Last boil seeking help pan cleanout

[jerzeemaple]

How much syrup is left in flue pan, 2x4 flue pan, 2x2 syrup pan on my 2x6? Whats the best way to finish it all? Raised flue? Thanks

[jerzeemaple]

My ratios been 50:1. I run my flue pan 1 1/2" above flues and syrup pan 1/2" deep typically, keeping on top of it of course.

[js4fn]

volume = length * width * height
divide by 231

[rayi]

You want some sweet in it. Then fill to above the boil line. Then let sit for two or three weeks. Looks bad smells worse but after a quick hose down nice shine. Don't do this if you have off season tours or real close neighbors

[BnSmaple]

There are two methods that I have used the first just fill your feed tank with water and boil away the water will push it through. The way I prefer and highest yield is to drain the flue pan into a small tank fill the pan with water then feed the syrup pan manually with a bucket.

[PerryW]

boil everything down carefully as low as you dare to go. Go slow and keep some water handy in case if you see exposed metal of the flue pan.

Next, let everything cool down and drain the back pan into clean buckets and add water to the back pan.

Then fire it up and boil the front pan, gradually dippering the sap from the buckets in. Keep the fire up front and the damper closed up to keep the heat on the front pan. Stop firing when you are a little shy of syrup and let tings cool down. You may need to finish on the kitchen stove to reach standard density.

[SeanD]

boil everything down carefully as low as you dare to go. Go slow and keep some water handy in case if you see exposed metal of the flue pan.

Next, let everything cool down and drain the back pan into clean buckets and add water to the back pan.

Then fire it up and boil the front pan, gradually dippering the sap from the buckets in. Keep the fire up front and the damper closed up to keep the heat on the front pan. Stop firing when you are a little shy of syrup and let tings cool down. You may need to finish on the kitchen stove to reach standard density.

That's the method I've used in the past, but it was quick work when I had flat pans. The back pan didn't hold much sweet and the front pan was 2x3.

Now I have the 4' flue pan and 2' syrup pan like the OP. So, I have a lot more sweet and a lot less surface area to boil on. Roughly how much time does this take you?

I think my flue pan holds about 20-24 gallons. (It's hard to say because I was draining and rinsing it at the same time when I had to clean it.) If I try to cut through that at 4 gph, that's a pretty long boil. I know I'll have my own answer soon enough, but it would be good to have a rough idea of how much time to plan on.

Maybe I'll put the buckets of sweet in the freezer to RO them down.

Thanks,
Sean

[mike z]

I also add 6 gal. of vinegar to the flu pan at the end of the boil while the water is still hot. Then let the pan sit for a few days before cleaning it.

[n8hutch]

I would suspect your sweet in the flue pan is probably around 8% maybe 10%, so 24 gallons should boil off in 3 to 5 hrs if done properly, keeping the front pan boiling hard.
P.S. your going to get 5+ gallons of syrup so its really not that long of a boil when its all said & done