Pressure Tank

Sap flows in through the tubing with help from a vacuum pump, and fills up the pressure tank.

Full Tank Emptying

When the pressure tank is full, the sap is released into a big vat below.

Evaporator

Sap is piped from the vat into the evaporator. The vat is behind it in this photo.

The evaporator is made of "pans" that are stacked on top of the firebox that runs its length. Last year a new pan was added to the top of the stack. The equipment is very expensive, and is made in Canada.

Rick Building the Fire

The firebox is huge, and consumes a lot of wood during the course of a day.

Firebox

Once the fire is going, the sugar house is a very cozy place to be on a cold day.

Evaporator, Side View

As the water evaporates, the sap-becoming-syrup flows through the pans. When it reaches a certain sugar density, it is transferred to a smaller finishing pan (partly visible in the lower left). This pan uses gas jets instead of wood for heat, which allows for finer control to get the syrup to just the right density. The finished syrup is then piped into stainless steel tanks in the bottling room where it is held until it is bottled. (Sorry, no bottling photos yet!)