How many GPH can I expect?

[Starting Small]

I just bought a 2 X 3 Mason evaporator. I also purchased a blower for it and am having Bill install arch paper. Am I estimating this correctly?
8 GPH for the evaporator
3 GPH added for the blower
1 GPH added for the arch paper
Total of 12 GPH? The arch paper is the X factor as I really am in the dark about what that does for efficiency and rate of boil. If this is too high feel free to bring me back to reality. Thanks for your advice,

[Jec]

The insilation won't really up the gph. Good dry wood and a blower will up it. Also, a preheater will up it. So, with a blower you can probally get 10 gph.

[Starting Small]

Good to know, it will also have a preheater. How many more gph will the pre heater give me in your opinion? As always, thank you!

[Daren]

My guess with that surface area, 8 GPH with all the bells and whistles sounds like you will be good. 10 sounds a bit high, but some claim it has been done on that type of area. Not all that different from my steam table tray setup in the oil drum. I dont think I ever got to 10gph. Sure thought I did a few times though. Had sap dancing up and over the sides! Have fun.

[Starting Small]

Man, now I am thinking I should have bought a bigger evaporator. Especially since I want to grow in the next few years. Well, I bought the evaporator used so I should not have a problem getting my money back if I want to grow next year.

[Jec]

You'll be ok. Any evaporator you got you will wish you got a bigger one. You will have no problem selling it anyway.

[500592]

It is rated for 7-9 so with a blower maybe 8-10

[Z/MAN]

I have a 2x3 and I get 12 gph.

[Starting Small]

Zman do you have a blower on yours or anything special to increase the boiling rate? 12 gph would be fantastic if I could get that.

[moeh1]

If you can rig a safe preheat method that doesn't let condensed steam drip back into the pan, that would help too.

[Z/MAN]

Starting Small,
I do not have a blower. I honestly don't know why I get such a high GPH. I built my own airtight arch (I used Davey Jones's plans and some of my own ideas) and use a Patrick Phaneuf pan. Some of my guesses are I have a 2x3 pan on a 2x5 arch. I built it big enough so I can expand to a longer pan when I grow in the future. I have a steel plate on the extra 2 feet between the pan and the stack. I think all that heat going through that extra firebricked space really increases the draft. I also use a 10" stack. The reason for that is it was FREE! The wood I burn is scrap 2x4s and 6s. Again it is free and I have an unlimited supply. The very hot burning wood combined with the huge draft gives me stack temps that exceed 1,800 degrees.:o I know this is way to high a temp in the stack but if I close off the draft to the firebox my fantasic boil slows down. I installed a dampner in the stack this summer so I will see if that makes a difference. I also have the preheater that came with it but as everyone on here will tell you all the condensation drips back into the boil. I am going to make a stand to sit on my 2 foot extension and preheat the sap back there. So CAN get 12 GPH if you can get things right. You just have to get lucky like I did. You can check out my setup in my photobucket.
PAUL

[Starting Small]

I boiled for the first time today on my 2X3. I only used the blower for about a half hour since I had the stack too close to some cabinets and they started to char a bit when the blower was on! Overall though we figured pretty close to 8 gph. I think when I reconfigure my setup and make sure there is nothing to char close to the stack I could easily get 10gph with the blower. It is an incredible difference. Today was a day to work out the kinks. I found that I also need to caulk with some high temp caulk at the joints of the stack as some smoke was leaking through. Not alot but some. My stack after I make my adjustments will be about 4.5 feet high and about 7 feet long as it is going out a window. Kind of looks like a "Z". Is this enough to create a draft with the blower? I know it is supposed to be 2X the pan but I wonder if that includes length as in my situation?

[efoyt]

Is the arch paper worth the extra money?

[bowhunter]

Horizontal length doesn't help draft...it hurts. You need to increase the height of the stack so that you get a good draft. I would recommend more than two x's the pan length with the blower. With a good draft air will be sucked in any leaks in the stack or stove pipe.

[bcarpenter]

Is the arch paper worth the extra money?

Insulating the arch is worth it. The timing of when you do it is up to you. I tried to spread out my purchases last year, buying the arch earlier and waiting to acquire the arch board and fire bricks.

Just leave yourself enough time to insulate and brick before you are ready to boil.


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