finishing evaporator

[Coffeerv]

OK, it takes aprox. 12 gallons worth of syrup to get my evap primed from the first gather. What is the best way to finish this syrup off. Obviously I can't use the evap without sap in.

[psparr]

Leave it in there till the next boil. If that won't be for a while, a big pot on the wife's stove.

[Sugarmaker]

OK, it takes aprox. 12 gallons worth of syrup to get my evap primed from the first gather. What is the best way to finish this syrup off. Obviously I can't use the evap without sap in.

Gather some more sap or move to a smaller container?
Regards,
Chris

[dunst83]

I finish on a propane fish fryer.

[Tater]

If you have separate pans, you could empty the back one and just boil on the front one, using plain water in the rear pan. You could possibly use a propane burner under the syrup pan and try to deflect heat from going to the rear pan. Alternatively, you could remove the rear pan and replace it with sheet metal.

If you go with using plain water in the rear pan, you could possibly put a lid over it to keep the water from boiling away so quickly (never heard of this being done, but it seems to me like it might work).

[Coffeerv]

That is what of as well. It sounds like a good idea. I thought I might take the drain off from the flue pan and gradually add it to the finish pan manually like the old days. I just want to try and get out all that syrup that sweetened the evaporator at the beginning of the season with the first boil. I calculate between 11 and 12 gallons worth of sugar in my evaporator after the last drop of sap has been boiled away. My season is over. 90 gallons on 350 taps, 10 boils-1 golden-8 amber-1 dark, 11 collects, 5100 gallons of sap, Setting and tracking my auto draw with the barometer makes perfect brix.