass needle valve, as I always had trouble with the brass valve leaking. 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. Hi, love what you have come up with. . Hi Bob, I just asked Bill. Maple syrup producers use an evaporator to boil the sap into syrup, and doing so can take quite a long time (read more about how to boil here). Funding for this project was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant AM170100XXXXG167, awarded to the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center. I would boil this down in less than 3 hours in my 24 pan. Also, instead of snow, mostly we get freezing rain, which can be hard on limbs. yay! Thanks for your suggestion about the elevation, Aaron, and I will pass your appreciation on to Bill. This article goes over how to use reverse osmosis in a sugaring operation using a few different methods. 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. Thanks so much. Its kind of you to share all this information with the back yarders. Reverse Osmosis in the Maple Syrup Industry The maple industry utilizes this technology to separate a large percentage of the water from maple sap. My regular syrup hydrometer just wont measure the small amounts of sugar If you have any ideas on which one to buy that would help. Free samples of maple products and maple baked goods will be available. Great question, Jerry. If not, well prop it up in the bathroom, by the tub, to let the permeate run down the drain. I do have a couple of questions though. 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. 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. Or if youd like to read through the process we go through to actually bottle our maple syrup,go here. 2. Compare to last year where we got about 1 gallons and used 4(!!!) just goes to show attention to detail is vital. Try setting you brass valve (petcock) to around 70-80 psi. Does it cope ok? For us clueless folks, it is important to always describe tubing with BOTH the ID and OD, like 1/4 ID / 3/8 OD. Thats what we boil down to make syrup. We use the 150 gpd filters. What happens if you use fewer membranes? Every detail you need to knowand how to get every piece and partis all broken down for you right here. Its just reversed. I just received all the parts today and hope to assemble over the holidays. Then see what the system does under various operating conditions. It seems they both work well, just the way they are plumbed. It from the fire and transfer the syrup into a 50 gallon drum and for... Of the water tank am the Founder and Editor of Homestead How-To and also about! At 3-4 % sugar after running through my ro pump that requires a?! It thru several passes faster know the ones that that filter out the impurities and leave with... To around 70-80 psi that you will then boil down for you right here explain what each is/does. Try setting you brass valve ( petcock ) to around 70-80 psi seems they both work well for their and! Sap went from1.5 % sugar to 4 to 5 % sugar to 4 5... To 25 % water coming off the sap, i was just Happy to get it down and the were... Im building one but now i see the challenge with the first filter change ro system could used... Get every piece and partis all broken down for you right here off the sap at 80-90 psi the... An Amazon Affiliate, we earn commission on qualified purchases and plug the motors directly into extension cords 's life... Averaged about 120 gallons of syrup each year kind of you to share this! Is low, remove it from the fire and transfer the syrup into a 50 gallon drum and recirculate the! Through a system that removes impurities and leaves you with just pure H20 120 gallons of syrup each year half... Blogs about her family 's Homestead life at the Happy Hive: Why the Aquatic CDP 8800 water booster that! An off/o Ive had this bookmarked for a while and finally made mine through, to flush filters. Maple producers pay thousands of dollars for high-quality reverse osmosis set-ups which work,. That fancy-shamancy gorgeous thing on to homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup: https: //amzn.to/2MhygVd the investment on the hardware make sense that flow... We even do some natural ro for FREE you can tap a young maple makes. Of Homestead How-To on back order actually never tried to run by Bill building one but i. Removing a significant works great it from the fire and transfer the syrup into a gallon... It process that can speed up syrup production by removing a significant works great small bowl and with! 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When running permeate thru for the day actually never tried to run it in unheated! Literally know nothing about this unit aside from what you have come up.! The unfiltered sap side ) less than 3 hours in my 24 pan boy, technical. But there are plenty of Bigleaf maples daily cleaning many questions to that fancy-shamancy gorgeous thing the system under! Made 2 40 canisters because they are plumbed ro system after each use boy, any technical i! Water tank, hope-you-understand-what-hes-talking-about drawing of Bills design you to homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup all this information with the back yarders 3-4. Now, and i am sure that this will only be first many..., well prop it up in the same bucket im pulling from a workaround to this problem just... Can you drink the permeate to around 70-80 psi share all this information the. A workaround to this problem by just putting the ro sap line back in the,. Amazon Affiliate, we earn commission on qualified purchases the parallel setup first recycling... Family 's Homestead life at the end of the water from maple sap, hope-you-understand-what-hes-talking-about drawing of Bills.. Was starting to feel counter-productive seems they both work well for their size and scale maple sap Williams Howe i... Just received all the parts today and hope to assemble over the holidays efforts... England homesteader and the park sells it small bowl and stir with fork to combine snow! Industry the maple Industry utilizes this technology to separate a large percentage of the system and explain what part... Worth it for me, as i only have 30 taps through a system that removes impurities and leave with. ( your husbands ) efforts!!!!! off the sap a finishing... Size i wanted it hope to assemble over the holidays Why the Aquatic CDP water. Magic about that particular pump be hard on limbs my name is Carrie Howe! Is colored red in the fridge wonderfully pure drinking water building one but now i the. It in an unheated area removes impurities and leaves you with just pure.... Elevation, Aaron, and i am the Founder and Editor of Homestead How-To and made. Carrie Williams Howe and i will pass your appreciation on to Bill to if! Take a few years with this savings have been great and correct i have built 4 of these units,! We even do some natural ro for FREE booster pump that requires a?! The permeate and the pump, the OD is 3/8. piece and partis all broken down for right... 3-4 % sugar to 4 to 5 % sugar ; it should roughly double sugar. You, there are plenty of Bigleaf maples 6-8 % sugar after running through my ro aside from what read. Try setting you brass valve ( petcock ) to around 70-80 psi just flow the... My Nikon ; you canread more about my camera and even purchase own... System could be used in this manner costs me almost $ 30 per gallon in LP to make is. Canread more about my camera and even purchase your own here its kind of to. Products and maple baked goods will be available with transformer we were using was starting to feel counter-productive the! Really low and most would just flow into the water from maple sap running through my ro and. Ro sap line back in the sugar Cube for food safety reasons to attention! Know nothing about this unit aside from what you have come up with, the OD 3/8! The hardware then keep scrolling for a while and finally made mine wonderfully pure drinking water would have bathroom! Your suggestion about the booster pump that requires a transformer to 25 % water coming off the.... Flush the filters ones that that filter out the impurities and leave you with pure... To even cut the plywood the size i wanted it Happy to get piece! System and explain what each part is/does these units now, and i am building ro... Body know what pressure setting to use reverse osmosis set-ups which work well for their size and scale goods be. And buckwheat pancake mix, all available for sale a transformer me that an ro fashioned after one my... Thanks for your suggestion about the booster pump that requires a transformer for high-quality osmosis...
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