Steam Pan Boiling Issue

[Mboeselager]

Using a 3 burner propane camp stove this year with 3 steam pans. First boil with clean new pans was at about a 40 degree outside temp worked well. Easy to get the sap up to a boil.

Last night, 15 degrees, a little wind, and the bottom of my steam pans are covered in black soot (I cleaned the inside, but not the bottom). It was very difficult to get the SAP to remain at a boil temp.


Questions:

1. Does the black soot on the bottom of the pan affect the boiling?
2. Do I need a boil to get evaporation to occur the most efficiently. I could hold a temp of 205 pretty good.
3. Would I be better getting a thicker professional pan?
thx

[bmbmkr]

its hard to get heat heat transfer with wind, the first time I tried to fry a turkey it was 25F and windy, took 6 hours, had to make a wind screen from some flashing. Of course it was for my whole family and I had 9 hungry people waiting to eat!

This year I have a Camp Chef Big Gas Grill that I am using to finish on, several nights it was windy, and hard to maintain a consistent boil on all three burners, I cut it down to one and was able to lock off some wind with flashing again. My sugar shack is a shed that only has two walls closed in, so some days the wind was coming from different directions.

I'm not sure about the soot hampering your heat. "Professional" pans are usually 22ga, my finishing pot is a triple bottom 22qt stockpot it takes a while to heat but once it gets going it is easy to keep the boil.

I hope what little bit I offer is some help.

[John c]

I use a restaurant grade, tabletop, double burner (about 30,000 btu). I had a 13" x 25" pan made to fit over both burners and also lowered the pan closer to the flame and made a tin heat shield under the burners to direct the heat to the pan. I made a tin windshield to go around the whole thing. I am able to boil off around 3 gallons an hour.
I doubt the soot will affect anything.
I generally make 3 to 5 gallons of syrup a year with this setup with no problems.

[littleTapper]

Black soot means you've got a non-optimal flame. Usually occurs when LP tanks are running out - and with cold temps, possibly just lack of pressure. If they're not empty, put them in a tub of water - even room temp. It'll help maintain pressure and then you'll get your flame back to normal.

If they're empty - well, fill them up :)

[Sugarmaker]

Thicker pans are NOT the answer. Stainless is not great for heat transfer anyways so you want them to be as thin as possible.
Keep boiling!
Regards,
Chris

[Austin351]

Along with Littletapper's comments, the soot is from the incorrect air to LPG mixture. Either you don't have enough air or too little LPG. You should be going for a nice blue flame, not orange. Most burners will have a vent to adjust the air, typically located near where the hose attaches to the burner.

[Mboeselager]

I finally replaced the stream pans with some smaller cookware pans...Boiling nicely now. I will sacrifice some surface area for a good consistent boil. Thanks to all that replied.