Beginner lost in terminology

[cjmiller272]

I am exploring the workings of an arch, and dont have one to look at to figure out what theexperienced saps are referring to. Things like float valves, what is their purpose where are they how do they work are they necessary. Another one is back flow or reverse flow of an evaporater arch, I aint very clear on the process being referred to and once again, what where why and how. Flue pans ive figured out, but dividers not so much. Purpose is for more small batches more often, but how does syrup move in and between channels. These are the most common ones that seem to be refrenced but not explained.
Plz help

[BarrelBoiler]

let's see

float valve-- helps keep the level of sap/almost syrup in the pans constant
as the level drops the float drops and opens a needle valve to let more liquid in raising the level and the float closing the valve (as with a safety on a gun--- it is a mechanical device and can screw up royally)

dividers--- used in flat and syrup pans to set up the gradiant of almost syrup to syurp opposite bottom corners of the dividers are open to allow the syrup to flow

reverse flow -- some flat and syrup pans can be turned so that the flow of allmost syrup to syrup is changed and it is supposed to help keep the build up of niter down

to the best of my knowledge if wrong please correct

hope this helps

[PerryW]

believe it or not......

Once the evaporator gets going; there is a downhill gradient all the way from where the cold sap runs in, to where the syrup comes out. The cold sap keeps flowing in to replace the water evaporated along the route (and the syrup drawn off). This gradient is what causes the sap to move toward the drawoff on is long path.

The float(s) are simply to maintain the proper sap level(s) in the pan(s).

Reversing the flow, just changes the path of the sap through the evaporator. We reverse the flow to alternate the side of the evaporator where the syrup is drawn off. Reversing the flow just makes the pan cleaning easier as the nitre will build up near the syrup drawoff.

[cjmiller272]

so if im building an arch, and plan mostly on batching syrup. having a flat front pan, with the rear pan being a flue pan twice the size of the front, i should be in good shape? the layout im following has the bottom of both pans at the same level, is that going to work fine.

[Gary R]

If the bottom of both pans are the same height, then you have a raised flue pan. You would need two float valves, one for each pan. You need to define "batch boiling". Are you going to clean and finish the pan after every boil? I'm looking at your tap count. Clearly the last two years could be batch boiling. If you are going to go to 150, you should "constantly draw. I would highly recommend a flue pan at that tap count. What you do is monitor the temperature at the draw off of the syrup pan. When you reach syrup temperature you draw off the syrup. The syrup is replaced with near syrup "sweet". You can do this all season. When you shut down you usually block the syrup to flue pan to prevent mixing.

[cjmiller272]

That was my exact plan, use the front pan for finished product, the rear flue pan to get close. Im also toying with two finish pans up front on a roller system. Our family used to do it that way for sorghum syrup which im firing up this fall possibly on the same arch. any forseeable problems with having the bottom of flue pan at or slightly above the top of finish pans I have shutoff valve in between?

[Ausable]

Hi Cody -- I'm a Backyarder - Most of my gear is homemade - For years I batch boiled on a 30" x 30" pan (no deviders) on a 55 gallon oil drum stove - You start with sap and as it cooks down dilute it with more sap and so on till you want to stop boiling and finish off the maple syrup. Now I have a 2' x 5' homemade flow thru evaporator pan and a 250 gallon fuel oil tank for my arch. I do not use a float valve - but - rather a small plastic valve attached to the end of a plastic tube coming from my feed tank which I regulate based on my evaporation rate and drawing off near syrup. OK - picture a single 2' x 5' pan now we are gonna put devider in it and make it a flow thru pan -- sap in one end and near syrup out the other. From the back of the pan out 2' put a devider across the pan ( the back will become the sap pans - the front the syrup pans) Now we will place a devider front to back in the sap pan area - making two 12" x 24' sap pans. Now in the syrup pan area we will place two deviders making three 8' x 36' syrup pans. the deviders are all welded in place. The pans have to be inter-connected - so on mine the opening between sap pans is at the back near the stack. then I have an opening between the last sap pan and the first syrup pan - then - at the front between the first and second syrup pans - then at the back between the second and third syrup pan and toward the front of the third syrup pan a draw off valve todraw off near syrup (check with syrup hydrometer). Also - I have shutoff plugs that I can insert between the last sap pan and the first syrup pan and the second and third syrup pans - caomes in handy when you are done for the day and want to leave the pans sweetned till next boil or you run out of sap and have to chse with water to keep from scorching pans and loosing syrup........ Hope I helped --- Mike