Backyard cinder blocks

[plummaple]

Hey guys, hope everyone is well. I have been boiling over two, 210,000 btu turkey fryers and I have been considering a small homemade cinderblock one. Other than the one I have seen on Mother earth. com does anyone have a website to find out different designs? Should I pile up sand in the back to arch the fire?

Your thoughts are much appreciated.

[Fred Henderson]

Cinder blocks will not last very long because the heat will crack them during the first season. If you were to lay up an arch out of field stones it will last forever.

[RileySugarbush]

The cinder blocks will last a long time if you line them with some split firebricks. I laid them in dry, and took some galvanized rectangular duct metal, the kind that comes in two L shaped pieces, so they hung down inside the blocks, and behind the fire brick.
That kept the air leaks through the dry laid blocks down too.

[Ahnohta]

Cinder blocks will work, they are cheap and ussually easy to come by. They are square so are easy to set up. It is a good way to start out and wood is much cheaper then propane turkey fryer. We use the Turkey fryer idea for the final finishing. Do put sand in the back end. If you can get sheet metal for free, you can line unit with sheet metal, the block crackage will be reduced but not eliminated. With sheet metal liner, you ussually can make blocks last one complete season. If possible add a 6-8" stack to back end to improve draft and to get ash away from boiling pan. We ran our stack up 10' but many just start out about 3-4'

[RileySugarbush]

This link will take you to a description of a pretty effective block arch/ steam table pan set up. It included a door and stack, cheap forced combustion air and two rudimentary flue pans, and it worked really well, 15gph minimum the last year I ran it.

http://web.mac.com/jabushey/iWeb/Riley%20Retreat/Maple%20Sugaring.html

[dgp219]

Keep any eye out at the dump/recycle center. My first arch was block. I found a discarded Franklin stove and the doors and stack exit piece were perfect for an approx 2ft. wide arch. I also laid a piece of sheet metal between the top two courses in the rear and then cut and bent it to taper into the rear of the fire box. Then covered it with appropriate amont of sand. It worked pretty well. On a 2x6 flat pan got about 10-12gal/hr. evaporation rate. Also had 6" flue and probably should have had 8". Putting this stuff together is a lot of fun.

Happy building!

[plummaple]

Thank you all for your help!! I can't stop thinking about this maple syrup. The best part about it is that I am a diabetic, can't even eat it !!!

[Russell Lampron]

Plummaple,

In the "homemade maple equipment" section on this site there is a thread called "post pictures of your homemade evaporator". There is a firebrick arch in there that might give you some ideas. Send the builder a private message and he can tell you how it worked for him.

Russ

[SapSuckers]

if you are considering using a cinder block type set-up, i would purchase the book backyard sugarin. you can get it from most suppliers, i bought mine from amazon.com used for less then $2 + s/h. The pictures are a bit dated but the entire concept of backyard sugaring really has not changed. The book shows many different backyard set-ups that you may be able to use or just get ideas from.

[firetech]

I used a crete block arch this year because I needed somthing in a hurry. Half of the blocks will not be useable for next year just too much heat damage. I didn't line them and stacked them dry on a crushed stone bed. I recycled a woodstove door and put it in a 3/8 steel plate, bought angle iron from the recycle yard at the local steel yard and used it for rails on top of the blocks had a farmer freind weld up the back of the 'arch' 12x13 x 43' plates for the stacks. Ran dual 6 in stacks 8ft high. Put a fan in the vent door because there wasn't enough draft for my liking. Used 1/4" angle iron for the grates that worked well. I could boil 15 gph easy of my 30x82 in flat pan. Look at JohnM 's page and look at his its lined and looks very good I kinda copied his set-up. If I don't buy a comercail style rig this year I will boil on my reworked concrete arch agian and not feel bad about it at all. spent about 300 for everything but if I had more time I think I could've recycled more.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Cinderblocks work great and used them for many years when I was a kid. Easy up and easy down as I had no permanent home for syrup. I used the same blocks for several seasons most of the time. Should be able to find some scrap ones and the heavy blocks seem to last longer than the lightweight blocks.

[JohnM]

Thank you all for your help!! I can't stop thinking about this maple syrup. The best part about it is that I am a diabetic, can't even eat it !!!

Sounds like the Maple Bug has bitten PlumMaple several times

Ouch!

[dgp219]

John, I'm really impressed with your rig, especially the arch. Makes me want to go out and build one! Have you ever figured the evap. rate? Seeing your pictures brings back some great memories of boiling out in the backyard. Do you have any other homemade equipment?

[JohnM]

Thanks Doug.

I have used this setup for three years and am very pleased with the perfomance. I bought the pan from Brandon(WVMapler) and put the arch together in 2004.

I have a small blower I put into the ash door and get a boiling rate of about 20 gallons per hour. I run a little stream of sap from the Igloo cooler to make-up.

Think I am going to put in some posts and build a roof this year. Tough dodging the showers in Feb/Mar.

Have a great weekend!

[plummaple]

John,
Thanks for the photos. That this is really nice! I would love to build one just like it, but a bit smaller. Did you pour a concrete base? What is it sitting on.

thanks,
Plummaple

[JohnM]

Hi Plummaple,

Yes I put about 5 inches of concrete under the blocks. A friend loaned me a mixer and I did it with bags. I rented a laser to make sure the footer under the blocks was level.

My smaller arch was for serving table pans and I just stacked the blocks without a footer or mortar. Worked fine till the ground thawed and everything moved apart.......off level.

This was my first experience laying block. Plenty sore legs and back when done.