Lookng to upgrade to 2x4 continues flow pan

[workinprogress]

I am in year four of my backyard sugaring and it is time to move from the steam table pans to a continues flow setup. Built a 8x12 shed this year
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and did some modification to get 3 steam table pans onto my arch.
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The arch is set up to easily modify for a 2x4 pan so I have started to look at 2x4 pans with dividers.

Seems to be many choices.

Material - I have seen everything from 18 gauge to 24 gauge all welded pans.
Dividers - Have seen three dividers the long way as well as dividers the narrow way (large input area when going into dividers).
Height - 6,7,8 inch
Draw off valves or draw off boxes.

Since I am hoping this pan will last me a few years of running 50 taps or so I would like to do it right the first time.

Anyone have some suggestions?

Thanks,

[smokeyamber]

As many dividers as possible , 6 inch wide channels, make sure they have isolation plugs so you can keep the gradient between boils, also helps with finishing the last bit of syrup ( chasing the sweet). Draw off box since it lets you fully drain the pan. Handles on the pan cause a 2x4 with sap in it is heavy.

With 50 taps you could go a bit larger than 2x4 or maybe do a 2x2 front and a small flue pan. This would let you later use the 2x2 syrup pan on an expanded arch say a 2x5 or 2x5. I fit a 2x5 arch in my 8x11 shach ( not nearly as nice a shack as yours though). The increase in boiling rate with a drop tube/flue is well worth considering a small increase in size. With 50 taps you can get buried in sap pretty quickly and a 2x5 with flues will get in the 20gph range easily. Nice to have that rate when it runs hard.

Have fun with whatever you decide and your setup sure looks nice !

[jrgagne99]

I have a small 20"x40" arch made by WesFab (the filter press guys) about 5 years ago. I modified the original 3-channel flat pan that came with it. I divided it up into what I call a "hybrid pan" that has two main sections. The back section is the "flue pan" and it is 30" long and has eight 5" drop flues. This back section is divided down the middle, just like normal flue pans. The front section is the "syrup pan" and it is 10" long and has two 5"-wide cross-flow channels. The two sections are isolated, but connected by an external 3/8" jumper with a valve so I can run the back pan a little deeper if I want. I get about 12 gph on this rig, and always finish as syrup, right on the evaporator. If you made a similar 2x4 "hybrid-pan" you should be able to get about 17-18 gph. It is non-reversable, but I don't find this to be an issue.

[workinprogress]

I was thinking about possible upgrades to the pan in the future and wonder about something like the attached drawing (top would be starting and bottom would be with drop flues). This would be a pan with dividers and a somewhat open area that in the future I could add flue drops. If the dividers go the other way (long way) I am not sure how you could add drop flues without getting a new pan. Just thinking about different ideas.

I am not an expert in any of this I just watched how my arch boils. In my three stream table pans the Middle and Back pan had the strongest boil. This would put the strongest boil into the starting of the dividers and large open area.

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[kinalfarm]

Inwould run the dividers the other way in the front half because you want to draw syrup off on the hottest part of the pan which is usually the middle which would be the back of the front(syrup) section and also would definatly pit a 1/4 female half coupler for a thermometer next
To the draw off valve on a small arch
I don't see a need for a draw off box. Other than that all I can do is tell you than stainless steel creations
Built my pans and Paul did an awesome job. Done in 1
Week and great price.cheapest I have found for welded pans. But good luck on whatever you decide.

[workinprogress]

So if I understand your suggestion it would look something like this?

[kinalfarm]

Yepper, just as you have it in the drawing.