small bros. lightning 2.5x8

[spencer11]

i just got a small bros. 2.5x8 and have alot of questions. i have never had an evaporator like this before so, how do you set the pan depth with the floats? its a raised flue, how deep on the syrup pan and how far over the flue should i run it? it has a box at the back of the flue pan, and the pan only has 1 divider. so im not quite sure how it flows throught the rear pan?

[500592]

Hey congrats is it stainless and I too have a small brothers raised flue just a three foot wide one the box out back has a hole on each side and you should have a pipe that fits on one side o you can reverse flow oh an by the way what size are he pans and if you don't mind me asking how much was it

[spencer11]

its a stainless front pan and a tin rear pan. yes the box has 2 holes and a plug to fit in, but there is only one on each side of the divider and the float box for the rear pan is in the back, and the dividers cut out is right next to the box. and the fittings for the front pan floats are in the front of the pan rear pan. so how does it flow through the dividers? is a 5' flue pan and a 3' syrup pan. and i got it for 800. it does need some work and has a cracked door. but came with all the brick and some stack and all the floats and arch and stuff. what depth are you running your at over the flues and i the syrup pan?

[maple flats]

If it is built like my Grimm raised flue, the rear pan has a cross over at the very rear channel, You can feed from the float box to either side by blocking the other with the plug. From there you should have a outlet to feed the front pan on each side. If I'm guessing wrong, can you post pictures. I will try to help if I can.

[500592]

That's a good price as long as nothing leaks and ou should have a pipe that fits in one of the holes so that sap goes to the front part then it goes back up and through the divider and in the syrup pan.

[spencer11]

its like that dave, but the sap can only go down the pan 1 time before it goes into the front pan. and the cutout in the divider it a the back where the floatbox and that box inside are. so do i just let the sap go through the flue pan like a flat pan and go into the syrup pan where the gradient starts to divide? i will try and get some pics up. and the flue pan has a small leak on one side from when it got banged. and any ideas on a preheater for it? i have a 10' section o 3/4" copper pipe already that i had laying round. one that i can sue with a hood in a future. and what depth over the flues and the syrup pan?

[500592]

If you post pics I can tell you how it works if it is setup like mine

[500592]

My small brothers came with a factory preheater and hood the preheater has like 40 or 45 feet of copper in it.

[spencer11]

how is our preheater set up?

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Is there a pipe that fits into the hole the same as the plug does? There should be. You plug one side, the sap flows into the trough across the back and through the pipe and is put into the flue pan at the front. It then flows back and through the divider in the back and up the other side where it passes into the float box that governs the front pan. I have a Grimm lightning like Dave does (a bit bigger though). I think the small bros. front float boxes are set up a bit different but the flue pan set up is the same. I run my back pan about 3/4 inch over the flues. I know guys who run them much shallower but I want a bit more breathing room. The front pan I like about 1 and 1/2 inch deep.

[500592]

The preheater is 3 pipes wide that they go one direction make a u turn up and go back the opposite way then it does that one more time and the sap is meant to come in the top and flow down to the bottom pipe.

[spencer11]

i will try and get some pics up tomorrow but there is no pipe and im not sure how that would work for my setup? and i just looked up a diagram a preheater and is says the cold sap goes on the bottom and the hot comes out the top...

[500592]

Can you share the link for this diagram cause the I am pretty sure the small brothers preheater is different.

[spencer11]

http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/produc/presap.htm
it should work

[wiam]

The small brothers preheater that came with mine (used) was opposite of most others.

[spencer11]

i also dont have one i will be making it. which way would be easier?

[maple flats]

I run my pans at about 3/4" above flues in flue pan and 1" deep in syrup pan. I have heard of others who run the flue pan as shallow as 1/4" above flues and 3/4" in syrup pan. I like more wiggle room.

[spencer11]

i was thinking 1 inch deep in the syrup pan..but the themometer fitting is 1.5" above the bottom and it isnt angled down that much so i think i would have to run it at at least 1.5"?

[maplesyrupstove]

00 My preheater from D@G .

[spencer11]

the attachments are not working

[maplesyrupstove]

There are pictures in Photobucket,2011 New Hood.When I am cooking the sap go in the top and comes out the bottom to the float box.The small air bubbles go up my pipe now and then to my supply barrel so it done get air lock, works great. The preheater runs around 175 degrees most of the time, my old hood and preheater with 50 feet of 1/2 copper pipe run 185 degrees.I had and air vent on it which work,cause the sap came in the bottom and went out the top. Darrell

[spencer11]

okay so yours enters the top? and come out the bottom hot? and what do you use for a drip tray?

[maplesyrupstove]

There is a stainless steel drip tray under it, with a pipe out the back side.Runs into a pail on the stand,makes hot water for me.The hood drains out the two side on the bottom end,into a pail on the floor not very hot.

[spencer11]

now how does the drip tray not drip? does it have to be at a certain angle V shape so it dosent get steam on it and just drip into the pan?

[maplesyrupstove]

The Preheater drips from the cold sap in it, the drip tray is hot from the steam and doesn't drip .It is on a little slope and the water run out the drain pipe. Darrell

[spencer11]

ohh okay that makes sence now, so basicaly when the drip tray and hood heat up they dont drip anymore

[spencer11]

how can i clean the pans? especially the flue pan, its english tin and the front pan is stainless. both soldered and both have dirt and hay and dust and stuff in them, how can i get all that out and clean both the tin and stainless pan?

[Bruce L]

Spencer,is there a cheese factory near you?If so you could get whey from them,fill your pans and they will end up looking like brand new.

[maple flats]

Try starting just using a garden hose with a good spray nozzle. A pressure washer works wonders if the pans are sound enough to take the pressure. If in doubt, use the wider pattern nozzle and hold farther away from the pans.

[spencer11]

i have washed them with the hose, but will need to again. what can i use to wash them during the season? and after how many gallons of syrup should i wash them? or just after he season? and my bug concern is washing the tin pan

[Maple Hill]

How about setting the pans on the arch-add some water- fire it up and let it boil a while and then scrub it. Just a thought.

[spencer11]

well i just took the syrup pan off and cleaned it..and the only reason i cant get that fire it up is that its still on my trailer until i get the sugar house built. i would love to fire it up and see what i get for gph and see how everything works and make sure it works right. the problem is that there is some sand and pollen down in the flues and i cant get it out easily. what could i expect for gph with a preheater?

[spencer11]

anyone????

[maple maniac65]

easy way to suck debris from the flues is a shop vac extension with 5/16 tubing duct taped to it. That way you can reach right down into the valleys and get the fine sand out. If that does not work and you have good welded SS pans use a pressure washer. Works wonderful.

[spencer11]

i will try the shop vac idea. what could i expect out of this for gph? 2.5x8 with 7" raised flue pan thats 5' and a 3' syrup pan, with a preheater

[jimsudz]

Spencer, I have a 2.5x8 lapierre raised flue with a air tight arch and a preheater I average 75gph. I'm sure you will get at least 55gph.

[500592]

The guy who had my 3x8 evap before me said het got 55-60 bare bones but I am going to aof auf and preheater so I am hoping to get 100 out o it because he didn't have as insulated as well as it should be.

[spencer11]

that sounds good to me, i plan on having auf, a preheater and have it bricked. so 55 sounds pretty good or more

[spencer11]

how many cords of wood could i expect to go through during a single season? i have space for just under 3 right now but i think i need more wood..should i find more room? i just dont wanna run out. it will have a preheater and no RO

[spencer11]

and im burning maple(thats something you shouldnt hear on this fourm i know) and pouplar for wood

[rookie]

hope that maple is standing dead, or scraps from thinning your bush, please say it was not tapable. oh god you might be going to hell. . . . . . ;)

[spencer11]

hahahahhahaha it was dead and then fell so i figured i would cut it up, there is no way i would cut down a tap-able maple! thats just wrong!

[rookie]

pheew you had me worried. when i first got my land from grandfather, I had this guy come who took down some trees for me that were close to the old farmhouse that I have been rehabing for 7 years..... supposed to be done by now but i digress. I told that him could take out the tree in the center of the 2 trees, that its roots would be in the way of my planned walk out. He refused, He said " thats a sugar maple, I don't cut those down" At the time I had never planned to tap any trees, and really didn't get it I was giving him the wood. Well now I tap that tree! I saw him at a play at my son's school last year and thanked him. Funny how fate works. my new motto "never cut down a maple" unless i'm thining and its small. I've even tried to transplant (unsuccessfuly) when it was in my way of getting a crete truck in

[spencer11]

yeah i never cut any down, even the small ones, unless i have to. but i still hate doing it

[maple flats]

You would do better getting some education about sugar bush improvement. Sometimes not cutting is the wrong. We like to say we don't cut sugar maples but a properly thinned bush removes many sugar maples IF the density is high. The first concept to keep in mind is to remove trees so that no more than 2 sides are touching their neighbor. This type of improvement will pay big dividends after the remaining trees fill in the newly opened space, making bigger crowns and thus more sugar.

[spencer11]

this summer i am working on thinning out all the small fur trees that are starting to grow in, so they dont take over. my maple are not tightly packed at all, we have 10 acres and only have aroung 220 trees and i can only get to about 200 of them...and my dad wont let me cut or thin the woods at all :(

[maple flats]

Is dad just concerned that you are too young to use a chain saw or is he against all cutting? If it is the latter, try to get dad to attend a co-operative extension presentation on woodlot improvement with you if there is ever one in your area. Another educational tool would be to view some Cornell Forest connect past seminars at http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/forestconnect/web.htm
If it is your age, I agree, but try to get dad involved in your sugar bush management. As for the age that you should be to run a chainsaw, that is up to dad and mom, but I don't let anyone working for me use one under 21 unless they have had "game of logging"(GOL) training, and passed. I may be wrong but I think they (GOL)require 18 minimum age to take the training. This is not to say you could not safely run a chainsaw, but maturity certainly helps most people, (unfortunately not all). Using a chainsaw is very dangerous, felling a tree is very dangerous, even cutting brush is dangerous. The game of logging teaches, then demo's then watches the student do each new thing presented. It is a totally comprehensive training (and professional loggers are required to take the course by most carriers of workman's comp. insurance)

[spencer11]

well we agreed he would let me use his saw with his supervision when im 15, so in like 2 weeks. but i think its that since im gonna be gone in 4-5 years he dosent want to take the tie to thin it out and make it a sugar bush, but im not sure, i will look into it today. cause i plan to keep taping her when i have my own bush. but i look into convincing him

[rookie]

well you know you can do an awful lot with a bow saw and some good loppers!

[spencer11]

thats actually what i have been doing the past year with the smaller fur trees haha

[Maple Hill]

Spencer,you should look into the GOL ,it is well worth the time invested before you get any '' bad '' habits. contact your county forester to see if it is available in your area. good luck.

[spencer11]

i will look into it and my dad didnt wasent that interested in thinning, but i convinced him to let me do some i think

[maple flats]

Before you do, view the Cornell Forest Connect video link I posted in reply # 47. Since you will be gone for 4-5 years, before you leave (college or military?) before you go is the best time to do the thinning. This will give the trees time to work their magic while you are gone and upon your return you will reap the higher resultant sugar content in the sap. It is just an issue of canopy size, more leaves make more sugar.

[spencer11]

that is a good point about them getting a bigger canopy while im gone, my dad said he will keep sugaring using all my stuff while i at college but on a smaller level with just the taps on out property(about 200 or so that are easy to get to) and i plan to go to college for forestry or construction