What type of pan to get ?

[Wood burn]

I only tap 50 to 60 trees I'm looking at getting a 2x4 pan . Thinking I should get a flat bottom but I'm not sure if I should put dividers in it . Thing is with a divided pan I think I'll have to boile 100 gallons of sap in it before I get syrup at the other end , and I only boile on weekends .??

[Pibster]

Since you're only boiling on weekends, I would go with a flat pan.

[Ausable]

Wood burn - I batch boiled for years on a 55 gallon barrel stove on about a 30" x 30" flat bottom pan. I have about 55 taps of my own and I could do a boil if I only had about 40 gallons of sap. One of my Sons and Grandsons built a 250 gallon Fuel Oil tank arch with a 2' x 5' flat bottom divided pan (continuous flow) - Which I really like - It is faster - but - I have to have at least 100 gallons of sap to even think of doing a boil and I prefer more. They now tap trees and haul up more sap for me to boil - so now I might start a boil with 300+ gallons of sap. So Yes - even a little continuous flow rig like I have is much faster then batch boiling. Keeps me busy as I usually boil by myself. ----Mike------

[maple flats]

If you think you will eventually grow, even a little, add dividers. With dividers you will get the coveted lighter syrup, but if you will always only be able to boil on weekends a batch method will work OK.

[Gary R]

If your collecting during the week from that many trees, I'd get a bigger pan. Maybe 2.5X6 with dividers. You could be looking at 200+ gal to boil on the weekend. The 2X4 will only give you a little more than 10GPH. That's a lot of time watching water boil. Don't worry if you don't have much sap. Just boil it and wait for the next weekend. If the weather is cool you can leave it in the pan or drain it into buckets. It will be much closer to syrup than raw sap.

[RC Maple]

I think too that if you are only boiling on the weekends you may need a bigger pan. I am doing about the same number of taps on a 2x3 divided flat pan and if it looks to be a good week I'll light it up during the week but I try to have enough sap left around that I can pretty much boil all day Saturday and a chunk of Sunday. I would go with the divided pan though. I think it's neat to be able to draw finished syrup off while you're still adding sap. That is a lot of the fun for me - watching the thermometer, stoking the fire, checking density, adding sap, check the stack temp, repeat, repeat..... It's fun just thinking about it! Like Maple Flats said you also get the lighter syrup since it didn't have to stay in the pan the whole time. I don't feel like I have to have a bunch of sap to light 'er up either. If I only had 25 - 30 gal I would boil that off - I'd rather have more but some weeks you don't and I wouldn't try to keep it another week waiting on another run. Good luck with your choice.

[Wood burn]

Thank for all the input guys . I think I'll order my pan this week and go with the divided flat pan .