Help my boil

[jmayerl]

Was up all last night on my 3rd boil. I think that my setup should be doing alittle better so if anyone has thoughts let me know.

2x6 with new SS flat pans. front pan divided 4 compartment, back pan divided 2 compartment. These sit on a very old small brothers wood arch which was set up for a raised flue. It is bricked and I retinned it. the back 3 feet behind the ramp has insulated blanket and about a 1.5" space below the pan. 8" stack 12' tall. I run the back pan about 1"deep, and the front .5-3/4" deep.

I currently get about 10gph and I think it should be closer to 15. I use dry maple split to wrist size, don't know the stack temp but the fire burns really hot.

The front pan only boils in the back few inches, the back pan has a good hard boil. I have tried with draft door open and closed and its about the same.
The flame just seems to be pulled straight pack rather than up and back.
Help

[Maplebrook]

Is your evaporator sheltered from the elements in any kind of camp?
The first year I ran our current evaporator it was in a 3-sided shack with the fire door facing the open side. It wouldn't boil the front part of the syrup pan, but the flue pan would boil good. An old sugar maker told me to close in the open side and I'd see a huge difference.
He was right!
I burn wood like you, keep the draft open to the first notch, and run 1 1/4" in the pans. I can get rid of 15 gallons an hour.
Good luck,
Darren

[jmayerl]

yup were very sheltered.

[Maplebrook]

That theory is ruled out! The other thing I thought of after hitting the submit button was I keep the wood flush with the front door when I load the fire - the door will just close - so there will be fire under the very front of the pan.

[vtjeeper]

That theory is ruled out! The other thing I thought of after hitting the submit button was I keep the wood flush with the front door when I load the fire - the door will just close - so there will be fire under the very front of the pan.

if you say flat pans I think 15 would be really really good...I have a small brothers lightning 2 channel 2x6 flat pan, maybe it's a cross flow syrup pan, not sure. but anyway, on cement blocks after a few hours of boiling everything gets heated up really good and I think I might be around 11 possibly 12 gallons an hour. but getting warmed up might be more like 8 or 9. my best boiling area is about 6 inches back to about 3 feet back. I think basically right over my fire where the flame hits the pan with the most force. once warmed up I get an ok boil all the way to the back but over the fire it's a ripping holy hell boil. I think it has a whole lot to do with the shape of the arch bottom. and the front door

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

LIKE 3RDGEN says "AAOTP" Air All Over The Place. Add air to it it will boil trust me. I used the draft door two times for its purpose before I stuck a oil gun through it and turned it on.

AAOTP pic
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e234/poultneyfiredog18/Sugaring/bigflamessugaring.jpg

[Gary R]

I'm getting 15GPH on mine right now. A hood, preheater, a lot of air and even more fire wood:)

[dgp219]

When I ran 2 flat pans, 32" and 58" by 24", similar to your configuration, the front pan boiled hard and the back pan kind of simmered along and I got 15 gph after it was all heated up. It had a 9" stack and I think it should have been bigger. Do you keep the fire box full right up under the front pan? How long do you have the door(s) open when loading? You can kill a boil in 30 seconds with the doors open. But the one thing I would definitely change is the depth of sap in your pans. GO DEEPER! Half to three quarters inch is just asking for a good old pan scorching. A shut valve, run out of sap, talking to much, or a kid gets hurt. Turn your head a little to long and SMOKE SHOW! I think that Allstate Insurance mayhem character is just moonlighting. He's usually in someones sugar house!!!

[Dave Puhl]

you should be getin 20-25...where is your ramp/wall start and end...sounds like to me your ramp is to far back...just a few thoughts...

[nymapleguy607]

If the back pan boils hard and the front pan only boils hard in the back I would say you have too much draw from the stack. Try closing down the gap in the base stack a little.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

7" stack 15' high including base stack. I have sand right up to the bottom of my flues and I run my rig 1" deep.

[schmidt's]

Jeff the heavy air late last week and this weekend made a difference. The fog and humid air slows your rate alot. We cooked wed-sun somedays it seemed like nothing was happening. Do you have a little draft blower for an old wood stove? Put an exhaust turn down on it then come thru the back of the arch ash pan with it pointing up. Really made difference for me it pushed the air straight up instead of going back right away. But play with the draft door yet we still needed to crack it. So we need bigger blower. Made a preheater last night going up to install and can syrup if I can get out of work at a good time tonight. By the way still working on the RO looks like it will work.

[buck3m]

you should be getin 20-25...where is your ramp/wall start and end...sounds like to me your ramp is to far back...just a few thoughts...

I think he has flat pans, though. 15 seems likely to be a reasonable goal for a 2x6. My 2x8 with flat pans averaged about 20 gph when it got going and could do up to about 25 but only if ridiculous amounts of heat went up the stack.