Anybody not center their evaporator in the shack

[sluggish]

I realize that most, if not all, people center the evaporator along the ridge of the shack, for the simple reason that the cupola needs to be there to draw out the steam. Is there anyone who has put the unit closer to one side? I will be building a small shack this summer(9X12 is the max I'm allowed) and it would be nice to have some room on at least one side in there, for benches, sink and what not. With the evaporator right in the middle of the floor it will only give me a couple feet on either side, which severely limits room for anything else in there. I thought about turning the roof so that it runs the other way but wonder if it may look funny. Perhaps I'll draw it up to get an idea.

Before somebody says simply go bigger, I'd love to but it is absolutely not an option for me.

So has anybody not centered their evaporator and how does it look/work? By the way, a steam hood is really not in the budget for me.

[Big_Eddy]

My evaporator is at 90 degrees to my cupola and off center. Steam still goes out.

[GeneralStark]

My rig is off center though I am using hoods and stacks with no cupola. There is no reason to not place it off center.

[PeddlerLakeSapper]

We have ours running perpendicular to the ridge.

132541325513256

[sluggish]

Good to know. Thanks.

Anybody use a fan up near the cupola to help suck the steam outside?

[PeddlerLakeSapper]

Just build a one of like this only on one side of the ridge.

13260

[CTsap]

13262

I have mine off center and I pushed the cupola as far back as I could to give me more room for other things.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Our old sugar house had the evaporator off to one side for exactly the reason you describe, to make room to do the other stuff. In my new sugarhouse, the evaporator is off center and perpendicular to the ridge/cupalo. Works great

[Sunday Rock Maple]

Our evaporator is off center and we built the cupola off center as well. The side closer to the peak has a shorter door than the side closer to the eaves. It works and looks fine and as you said it gives us more room to filter and can on the one side.

[wnybassman]

Mine is off center by about a foot and a half. I didn't want the smoke stack going through the peak, plus I wanted a little more walking room down the one side of the evaporator.

[sluggish]

The stack going through the center of the roof was another thought I had. Off center it will be then. Every bit of extra room to move will help.

[wnybassman]

The stack going through the center of the roof was another thought I had. Off center it will be then. Every bit of extra room to move will help.

Going through the roof off centered made it way easy to finish off. I was just able to tuck the roof jack flashing up under the steel ridge trim and I was done.

And seeing I have a door at each end of my shack, I wanted a nice clear path to walk from one end to the other. I have wood piles outside at both ends.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/wnybassman/2014Shack/stackoutroof_zps1a6ef5d7.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/wnybassman/2014Shack/guy1_zpsfwee82dp.jpg

[sluggish]

What size is your shack wynbassman?

Edit: Never mind, I found your build thread.

[PA TAPPER]

My Evaporator is about 18 inches off center and fit my 14x20 building perfect. Narrower side leaves enough room to pass with arm full of wood and tend float box. Wider side is perfect for visitors and Bench seating area.

[Polish Wizard]

My neighbor decided his former shack was too small and upgraded to a 12x16 structure with metal sides and roof for 2016.
His cupola is centered on the roof, but the evaporator is offset.
He is thinking of installing a hood system when funds become available.
Until then, you need to be cautious where you stand or sit to avoid drips off the ceiling.
He commented on avoiding the center ridge board when installing the flue.

[Lano75]

Guys,

I actually ended up installing my 2 X 6 parallel to the back wall in my 16 X 21 shack. It is working really well and it gives me a lot of floor space up front for visitors and bottling. If you want pictures I can take some.

Lano

[Cedar Eater]

Pics are always welcome.

[CharlieR]

I have a 2x6 in an 10x12 shed, I put it off center to give me more room plus i found more availability and lower costs for roof jacks that didn't go through the center of the roof. I also built a steam hood and vented that through the roof as well. There is not much extra room but I have 2' from the wall to the evaporator, and I can stack enough wood inside for a couple of boils and still be able to draw off on either side.

I can get a couple of photos if that helps?

[regor0]

13262

I have mine off center and I pushed the cupola as far back as I could to give me more room for other things.
Nice chair, did you build it?

[Tapline]

How did you get the stove pipe through the metal roof with out it leaking?
What did you use for a collar?

[Brookmaple]

(Dimensions of our shack are 8 x 12').

To accommodate a stack exiting through the roof slope rather than the peak, we off-set our evaporator by about 1.5 feet from centre. Despite a centred cupola (doors either side), steam exits the shack quickly. This also gave us some additional space along one side of the evaporator.

[Bucket Head]

We did the same as Brookmaple. And it allowed for a straight shot along side the evaporator and out the back door for bringing in firewood.