2x6 gallons to make syrup

[Wanabe1972]

Does anyone know how many gallons of 2% it takes to draw off your first syrup. It is a drop flue 2x6 with 8 flues four feet long. I'm running a modest 1 1/2 of SAP until I get used to the pan. I've run about 240 gallons of RO ed through and still won't float a hydrometer. It seems my 2x8 I had was making syrup by now but I ran that at an inch or less. Thanks jeff

[motowbrowne]

It's gonna depend on how many times you start up and shut down. Running 240 gallons of 2% through it wouldn't surprise me if it's still not syrup. I couldn't quite understand your post though. Do you mean that you've run 240 gallons of concentrate through it? If so, I'd think you should be drawing syrup already, even if you're only concentrating to 4%.

[SeanD]

200 gallons of raw sap on a 2x6 is about right for your first draw off. You're much deeper than an ideal level, so it makes sense it's going to take a bit longer. Don't worry it's all in there. You'll get it on the next boil.

What % concentrate are you putting in?

[Wanabe1972]

I boiled 55 gallons of 6% yesturday and 40 gallons of 8% today. I ran at 2 inches yesturday and went to about 1 3/8 today. That's probably why it's taking so long. My next boil I'll bring down to and inch as I'm starting to get a feel for the new pan.

[RollinsOrchards]

As you change the level you lose the gradient. You need a steady input of fresh sap at the start of the evaporator to push the more finished stuff around.

Also it takes longer than you thing to get things humming along nicely. I figure on wanting a thousand gallons of sap or more to really prime our 4 by 12.

[Wanabe1972]

I think you are all right I need to get it down to and inch or so and let it rip. I guess I'm being a little over cautious with a new set up. Jeff

[West Sumner Sugar]

We have a 2x6 and just started boiling last weekend. We boiled about 175 gallons and pulled off about 2 gallons. We are running a new sealed front and a new bottom on our front pan since the old one was warped bad. We were running about 1 1/4" deep in the front to be safe. I will say this is by far the quickest we have ever drawn off on the first boil. Sap was about 2.25-2.5%

[stoweski]

I've put 225 gallons through mine, set at 1" and I was almost ready to draw off for the first time the other night. This was raw sap, 2%, on a WSE drop flue.

[Super Sapper]

Now I must be doing something wrong. I have a 2 x 6 drop flu (4 foot drop flu and 2 foot syrup)and after filling the evap to 1 1/2" it took only 60 gallons to start drawing off with 3% sap. I used to have a 1 1/2 inch V flu before and it only took about 45 gallons for the first draw.

[Wanabe1972]

It took for ever to get syrup but I've got a seriously seriously​ sweet pan now. All of my raw SAP has been 2 percent until yesturday was close to 3. I quit being a Sally and lowered the level to 1 inch finally made 2 gallons on Tuesday before running out of SAP. Yesturday I boiled about an hour with no syrup then drew of a pencil size stream for about and hour untill I ran out of SAP. I made a heavy 5 gallons of medium but the pan is loaded for bear now. I had a little trouble with the autodraw and ended up with some pretty heavy syrup but that's easy to correct. For what ever reason my Murphy cup and standard cup with thermometer aren't seeing eye to eye. Hope is gets running again this week as it's pretty much stopped here.

[Sugarmaker]

Nice work making syrup!
Regards,
Chris