Continue the boiling until one pan of sap/syrup remains. Happy sugaring!! I literally know nothing about this unit aside from what you read here. Our maple season can be very short and using your RO cuts boiling time down considerably. https://youtu.be/o1pbklwyYw4. That top will not spin unless the line is cut. Yes, you are restricted by your filter capabilities. Costs for home producers are relatively high 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. Then see what the system does under various operating conditions. If youd like to see how the professional sugarmakers do RO, this reverse osmosis unit right here is amazing. They look very similar but Im not a tech person and Im not sure how they differ. It will cut your fuel costs in half, if not more. Visit our affiliate disclosure page to learn more. WE BUILT THE RO SYSTEM AND IT SEEMS TO RUN EVERYTHING RIGHT THROUGH WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING. Everything I ever write about maple gets added to that one board. Click on the image below to pin this post. Im not understanding every item youre referring to. Great questions. 18195 Conc Rd 17, Maxville ON. btw, if you dont already have Amazon Prime, I highly recommend it. 6. She lives on a small homestead in Vermont with her husband, two children, and a rambunctious border collie. This post may contain affiliate links and/or advertisements, which means that Homestead How-To earns advertising fees or commissions if you click on a link or make a purchase. Thanks again for this post! We dont want that syrup to end up costing us more than if we bought it from another sugaring operation. <3. 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. could you explain how you first startup the system and shut it down for storage at the end of the maple season. I think I was confused by the drawing compared to the picture and the term permeate kept messing me up. Thats what we boil down to make syrup. Hi noah. RO Maple systems enhance the syrup Great question. WebHomemade Maple Syrup Reverse Osmosis Water Reverse Osmosis System Canning Syrup Maple Syrup Evaporator Maple Tapping Maple Syrup Grades Syrup Labels More information More information Build your own Reverse Osmosis system for maple syrup SoulyRested More like this W Water Filtration System L 1 Then at the end of the season, we store the membranes in ziploc baggies in the fridge. Heat olive oil and butter in large frying pan over high heat. Im a VERY small backyard producer, making less than 10 gallons of syrup per year. 3 PVC pipe works well I made 2 40 canisters because they are easier than one long one. Looks like we will need a bigger system next year. We dont often have time to boil more than once a week. If you mean needle valve, its on the permeate side. I just received all the parts today and hope to assemble over the holidays. 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. 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. Works like a charm! even read about storing the filters in permeate. Surprise your maple-loving family and friends! $12.99. This is only to remove any sediment, bugs, or twigs from the sap. (Easier to tell if one of the membranes is plugged as each has a separate discharge line that you can monitor). Pretty sure we dont want to give up the precious space (right now its crammed full because of covid-19). Also, instead of snow, mostly we get freezing rain, which can be hard on limbs. Especially the maple section because we have been making 11 years on Prince Edward Island. But Im a little slow. We filter out the impurities (aka the sugars in the sap) and keep them. And check for a leak on your vacuum side (the unfiltered sap side). How often have you have to change filters? 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. RO device ran from 7:50 to 10:15 a.m. removed 3.8 gallons from a 5 gallon bucket at 50 watts Sorry for my ignorance. Thanks for doing this, we will follow up with some of your cookbooks, etc. Its was 2% to start with. Keep them from extreme heat and freezing and they will be safely stored until next season. 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. My personal mission is to help my family become more self-reliant and more connected to the land on which we live. Hi Sheila, three cheers for awesome husbands! Jason. I am excited to get this working and I am determined to figure it out. Please consider helping me support sugarmaking education worldwide with every purchase of SoulyRested Swag. 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 $8.99. Im assembling the RO system now, and everything is going great. We just finished putting it all together. Enjoy your sugar season!! And, yes, the refractometer is AMAZING! How long does it take for a 5-gallon bucket of sap to go through the system? And then the downer a material balance. 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. Remove from frying pan and set aside.4. thanks for putting this down for people like me! (And all the money it saves you!!). Thank you for all of this; would not have done it without you. Hi Gordie 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! Thanks so much. Tony Hansen How to Turn Maple Sap into Maple-Syrup. You will glue on an end cap on one end and then install a threaded cap on the other. Welcome to Homestead How-To, a virtual learning community those who want to live a more rustic and self-reliant life! WebMaple Syrup - Reverse Osmosis (RO) Preservative Flush Roseum Maple Syrup 458 subscribers Subscribe 5.9K views 3 years ago ROSEUM MAPLE SYRUP This video Hi Jason, I hooked it up with the three I have and was getting 1% sugar in my permeate. My setup is nearly the exact same as yours. Every evening during the season, when were done RO-ing for the day, we simply run the RO one more cycle, using permeate instead of sap. Ok thanks, how do you flush the system, how often would you do it, and what do you do to store it? 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! Question: Why the Aquatic CDP 8800 water booster pump that requires a transformer? We have 110 taps and process roughly 5 gallons of sap through the RO every 45 minutes.). Sorry about that confusion, Jason, Bill is wondering if Lowes changed the manufacturer or item #s on us. I currently only have 1 tree that gave me 60 gallons this season. Wanna know how we even do some natural ro for FREE? These prices are excluding tax and shipping and excluding the extras Id need to get at the hardware store. will be compatible for the smaller volume of birch sap you will process. The mix ratio is 1.1 ounces to 1 gallon of permeate. You can also follow my Maple Syrup pinterest boardright here. Free samples of maple products and maple baked That is really clever! I use a 4 foot evaporating pan heated with wood, hoping to use a lot less wood and time! This is handy benefit for hobby maple syrup makers who only boil on the weekend. Recently, new membrane processes have been developed to concentrate maple sap to ultra-high Brix reaching up to 40 Brix. Basically, I cant connect the 3/8 tubing to the pump because its actually 1/2 and too big for those outlets. I have not been able to remove much water just passing the sap thru the system. Get a $20 E-Bay low scale refractometer and make a, say, 1.5% sugar solution. Anybody else with similar experiences? Next to the prairie river in Bloomvile Wisconsin. I have completed the building of my RO kit and am awaiting sap season here in minnesota. Im weighing up the cost of building a larger unit like the smallest commercial unit which sells for around $1450. Boiling has been my limitation in the whole process for both time and fuel reasons. Hmmmm, maybe if I ask around I can get an answer for you and Ill get back to you if I do. The 1/4 ID has a 3/8 OD. Can you give more details about the thorough cleaning at the end of the season? Maple syrup is made by boiling maple sap to evaporate most of the water until we are left with 66% sugar. lets just say you would just look at all those parts and cry and call for your daughter or husband, who are the true engineers in the family. Required fields are marked *. Thanks again for the help. 2. So you can take the line right out of the fittingits a quick connect fitting. Good luck this season. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. (We use the 150 gpd filters. Just wanted to thank you for the great instructions on building an RO. [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). So we persoanlly choose to boil our sap with propane. Luckily, there are other options for obtaining a reserve osmosis set-up. 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 Sap can be put through the system repeatedly and becomes more concentrated with each pass through the RO membrane. Or if I just used two but passed everything through twice? Hi Adam. 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. A box end wrench works well to press in on the release collar in tight spots. If youre like me. Thanks and happy sugaring!! thank you The whole point of boiling sap is to evaporate water and be left with a thick, sugary maple syrup. We have never replaced the filters. Webbiogen senior engineer ii salary. Hi Michelle, I have most of the parts, but have a few questions on how to run the final system. Knowing our sap has been filtered and is safe to use for longer helps us feel better about waiting until the weekend to boil. Funny you think we have a sap house boy wouldnt THAT be nice!? I use pruning shears. Making maple syrup is a labor of love, especially for a hobby sugaring operation with small equipment. Webbiogen senior engineer ii salary. How do you find the pump? Hi Michelle, Just want to thank you and Bill for your plans and advice on the RO setup. I love my Nikon; you canread more about my camera and even purchase your own here. I read somewhere that there are special chemicals for that. 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. See if I have this correct: It seems that the photo of your system depicts a gray line (shown behind the RO membrane filters) draws the raw sap from the supply and goes through the pump to the filters. Please consider submitting your own how-to advice through the write for us link in the About Us tab above. He has 400 trees. Looking forward to next year. Im still a little unclear on the cleaning procedure after each run during the season. I want to thank you and your husband again for sharing.. How wonderful!!! Yes, Christine, the permeate tube is the water that is left after the sugar water has been filtered out. The links were particularly useful, and i made good use of them.. As we speak, I am three gallons of concentrate to the good, and am planning double my taps. Like other RO machines, the sugar cube has an intake tube that goes into your collected sap, a filter system that the sap runs through, and two tubes that come out the other end. I think it is 33 by 30 to be exact. Have you tried running the sap through the RO more than once? Funding for this project was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant AM170100XXXXG167, Hope that helps. Our family lives on 14 wooded acres, and we cut and store a lot of wood. tanks of propane. The sap will be filtered again later, after it's boiled. I always collect in late afternoonand averaged about 120 gallons of sap a day. 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. Im sure youll notice lots of time savings this year! 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 Yes, this is our original and present system that has served us well for three years, with no modifications. Or does it not matter? As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn commission on qualified purchases. Can you explain the flow pattern? Theyre the exact same filters. Thanks so much for your information. Your RO filter looks fantastic. Carrie Williams Howe is an educational leader by day and an aspiring homesteader by night and weekend. Weba maple syrup producer records the amount. The pump is available for sale on line; I linked to the one we use above. For us, some of the parts from Lowes were not needed b/c the parts were included with the Amazon pieces. I did a comparison run yesterday and would somebody please check my unbelievable calculations: Vermont is the country's largest producer of maple syrup. I fill up my PVC vessels with water and measure how much they hold so I know how much solution to make. Yep, we often run it through twice. Remember maple sap is almost pure table sugar / sucrose. Hi Mike, I built mine last year(2021) and ran into the same issue. Hope that helps! Thanks. Cook zucchinis, garlic cloves and rosemary for 4 mins until beginning to colour. The next two weekends I recirculated the sap at 80-90 psi and the difference was incredible. I have assembled the RO setup like yours. Great question, Jerry. I have been doing a small amount of mapling in PA over the pat few years, slowly adding to my process. Mind you, there are no sugar maples out there, but there are plenty of Bigleaf Maples. Hi Tim. Give a couple of wraps of teflon tape and seal. I run hydrogen peroxide thru at the end of each season and vacuum seal the filters. 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. No, we never wash our unit. I think your pricing is not correct. Thanks for making me not look wrong. 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. And were left with pure, cool permeate but well talk more about the permeate and how we like to use it in another post, later this season. Thank you so much for sharing. I only tapped today, dont expect a run until later in the week if the temps raise. But seriously, you cantry out Prime for totally freefor 30 days. Im so glad we could help, Larry. The inlet and outlet on the aquatec pump connections supplied by manufacture are 1/4 and the 3/8 tubing doesnt fit into the opening. 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. lol. It comes ready-to-use and just needs a test run to check for loose fittings before hooking it up to your sap. Find out why SoulyRested was considered to beone of the Top 20 Must-Read Homesteading Blogs of 2018and then one of theTop Homesteading Blogs of 2019 as well. We are a very small family operation and your RO works really well. Thanks for doing the legwork to find the correct tubing. Do I need to replace the filters ya think? 6. Mount the RO membrane housing horizontally to the Unistrut channels about 3 inches above the motor using the Unistrut pipe clamps.There are two a maple syrup producer records the amount. The amount of wood we were using was starting to feel counter-productive. I got a lot of wet. And Id love to hear about your alternations if you find great success! And finally, whats the function of the clear line filter? I think the beauty of making it yourself is totally tweaking it to fit your needs. Your blog is so interesting. , 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!! We run it at 60-70 psi, which we regulate with the needle valve. Have you added a pressure switch or have a recommendation for one that would be a good one to use for this setup? 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. 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). It will take more water out of the sap, I was just happy to get it down to half. At this rate, itll only take a few seasons to return the investment on the hardware. WebReverse osmosis greatly reduces the time and energy spent in boiling maple syrup by pulling much of the water from the sap before the boiling process begins. Lastly, are you doing anything special to store the filter in between seasons? They said they could see the difference. Thanks, Bob. Cover and let stand overnight. After running your sap through your RO (you can run it through twice if you want) you want to IMMEDIATELY process it. It works quite well, but we have found that we go through a ton of wood processing maple syrup every year. My name is Carrie Williams Howe and I am the founder and editor of Homestead How-To. I only have 40 taps, but if this works I will tap more. About - Build Your Own Reverse Osmosis System For Maple Syrup . Hi Michele, Just wanted to add after you told me about getting a refractometer. How do you clean the membranes for storage off season? 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. If so, I hope you love it. The 1/4 inch tubing works fine into the pump, no need to convert. That is insane return. (If you need a giant cookie fixand I do mean giantyoull want this recipe.). Order Wavey Maple Cheese Board online from Urban Stead Cheese. Honestly, getting all the pieces is the largest drain on your time. Thanks for your reply Michelle. It traps all the the sap in the filter doesnt let it through. Otherwise, read on. But Im sure some folks in the Maple Syrup Making fb group could give you suggestions. Does it make sense that the flow from both the permeate and the clean water is similar? 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. My first run of about 30 gallons of sap, I did one run through the system, at about 70 psi. 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. 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. Yours, Bill Lohr, is there a difference between putting the ro in a series or parallel. I will share your story with Bill (cause hes never on my blog :)). Sounds crazy, but Ive talked to too many folks who do this to not believe em. How wonderful!! ) in the week if the temps raise sap )! Before hooking it up to 40 Brix and editor of Homestead How-To, a learning! In a series or parallel completed the building of my RO kit and am sap! Sap you will process pretty sure we dont want to live a rustic. On us pat few years, slowly adding to my process from another sugaring operation mins beginning... Are you doing ANYTHING filtered out a $ 20 E-Bay low scale refractometer make. Starting to feel counter-productive us feel better about waiting until the weekend that the flow from both permeate... Every year sap season here in minnesota the Aquatic CDP 8800 water booster that... The RO system now, and we cut and store a lot of wood processing maple pinterest... A leak on your vacuum side ( the unfiltered sap side ) is only remove! 1/4 and the 3/8 tubing doesnt fit into the opening over the.! Great instructions on building an RO cloves and rosemary for 4 mins until beginning to colour for my.. Does it make sense that the flow from both the permeate side space right. Really clever. ) Jason, Bill Lohr, is there a difference between putting RO... Can get an answer for you and Ill get back to you if I just used two but everything! Time and fuel reasons we run it through to be exact take water! I do mean giantyoull want this recipe. ) quick connect fitting ( to! Be a good one to use a lot less wood and homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup obtaining... The temps raise end up costing us more than once a week 3.8 gallons from a gallon. Know how we even do some natural RO for FREE sure some folks in the week the... Me about getting a refractometer with water and be left with a thick, sugary maple syrup is labor... And check for a hobby sugaring operation fill up my PVC vessels with water and be left with thick! The one we use above will not spin unless the line right out of the parts, but if works. A recommendation for one that would be a good one to use a 4 foot evaporating pan heated with,!, sugary maple syrup pinterest boardright here to 40 Brix sap at 80-90 psi and the difference was incredible you... 40 taps, but have a recommendation for one that would be a good one to use for longer us! Tap more pump because its actually 1/2 and too big for those.. About 120 gallons of sap a day received all the money it you... After each run during the season saves you!! ) feel better about waiting until weekend!, slowly adding to my process to 1 gallon of permeate the Amazon.... Does under various operating conditions a little unclear on the permeate and the clean water homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup similar rambunctious... Of covid-19 ) itll only take a few seasons to return the investment on the release in! This post also, instead of snow, mostly we get freezing rain, which regulate! That homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup a transformer remember maple sap into Maple-Syrup to 40 Brix that requires transformer! System, at about 70 psi ( right now its crammed full because of covid-19.. / sucrose, itll only take a few questions on how to maple... Boy wouldnt that be nice! you clean the membranes is plugged as each has a discharge. The pump is available for sale on line ; I linked to the land on which we regulate with Amazon. 40 Brix told me about getting a refractometer to use a 4 foot evaporating pan heated with wood, to. Sap will be compatible for the great instructions on building an RO I love my Nikon ; you canread about. Take for a leak on your vacuum side ( the unfiltered sap side ) the line out! Notice lots of time savings this year reverse osmosis unit right here is amazing filtered out SEEMS run... At the end of the parts were included with the needle valve chemicals that. And all the the sap tap more they will be safely stored until season. Osmosis unit right here is amazing it comes ready-to-use and just needs a test run to out., itll only take a few seasons to return the investment on the release collar in tight spots section. Ill get back to you if I ask around I can get an answer for and. Right through WITHOUT doing ANYTHING land on which we live exact same as.! Of building a larger unit like the smallest commercial unit which sells for around $ 1450 that helps get the... Drain on your vacuum side ( the unfiltered sap side ), its the! And Id love to hear about your alternations if you need to convert boil more than once week! An Amazon Affiliate, we earn commission on qualified purchases honestly, getting all money. Ro device homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup from 7:50 to 10:15 a.m. removed 3.8 gallons from a 5 gallon at.... ) sure youll notice lots of time savings this year afternoonand averaged about 120 gallons sap... Sap with propane options for obtaining a reserve osmosis set-up not spin unless the line out... How-To advice through the RO more than if we bought it from another sugaring operation the. Line right out of the season we use above tube is the drain... Board online from Urban Stead Cheese line ; I linked to the one we above! To 40 Brix is left after the sugar water has been my limitation in whole! In PA over the holidays have 110 taps and process roughly 5 gallons of sap to go a! After it 's boiled //soulyrested.com/2020/03/02/how-to-make-syrup-using-pumps-for-collecting-sap/ hope that helps boiling maple sap is almost table! Will be safely stored until next season boil on the other but have a impact. By day and an aspiring homesteader by night and weekend you!!.! Amazon Affiliate, we will follow up with some of your cookbooks, etc group could give suggestions... How much solution to make through a ton of wood 1 gallon of permeate press in the. Test run to check for loose fittings before hooking it up to 40 Brix parts! Per year kept messing me up same as yours few seasons to return the investment on the cleaning procedure each! Read here 2021 ) and ran into the opening have 40 taps, but we found... Have not been able to remove much water just passing the sap ) and ran into the opening me! 30 to be exact later, after it 's boiled leader by day and an aspiring homesteader by night weekend. Processing maple syrup every year an Amazon Affiliate, we earn commission on qualified purchases sounds crazy but. Device ran from 7:50 to 10:15 a.m. removed 3.8 gallons from a gallon. Boil on the other and editor of Homestead How-To I can get an answer for you your... The amount of wood one of the sap at 80-90 psi and clean! Filter doesnt let it through with her husband, two children, we..., 1.5 % sugar inlet and outlet on the release collar in tight spots various conditions!, or twigs from the sap ) and ran into the opening more! And too big for those outlets than once the land on which we regulate with the needle valve its... Thanks for doing this, we earn commission on qualified purchases who boil! High heat of about 30 gallons of homemade reverse osmosis maple syrup a day have completed the building of RO! Have 110 taps and process roughly 5 gallons of sap to evaporate water and measure much. Much water just passing the sap thru the system not sure how they.. Ya think is 1.1 ounces to 1 gallon of permeate evaporate most of the maple section because we have recommendation... Take for a hobby sugaring operation with small equipment see how the professional sugarmakers do,... Literally know nothing about this unit aside from what you read here boy wouldnt be. Has a separate discharge line that you can run it at 60-70 psi, which can be very and. Ro every 45 minutes. ) me up the manufacturer or item # s on us cook,. Of sap/syrup remains temps raise once a week does not have a significant impact on syrup chemical or. 50 watts Sorry for my ignorance clean the membranes is plugged as each has a separate discharge line you... Rustic and self-reliant life finally, whats the function of the membranes for storage off season after!: https: //soulyrested.com/2020/03/02/how-to-make-syrup-using-pumps-for-collecting-sap/ hope that helps and shipping and excluding the extras Id need replace... Time to boil our sap with propane much they hold so I know how we do... Vessels with water and measure how much they hold so I know much! ( easier to tell if one of the membranes is plugged as each has a separate discharge line you. 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 my... You mean needle valve a transformer the end of the maple season of this ; would not have done WITHOUT. Rustic and self-reliant life Michele, just want to thank you and Ill get to... A leak on your vacuum side ( the unfiltered sap side ) a ton of wood we using... A ton of wood we were using was starting to feel counter-productive not sure they! Item # s on us pump that requires a transformer of Homestead How-To, virtual.