Oversized pan on a smaller arch question ??

[TerryEspo]

With lots of time on hand and over a month till my sap runs I have a thought.

My good arch 2x4 is near my garage at the house, my Maples and sap are 400ft-900ft away from garage area. In the back I have a rude old inefficient type of steel sided pit that has a 2 x 3 firebox, I use that to burn in the summer for bugs and campfires.

I am thinking to bring my 2x4 SS flat pan to the back to reduce the amount of sap I need to bring up to the garage. The set-up would be a 2x4 pan sitting on a 2x3 firebox.

I feel the 2x4 pan would rest o.k. on the 2x3 firebox without falling off or am I wrong? Once full of sap things could be different.

On days that sap is slow, I could just bring it all to the garage area but on good run days I get frustrated boiling at the garage and having to go to the back to collect sap, its like being in two places at once. I hope with running a mainline this year I am overwhelmed with sap, lol.
Plus I like being in the back area sometimes, its very peaceful.

Any harm with my 2x4 hanging over a foot ?

Thanks.

Terry

[Schiefe4]

You want to maintain a consistent heat across the bottom of your pan. You should also assume your evaporation rate will drop ~2 gph or about 25%.

[Ausable]

Sure - You could do that. Center Your pan on Your firebox and You will only be hanging over 6 inches on two sides. Remember - It is Your operation - If that is what You feel like doing - Go for it. Just think it all through before You do it. ----Mike----

[TerryEspo]

I guess my concern is that I am not in jeopardy of warping the pan having a hot area and a colder area. I cannot split the difference with 6" each front and rear, as the unit has a ledge where the stack comes out front, 1ft will be hanging out the back where a normal arch door would be, no door on this thing out back, a steel plate at best for a door.

I just don't want to harm my pan playing around.

Terry

[Ausable]

If the 2x4 SS Pan is used in Your normal boiling - I wouldn't. This is where an old beater batch pan would come in handy - reduce the sap down some as already stated and moved to finish. That way - You are not moving pans around and beating up Your good pan.