optimal depth to boil at with a 2x4 flat pan

[damaille]

what is the optimal depth of sap in the rear pan and the depth in the front pan while boiling? while I manually have to regulate from the preheater to the sap pan and also to the syrup pan I find myself fluctuating with the depths. Should I keep the preheater valve open a little so it trickles into the sap pan to maintain depth? should I do this as well from the sap to the syrup pan?
right now I have been keeping them both closed, boiling both pans down then opening valves bringing depth back up and repeating process.

[CTfarm]

On my 2 x 3 flat pan I run it at about an inch. My preheater sits on top and I let it trickle in to maintain the 1 inch depth. I don't lose my boil this way.

[Spartazoo]

I run a 2x4 on a homemade arch at about an inch also. Preheated trickles to maintain depth. Still dialing in my setup but yesterday did 7.5 gal per hour. I know I can get to 8 or 9 without a blower.

[wnybassman]

Yesterday I did 8.3 gph on my 2x4 and was trying to maintain about 3/4". The bottom of my pan is a little oil canned, so I do have to be careful and watch very closely when running that low.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU9JCyCgbC0

[JuniperHillSugar]

I run 1 1/2-2" in my 2x4 Mason hobby setup. The only modification that I have done so far is to set my preheat pan back nearer to the stack and to paint the back of my preheat pan flat black. I can average 10 gph from the match to closing the sugar house door. I do have really dry spruce wood that has been stacked in the sugar house since last March. Rule number one, don't try to boil sap with wet wood.

[damaille]

thanks.....I have over 300 taps this year and have a lot of sap to boil down. I am just trying to optimize the best I can. boiled at a rate of almost 20gph today and have been trying different things to increase boil. I tried the fan but with a 2x4 I found that it pushed the heat to the back of the arch and did not get a great boil in the front pans. I wired a speed control on the fan and just couldn't get it to do what i wanted. I found that when I split my wood into smaller pieces and load the arch close to the door I got a fantastic boil in both pans then when I reload I push burnt wood toward the back and reload the front it kept a rigorous boil at all edges of both pans all day. today was a good day ran it at about 1 1/2" depth all day.

[slammer3364]

No one dry wood. I have a 18x48 with a blower I also split wood very small and last year added another six feet to my stack,I have been boiling inch and a half -two inches before I added to stack I also boiled at one inch. I feel much safer a little deeper and a better boil

[damaille]

what do you get by adding another 6 feet to stack? does that keep more heat in the arch cause it has to travel further to vent out? what was your stack height before you added the 6'?

[wnybassman]

thanks.....I have over 300 taps this year and have a lot of sap to boil down. I am just trying to optimize the best I can. boiled at a rate of almost 20gph today and have been trying different things to increase boil. I tried the fan but with a 2x4 I found that it pushed the heat to the back of the arch and did not get a great boil in the front pans. I wired a speed control on the fan and just couldn't get it to do what i wanted. I found that when I split my wood into smaller pieces and load the arch close to the door I got a fantastic boil in both pans then when I reload I push burnt wood toward the back and reload the front it kept a rigorous boil at all edges of both pans all day. today was a good day ran it at about 1 1/2" depth all day.

If you're getting nearly 20 gph in a 2x4 flat bottom, I wouldn't change a thing.

[jake22si]

If you're getting nearly 20 gph in a 2x4 flat bottom, I wouldn't change a thing. 20 is a real good number for that rig, I only get half that at best with my 2x3