Barrel Evaporator Designed - under $100

[Agent914]

6372

I wanted to share my updated 55 gallon barrel design, it holds 2 standard restaurant steaming trays. I ran the stove in 2012 and it was a vastly better than the standard 1 pan set-up, but there is always ways to improve the process.

2012 Run Rate: Boils 5-6gph better than 1st barrel with 1 pan that had 3-4gph, also less scalding on pan sides.

2013 Improvements:
•Sliding Heat Deflector (1/4" plate) prevents heat from escaping up the smoke stack by channeling it into pan #2 (hope it also pushes more heat back into Pan #1?)
•Hi-temp insulation added to the outside of the barrel too trap more heat from escaping through sides (Note - insulation not shown for clarity purposes)

Hoping the 2013 improvements yield a boil rate (6-8gph), longer burns & boils with less wood.
Working on pre-heater (thinking of adding to frame and put a tray next to smoke stack to get heat?)

FYI, I had trouble upload images so I had to zip ir because of size limits, but if you inbox me I will send files directly to you

[Agent914]

Sorry, appearantly my 1st attachment try did not work, if it does not work this time I will delete this thread:confused :confused:

[Pibster]

Looks really good for a barrel setup. You have a helper like mine.

[Agent914]

Thanks for the feedback, but I am having troubling uploading the 1 page PDf illustration on my improvements. Everything I do to the files (doc,pdf..etc.) and the website says it is a little to big. The mod is simple and requires no welding. I got the idea from a reverse smoke and the woodstove (insert) I use to heat my house.

[Agent914]

Converted to doc into a jpeg hopefully you can read it

[maple flats]

Look good. I got the first one, but had to jump thru some hoops. The last one you posted is better, just click on it and up it comes.
I agree, looks very nice for a barrel stove. Looks like you should have the scorching on the sides pretty well fixed if those gaskets are sealed good. You will do better if you can add a blower to burn faster. I hope the deflector works, it look like a real short path from the rear pan to out the stack, holding the heat under the pans will help, but most do not do it with a damper. Dampers slow the burn rate.

[maple flats]

You "might" do better if you lower the stack outlet a few inches. That way more heat will build above the stack outlet, where the pans are.

[Too Tall]

I notice some insulation or gaskets around the pans....can you tell me what exactly it is and where you got it? I'm running a similar setup on an oil tank and am looking for a way to keep the fire in the firebox.

[Agent914]

@ Too Tall - I use Wood stove gasket material, you can find kits at Lowes for $10, I buy the largest diameter 1/2? and it comes in about 6ft length. I leave it loose and just synch it around the pan after I place it in the barrel.

@ Maple Flats - you are correct there was a lot less scalding of the pans because there are sitting basically sitting on the flat of the pans and not sunking in like my 1st barrel, now I only get a little 1/2 moon on each pan. I use the word damper loosely because it is more of a "kicker plate" for the flame because when it is push fully the back it only covers about a inch on the back pan and should not really effect the drawing the stove when it is running under "full steam". I feel that directing the flame into the pan will increase duration of the boil and if it hurts I can always remove

[woodsmith]

When I used a barrel evaporator I made a preheater by running 1/4" flexible copper tubing around the flu pipe three or four times, wrap the coils with insulation held on by steel wire wrapped around the insulation and run the incoming sap through the tubing and into the rear pan. Works great, you just have to get the feel for how fast to run the sap through since it can boil and scald inside the tubing if you're not careful. Of course this method works best if you have the sap collected to a holding tank that gravity feeds to the evaporator.

[Agent914]

WoodSmith thanks for the insight about coiling a tube around the stack and I was not aware that scalding could occur inside of the coil tube. I am thinking about resting another pan or 2 against the stack to pick up heat there.

[Agent914]

I just wanted post the group with an update the results of my first boil for 2013 ~75 gallons in 12hrs =6.25GPH..... not bad for a small back yard set-up with only 2 restaurant warming trays.

I lost my SAP warming station with this mod so I filled with cold SAP until I figure something out. I had a more uniform stack temperature - meaning the fire stayed hotter longer and required less load of wood. The adding the outer insulation definitely trapped more heat inside of the barrel and the sides only got warm (not scalding).

The Rear Pan (#2) boiled like crazy so it require more sap. The Front Pan (#1) took a bit longer to boil and when it did it did not have the same boil vigor as the Rear Pan. So I am thinking about adding a smaller separate baffle (or a partitioned baffle) somewhere between Pan#1 and #2 so it can push more heat up front ….kind like how a how BBQ smoker cooks.

More to follow as the 2013 season progresses....

Note to Self: load wood quickly because the stove will send a flame the door after about 30 seconds

[Agent914]

I wanted to post the fellow Maple Trader members the pros & cons as to my barrel evaporator design under ($100)

For the 2013 season I have made 6 batches averaging 5.5 GPH for evaporation and so far I have made a total of 10 gallons of syrup.

Pros:
•Evaporation averaged was 5.5 gph which is better than the 2012, the same barrel in 2012 was not insulated and did not have a damper; the averaged evaporations rate was 4gph with only 5 gallons of syrup produced, so the net effect was a higher 1.5 gph increase.
•The 2013 mods gave Longer burns with less temperature fluctuations meaning the stack temperature stayed steadier at 350’F-450’F
•Barrel was still light and easy to maneuverable which is a benefit for me
•The insulation on the outside of barrel eventually got hot to the touch (not scalding hot) so having the insulation of the outside barrel definitely trapped more heat because the barrel was more approachable - safer, so I was less concerned about getting burned

Cons:
•Barrel is started to showing signs of metal fatigue after 5 boils, the center rib between pans warped a little, the angle iron used to support damper also warped (the end nearest smoke stack)
•3/16 thick deflector plate is sagging between the rails & plate and if it were allowed to continue I could see the damper falling to the inside rails
•Bottom of barrel warped about 1” where the 2 cross axis supports
•Having the insulation on the outside made it tougher to get a tight seal around pans

Recommendations:
•Weld several braces to the inside of the angle iron slide would prevent metal fatigue where the damper plate is being supported.
•Putting insulating and bricks on the inside of the barrel might prevented some metal fatigue on the barrel but my objective was keep it simple and still be able to put any length scrap wood inside of the barrel ....so it still works for me

7450

Ultimately, the damage this barel evaporator sustained can be easily and cheaply be repaired during the off season. Also I am thinking about getting rid of the center section in favor of adding a 3rd steam tray but this will mostly likely overhang the front a little so I should be able to support this by bolting on a simple "L:" bracket for support.

[JuniperHillSugar]

My first outdoor rig was built for next nothing. A roadside barrel stove and a canner. I've got pics on my blog. Check it out.

[Agent914]

JHS,

Nice set-up & blog shots, I see the similarities in the past shots also I am beginning to see some my future in some of the other blog shots :lol:

Agent914

[Dr. Bucket]

Hi Agent914,

Thanks for sharing your set up on this thread. I don't have a lot to add to your set up as is, but for down the road here's a barrel idea.

For my backyard set up I sourced a discarded stove oil barrel (200 gallon)and have lined it with discarded kiln brick. I've used it for roughly 30 years without any metal warping to date. It supports a cast iron pot that holds 40 gallons of sap. Just a thought.

My loyal assistant (as seen in the picture) is a German Shorthair Pointer, '"Gretel". Is yours a GSP as well?

Cheers,

George

[Agent914]

Dr. Bucket.

I have been debating about “upgrading” to a larger evaporator, but I like the flexibility and the ease of transportability this small barrel set-up gives me for this seasonal hobby.

Recently, I did get a purchase a used 275 gallon oil tank for ($20) and I am debating about the engineering a bricked and insulated evaporator out of it. The anticipated size and weight of this larger evaporator would make mobility very difficult for 1 person to manage. If I built a “sugar shack” and kept the larger evaporator there it would require me sweet talking the “boss lady” too free up the funds, that said, I would have more success getting Maple Syrup from a Pine Tree.

Yep my loyal sidekick is a GSP …the perfect companion for syrup season.

Paul

[bmbmkr]

I'm working on a doube barrel evaporator. Welding two 55 ga drums end to end. A stove kit door, flue. 21"x60" frame with sheet metal skin to hold 5 steam pans. The fire box barrel will have firebrick over sand in the bottom, and a frame to hold firebrick on the sides- maybe sand behind this too, we'll see what gravity does. The back barrel will have a frame to hold up a bricked flue. Also the bung in the back barrel will be plumbed with 2" iron pipe to provide air under the firegrate in the front barrel. I keep thinking I'm over designing this arch. I live in NC, but am moving to Ohio in the next couple of years. My parents run a 300 acre cattle farm that just happens to have approximately 1000 sugar maples. A bunch of red and silver maples too, and some HUGE river birch trees. My wife loves birch syrup, but at 100/1, these might have to wait til the RO is done. I've been poring over this site for the last year or so and soaking up info. I only get to the sugar woods a few weeks a year for now, can't wait to MOVE!

[BC Birch Tapper]

I recall reading a scientific article that compared all the different maples & birch at the end from a sugar content perspective over 30 years ago. It said that you could use birch but why bother when there are so many different maples to use. What we have found is that the different trees produce a different end product that can be classified as niche & as a result get a much higher price tag at the farm gate. Our birch sells for $100/ litre. Best of luck with your rig! You may want to give birch a try but I would recommend a trial 1st of a small # of trees to start out. At a ratio of 100 or 120 to 1 it does take a lot of boiling .

[Sugarmaker]

Nice evaporator set up. Looks like a Thompson Center, 50 cal., Hawkin style, flintlock to me:)
Good luck this season!
Regards,
Chris

[Skoaler27]

Thinking about welding up a sap pan for my barrel evaporator, couple questions. Should I just do one big one or should I make 1 pan divided into two? What are the advantages of having two boiling sections rather than one? Also what are the best dimensions for the pan you'd guys recommend?