Covering your evaporator

[poulin]

Hi all,

I am a first year producer, 100 taps, 2x6 evaporator.

I am wondering if people covers their evaporator at night after boiling because i am concerned with rodents. For those of you who do, what do you use ?

Thanks a lot

[syrup2make]

Never had problems with rodents, but we covered ours with a sheet of plywood and a big brick on top to keep the wind from blowing it off.

[PerryW]

I never cover mine unless it is going to sit Idle a week or more. I've also never has a problem w/ mice and you can throw a cat between the boards in my sugarhouse

[maple flats]

I have a tight hood on my flue pan and I made a SS cover that is put on the syrup pan. Also each side box has it's own SS cover. I also did that on my 2x6 finisher and my canner. I don't want to take chances.

[Mr Sugar Maple]

I use plexiglass on my flu pan and syrup pan, just cut to size.

[KevinS]

I cover mine when it will sit for several days. I just use a sheet of plastic. so I put it on the day after boiling if it looks like it will be a day or two more before I cook again. the homemade preheater on the flue pan makes it nearly impossible to use a hard cover and still close it up well. I could take that off easy..but then it would not be covered also. this way it is

[poulin]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I clearly prefer not to take any chance so all your ideas are much appreciated especially as now its too late for having one built in SS so i need alternative ideas for now.

[Loch Muller]

I built one out of aluminum flashing and pop rivets for this year. Its a little flimsy, but it works for now.

[mantispid]

I use those handled stainless steel covers that go with any particular model of steam table pan. I just put them on the pans and done. The fit isn't always perfect due to heat warpage of the pans, but it isn't too bad.

[johnallin]

Be careful, condensation coming off your pans will be in contact with your cover and dripping back into your syrup.
I would be leary of anything other than stainless.

[poulin]

Thanks all for your input,

Finally i'll go with SS as my evaporator vendor accepted to build me one urgently.

Good season all

[RUSTYBUCKET]

Giving some thought to having a one piece stainless steel cover made for my 2x6 dropflue. For those using a stainless, what gauge would you recommend (thinking about the weight)?

Thanks

Rusty

[maple flats]

I had my biggest pan cover made using 24 ga SS, the float boxes vary in gauge, I just stopped at my local tin shop and picked out pieces from their cut table that were big enough to work, as such they likely vary from 24 ga to 28 ga. As stated in a post above from years ago, I have a cover for everything from my front pan, (the flue pan has a tight hood) to each float box, my 2x6 finisher, my bottler and even the catch pan under my filter press plates, my draw off tank and my mixing tank off the finisher for mixing DE. Every one is in place when not being actively used.

[RUSTYBUCKET]

Thanks Dave !

[wlatrout]

I have my operation in my pole barn. Birds can come and go. I cover everything with SS covers.

[Father & Son]

John good point. I had stainless covers for my syrup pan and float boxes made by Smoky Lake when they built my front pan.

[Woody77]

I made my covers with a piece of sheet aluminum leftover from the new body on my sons racecar. Its just a cover i figured why waste money on stainless. its better than the plywood my buddy uses. Lol.