How to keep ash out of pan?

[MunsterMapler]

Hey guys the title pretty much explains it. What are people that boil outdoors doing to keep the soot and ash that comes out the stack from blowing in the pan? I have about 8 foot of stack above the pan with a Chinese hat on top. Would taking that hat off help?

[Bucket Head]

Yes, remove the hat. I had one on my arch for one season and went back to a cover I put on after the stack had cooled. All the hat did was distribute a fine layer of ash on everything around the arch and everything slightly down wind of it. Was'nt too happy the day the sap hauler was downwind of it- sap tanks are for sap, not ashes...

Steve

[MunsterMapler]

Yeah I think I'll try that when I boil again. I know it's probably not a huge deal because it's going to get filtered out, but I figure the cleaner you keep it along the way the less time it will take to filter when drawing off.

[Tom59]

Take the hat off and put a 45 or 90 degree elbow on directed away from the pans.

[maple flats]

When I boiled outside, I tilted the stack about 35-40 degrees back, away from the pans and braced it there, no cover. Then I made a simple hood that covered the pan if the breeze brought the ash to the pan. that hood just sat on top and had a 6" vent elbow that I could turn as needed.