Flat Pan to Divided Pan

[flyzone13]

I currently have a 2 x 6 flat pan that I have been batch boiling on. I would like to add 2 dividers so I can get a more efficient process, my question is when I need to draw off the syrup do I need to open it up and let it drain until the temp lowers or do I let it trickle out and maintain a constant Temp? I should mention I plan on finishing over a propane burner at a later time, so what would a good temp be to maintain?

[psparr]

You might want to go with 3 dividers. Would give you an easier time drawing syrup. It will help keep a gradient better. Also do some reading on how to get a gradient and keep it. It's a bit of a learning curve from batch boiling.
Sometimes when you have syrup or almost syrup near the draw off, you might be over temp in the middle dividers.
Here's a video of my rig when I'm drawing continuously.
https://youtu.be/KALDSv8QPvc

I feel doing it this way helps maintain the gradient better, but others may have differing opinions.
It's easier to draw off syrup heavy, then dilute. But it is safer to draw off light and finish later. Just a matter of personal preference.

[flyzone13]

So with your set up you must be re warming your syrup to filter then am I right? I was thinking of just drawing it off once it his a number like 210 and finish it off where I can control the heat a little better since it's new to me.


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[psparr]

At 210 your not even boiling yet :)
Better temp might be 218. It just takes longer to boil off that last bit of water in a pot.

Yes I reheat when I have enough to make it worth my while to bottle.

Just bring up to a boil, check density, then straight into the filter/ bottler.

[tcross]

I have a flat pan with dividers as my set up and I draw syrup finished right off my evaporator. get up to temp, check density, once done draw and filter at the same time and then into a stainless tank it goes until canning. once you get the hang of it, it's fairly easy... if you're paying attention! if you let it trickle out, you'll get longer and more consistent draws. ditto what psparr said. I tend to draw off a tad on the heavy side to begin with and if need be, I adjust when canning.

[flyzone13]

Sounds good, thanks for the advice.


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[flyzone13]

Couldn't I just make a cross flow pan, so it would be 2 dividers in back and 1 infront?

[wnybassman]

My previous rig was basically a flat pan turned into a continuous flow pan. It was a 2x4 with a solid divider welded in it crossways to divide it 60/40 or so. I would ladle sap from the back to the front. Then I had a buddy weld more dividers in it, one more crossways in the bigger back section, and two the other way in the front section, and cut 45º knockouts in all the dividers for sap to travel.

The old pan.................
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/wnybassman/maple/2011_panbefore.jpg


And the way it ended up.............
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s163/wnybassman/maple/2-18-2012_2.jpg


Hard to see the back section with the steam. This pan worked great and I was able to pull "near syrup" off of it very easily. I could have pulled syrup off of it, but I was never patient enough.

With a 2x6 like you have, I would definitely try to make smaller channels up front similar to what I had instead of 6 foot long channels from front to back.

[flyzone13]

I was thinking I would do 2 dividers the long way 4 foot long, then the cross section doing 1 divider in front. Which would give it 3 channels in the back to travel and 2 up front before drawing it off. Did your pre-heater work well enough with it just sitting atop the pan or am I not seeing something else, like a coil going around the stack?

[wnybassman]

I was thinking I would do 2 dividers the long way 4 foot long, then the cross section doing 1 divider in front. Which would give it 3 channels in the back to travel and 2 up front before drawing it off. Did your pre-heater work well enough with it just sitting atop the pan or am I not seeing something else, like a coil going around the stack?

That preheater warmed the sap, but certainly never got it hot. I drizzled the sap out of it into a small one quart stainless bowl sitting in the first compartment so the cooler sap did not directly contact the boiling sap. It helped a little. Never did the coils.