Divided Pan

[lfdiaff]

I stepped up this year from a turkey fryer in the driveway to a 275gal fuel barrel wood fire arch. I just had my pan welded today and had my buddy put dividers in and notched out the bottom corners. I have no idea how to set up a cross flow pan to make it actully work. Can somebody give me the run down on how to set up and run one. Does the pan have to be a little off level for the syrup to cross over. Thanks for the help this site is the only reason I made it as far as I have. I am sure my g/f appreciates it too. She seen the reciept for the stainless and said you better get making syrup. LOL

[jkurtz0711]

Actually the pan needs to be perfectly level. If you trickle is on the opposite end of the maze that you will draw off from the light sap will push the heavy syrup to the opposite end. If really cool how it does it all by itself

[500592]

You will need some way to regulate the sap with either a float or a valve then with your pan level on the draw off side you wait till the temp gets up to 7 degrees above boiling then you crack the valve slightly and draw off almost syrup and that is pretty much it.

[lfdiaff]

Thanks guys. I have read on here about closing the holes as well at night. I dont think I will be able to because I had triangle corners cut out of both ends of the dividers. And the dividers are only tack welded in several spots not sealed down the whole bottom. Will this still work or did I make a fancy batch pan.

[500592]

You need to either solder were I isn't tacked or have it welded

[jmayerl]

Your pan will work. I would suggest that you draw off between .5-1 gallon of near syrup when you are finishing for the night and keep it in a pail til your next boil. Then when the boils gets going good, slowly start adding near your drawoff side. This will help getting a gradient going again.

[wiam]

Your pan will work. I would suggest that you draw off between .5-1 gallon of near syrup when you are finishing for the night and keep it in a pail til your next boil. Then when the boils gets going good, slowly start adding near your drawoff side. This will help getting a gradient going again.

What he said.

[jmayerl]

What he said.

I now feel like I have hit a high point in my sugaring career that I am being quoted with "what he said" :lol:

[lfdiaff]

So I dont have to close the holes at both ends of the dividers. Just solder the bottoms of the dividers completely and add syrup to the draw side after a good boil starts.

[lfdiaff]

Would it be better to solder one of the holes closed so the sap/syrup has to go completely around the pan in kinda a S shape. Sorry for all the questions.

[500592]

It should go down one channel up the next an so on till you get to the draw off

[West Mountain Maple]

Yes the S shape is a must, one corner of each divider cut away at opposite ends from the one next to it, with the first cut out at the far end of the syrup channel from the draw off port. and it should be fed at a corner without a cut out also. With 4 channels, the draw and feed will be at the same end of the pan, with three they will be at opposite corners. Just because you have dividers doesnt mean its crossflow, a crossflow system directs sap back and forth from the back to front of pans in sideways channels, parallel flow moves it it lengthwise channels from one side of the pan to the other.

[lfdiaff]

Well sounds like I have some more work to do. Good thing the temps are dropping so have some time.