Help with ideas for an evaporator

[malaclemys]

I have a stainless table top that is 72" long, 30" wide and 8 " deep that I want to convert into an evaporating system. I'm a total newbie to making maple syrup, have limited funds -of course- and plan to run 40 -50 taps with the goal of making 3- 5 gallons of syrup. I have extra stainless to make partitions, gradients, and subdivisions. How would you convert the table top to best suit my needs? Any help from the wise old sages would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, :confused:

[whalems]

Pictures would help. you could build a simple block arch and set the "pan" on it. you will need some type of drain on it as well.

[ADKMAPLE]

I admire your willingness to make your own evap. I have no desire to even attempt it. Once I ahve the funds, I will buy a small professional evap, might take longer though!

[malaclemys]

I have built a block arch and set up a flu to draw air out the back. I am going to weld a 1/2" coupling with a drain valve at one end. I also have to weld over the current drain hole in the center of the pan. How would you modify the interior of the pan?? I am currently thinking about having a divider that establishes 2 pans, one large pan with no partitions to boil sap and the second as a finishing pan with 3 baffles to set up a gradient that leads to my drain valve. Thanks

[malaclemys]

Here are some quick and dirty plans that I have in the attached file. System A is just a unidirectional and system B can be reversed. The arrows identify ports that allow the movement of sap/syrup. Which would you choose? Does this seem to make sense? What might I be missing.

[malaclemys]

Here are some quick and dirty plans that I have in the attached file. System A is just a unidirectional and system B can be reversed. The arrows identify ports that allow the movement of sap/syrup. Which would you choose? Does this seem to make sense? What might I be missing.

[Dennis H.]

I personnally wouldn't want the oulet out the front of the evap. It would get in the way of firing the evap.

On the second one how were you going to block off ports depending on which way you want the syrup to flow. It looks like you are trying to make a pan that you can reverse the flow to keep the sugar sand to a minimum.

[Thiems sugarshack]

I would have four channels in the front and then divide the sap pan in half the smaller channels in the syrup pan will make it easier to draw syrup just my two cents

[malaclemys]

Thanks for all this great advice.

What are the advantages of dividing the sap pan in half ? Should there be ports between the two halves??

Thanks

[3rdgen.maple]

Okay you asked and I shall deliver you my thoughts. First make the back pan a complete seperate pan from the front and plumb them together(reason-at some point in a short amount of time and several times during the season you are going to have to pull that front syrup pan and clean the niter out of it or you will scortch it. It would be alot easier lifting it off and and while i think of it put a valve in the plumbing between the 2).

Second run a divider right down the middle of that back pan(reason-1 it willl help you get a better gradient in the pan as it pushes sap towards the front pan reason-2 raw sap entering the pan will not kill the boil in the whole pan or rather it will keep the rest of the pan boiling hard.

Third depending on which side you are feeding it from have the raw sap entrance up front in one section near the syrup pan. ( reason- sap will flow as it gets denser from the front to the back around the divider and back to the front in second divider out to the syrup pan)

Fourth run your dividers in the opposite direction that you have them pictured. (Reason- this will put the almost ready to be drawn off syrup in the front running the width of the pan right over the fire instead of being off to one side)

Fifth have your drawoff valve on the same side as your raw sap input side. ( Reason- that is the side that you just pushed all your syrup to)

Six put a thermometer port right over the drawoff valve or next to it. Thermometers are pricy but if monies are not available now when they are you are gonna love it.

Seventh have fun building it.

Eight boil baby boil.

And just for the record reverse flowing in a small setup is just about worthless. Just not enough sap being pushed through them to make any difference.

[Gary R]

That's a fairly good size pan for up to 50 taps. There's going to be days when you'll be waiting for enough sap to boil. I'd drain the pan then and clean it if needed. I'd probably keep it simple. Two or three dividers only. The thermometer port is nice.

[Ausable]

Thanks for all this great advice.

What are the advantages of dividing the sap pan in half ? Should there be ports between the two halves??

Thanks

Once the boil is underway and you are feeding raw or warm sap into the sap pan - the divided half will have hotter sap already partially evaporated and won't be cooled down by the added sap in the other half. The sap will become hotter and more syrup like as it snakes thru each section of your entire pan. Two things make it necessary to add sap to the sap pan - the level in the total pan dropping do to evaporation and drawing off - almost syrup on the other end. You will find a comfortable level to boil at in your evaporator -- If it has to much sap - not as efficient boiling. If it has to little sap danger or scorching pans. Another thing that helps when - your divided sections are all inter-connected is to have a way of isolating parts of your evaporating pan. On mine I have tapered openings and tapered stop flow plugs at two points - this helps if you run out of sap like I did last year and have a fire still going strong and had to start adding water and not ruining my almost syrup. You plug tapered opening closest sap pan and use a syrup scoop (like a small ash shovel) and transfer sap forward and when near scorching add water to syrup pan. and so on and so on. My rig is a home-made 2' x 5' so possible to do. Have a Son who is a machinist so the tapered plugs was his idea and it really works for me. Hey - before You are done you will have a million questions and ideas - Good Luck and have fun -- Mike

[Haynes Forest Products]

3rdgen I dispute the "pushing" effect of the sap coming in. I belive that the sap only flows into the flue pan because the sap level has lowerd due to evaperation lowering the liquid level lowering the fill valve. Liquid levels throughout the entire system are constantly lowering due to lose of volume. the area next to the draw off has been in the longest so has decreasd the most and that is why it flows to that point. I dont believe in the pushing therory UNLESS YOU OPEN THE FILL VALVE ALLOWING IN A HIGHER SAP LEVEL......But that will cause mixing because the incoming liquid is thinner. Now finished syrup will push sap with less mixing................Let me have it if Im wrong:o

[RileySugarbush]

Another thought or two:

Adding a divider in the sap section will help support the bottom. Run it front to back and cope a corner out to allow flow.

If you really want to make it sing, add some drop flues to the sap pan. The easy way to do this is with drop tubes. Here is how I added some to a steam table pan many years ago:

http://web.mac.com/jabushey/iWeb/Riley%20Retreat/Sap%20pan%20construction.html

One concern is adding the tubes will create a very violent boil and 8" is a little low for a flue pan. Maybe concentrate the tubes near the middle of the pan to prevent sap loss.

Have fun!

[3rdgen.maple]

3rdgen I dispute the "pushing" effect of the sap coming in. I belive that the sap only flows into the flue pan because the sap level has lowerd due to evaperation lowering the liquid level lowering the fill valve. Liquid levels throughout the entire system are constantly lowering due to lose of volume. the area next to the draw off has been in the longest so has decreasd the most and that is why it flows to that point. I dont believe in the pushing therory UNLESS YOU OPEN THE FILL VALVE ALLOWING IN A HIGHER SAP LEVEL......But that will cause mixing because the incoming liquid is thinner. Now finished syrup will push sap with less mixing................Let me have it if Im wrong:o

Haynes I was giving a generic description. Darn man just confuse the guy even more. Just go clean your toilet brush the maple season is coming and you want it clean.LOL

[Ausable]

Another thought or two:

Adding a divider in the sap section will help support the bottom. Run it front to back and cope a corner out to allow flow.

If you really want to make it sing, add some drop flues to the sap pan. The easy way to do this is with drop tubes. Here is how I added some to a steam table pan many years ago:

http://web.mac.com/jabushey/iWeb/Riley%20Retreat/Sap%20pan%20construction.html

One concern is adding the tubes will create a very violent boil and 8" is a little low for a flue pan. Maybe concentrate the tubes near the middle of the pan to prevent sap loss.

Have fun!

Hey - Riley -- Thanks for the great pictures -- I had no idea a drop flue could be made this way - In my noggin it was tubes with an in and out or dropped channels in the pan bottom. I just have a flat bottom and have had no experience with dropped flues other then reading about them. Again - thanks for the pictures and the education --- Mike

[SeanD]

Hey 3rdgen,

Don't sweat it too much. Last year he blasted me on the same topic using a detailed example of what happens when he and his buddies are in a hot tub and one of them pees.:o It was horribly visual and it took me weeks to recover from the image. I'm in a better place now and I can support those who catch his hell. Stay strong. :lol:

Sean

[Sugarmaker]

Go with the plan B sketch! get it built! Tap some trees! set up a block arch!
and make syrup!
Chris

[whalems]

I like plan B as well. The only thing I would do different would be to add a divider to the back pan as others have suggested. Have fun, Mike

[3rdgen.maple]

Hey 3rdgen,

Don't sweat it too much. Last year he blasted me on the same topic using a detailed example of what happens when he and his buddies are in a hot tub and one of them pees.:o It was horribly visual and it took me weeks to recover from the image. I'm in a better place now and I can support those who catch his hell. Stay strong. :lol:

Sean

Heck its all good fun, Haynes is a pretty funny guy and I enjoy his character and giving a little back.