2x3 Mason help

[Mini_Maple_Men]

Hi all, I have a 2x3 Mason that was evap at a rate of 4 gallons an hour, we added auf and rose to 11 gallons an hour and promptly ruined the black steel 6" 90 on our stack. So out I went and got a 6" stainless 90 and fired her up again, our blower is set on the lowest setting and I have blocked all air going into it but a 1" wide gap on the intake. We are now steady at 8.5 gph evap. My big concern is that my elbow and first foot or so of pipe get cherry hot. Any thought on how to keep the heat under the pans and my evap rate up at the same time? Thanks Lee1350713509

[Jolly Acres Farm]

I have a Mason 2x4 with a AUF blower. I did some experimenting and found that if I stack firebrick to between 3/4 and 1 inch of the bottom of my pan my boil rate increased a lot. This was without any other changes. I started at 5 1/2 inches and worked my way closer to the pan. I also have about 14 feet of vertical stack to clear my shack.

[Mini_Maple_Men]

I have around 15' of stack on my arch

[jamesd14]

I have a mason 2x3 I bought for this season with the installed blower, I stacked my firebrick about 5 inches from the pan and I boil at about 11 to 12 an hour, I run my blower at just under full speed. If I go full speed my 90 gets cherry red. I do love this evap for a small operation like mine.

[jamesd14]

I will try stacking closers to pan, if I can get higher boil rate I would love it.

[Andrew Franklin]

I just got a Mason 2x4 xl as things started up this season, so I put the pan on a cinderblock arch with a crappy stack (hvac ductwork I had from an old project) since I didn't have time to brick the arch. I want to do it right for next season - where are you all getting your stacks and what material are they (stainless, galvanized) that will hold up to the heat? Thanks!

[Mini_Maple_Men]

NO GALVINIZED! The fumes are toxic. I got stainless single wall from north line express in 6" for the best price I could find and fast shipping. With out the blower I was using homedepot black stove pipe. Lee

[Ryan August]

despite my info at the bottom I have a 2x4 mason with blower. u stated no galvinized stack, it is toxic. Why care (i know environmental) but its not like as if it is back flowing to the syrup pan, fumes go up and out??

[Mini_Maple_Men]

Make you sick breathing the fumes in sugar house.

[highlandcattle]

Yeah,we learned real quick! Have the Mason 2x4 xl with blower. Turned the blower on,wall got so hot couldn't touch and pipe got real red. Very scary. Luckily we have an Amish metal worker nearby,so more stainless pipe. He did our house wood stove too. Won't need to replace those anymore. Once the blower is on ,this thing goes crazy!

[TrentonMaple]

try getting a router speed control unit from Harbor Freight. That will allow you to fine tune the speed of the fan. A cherry red stack means huge amoutn of heat wasted going up the stack. It's tough on such a short evaporator to have such an intense fire without making the stack into a blowtorch.

http://www.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html