Is 16 Gauge Stainless for a boil pan O K ??

[TerryEspo]

Looking for advice to maybe buy a stainless pan. I think reading here most people have 20 or 22 gauge.
On EBAY there is a pan that is 16 Gauge.

That is heavier correct? If that is so, it will take longer to boil ? I will try to post the Ebay link if anyone wants to see it.

www.ebay.com/itm/Stainless-Steel-Maple-Syrup-Sap-Boiling-Pan-24-x-48-x-8-/200718555161?pt=Cookware&hash=item2ebbc21819

Any advice on this pan is appreciated.

Thanks.

Terry

[chuck240z]

I just had a 2x4 drop flue setup custom built out of 18 gauge. Everyone told me not to because it was too thick, but I get a full boil in 30 minutes and it holds heat well. I do have a insulated arch so that might help a lot.

[Burnt sap]

16ga is heavy stuff my friend, easy to weld and repair tough to bend though. It will take a fair amount of fuel to heat the pan up if it's 6-8 in deep it will take longer. My 2x4 is 16ga satin ss 6in deep I built it 4 years ago very heavy and tough you will not burn that pan up thats for sure. I only used 16ga because thats what I had on hand in the shop at the time. 20,22,24 will boil much faster and allow you to make more product but can be burnt if you don't pay attention. Hope that helps.

[happy thoughts]

I don't understand why a heavier gauge would be undesirable in an evaporator pan but maybe someone can explain it. If you look at good quality SS cookware, the heavier the gauge the better for more even heating, resistance to warping and durability. For cook pots that get direct heat heavier gauges are recommended whereas a pan that only goes in the oven can be much lighter. It seems to me you'd want a heavy gauge for sugaring if only because of the high heat and abuse we give them, but what do I know:confused:

[happy thoughts]

16ga is heavy stuff my friend, easy to weld and repair tough to bend though. It will take a fair amount of fuel to heat the pan up if it's 6-8 in deep it will take longer. My 2x4 is 16ga satin ss 6in deep I built it 4 years ago very heavy and tough you will not burn that pan up thats for sure. I only used 16ga because thats what I had on hand in the shop at the time. 20,22,24 will boil much faster and allow you to make more product but can be burnt if you don't pay attention. Hope that helps.

OK burnt, the heat up time for heavier gauge SS would tend to explain my question, though once it's heated I'd say it's going to stay heated longer than a thinner SS pan. I'm not sure if that's a plus or minus. Still, for stove top use over direct heat, and again in reference to cooking pots only, 18 gauge SS is usually the minimum recommendation. A 16 gauge evaporator pan will probably last several lifetimes if well handled and if the price is right, may end up being a good bargain.

[spencer11]

the thinner gauge will transfer heat faster but will also warp and burn if run dry. the thicker gauge will transfer heat slower but will retain heat longer. they will both boil the same, but one will get boiling faster than the other and one will stay boiling longer than the other.

spencer

[slb]

Hi Terry, 16 ga. ss pan sounds fine to me, hot water boilers are a lot heavier than that and they transfer heat just fine. Any sap running up in Canada ehh ? Things have been pretty slow here in Central NY, boiled twice but not much sap. Still Feb. though......slb

[TerryEspo]

Hey SLB:

Last week I tapped due to the right weather, got approx. 15 gallons of sap in 1 day. Cold returned. That was it, below freezing here since, winter storm warnings etc....no sap, all frozen.

Next week forecast says sap weather, approx. March 6-7th.

I am waiting to try my steel pan before getting a stainless one, many people say my old steel clean pan should be fine.

Next week will tell the tail.

Talk soon and let me know when your sap runs please.

Terry

[Richard Gress]

I picked up some porcilin pans at the Christmass tree shop 5 years ago and still use them. I also, use thing stainless chaffing pans. They work well, but carefull to keep them full and dont add cold sap to a half full boiling pan.

[lpayette]

Hi Terry,

I have a nice sheet of 16 ga. stainless. I'm thinking of building a pan out of it. I was wondering if you had finnally bought the pan and how it performs.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Zucker Lager]

Hi Terry,

I have a nice sheet of 16 ga. stainless. I'm thinking of building a pan out of it. I was wondering if you had finnally bought the pan and how it performs.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Hey Lpayette:
I used 16 gauge for my pan its what I had and free is good. Here is my finished arch and pan if I keep the stack temp around 700 F I get a good rolling boil and don't use much wood if I did my calculations correctly I"m boiling about 7GPH. There is a video of the boil too one thing I did notice is its an even boil across the entire pan no hot or cold spots. Jay
http://http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?26815-2-By-3-Hobby-Arch-Build

[TerryEspo]

Hey Lpayette:

Yes, I did get the pan. It is strong, very happy with it but know I am a hobby guy and do it all for fun. I really don't know the performance difference if I had bought a lighter gauge. This pan is wonderful for me as I pull (slide), my pan after each batch boil and maybe would not want a lighter gauge pan.

I am very pleased how fast I can get a starting boil at the beginning if I start with 2"of sap.

If you have the sheet of stainless , I say build your new pan with it.

Good luck.

[Maple Man 85]

Just did some research on this myself as others have mentioned the heat transfer will not be as quick however 16gauge should last much longer in terms of not warping and reparability. When talking in gauge of steel we are only talking in thousands of inches so I would worry about heat transfer. The key to peak evaporation rate is running the pan low like 2" or less (I run 1") because you are not trying to maintain heat on a larger liquid mass. What is going keep the pan going for years to come is regular cleaning and removal of niter so it doesn't scorch the pan. This can be done with a white vinegar and water mix.

[lpayette]

Awsome! Thanks for the pics. I also have around 50 taps. Just enough to have fun and the kids love it! Up to now I've been using buffet pans, but they are very hard to clean. The pan I'm thinking of doing looks a lot like the one you have! 20 inches by 30 inches.

Now I just need to build it.... I'll post pictures of the project.

[lpayette]

I finally built the pan with my 16 gauge SS sheet. It works better than I expected. Here are some pics of a test I made this weekend. Nest year I'm building an arch to replace that old steel drum. ;-)147751477614777

[TerryEspo]

Hey Lpayette, great to hear you did your pan.
Nice looking fire going inside, lol.
Good luck on our next season, just around the corner, 16-18 weeks,,,,yeehaa!!