Expensive_Staff2905 t1_je9r67u wrote on March 30, 2023 at 1:24 PM

Reply to comment by akrasne in 6 pints and counting by musicals4life

We run a small wood fired 1.5x6 hobby evaporator with about 100taps out. What would you say is a standard rate for cleaning? We are usually clean 2 to 3 times a season depending on sap quality and the weather.

This is just an extensive hobby for us that has built over the years. We try and boil off everything we collect in a 24hr period. It's difficult on those days that run hard though! Most of the 30 gallons we ended up bottling this year was medium to dark

akrasne t1_je9thyd wrote on March 30, 2023 at 1:41 PM

You’re doing just fine! Lots of the big operations don’t clean all year and they leave the pans sweet all season long. Ends up degrading color a lot by the end of the year. Lots of mineral deposits and cleaning at the end. No real need to boil right away either as long as you keep the sap well refrigerated. We keep our holding tank buried in snow. We sugar at our camp and can only get up once or twice a week. Most of the product being medium to dark is normal, it’s what makes the light runs so exciting. They are rare and usually get one or two shots at it per year and is a good incentive to get out and tap early!