Shutting down questions

[umpwood1]

I have a few question.
1) After shutting down for the day, how long can you let the sweet in the pans, if you don't get a run ?
2) On a 2 x 6 raised flue w/ preheater..about how long till you drawoff ?
3) If a run isn't coming for a while and you have to drain the flue pan. Do you add water and batch with the front pan ?
4) I read on here that sometimes at startup you will get syrup in the center section. If that happens, what do you do ?

It would be great if one of the gurus here would start a thread for us first timers, on flue rigs, to walk us through our first season.

Thanks a million in advance !!
Woody

[johnallin]

Woody,
As an owner of a 2x6 Leader raised flue rig, I will do my best to answer your questions.

1) As long as it stays cool enough 35-40° you can leave the sweet in those pans for a week or so- longer if it freezes. In most cases; you will be boiling before then anyway. As you've read here - treat it like milk.
2) I did my second boil of the year yesterday and had a draw after 2 hours. That added to the 2 hours I boiled on Monday puts me at 4 hours to that first draw for this year. I checked my records and last year was
almost the same. I am getting about 30-32 gallons an hour evaporation on my 2x6.
Once the pans are sweet; draws come about every 40-45 minutes.
3) I've never had to drain my pans in season, but I don;t think I'd be adding any water. If I had to drain the flue pan - I'd probably just pitch the sap, If I had to drain the syrup pan, I might put in the freezer or fridge to
keep it until more sap was coming. Don't think you will see that though, you want to boil everything as quick as you can so your flue pan, everything really, should be pretty fresh. Cold temps will stop the runs this
time of year - so that's ok for keeping stuff fresh. When it starts to warm up later on in the season and shut down; you have to pull the plug and call it quits.
4) Syrup in the center section can be from a lot of things, for me it happens most at start up until the gradient re-establishes itself in the pan. I will sometimes let a small stream out of the draw off to get things moving.

Don't know how helpful this is but it's a shot.

[Dennis H.]

I do as John does but I do drain my flue pan if the temps go below freezing for a few days.
For my evap it all fits in 3, 5 gal buckets. Normally won't freeze solid so I scoop out the ice and pour the remainder back in the flue on when I am ready to boil again.

[umpwood1]

Thanks alot ! I am up and running everything is going great. It is working exactly as you explained. I have been kicking back, twideling my thumbs and waiting for the temp to go to " 7 ". I am drawing of lots of good syrup.
Thanks again!!
Woody