hello everyone and thanks

[harbormaple]

i just want to start by saying how much you all have helped me get in to this wonderfull hobby!
I have learned alot by reading your posts over the last few weeks.
I just have a few questions.
we 30x60 cross flow flat pan.
insulated and air tight fire box w/ an arch.Just completed this week.
we are working on a preheater now.
Anyways any estimates on boil rates we might expect?
this is only our second year. Just wondering I hope to have the wife help get some pics online soon so you can see our project.
thanks again

[Fred Henderson]

I have a 24"x78" flat pan with a preheater and I can get about 40 gals of evaporate an hour. But you need a good wood fire to do it.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You may start out at only 15 gph but as you learn how to fire it and when to fire it, the gph will go up and you might get up to 30 or 40 gph. Don't plan for a lot at first until you get the hang of everything. The biggest key is good quality wood. The drier and more seasoned the wood, the higher the gph.

[royalmaple]

harbormaple-

I'd like to see what your setup looks like. Where in Maine are you?

I am in the process of finishing up my 2x3 drop flue pan, and 2x2 syrup pan on homemade arch. Pics of the arch are on link below. Should have the whole rig up and test fired this week, then hopefully have enough sap to get a real fire going.

I was estimating that I could get 15- 20ish gallons / hour on mine. May be a bit higher, I also added a blower on mine, and working on hood and preheater. Not enough time this year to make everything happen. Hopefully the sap flood gates will open up soon and sap will start flowing.

[ibby458]

I used a 30x60 flat pan for 3 years. THe first 2 years were on cinderblock arches in the rain, the last year I built a "real" arch for it, and got about everything wrong. (basically, i didn't brick it and lost most of my heat out the sides, my firebox was too deep and the flames too far from the pan, and my stack was too small)

Even so, we always got 10 gallons per hour, and sometimes up to 20 if the conditions were perfect. (Daily averages. Total sap boiled divided by hours boiling) Use good, dry wood, fire frequently and keep the drafts off the pan helps a lot.

Good Luck!

[harbormaple]

our shack is in north fyeburg. come on over if you have time.
we collected buckets last night ended up w/ around 100 gals. so we are planning on boiling all day sat.
thanks for all the pointers.
another question: Is the idea of the cross flow pan supposed to enable you to draw off while you are boiling. I mean the oppisite end of our feed end has a spigot. won't this end become close to syrup after a few hours.
Please bear with me me and 2 friends are learning as we go.

[royalmaple]

The cross flow design / dividers in the pan with opposite openings from divider to divider is to allow you to get a "continuous" flow in the pan. so yes when you draw off on one end, ideally you would have a float on the other end adding as much as you are taking out. So you keep the pan at a level you want. You can also accomplish the same thing with a ball valve and just crack it to get the rate you want. Depending on time this year, I will more than likely have a ball valve and a rough preheater set up, using gravity feed from an outside of the shack 60 gallon tank.

Maybe I'll head up and check you guys out some day. I'd set up something with you first to make sure you are going to be around, or visa versa.

[harbormaple]

anytime, would love to have you