How to drain evaporater pan

[elm creek guy]

I was wondering how is the best way to drain a 25"wx67"lx4" tall stainless evaporater pan? Ive been searching the site for this and figured its here somewhere I just cant find it. The pan does not have any dividers so I guess you would call it a batch pan. The problem I see is removing it and draining it wouldnt be a problem as long as you have 2 people. Is it possible to drain and refill at the same time from both ends? as the drain is in the middle of one end. I tap around 100 trees and do a lot of welding so I probably could add stainless dividers but have heard with that few of trees its not needed. Im sure I will find a system that works but would like some other opinions.

[Ausable]

Hi there Elm Creek Guy ---- Yep that is a large batch pan ---- Till last year I boiled my sap down in batches - using stainless pots for preheaters to add to my large flat pan. But I would keep the boiling going till I had boiled down at least 40 gallons before pouring off the almost syrup and then finish it off on a turkey fryer burner. Hey - a pan that size could have deviders or continue as you are. But --- being you are a welder - I imagine you are itching to put deviders in. My Son and Grandson built me a 2' x 5' devided pan that sits on a homemade arch made out of a 250 gallon fuel oil tank and I really like it. Dosen't have any flues - but - it really boils the sap down a lot faster then my old rig ---- Mike

[C.Wilcox]

elm creek,

Is the question how to drain the pan by yourself or how to set up a sugar gradient within the pan so that you can draw off syrup at one end while adding sap to the opposite end?

If the question is the former, I typically put some wooden blocks under the back end of the pan to hold it up and allow the syrup to drain down to the front where the draw off is. That way I can handle the whole process by myself. Just make sure you start with small blocks or you'll overflow the end of the pan when all the syrup runs down to that end. I time my boils so that the syrup has cooled overnight and the fire is completely out before I draw off. That way I never actually have to remove the pan.

If the question is the latter, I would think that you'd probably need to stitch weld in some dividers like you mentioned in your post. 100 trees is enough that I'd want to have some dividers in my pan.