homemade preheater styles

[sluggish]

I know some of you have the fancy proper pre heater and I know some of you have some ingenious backyard creations. I've seen the copper pipe wrapped around the stove pipe and read the concerns that it may cause. Also have seen some of the others. One I have not seen is this. A stainless "trough" that wraps around the stove pipe. Think along the lines of that jelly mold pan your mom use to have or like a giant doughnut with the hole in the middle, where the pipe runs through. It would have to be done in two semi circles that connect together so it could be removed for easy cleaning but that part would be simple enough. It could be as tall as you want, as long as you can feed sap into the top and if it were only maybe 3-4 inches wide, it would still hold lots of sap. By my calculations, a 7" pipe, with a 4' ring around it, 24" tall would give you a volume in the pre heater of about 14 gallons. I don't know what kind of volumes regular pre heaters hold but that is plenty for my small operation. You could have a valve on the bottom of each side to draw it into your pan, and a temperature probe in the preheater to tell you when to draw it off. A simple stand at the back of the evaporator to support the weight of the pre heater and a few clamps to keep it close/tight to the stove pipe and for easy removal.

Now am I completely out of my mind(quite possible) or has someone already done this and it didn't work? If it does exist and does work, does it get hot enough near the top to cause scorching of the sap?

If someone has done this and it is pointless and useless, let me know. Otherwise, I am getting my friend to make one for me and will share the results of his/my efforts.

[TerryEspo]

I would like to see the finished product, sounds very interesting. Hope your friend makes it so I can see it.

I use the copper coil (sometimes), around the pipe but think there is a better system. I don't like when no sap is running through the coil and it gets super hot, next time you allow sap into the coil it is burnt, hisses and acts crazy for 20 seconds. Wish the coil was easily removeable. Someone here designed a copper coil with springs and was removeable but I never made one.

I built a base at my stack to place a preheater but don't have the perfect set up yet. A copper pot with a spigot would be just perfect.
Here is my "stack deck", good place for keeping coffee warm also.
13265
Maybe a coil of copper that sits on my deck like a cobra ??

Maybe what your friend is making would be good for me also.

[sluggish]

Would definitely work for the way your stove is setup. Mine exhausts out the back, not the top, so I will need a stand. He just got back to me and says he is a bit tied up so it is unlikely he will have time to do it for this season, but I will plan for it next season, unless he gets an opening at work. I will definitely be keeping everyone posted on how it goes. Or maybe this would be a good reason for me to get a tig welder and start learning. :D

[sluggish]

I notice you mentioned copper. Is it cheaper to go with copper than stainless, since it is a prototype, I'd like to do it as inexpensive as possible.

[maple flats]

Copper is far easier to work with and more readily available. Used to be SS was far more costly, now I'm not so sure. I think the copper prices have climbed faster than SS prices. I'm not sure where they compare now.

[Sako]

If you get a chance do a search "mrgriz" 2saps good bad ugly should come up. Mrgriz is my neighbor who originally started post. I posted some pictures and info about the build. Created username later for self.

Anyhow, you will find info on my first go around with your tank idea around the stack. Worked well. Had a drain on the tank for emptying after run of cooking. Fill before starting and only empty after stove was cooloing down. Could lift stack if needed to get tank out. Would usually just drain tank, flush with water, and dry with towel right in place. Tank had a 1/4 pipe approx 2in from top theat would feed main cooking pan. This was fed by another tank continuously draining into the preheater.

Hope this helps and good luck.