Survey: Managing sap in flue pan during freeze

[CampHamp]

What do you do with sap in your back pan when it gets really cold and you aren't boiling soon?

[mellondome]

Drain it out. Or risk splitting your flues

[KevinS]

it is going to get cold, but not bitter cold. SO I did not drain this time. I did put a milk house heater in the arch with it set fairly low.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I leave it and don't worry too much. It is -1 right now. Last evening I went out and burned a cardboard box in the arch.

[maple flats]

I leave it for a while. Later today I will likely go down and run a 20-30 minute fire, just to warm the bricks some and melt the slush in the pans. That seems to have worked in the past OK. If the slush has frozen completely on the top, I'll warm it and drain the pans. Only had to do that 1 time years ago. I could also place a couple of lights in the firebox if needed.

[Chicopee Sap Shack]

On nights that are going to be below 20 I put a 100 watt light bulb in the arch between the flue pan and syrup and on nights below 15 ish I use a 250 watt heat lamp bulb last night was 6 and the pans were only slushy or ice free


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[markct]

Drain it out. Or risk splitting your flues

Have always heard this warning yet never seen it happen or a pan that was split from it. Maybe im lucky but my soldered flue pan has never split and i never drained it out during season except after a water test boil. Maybe im just lucky

[cpmaple]

-6 here last night and pans still liquid I put a small electric heater in the firebox and close the stack cover. Also I hang a drop light next to the float box for the flue pan never had a problem been doing this for 6 years now

[SWEETER CREATIONS]

I don't like the cold, I built the sugarhouse onto the garage and go out there in my slippers it was 58 last night after everyone had gone home. I just turn up the furnace and go out there ( my man cave ) in my slippers.

[maple flats]

I went to check the pans after work tonight. Still no slush even in the cold sap float box. I didn't even start a short fire, however I did put a 150 watt light in the firebox and the flip top cap is closed. It should be fine.

[bees1st]

I too run a small heater in the fire box during extended cold . I like to play it safe. Hate to ruin a pan in the middle of the season .

[BnSmaple]

I make small fires but as long as the pans are sweet it has to get below 0 before I worry about it

[WI Sugarpop]

I put a heat lamp in the firebox. That works grate.:lol:

[Brian]

I too put in a milk house heater under the front pan

[village idiot]

I just let it freeze. It is a solid chunk of ice right now, and is has been for several days. When I've gotten sap this year (3 times so far!) I just start with a small fire until the flue pan thaws, and I keep some liquid sap on hand to pour into the syrup pan if it gets low. Once the back pan has melted and is boiling I start to let her rip. I've heard the warning about splitting the flues, but I don't see how it could happen. If the ice expands then it will push up before it pushes through solid stainless steel. It's not like a pipe that has no room for expansion.

[Grand Square Acres]

I place a small electric heater in the fire box set on low. Haven't had any trouble.

[umpwood1]

When in doubt....I drain er out !

[maplesyrupstove]

I leave the plugs out and let the sweets go though the evaporator. Then it all good, don't take long when I start up cause it only a small evaporator.

[Lazarus]

I have the opposite problem. This year we built a new sugarhouse complete with hot and cold water and a bathroom, also a kitchen. Plumbing means it needs to stay above freezing. That means spoilage in the boiler. So on nights without sap I still have to fire it up to kill off the bacteria. I had every opportunity to run all the plumbing in the kitchen, just never occurred to me I needed a cold room and a warm room. I may move the plumbing later.

When I was running a wood fired rig outside, I drained it in the cold. I have too many stainless dog bowls that resemble half a basketball to teach me that in a very fast freeze, ice forms at the top sometimes, giving it nowhere to go but down.