Operating an evaporator

[70 Buick]

You guys might find this to be a strange question

The flue pan, the syrup pan , the float box, the pipes connecting the pans

this all sort of scares me

I just boil with 2 pans, move it from back to front, then remove and finish on propane


Is there an instructional video on how to operate all of this stuff?

I would hate to buy it all and scortch and ruin it all

[RIVERWINDS]

My advice is to get the "boiling 101" book from Leader. Good advice on all types of evaporators and pan types. I think you can get it online at Bascom's.

[motowbrowne]

I would hate to buy it all and scortch and ruin it all

I have a friend who did exactly that. Twice actually. Once on a used leader hobby model 2x6, and then on his brand new leader drop flue 2x6. So, I don't think it's a strange question at all.

I've never seen the book that was recommended, though I've heard it recommended before. It's probably a good idea to get a copy. Personally, though, I'd highly recommend finding a fellow sugar maker to go cook sap with for a day. Or ask him to come cook with you for a day, even a water boil will be informative.

It's really very simple technology, and once you get the hang of it, you'll wonder why you waited this long to get floats, flues, and valves. There is a small learning curve, though.

Good luck!

[rayi]

been there done that. Never seen a evaporator run until I got my own 2 by 6. Very steep learning curve helped by all the people here at maple Trader. I tried mine out with water all fall and winter. I started out with small burns with real high fluid levels and then gradually worked up. It helps to read everything you can and if possible watch someone using theirs. I'm sure some on the trader lives near you

[madmapler]

I think what Rayi did was smart. You can't go wrong if you take it easy at first until you feel comfortable with it all then tweek things down once you're used to it. Even experienced guys have to get used to new equipment. Every evaporator is different. Even the way the each operator fires it can change things.

[Maple Man 85]

I think what Rayi did was smart. You can't go wrong if you take it easy at first until you feel comfortable with it all then tweek things down once you're used to it. Even experienced guys have to get used to new equipment. Every evaporator is different. Even the way the each operator fires it can change things.

Just curious what evaporation rate do you get on your 4x12? and with the RO how much time do you spend boiling with 4250 taps? Purchasing (new to me equipment) next summer and an trying to size it properly with expanding up to the 10,000 tap mark in the next 5 years.

Maple Man 85

[madmapler]

I really can't give you an accurate number. It was my first year with it and it wasn't typical. I can say the aof was really worth it. Without it, it didn't boil as hard.Typically I would bring home 3000 gallons of sap 1.1 to 1.5% (low sugar year), concentrate it down to 13 to 15% and be left with maybe 450 gallons of concentrate. I would run that through the evaporator in probably 4 or so hours give or take from starting the fire to shutting the lights off at the end. I actually ended up with closer to 5000 taps this season. The only thing I wanted to improve was the RO time. I had to recirculate. This year I bought a 2400 gph machine and should be able to take it off the truck, run it through the RO and right into the evaporator which will save me a lot of time. With a good RO I would do 10,000 with a wood fired 4x12. I visited a guy this year who has an oil fired 3x10(no steamaway) with 11,000 taps and I was amazed to see how much syrup came off that thing. It was a constant flow and he pretty much kept a guy running the filter press and filling drums. He said he was spending about the same amount of time in the sugarhouse as me. He had a 6 post RO and concentrated to 20 or better.

[70 Buick]

just a question
When you have a flue and syrup pan
Does the sap flow between them freely?
For example if you draw off the syrup pan does it fill up from the flue automatically?
Or do you need to use both valves at the same time?
Perhaps silly question but i have just never seen one except in pictures

[RileySugarbush]

Like most good questions, the answer is : It Depends!

For a raised flue system, the levels in the two pans are different so each has a float valve. One to regulate the level in the flue pan from the feed tank and that holds the flue pan depth. The syrup pan level much lower, by about the height of the flues and therefore a second float valve is needed to regulate that level, fed from the flue pan. Both of the float valves are essentially like the float valve in a toilet tank, opening when the level is low and closing when high enough.

For a drop flue, the level is the same in both pans so only the flue pan has a float valve and the connection between the pans is kept open when operating.

In either case, when you draw and as evaporation occurs, the level drops and more sap is admitted.

[motowbrowne]

just a question
When you have a flue and syrup pan
Does the sap flow between them freely?
For example if you draw off the syrup pan does it fill up from the flue automatically?
Or do you need to use both valves at the same time?
Perhaps silly question but i have just never seen one except in pictures

There beauty of a rig like you're considering purchasing is that as long as there is sap in the head tank, and everything is operating correctly (which you basically have to visually check constantly as part of your operation unless you really trust your rig) the only thing you need to do is add wood and remove syrup. The only valve you need to manually operated is the draw off valve. The other one or two valves are automatic.