Now that we are up and going, a few ideas....

[Cameron670]

Hi All,

Dad and I are up and running for the season, Modified barrel stove, with 18x48 stainless welded flat pan. 200 gallon head tank, sap pump collection barrel in each of our trucks..... Having a blast we are. Our evap. rate is around 10 gal/hr. right now.... blower, pre-heater, really good wood. Here are my two questions.....

1) Does switching to a divided pan increase you evap. rate, or just switch from a batch process, to a flow-thru process?


2) Has anyone tried submerging a honeycomb shape of metal in the rear of the pan to increase the effective surface area? Would the heat transfer to the vertical ribs of the insert? What if you welded (or soldered) ribs inside the pan to increase the hot surface area? Will the heat wick up to the vertical ribs or will the sap keep the ribs at its current temperature?


I realize I'm kinda grasping at straws right now, I am too busy to build my flue pan this week, and looking for even a slight increase in rate per hour. It's funny how much time and thought can be consumed in evaporating water........Made 7 quarts last night......benchmark for us, a giggle for you guys!

KJC

[slb]

KJC A divided pan wouldn't increase your evap. rate. A preheater for the cold sap might increase you efficncy? Copper coils around your smoke stack from the head tank, or preheat pan on the back of your pan, anything not to kill the boil when you add sap good luck slb

[jmayerl]

At 10gph on your setup that's great! You will he hard pressed to get any better.

[Cameron670]

SLB, thanks for quick response! We have the copper tubing around the stack thing going. Stack temps are 650-800 at the beginning of the stovepipe. The funnel is a little over a foot tall. Stack is 5ft. We are using a blower from an old air conditioner for forced draft. The barrel has firebrick inside, and hardi-backer outside. The entire barrel, including the cast door was glowin' last night. Dark red flame tickling out the pipe. Don't worry, it's outside.......

jmayerl, In a week or so I'll be able to post stats. I will say this, We are burning kiln dried red oak (6% moisture) if the blower is on, I can't see dad, standing 4 feet away.
Not even close to joking......

KJC

any input or experience on the vertical welded ribs inside the pan?

[sugaringman85]

i hope you own the kiln to dry your wood...! that could get expensive! round my parts a cord of kiln dried wood...not to mention red oak goes for 300-350 a cord! sounds good if you can get it cheap though...good luck to ya

[Cameron670]

i hope you own the kiln to dry your wood...! that could get expensive! round my parts a cord of kiln dried wood...not to mention red oak goes for 300-350 a cord! sounds good if you can get it cheap though...good luck to ya

several sawmills in the area, have friends......... :)

[PapaSmiff]

Hi All,

2) Has anyone tried submerging a honeycomb shape of metal in the rear of the pan to increase the effective surface area? Would the heat transfer to the vertical ribs of the insert? What if you welded (or soldered) ribs inside the pan to increase the hot surface area? Will the heat wick up to the vertical ribs or will the sap keep the ribs at its current temperature? KJC

What you described here, is commonly referred to as a "flue pan". Some are raised flue, others are drop flue. Some even have welded metal tubes to the bottom of the pan to increase the surface area. If you search the subject line for Flue, you come up with tons of info.

[RileySugarbush]

Fins welded or soldered to the bottom of your pan will not have much effect, regardless of whether they stick up into the sap or down into the flames. You really need to increase the surface area exposed to the heat and sap, preferably only a very thin wall of metal between them. The simplest home built flue pan is drop tubes. say 1" copper tubing soldered into holes in the bottom of a pan. Evaporation rate will increase roughly in proportion to the added area.

[Cameron670]

Fins welded or soldered to the bottom of your pan will not have much effect, regardless of whether they stick up into the sap or down into the flames. You really need to increase the surface area exposed to the heat and sap, preferably only a very thin wall of metal between them. The simplest home built flue pan is drop tubes. say 1" copper tubing soldered into holes in the bottom of a pan. Evaporation rate will increase roughly in proportion to the added area.

I am hopefully going to make a flue pan next week. What if I made my flue pan 18x48, boiled most of the day in just the flue pan (batch method), then we dumped the "sorta close" sap into the flat pan that i'm currenly using, and finish. Maybe even take it right to syrup on the propane setup? I know this is unconventional, but COULD it work to get max. yield per day?

KJC