Success test boil on barrel evaporator -- thanks for all the tips!

[jrm]

This past Sunday I had a successful test boil of the barrel evaporator I made. Thanks to all the tips and positive vibes I was given I jumped the hurdle of adding my stack -- I used garage safety cable tied off to cinder blocks and a 5 gal bucket filled with salt/sand. (I liked the tips regarding piping for tepee style support, but my local source was out of piping. I used woodstove gasket around my pans, which helped with some ash issues at my corners, propped my door open for additional draft. My front full-size pan was going at about 210 and my rear half-size pan at just under 200. I added more firebrick to provide a bit more insulation at the front sides and to centralize the flame, and below my rear pan to increase the "slant" going to my stack.

Looking forward to 1st real boil this Sunday.

A question: after my test boil I noticed a variety of brown spots in the bottom of my stainless steel pans -- pic below. They look suspiciously like rust marks. Do I need to worry about these? Also, do I need to clean my pans before I evaporate?

Thanks,
Janet
2014: 1st timer. 3 taps; milk jug collection. 15 gal sap to date

928992909291

[stoneslabs]

nice set-up!
in the 2nd pic, it looks like the stack is leaning over the pans, could residue from the stack be settling in your pan, hence the spots?

[jrm]

nice set-up!
in the 2nd pic, it looks like the stack is leaning over the pans, could residue from the stack be settling in your pan, hence the spots?

The stack does have a slight forward lean. Good call that maybe some debris made it to the pans -- this was just a tap water boil. We (my 5th grader and I) got the stack up a few days before, and he placed those cinder blocks for me. They were frozen solid the day of the test boil so I couldn't move them. Before I evaporate this weekend, I will realign my guy wires to resolve that issue and see if it helps. The stack has a double-layer of aluminum screening to help catch embers/ash.

[theguywiththename]

that would be traces of steel. Ideally you would seal the pan

[waterfowlah]

Looks great.

[birdmancf]

Hey Janet,
Nice build. I agree with stoneslabs that it is likely from you stove pipe. I would ditch the screens and anything that slows the smoke coming out the stack. I put a pretty little cap on mine one year and all it did was deflect debris downward. It's rusting somewhere under the garage now. I just put a bucket on the cooled stack top between boils to keep rain out of the pipe. Whatever it is will filter out when you are ready to bottle, just keep in mind that more debris can equal slower filtering.
To get your temps up you'll want to give the fire more air. Some opening under your door to let/blow air in. I heard someone once say to give as big an area for natural draft on the intake side as you have on the exhaust side(ie a 6" stack A=πrr, 3.14*3*3=28.25" sq"). That why it burns better with the door open, but doing so also let's cooling air in near the base of the front pan. (If your fire is hot this may be of little consequence.)
The next thing you may find helpful is some sort of wind block around the entire work area. A cool breeze can really steal away a boil. Use whatever you have and be sure to secure any tarps so they can't come in contact with the hot stove.
Looks like the weather is finally the king favorable hope you continue to have fun and take pride in the work you've done.
Chris

[jrm]

Hey Janet,
Nice build. I agree with stoneslabs that it is likely from you stove pipe. I would ditch the screens and anything that slows the smoke coming out the stack. I put a pretty little cap on mine one year and all it did was deflect debris downward. It's rusting somewhere under the garage now. I just put a bucket on the cooled stack top between boils to keep rain out of the pipe. Whatever it is will filter out when you are ready to bottle, just keep in mind that more debris can equal slower filtering.
To get your temps up you'll want to give the fire more air. Some opening under your door to let/blow air in. I heard someone once say to give as big an area for natural draft on the intake side as you have on the exhaust side(ie a 6" stack A=πrr, 3.14*3*3=28.25" sq"). That why it burns better with the door open, but doing so also let's cooling air in near the base of the front pan. (If your fire is hot this may be of little consequence.)
The next thing you may find helpful is some sort of wind block around the entire work area. A cool breeze can really steal away a boil. Use whatever you have and be sure to secure any tarps so they can't come in contact with the hot stove.
Looks like the weather is finally the king favorable hope you continue to have fun and take pride in the work you've done.
Chris

Chris,

I have successfully sugared! You comments about the screen etc., hit on the head some of my experiences. I thought, and rejected, removing the screen from the hot stack -- while evaporating -- using a ladder yesterday. It will be gone before the next boil.

New thread to start, with a few other questions.

Janet

[jrm]

Hey Janet,
...
The next thing you may find helpful is some sort of wind block around the entire work area. A cool breeze can really steal away a boil. Use whatever you have and be sure to secure any tarps so they can't come in contact with the hot stove.
Looks like the weather is finally the king favorable hope you continue to have fun and take pride in the work you've done.
Chris

I started out my day with no wind. Definitely picked up and I did see a difference in the boil. It made me understand one of the reasons folks big a sugar shack. Because of where I set it up, I don't have trees to tie off to, I'll see if the ground if a little less frozen to tap in some stacks. Or, see what else I can finagle for that wind break.