Urban Sugarmaker
02-23-2016, 10:23 PM
For some reason I decided to go for it and build an AOF for my Mason after the season started. Materials weren't much money and I got a bargain with the guy that welded it up for me. It was on my wishlist anyway. I tested it tonight and it seems to work. I loaded up the firebox and made sure there was plenty of black smoke coming out of the stack, and then I turned on the AOF. Voila! No more smoke and a roaring hot fire.
It didn't look to me like the boil was any better than before, but the amount of steam coming off the pan was noticeably and consistently more intense for a given stack temp than I have seen before. This was a test boil and was too short to really get it going but I couldn't wait.
Unfortunately, I'm still getting some sparks. But it looks like I can get good performance with 1000 degree stack temps instead of 1200. I think even with AOF on this 4' flat pan setup, a lot of heat is wasted. Normally I think the nozzles would be just a little lower and the manifold would be wider, but I didn't have time to re-brick and pour new refractory. I could always modify for 2017 but I feel a newer, bigger evaporator coming in the near future.
I will have to update on this when I get my next batch of sap.
Now, the question is how do I know when the AUF and AOF air mix is "correct"? I am using a Harbor Freight router speed control for the AUF squirrel cage blower and a 3" ball valve for the AOF. The AOF is powered with a 1/2 HP bounce house blower from Koala that I got on Amazon.
It didn't look to me like the boil was any better than before, but the amount of steam coming off the pan was noticeably and consistently more intense for a given stack temp than I have seen before. This was a test boil and was too short to really get it going but I couldn't wait.
Unfortunately, I'm still getting some sparks. But it looks like I can get good performance with 1000 degree stack temps instead of 1200. I think even with AOF on this 4' flat pan setup, a lot of heat is wasted. Normally I think the nozzles would be just a little lower and the manifold would be wider, but I didn't have time to re-brick and pour new refractory. I could always modify for 2017 but I feel a newer, bigger evaporator coming in the near future.
I will have to update on this when I get my next batch of sap.
Now, the question is how do I know when the AUF and AOF air mix is "correct"? I am using a Harbor Freight router speed control for the AUF squirrel cage blower and a 3" ball valve for the AOF. The AOF is powered with a 1/2 HP bounce house blower from Koala that I got on Amazon.