homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup

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. Lowes is a 45 minute drive at best and the prices were higher and if I made those mistakes yikes!! Skillet did 3.84 kwh / gallon of water removed. Wisconsin has won every family taste test (blind of course). Im making birch syrup in Alaska and it takes about 100-110 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. Its all Bills work. 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. Just wanted to thank you for the great instructions on building an RO. Hi Michelle, I was setting up my RO. Do not see it in the drawing. I need to get me some Sweet Maple! Funding for this project was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant AM170100XXXXG167, My sap went from1.5% sugar to 4 to 5% sugar after running through my ro. I only have 3 100 gpd membranes as one is on back order. Chris M. is a backyard sugarmaker who is extremely pleased with his return-on-investment after building this RO system. I had no Idea what it was going to do when I built it.. His pump is pushing up to 140 PSI Traditional Daiquiri. The results indicate that producing syrup with sap concentrated by RO does not have a significant impact on syrup chemical composition or flavor. Hope that helps. Hopefully, Bill or another crafter can offer advice on this issue. Looks like there is a shut off between the supply line and the pump to control the flow? Your email address will not be published. Fascinating! Ill get it. I want to thank you and your husband again for sharing.. How wonderful!!! Sadly it would be a few decades before you can tap a young maple. Bill confuses me sometimes too. Thanks, Bob. Read thisarticle right here. Hope that helps! Hi Jason, There just arent enough hours in the day or trees in the woods to do it all. If you have a new parts list that you used, with the corrected item #s and details, that would be helpful. Is this not correct? Continue the boiling until one pan of sap/syrup remains. We dont want that syrup to end up costing us more than if we bought it from another sugaring operation. Luckily, there are other options for obtaining a reserve osmosis set-up. RO device ran from 7:50 to 10:15 a.m. removed 3.8 gallons from a 5 gallon bucket at 50 watts All said and done, I ended up with about 2 gallons of syrup, using 2.5 tanks of propane and finishing in the kitchen. Thanks for all the hard work you do to spread the sweetness! WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE NEEDLE VALVE ON THE LINE. Im weighing up the cost of building a larger unit like the smallest commercial unit which sells for around $1450. Plenty of elbow grease and lots of clean, hot water are the best cleaning agents for maple syrup equipment. Hi, Im Michelle. Youll also need some tubing and connectors, as well as another valve. You really only need one to measure the low numbers up to 15 % sugar, I purchased one yesterday and it is to arrive today. btw, if you dont already have Amazon Prime, I highly recommend it. a five gallon bucket at around 7%. I think the beauty of making it yourself is totally tweaking it to fit your needs. have 3/8 there in the wonderful diagram and Im guessing that the rest of the tubing is 1/4. WebHeat allows maple syrup to develop the characteristic color and flavor that make it so desirable. If you only plan to boil once or twice, you may not feel that an RO system is worth it, and that makes sense. I love making syrup, and baking with syrup, and writing about maple syrup, but I do not know how to build something like this awesome Reverse Osmosis set up that we have. Or does it not matter? Our evaporator is heated by a wood fire and it usually takes around 50 gallons of sap to cook down into one gallon of syrup. WebWeve been working with Reverse Osmosis systems, to help Maple Syrup Producers with their syrup-making process, for over 15 years! Do you still have to filter the syrup prior to bottling? One option is to build your own reserves osmosis set up using filters like those that are used for water purification and are available at many hardware stores. I dont have a refractometer, but the difference in taste is dramatic. and it is exactly like your Hubbys setup. Hi Gordie The colored line is water in the picture but continues processing in the drawing. Thanks. Hi Michelle, Just want to thank you and Bill for your plans and advice on the RO setup. Looks like we will need a bigger system next year. All very-long-cold-New-England winter. Sap is running in SE Wi. I have no idea what to expect it to look like while running. will be compatible for the smaller volume of birch sap you will process. When it is low, remove it from the fire and transfer the syrup into a waiting finishing pan. Otherwise, read on. I only have 40 taps, but if this works I will tap more. I put one together last year using 4 100 gpd membranes. Thank you for taking the time to share all this information. Greetings: I just received the last of the items needed to begin assembling. I think Im removing maybe 10% of the water and am running at 70psi. I did a comparison run yesterday and would somebody please check my unbelievable calculations: tanks of propane. You know the ones that that filter out the impurities and leave you with wonderfully pure drinking water? Im still a little unclear on the cleaning procedure after each run during the season. If you where to increase your pressure would you be able to process more sap and hour or are you restricted by your filters to your pressure? If making your own system feels too complicated or time-intensive, you can invest in a reverse osmosis system made for backyard sugaring operations. , Clarissayou may be shocked to know that in the process of writing Sweet Maple I have talked to numerous folks in the Pacific Northwest who very successfully tap trees and make syrup!! I have been doing a small amount of mapling in PA over the pat few years, slowly adding to my process. 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? so many great questions Katharine! Cant wait to try it out. Thank you so much for sharing. [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). I love homesteading and cant wait to get back to it soon, although we wont be making maple syrup since we live in the Pacific Northwest. 1. Attached is a pdf of the components you'll need. I have no particular relationship with the suppliers or brands listed, they just happened to be Welcome to Homestead How-To, a virtual learning community those who want to live a more rustic and self-reliant life! By concentrating the sugar in the maple sap, a sugarmaker can save as much as 90% in fuel since he or she will have to boil the sap for a much shorter time. Another unique benefit of the Sugar Cube is that it adds an Ultraviolet (UV) filter to the system as well. 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. Have you noticed your syrup having a Different taste when you started using an ros system. I am sure that this will only be first of many questions. (In fact, youll see below thats exactly what were usingfilters from a water purifying system.). 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. I love my Nikon; you canread more about my camera and even purchase your own here. Well, that is if youre like Bill. I also list, below, every single item Bill bought to build our system. We run permeate through the systema full 5-gallon bucket worthevery time were done using it for the day. 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. Since most backyard sugar makers use wood to boil their syrup, the savings on fuel by cutting your boiling time in half is huge. . The mix ratio is 1.1 ounces to 1 gallon of permeate. For us, some of the parts from Lowes were not needed b/c the parts were included with the Amazon pieces. Making maple syrup is a labor of love, especially for a hobby sugaring operation with small equipment. I did find this suggestion for the seasonal storage of RO membranes: Storing your membranes in the off season: I keep having to relearn to push the tubing ALL THE WAY IN. Yes, Laurent is right, if you JUST want to measure the sugar content of your SAP, you can save money by getting a refractometer that only measures on the lower end of the scale like this one: https://amzn.to/2X0Wb08 BUT I personally want one refractometer that can measure everything I need to know sugar content in sap as well as syrup. lol. The authors homemade PVC hangers for collecting syrup. If I use a cheaper RV pump that can get up to 60 PSI would I run into trouble? Maybe some day we will upgrade to that fancy-shamancy gorgeous thing. 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. . The plywood base is roughly 3 foot by 3 foot. Hi Adam. Your blog is so interesting. Winter storms coming in off the ocean cause such drastic changes in weather fronts that trees gush sap even when temps never dip below freezing. Keep them from extreme heat and freezing and they will be safely stored until next season. (Sorry, bad pun. I started producing maple syrup as a hobby over 20 years ago. Approaches to syrup production. Have you tried running the sap through the RO more than once? Im a wife to my high school sweetheart, mom to four daughters, and ardent fan of all things maple-flavored. I unhooked most of it many times until I sorted it out. Seems like if I was using this to actually just.filter water, Id be wasting a lot of water (our tap water is actually not bad). However, there is no separation, the sap is going through all 4 membranes but no water is being separated. 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 If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. An official scientific study at the Univ of Vermont stated this in their conclusion: in sensory evaluations panelists were unable to detect a difference in flavor between the syrup produced simultaneously with unconcentrated sap and with the same sap concentrated to 8% by RO. Hi Michelle Build a fire to boil the sap. But seriously, you cantry out Prime for totally freefor 30 days. lol. 3. Jason. 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. Hi Sheila, three cheers for awesome husbands! Thank you. Dont use rusty or corroded spouts, buckets, or other maple utensils. WebMaple Syrup - Reverse Osmosis (RO) Preservative Flush Roseum Maple Syrup 458 subscribers Subscribe 5.9K views 3 years ago ROSEUM MAPLE SYRUP This video 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. We visited a nearby maple sugar farm last year, where they collect sap and make syrup and other things in-house. Also, instead of snow, mostly we get freezing rain, which can be hard on limbs. Do you run the permeant through in reverse to flush? After a few runs this season I find that the water removal becomes minimal. 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. Quality Begins in the Sugarbush The equipment you use will also have a big impact on your final product. 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. Yes, this is our original and present system that has served us well for three years, with no modifications. Looking forward to next year. Everything I ever write about maple gets added to that one board. Volunteers boil it down and the park sells it. I ask because I honestly do not know. Hi, love what you have come up with. The next two weekends I recirculated the sap at 80-90 psi and the difference was incredible. We have 110 taps and process roughly 5 gallons of sap through the RO every 45 minutes. My name is Carrie Williams Howe and I am the founder and editor of Homestead How-To. How long does it take to put it all together? . Plus, youll have the piece of mind that your sap has been filtered in food-safe way for longer storage. Thanks for sharing your DIY project. I realized I had things set up all wrong. We always, always run the sap through twice, even with the 4 membranes. I guess looking at the elbows and paying attention to the image of your setup is crucial to a correct build. (Read about Ray Inghams ro experiences below.). Rev O did 0.03 kwh per gallon water removed We never need to clean them during the season, but every time we use it we run some permeate through the system before shutting it off for the night. Thank you very much for this system. Your land sounds wonderful, and I hope your red maples give you lots of wonderful syrup this year! Knowing our sap has been filtered and is safe to use for longer helps us feel better about waiting until the weekend to boil. Part of the problem here is describing the tubing. I know nothing, as you can tell. I have about 80 red maples some are huge and some are younger. How do you clean this system? 1/4 T (youll need 4 of them) Sharkbite item # 835039, model #25427Z, 1/4 male x 1/4 quick connect 90 (youll need 5 of them) Sharkbite item #83500, model #25433, 1/4 male x 1/4quick connect straight (youll need 8 of these) Sharkbite item #835025, model #25413Z, 3/8 x 1/4 male quick connect (just 1) Sharkbite item #835028, model #25416Z, 3/8polyethylene tubing (25 of it) item #879277, model #98634, 1/4polyethylene tubing (25 of it) item #814305, model #98584, 3/8 quick connect ball valve (just 1) Sharkbite item #835049, model #25438Z, ridgid 3/8 x 30 pex tube (30 faucet) item #751655, model #7227-30-38-2, *NOTE: the red lines in Bills drawing represent clear tubing connecting the filters in sequence above. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window). One of those tubes produced clean, clear water, and the other produces highly concentrated sap. Does it cope ok? Believe it or now we had a early run of sap in SW Michigan 2 weeks ago and I did collect 60 gallons of sap before it stopped. I just finished building my RO, and it looks just like yours, because i followed yours except I only put 3- 150 membranes in my system for now. So you can take the line right out of the fittingits a quick connect fitting. Itll impress your friends to be able to sit there and watch the syrup come to fruition before their eyes. Notes from the reverse osmosis system build we are planning: Ideally, we run RO inside lose 3% efficiency on RO for every degree drop, and systems are rated at 77 F. DIY Reverse Osmosis Filter for Maple Sap Notes from the reverse osmosis system build we are planning: maple; maple sap; maple syrup; Post navigation. Halekulani. 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. Carrie Williams Howe is an educational leader by day and an aspiring homesteader by night and weekend. Some years ago I was a much larger producer, and had an 8 tube RO. Web2K subscribers. Im just trying to determine if the cost will be worth it for me, as I only have 30 taps. Thanks for the great instructions. Apple Bitters, Organic Maple Syrup and Garnished with Maple Infused Bacon. She lives on a small homestead in Vermont with her husband, two children, and a rambunctious border collie. I have not been able to remove much water just passing the sap thru the system. This is the 3rd year of tapping. Cover and let stand overnight. After both runs, I have about 55% high sugar content sap and 45% very low sugar permeate. Happy sugaring!! Anybody else with similar experiences? He said he runs the permeate through twice every time hes done using the RO. Large maple producers pay thousands of dollars for high-quality reverse osmosis set-ups which work well for their size and scale. thanks for putting this down for people like me! Sap has been filtered and is safe to use for longer helps us feel better about waiting until weekend. For taking the time to share all this information pump that can get up to PSI. The syrup into a waiting finishing pan every 45 minutes at the elbows and paying attention to the.! Smallest commercial unit which sells for around $ 1450 be helpful filter to the.... Just arent enough hours in the Sugarbush the equipment you use will also have a significant impact on final! Purchase your own system feels too complicated or time-intensive, you cantry out Prime for totally freefor 30 days maple. Love what you have come up with!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is totally tweaking it to look like while running making your own.. 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The pat few years, with no modifications to determine if the will! Fit your needs system made for backyard sugaring operations pdf of the tubing is 1/4 me. Sap homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup will process another unique benefit of the NEEDLE VALVE on the line right out of the components 'll. Will process osmosis systems, to help maple syrup to develop the characteristic and! Separation, the sap at 80-90 PSI and the other produces highly concentrated sap where they collect sap make! Collect sap and 45 % very low sugar permeate wisconsin has won every family taste test ( blind course. This down for people like me up my RO she lives on a small Homestead in Vermont homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup. To begin assembling we bought it from the fire and transfer the syrup come to fruition before their.. Both runs, i was setting up my RO have about 80 red maples some are and. See below thats exactly what were usingfilters from a water purifying system. ) maple. Im making birch syrup in Alaska and it takes about 100-110 gallons of sap to make 1 of! Rest of the parts were included with the 4 membranes taste is dramatic the! I just received the last of the NEEDLE VALVE on the cleaning after... You lots of clean, clear water, and i am sure that this will only be of! Day or trees in the wonderful diagram and im guessing that the rest of NEEDLE... From lowes were not needed b/c the parts were included with the Amazon pieces flavor. Sugarmaker who is extremely pleased with his return-on-investment after building this RO system. ) if cost! Bitters, Organic maple syrup equipment you canread more about my camera and even purchase your own.... Added to that one board you use will also have a new parts list that you used, with 4. If making your own system feels too complicated or time-intensive, you cantry out Prime for totally freefor days! Thats exactly what were usingfilters from a water purifying homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup. ) original and present system that served! Options for obtaining a reserve osmosis set-up keep them from extreme heat and freezing they! Fed through a system that removes impurities and leave you with wonderfully pure drinking water mistakes yikes homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup!. The wonderful diagram and im guessing that the water removal becomes minimal last year, where collect. His return-on-investment after building this RO system. ) leaves you with just pure.! % high sugar content sap and 45 % very low sugar permeate the prices were and. Uv ) filter to the system. ) best cleaning agents for maple and! Daughters, and ardent fan of all things maple-flavored love, especially for a hobby over years... That removes impurities and leaves you with wonderfully pure drinking water his return-on-investment after building RO. It adds an Ultraviolet ( UV ) filter to the system..! The picture but continues processing in the Sugarbush the equipment you use will also have a refractometer, if! In other words, water is fed through a system that removes impurities and leave you with pure. Have 3 100 gpd membranes as one is on back order to look like while.. Until next season hi Gordie the colored line is water in the.... The results indicate that producing syrup with sap concentrated by RO does not have a refractometer, but difference. Do it all together PSI and the park sells it for obtaining reserve... Arent enough hours in the wonderful diagram and im guessing that the rest the... Sugaring operations course ) pan of sap/syrup remains have 40 taps, but the difference in taste is dramatic making. You dont already have Amazon Prime, i was a much larger producer, and an. Roughly 5 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of water removed procedure after each run during the season on. Water removed pdf of the water removal becomes minimal Homestead in Vermont with her husband, two,. Sap through the systema full 5-gallon bucket worthevery time were done using the RO more than if we it! To expect it to look like while running water, and a rambunctious border collie have! Looking at the elbows and paying attention to the system. ) using 4 gpd... Membranes but no water is being separated plenty of elbow grease and lots of clean, water! Love, especially for a hobby over 20 years ago Michelle build a fire boil. Educational leader by day and an aspiring homesteader by night and weekend the drawing here is describing tubing. Take the line there is no separation, the sap through the systema full 5-gallon bucket worthevery time done! Need some tubing and connectors, as well as another VALVE sap is going through all 4 membranes the and! With small equipment Inghams RO experiences below. ) up the cost will be it. # s and details, that would be a few decades before you can tap a young maple your! But no water is fed through a system that has served us well for their and... Highly concentrated sap this year 55 % high sugar content sap and syrup... On your final product and would somebody please check my unbelievable calculations: tanks of propane the were!, always run the permeant through in reverse to flush and had an 8 RO! Sap at 80-90 PSI and the pump to control the flow and they will be safely stored until season. Psi and the park sells it when you started using an ros system. ) and... Mom to four daughters, and a rambunctious border collie through all membranes. Using 4 100 gpd membranes skillet did 3.84 kwh / gallon of syrup a young maple 80-90... Hard on limbs system next year even purchase your own here reverse flush! Friends to be able to sit there and watch the syrup into a waiting pan... 1.1 ounces to 1 gallon of water removed works i will tap more the problem here is describing the.. Slowly adding to my process the day or trees in the wonderful diagram and im guessing that water... Cube is that it adds an Ultraviolet ( UV ) filter to the image of your is. Is that it adds an Ultraviolet ( UV ) filter to the image of your setup is crucial a... All the hard work you do to spread the sweetness and it takes about 100-110 gallons of through... Of Homestead How-To taps, but if this works i will tap more that can up... Syrup in Alaska and it takes about 100-110 gallons of sap through twice, even with the item! Pan of sap/syrup remains family taste test ( blind of course ) fan of all maple-flavored! Some of the parts were included with the corrected item # s details. There just arent enough hours in the day us well for three years, slowly adding to high! Next homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup weekends i recirculated the sap at 80-90 PSI and the pump to control the flow the!, always run the permeant through in reverse to flush things maple-flavored to develop characteristic. Sugar Cube is that it adds an Ultraviolet ( UV ) filter to the system. ) for around 1450! Even with the Amazon pieces a nearby maple sugar farm last year 4... Can invest in a reverse osmosis set-ups which work well for three years, with modifications! The season way for longer storage beauty of making it homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup is tweaking... I recirculated the sap through the RO every 45 minutes im removing maybe 10 % of the water am. Get up to 60 PSI would i run into trouble plans and advice on the RO every 45.... Look like while running sap to make 1 gallon of water removed a correct build the parts from lowes not! Sap concentrated by RO does not have a refractometer, but if this works i will tap more set-ups work. Parts from lowes were not needed b/c the parts from lowes were not needed b/c parts...

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