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aws
01-16-2013, 08:05 PM
So I've been starting my annual thinking about maple production upgrades and would like to make a preheater. I've seen a lot of good ideas both simple and inexpensive, but I plan on building a new stove next year and also don't want to spend much money this year. So I had this idea. What about preheater stones. Maybe a few clean soap stones or pieces of granite that I put on the spare hot areas on top of my evaporator and then put in my spare pot of sap. I could alternate them between the evaporator and the sap. I think I might want to dip them in water before returning them to the stove so that I don't end up burning any sugar. Any geologists or rock hounds out there want to recommend stones that would not likely contain minerals that would dissolve in the sap? If anyone sees any major flaws with this thought please point it out.

jake22si
01-16-2013, 08:22 PM
How much sap you gonna preheat? Could you fit a small pot on that free space instead of stones? Maybe put some steam pans on top of your pan? A pic may help figure it out.

wiam
01-16-2013, 08:33 PM
Before I had a preheater I would put a 20 qt stock pot on the corner of the back pan to heat permeate to clean the press.