Sweet vs. plugging sections - Full Pint Pan

[Forrest hunters]

I just bought a new pan from Jim at Smoky Lake Maple(full Pint Pan) to fit my half pint and seem to be having trouble finishing now. On my first couple boils I was able to get syrup in the last section and upon shut down I would draw 1-1.5 gallons of sweet off for the next start up. I add the sweet back after all sections start to boil and am drawing in fresh sap from the float. I pour all the sweet into the finishing channel and wait for the boil to start again there. Now I only seem to get to 3-4 degrees above water and it is starting to get dark. This weekend I emptied the pan and washed them out so I can start fresh.

Am I doing something wrong with the way I add back in or shut it down or what. Seems that from float to finish channel all have same gradient when I start up. Should I not draw sweet and get some plugs to block the sections off? If this works where do I get food grade plugs from? I could block first and section section from flue section and warming section.

Also I have the warming pan on top of this new pan roughly over the flue and first channel before finishing channel.

Thanks for any input here.

[Forrest hunters]

No one has any ideas for me?

[michiganphil]

I pour all the sweet into the finishing channel and wait for the boil to start again there.

If you're just dumping the sweet in all at once, try adding little at a time so as to not lose your boil at all.
If you just dump it in, and the pan stops boiling, it may be mixing back

[MarkL]

I'm thinking of getting this pan. Not so worried about finishing in the pan as I am used to finishing on a separate propane burner or my stove.

But does it live up to the predicted 15-20 GPH boil rate? That's my biggest question for now.

Thanks,

MarkL

[cadocter]

Try running your depth a little shallower. I know when I get mine too deep because it takes for ever to get back up to temp. I have found that the optimal depth is when I open up the draw off valve and all I get out is a small trickle. This is about half way up or even a little lower on the holes in the dividers. I do the same thing to start back up other than waiting for everything to boil before I add it back in. I just add it in when everything's cold so it all comes up to temp at one time and I'm not killing the boil once I just get started.

[Gary R]

I haven't seen one of these boil. I wonder why you would draw off sweet every time you shut down? On regular evaporators we just fire back up and will be drawing within an hour.

MarkL, I question the boil rate also. I've seen numbers from a few full pint owners. Only one person said up to 15GPH. That was with a blower. Half pints don't come with that. That might be a good thread to start.