Start up help

[firetech]

:?: Ok this is my second post on Maple Trader,you guys are great for discusing so many details of boiling sap. I hope to join your ranks this spring. We've got a winter now so everything with the trees should be ok. I plan on 50 taps on buckets plastic spiles,hosed down to a bucket. 275 gal gathering tank in the back of my pickup. 4 55 gal drums for backup storage. Now the problem my son-in-law has offered me his 4x8 flat batch pan it is steel and he has used for many years. ok but I'm boiling by myself and I'm concernd about handleing the large pan,sulotion one install rails thru the concrete block arch and pull it off to the side so I can get the pan off the heat and drain No side drain installed either. Or spend 500 plus for a continuos flow style pan and put togther a smaller concrete arch and go for a better syrup. As I have seen on this board nobody ever donwsizes. so that would mean a comecially made unit next year and a 100 more taps. Any ideas comments very open at this but I ned to get off the pot to get going in a direction soon.

[tapper]

firetech,
You could invest in a syrup pan this year and next year add a flue pan and make your arch larger then. My 1st year was with an amish made borrowed 2x3 syrup pan. I had around 40 taps and made 8 gallons.

[Bucket Head]

Hi Firetech,
Years ago, when we were getting started, my father and I had 55 taps plumbed into five gallon pails at the base of each tree. We collected with milk cans in the trunk of his car. Yes, the neighbors did stare a lot. We collect now with a tank in my pick-up. Sounds like you've got a good start already with your operation. I think it would be a good idea to consider a small factory built evaporator. New or used. There are a lot of used ones offered on this site. A well designed, and well built homemade one would also be better that the large, flat bottom pan you have. Flat bottom pans are not very efficient. I think you would be pleased with the performance of an evaporator that has flues. Your right, everybody has dreams of expanding their operation. So it would be wise to outfit yourself with an evaporator that would be easier to operate, and would allow for more taps in the future. Good luck!

Steve

[Sugarmaker]

Firetech,
I agree sounds like you are off to a goo start. Don't panic. I would suggest that what ever you do think safety first. Moving a pan of hot syrup sounds easier that it is! Have you considered taking the pan to a local fab shop and having them put in a draw off port? That way you could draw off the major portion of the syrup and then move the pan when there is a lot less syrup in it.
I had threaded ports added in the sides of my syrup pan to insert thermometer probes.
The second evaporator that I made syrup on had the pans hinged on one side so the syrup could be quickly forced through a open port. A rope and a pulley helped lift the pan slowly to avoid hot syrup over flow.

Chris

[maplehound]

Firetech,
I stated off making in cast iron kettles. My sugestion to you is don't finish the syrup on your flat pan. just boil till all your sap fits into the pan and is below a given level and then let the fire go out and cool off. Then take the syrup inside to finish boiling it.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I made syrup in flat bottom and sectioned stainless flat pans for many years. A couple of years ago I sold the last one I had to JohM in Indiana. It is 3x7 and he gets 20gph or more boil off rate. It works great and I paid $ 200 to have it fabricated including the price of the stainless. It has a 3/4" threaded female stainless sleave on one end and I think he handles it all by himself. At the end of the night, just pull all the fire out from under it or slide it off onto a premade station about the same heighth as the arch next to the arch. If you pull the fire, just leave the arch door or sheeting down and all the cool air will nearly kill all the heat. His pan is flat only and has no sections and it works very well. :)

[VA maple guy]

firetech, I have a 2x3 flat pan on one of my two evaporators. I lift it off
the evaporator myself to drain it. It's plenty enough for one man to handle. I would definetly not want to try to lift a 4x8. You may run into
another problem with your 4x8 and only 50 taps, you may not be able to supply it with enough sap to make syrp befor the level in the pan
gets to low. you may need a smaller pan to finish the syrup.

[Pete33Vt]

I would check out the cost of putting in a draw off valve, and adding a few partions. As long as the holes in your partions are oppiste from each other like a regular syrup pan, you can controll your flow with gates that slide up and down. As was stated with 50 taps you need to make sure you have enough sap to boil with. If the cost of your repairs adds up close to 500 then go for the already made pan. Anyone that does metal fab should be able to give you a good estimate.