Beginner question / divided pan.

[Too Tall]

Hello,

I recently got a new oil tank evaporator and it came with a 2'x4' s.s. divided pan. I understand that sap goes in the back and snakes around and comes out the front as almost-syrup.

My question is, when I'm done boiling for the day (or when I'm running out of sap to boil), how do I "shut things off"?

Previously, I just took my steam table pans off the fire and let the fire burn down.

Do I need to plan ahead a little better and add enough sap to the pan to let the wood remaining in the firebox burn out without evaporating all the sap in the pan? If I do it this way, can I add the sap in my pan back into my collection barrel to be boiled next time?

Am I over thinking this? I just don't want to scorch my new-to-me pan.

Thanks for any advice.

[MISugarDaddy]

You are thinking correctly, you need to continue adding sap to the pan until the evaporation has stopped to avoid scorching the pan. The easiest way is to "flood" the pan with at least a couple inches of sap as the fire is going out and the heat from the arch will continue evaporating the water out for a couple of hours or more, leaving a nice amount of partially boiled sap to start with the next day. I would suggest just covering the pan once the evaporation has stopped and leave it in the pan until your next boil.

[psparr]

I can only boil on the weekends. When im out of sap on sunday, I boil everything down as low as I can go, then throw a little water on the fire and throw a piece of ceramic blanket over the coals. This gives me the ability to drain the pans without worrying about scorching the pans.

[Ausable]

Too Tall - Hard to answer without seeing the pan. I have a homemade continuous flow flat bottom pan 2' x 5' and very basic (no float valve or automatic draw off). Yes You have the right idea - Mine has two sap sections 12" x 24" and three syrup sections 12" x 36 ". It flows in a serpentine manner section to section. I have an isolation plug (most have isolation gates) between my last sap section and my first syrup section and another between my second syrup section and my last syrup section. When I'm getting ready to shut down or getting low on sap I let the fire die down and insert the isolation plugs and this keeps the liquid trapped in its own area and prevents it from blending when cool. So I have partially boiled sap in the sap section, light syrup in the middle section and almost syrup in the last section this is what is meant by "keeping the pan sweet". When I get ready to crank up again - I check my levels, build a fire in the arch and when I start steaming I pull the isolation plugs and away we go again and a short time later I'm drawing off my first syrup. When You start Your first boil of the Season a continuous flow is started much like a batch pan - the whole thing is flooded with sap and you boil and boil and your level starts dropping and sap is added at the beginning of the first sap section to maintain level - You will notice as you go on that things start to change in your syrup sections and the sap that your started is becoming more like syrup. As the bubbles get large and shiny in your last syrup section you draw some off into your test cup and check with your syrup hydrometer and low and behold the hydrometer is starting to float we are on the way. Hey - I left some things out - but - You get the idea. So leaving the pans sweet has the advantage of not having to start from square one when starting your next boil. When You finish for the season - You insert the isolation plugs and chase your syrup with water by scooping the partially syrup ahead to the next isolated section and flooding the almost empty section - sections with water to prevent scorching till you have all that remains of your almost syrup in the last syrup section. Once the last of the syrup is removed and the entire rig is flooded all the remains is the --- LOL --- massive cleanup project. Hope I helped You some. -------Mike-------

[bowhunter]

MISugarDaddy is correct. Don't try to make it too complicated. Your pan holds about 5 gallons per inch of sap in the pan. Your evaporator will probably only boil about 2 inches and hour firing hard.

[SevenCreeksSap]

seems like if its a single pan,you'll need something to block off each section so they don't totally mix when you let it cool. It's okay to leave the sweet in the pans and makes it easier to get your near finished product sooner on your next boil. may not want to leave it a week, but a night or two has never given me a problem. definitely flood your pan after your fire dies out so any late evaporation doesn't dry them up, and after a few times you'll figure out how much you are dropping during that die down, and may not have to flood as much, at least I dont. I have a metal cover that catches the steam during the die down and most of it drips back in so I usually don't "flood" it much anymore at all, but my pans are twice as long as yours so more sap in there.
If youre running out of sap, dip as much as you can forward and block off your first section, but have buckets of water ready to put in that section. keep it filled while you keep boiling the second and third section, then do the same after blocking off your middle section from the syrup section. at some point youre done with syrup in the final one and water in the others. I finish on gas off of the evaporator so you may want to consider how you do your finishing if its tricky. maybe someone with your size pan has better info on finishing.

[Indiana-Jones]

Hello Too Tall,

I too only get the time to boil on weekends and have the same issues when it is time to quit. What I have learned from my experiences is if you are sure that it's going to be a whole week before you are going to fire it up again, after things cool down, drain the sweet into a couple of buckets and refrigerate. Then you can clean the pans and start nice and clean next time.

If you leave the sweet in the pans for a week and things warm up you run the risk of it getting moldy. The other side is if it goes sub-zero you will be worried that your pans could freeze and bust. I never have seen ice in my pans but that doesn't keep me from worrying about it. I have put a couple of 100 watt light bulbs in the fire box on real cold nights.

Running a small rig it isn't too big of a deal to clean up and start over each week. I think you will make better syrup.

PS. When you pour your saved sweet back in to start you can filter out the crud and throw out what settles to the bottom.

[Too Tall]

Great info guys. Thanks!

[Sugarmaker]

To Tall,
You have exactly the right idea. Don't scorch the new pan. How do you do that? Just as simple as you said. Always keep liquid in the pans while you have any fire underneath Period! Do not drain the pans until cool, You dont really have to drain them at all. All the sweet can just set there till your next boil. That way you are starting with much higher concentrated sap and will make syrup quicker. A picture of your set up will help.
Your doing good. Have fun with this new rig. Almost go time!
Regards,
Chris