Homemade pan for 55 gallon drum evap

[eblackw3]

I'm new to here just finished my 2nd year and I'm ate up with the maple syrup adiction. So I like the 55 gallon drum and planning on doin it again next year but I plan to build a new pan. So I have access to a break press and thought about doin a corrugated like bottom approx. 20" by 30". With no baffles what would be the best to build it so I could draw off near finished syrup instead waiting until I ran out of sap? Or should I just stick with flat pan and batch boil? I plan on having around 50 taps next year and I only boil on the weekends.

[Tater]

IMO a 20" x 30" pan will need all the help it can get with 50 taps. We were running 35 taps and added 7 more late taps and were plenty busy with our 2'x4' flat pan. I'm a bit of a tinkerer myself, so I'd definitely consider "corrugating" the bottom of the pan.

I'd also highly recommend forced draft to improve the boiling rate. It doesn't have to be complicated: some report good results witha a hair dryer. I personally use two computer fans with a PWM controller. It cost me under $60 and probably gained me 3-4 gph.

BTW, welcome to MapleTrader!

[eblackw3]

Yeah I should probably start with around 30 taps so I don't get over my head. I had 15 taps this year and the most sap i had to boil in one weekend was about 25 gallons. Still need to get the barrel tuned in, I plan on adding some sort of forced draft like you talked, and also need some gasket material.

Thanks for the reply

[johnpma]

We have 50 taps and use our barrel unit and a 2' x 2' divided pan with a pre-warmer......we boiled 3 gallons this season on 3 weekends. I could have done more had I been able to boil week nights. I think you need to also calculate how many boils you can do in your season. For me I have teen kids that play sports so the weekends can book up quickly