warping in evaporator pan

[Brent]

Our new Half Pint has been fired up twice ( and made a couple of great batches of very light to syrup )

However after the first session was over during the cleanup, I noticed the center channel had become lightly browned, but not scorched on, sap in the center partition. It washed off easily. Then I notice that it was warped and had a rise in it where it was browned. Thinner layer of sap got it overheated there I assume.

On the second boil I kept the sap level deeper and avoided the browning.

Is there any way to straighten a warped pan ???
Shoud I try to bang the higher section lower so it will have more sap on top ????
Should there be some help from the manufacturer ??

Furthermore, the middle and take-off channels always seemed to have the same concentration, and after 6 - 7 hours, never got close to having anything near syrup to take off. Had to empty the whole pan and take it indoors to finish.

[maple flats]

I don't think you can remove a warp. Just keep it deep enough to prevent warping more. When I had a half pint I think it took something more than 7 hrs to first draw. Just add sap in the first section and keep going, then next time you boil reverse flow by adding in other side (mine was 4 sections, if yours is 3 do as mfgr says) When you have begun drawing you will then draw much more often. Try to draw as slowly as you can and draw til temp starts to drop. On my 2 x 6 I draw a small stream continously or nearly so once it starts. Remember that a half pint is only evaporatiog about 6 or 7 gal/hr and you need to get to 66% sugar, it will happen, no need to take it inside. When shutting down just draw about a qt or 2 and pour it into the channel where next draw will be so sugar is high enough in the pan to keep it from freezing. I used to raise the level to about 3" shortly before shutdown for what would cook down during cool down.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If it is just the center section a little high and the entire pan is not warped, it want hurt much. You may be able to push it back down a little. Ideal would be to not empty the pan every time you boil. Cover it and just start firing with the syrup the way it was the last time you boiled. This will keep the sugar content up in the pans and you will be able to start drawing off every time you boil. You are also losing a little evaporation too because the higher the sugar content, the faster the boil. Want to keep the sugar content in it as much as possible. :?

[Brent]

Thanks for the comments.

We have not had a very good flow up here yet. Nothing collected on Saturday or Sunday. Likely nothing till it warms up on Wednesday.

We are still working with the Half Pint outdoors so I'm concerned about leaving sap in the pans and freezing damage. Does the sugar content make a "soft freeze" that won't hurt the pans ?? It doesn't seem to damage the buckets much.

Really thrilled with the quality. A farmer neighbour came by and said it's as good as he's ever seen. He told us he used to go to the Mennonite sugar shacks and they could only get it it this good once in every few years.
Beginners luck strikes again.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Brent,

It's never going to hurt a flat pan leaving it in there especially with all the sugar content. :D

[steve J]

My rig is the same size as a half pint I don't find that I can get it finished on there but I tend do do my finishing useing a large stainless steel pot and a turkey frier burner it works great. Not running here in Vermont either for the last week but I have made 1.5 gallons of very nice fancy so far I hope to be boiling again by Wed afternoon if this cold front ever leaves us.

[ibby458]

There is a way to shrink metal that should take out the warp. I heard of it years ago in an auto body shop. Supossedly, you heat the area pretty hot, and quickly cover it with a rag that was soaking in ice water.

I used the technique when I resoldered a pan that I burnt, and it seemed to work, at least a bit.

I'd check with some body shops, to see if an old timer might remember it, IF you can find one that knows anything but replacing parts and billing insurance companies.

[Brent]

As I boil there is the normal white foam appears on the surface of the sap.

I have always been schooled to remove that. But doing that would seem to mix the concentration areas and defeat the whole idea of finishing right in the half pint pan.

So do most of you skim the foam off or just ignore it and keep boiling to a finished or nearly finished syrup ????

[Fred Henderson]

I skim it so that way it does not trap any steam. With that half pint you want all the help you can get.