Homemade Pan - Direction of Dividers

[PapaSmiff]

I'm planning to make a 2 x 4 stainless flat pan. It will start out as the only pan on a homemade 2 x 4 arch. In the future, I hope to extend the arch two addtional feet, move this pan to become the sap pan (with drop tube flues, I hope), then build another 2 x 2 syrup pan.

My question is about the direction of the dividers in the pan. If the front of the arch is hottest, doesn't it make sense to run the dividers from side to side? This way, the "almost syrup" section is completely contained in the hottest section of the arch. But it seems that most pans I see have the dividers running front to back. Why is that? It seems that the back part of the syrup section would be cooler than the front part.

[latewood]

I think the direction of the sections in a syrup pan are simply a matter of preference. Both styles of pans are designed so that you can switch sides when drawing off finished syrup.Contrary to what you may think--on a conventional wood fired arch,the front most area of the syrup pan is not the hottest.It is more like the middle to the rear portion of the pan that really roars. Good luck and enjoy!

[Jim Schumacher]

PapaSmiff, run them parallel to the longest dimension of the pan. There will be MUCH less mixing this way.