Cupola or Steam Hood

[CharlieR]

Hi,

I have a 2x6 Mason evaporator arriving soon and plan on putting it in my 10' x 12' shed. I'm trying to figure an effective and economic way to remove the steam.

Rather that build a 2x6 cupola to fit the evaporator would I be better off building a similar sized steam hood and venting it though the roof? Is that even a realistic idea!?

I like the idea of the traditional feel of seeing the sap boil and steam come out of the shack, but like the increased boil rates of the steam hood as well!

Just trying to get a feel for what is practical now I'm moving inside for the first time!

Thanks,
Charlie

[BreezyHill]

Charlie, you could do both. Vent the steam hood to a small sized cupola. This gives the aesthetics of a sugar house and the efficiency of a hood.

I am always shocked by how much the opening of my hoods cover makes on the boil. From rolling front to back to minimal front roll in two seconds or less.

Don't forget about the safety aspect of a hood containing the rolling splashes of sap. There is no burn worse than one during sap season that you irritate every time you fuel the evaporator, check the pans or draw off syrup...blister/burn pads are awesome bandages for producers.

Ben

[maple flats]

Vent a steam hood into the cupola. I made mine that way, it has a 15" stack off the flue pan and another 15" stack off the syrup pan hood. Both hoods are attached at the top, with the syrup pan portion at about 14" up above the top of the pans. Then I suspended 2 13" stacks from in the cupola and those hang down into the lower stacks. I use a winch to raise the hood assembly and the hood stacks simply raise up over the suspended stacks. If you try a hood, regardless of weather you try the way mine are or not, be sure to make an inverted funnel under the stack(s) to catch condensation and channel it to a gutter around the hood and then out to a bucket for warm water, or just to prevent having to boil that part again and again.

[BRL]

When you guys run your steam hood vent pipe up to your cupolas do you just have the pipe open ended in the cupola?

[madmapler]

When you guys run your steam hood vent pipe up to your cupolas do you just have the pipe open ended in the cupola?
That's how I do it.

[212Maple]

That is how I did it last year, however on some of the very windy, humid days the wind blew the steam back down into the shed which made it hard to see.

[longlivenintendo]

Vent a steam hood into the cupola. I made mine that way, it has a 15" stack off the flue pan and another 15" stack off the syrup pan hood. Both hoods are attached at the top, with the syrup pan portion at about 14" up above the top of the pans. Then I suspended 2 13" stacks from in the cupola and those hang down into the lower stacks. I use a winch to raise the hood assembly and the hood stacks simply raise up over the suspended stacks. If you try a hood, regardless of weather you try the way mine are or not, be sure to make an inverted funnel under the stack(s) to catch condensation and channel it to a gutter around the hood and then out to a bucket for warm water, or just to prevent having to boil that part again and again.

do you have a picture to show this? also did you make this yourself welding?