I'm a newbie and really excited - 1st time poster

[Pokegama Pointe]

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For a guy who has NEVER done this, I'm stoked! All of you folks here have been my "vicarious mentors" so, along with what I have gleamed from you, Youtube, and some friends who are active syrup makers, I think I'm ready! As you look at my set up, anything I should have done differently?

[Bucket Head]

Yes. You should have built two of those, or stretched that one way out. Why? Because everyone on here already knows your going to be adding taps in no time!

Nice looking rig. I wish I had something like that for my first rig. My first 'rig' was a bunch of cement blocks! Lol.

Good luck this season! Have fun!

[VTnewguy]

You shouldn't need the top hat on the stack. Nice job she looks good.

[barnbc76]

Looks really good, big fire box you got there, is that like 2x4? I'm sure you probably know how much adding a blower of any kind will help. Don't forget to spray paint it w/high temp paint.

[Biz]

Looks awesome! Is it going to be set up outside? You should have a longer stack, try about 8 ft or so for this size rig to give better draw without needing a blower.

[groomer_guy]

Looks great. My first rig was on cement blocks. Now I have upgraded to a sugarhouse and an evaporator. You should have a lot of fun making syrup.

[Pokegama Pointe]

Thanks for your replies.

Blower? Longer stack? - sounds like I have more research to do this weekend. Tell me more on the reasoning behind this to get me going in the right direction of possible corrections. IS it that my fire wont burn hot enough? And, I see some set ups have a felt type wrapping around where the pan sits. Is that for heat loss prevention? Where does a guy buy something like that if I need it?

Have a bunch of taps coming any day now. Going to make some plastic PVC pipe hanger things for my bags this weekend that I saw on Youtube.

[Brian]

nice job, at the end of the first grate, ramp it up and leave 2 inches of clearance under your pan. this will put more heat into your pan for better evaporation. Heat will travel the path of least resistance. Cut the back out where the pan sets, flip it and weld it in the bottom. this will help out a lot.

[maple flats]

When leveled to use it, you may want to brace the stand to take the weight off the wheels and prevent it from shifting at all. Any solid blocks just in from the wheels will be good.
I also agree, at about 2' back make a ramp or even a wall, up to within 1.5" under the pan. That will give a much better boil. Then the back, under the stack it could drop down a few inches.

[Cjadamec]

I'm building out an oil tank as well this year. You can get a sense of what they are talking about with directing the heat from the fire up and into the pans. My firebox is roughly 24"x24" and after that there is a plate welded across the tank to only leave a 1-2" gap between the bottom of my steam pans and the insulation that will cover that plate. The stack will exit out of the flat plate in the back.
Next year I may upgrade to a large flat pan but for this year 5 stainless steam table pans and a scrap steel frame will have to work.

[NH Maplemaker]

Very nice work! But the very first thing that jumped into my head was a ramp also. Now as it is, there is no incentive for the fire to go and travel along bottom of the pan! Path of least resistance would be for fire to travel low alone the bottom and exit though your exit hole. also you are going to use way to much wood with that long fire box!

[Pokegama Pointe]

Very nice work! But the very first thing that jumped into my head was a ramp also. Now as it is, there is no incentive for the fire to go and travel along bottom of the pan! Path of least resistance would be for fire to travel low alone the bottom and exit though your exit hole. also you are going to use way to much wood with that long fire box!

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Thanks for your continued help - I appreciate the feedback - Please keep it coming. I am trying to understand your thoughts and drew this picture - is this what you're telling me? I have a shield coming down now which my intent was to keep the heat inside the box. Do I understand you to say take that shield out and build a ramp like thing instead leaving 2" or so at the top for the exhaust?

I like the idea of decreasing my grates and not using so much wood if I can.

[barnbc76]

Yes you are on the right track with one exception, for a rig the size as ours it's less a ramp and more a wall, it doesn't really need that much slope, just make a wall that starts where the first grate ends, and leave yourself enough room for some brick and an 1.5" gap between the brick and the pan.

[Pokegama Pointe]

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Hi Gang, checking back in for feed back - am I on the right track? Sap is running :)

[Millwright]

Your setup is real similar to mine I added a blower that is mounted alongside the door, it made a big difference in my gph