Condensation from steam-hood stack

[Woodsrover]

So its my first year with a steam hood and I really like it for all the obvious reasons. That said, I noticed small streams of condensation running down the stack and to the base where it attaches to the hood. Didn't think it was amounting to much until I took a few paper towels and roped them around where the two meet. Spent the rest of the afternoon wringing wet towels out every few minutes. Now maybe I'm being silly but I'd venture to guess I'm getting 1/2 gallon of condensation dripping back into the pan in a hour.

Do we live with it? Is there a trick to capture and keep it out of the pan? I'm a small producer with a little 2x5 set of pans but I'm sure the bigger guys have dealt with this problem and have a solution. I was imagining a stainless donut suspended in the hood, under the pan catching it and ducting it to the trough around the edge. What does everyone else do?

[Sugarmaker]

Some folks put a catch tray under that area. Will it continue to run down the slanted hood sides and out the drip channel? I dont have trays under mine, and probably get a little condensate in the syrup?

Regards,
Chris

[Sunnyacres]

I built stainless donuts cut them in half and run a tube to my gutters works great.

[Sunnyacres]

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Here is a picture

[mol1jb]

Drip tray under the stack is an easy fix. Bend some aluminum flashing to make it. Run it from one drip channel to the other with some pitch.

[Wanabe1972]

Go get a new ss dog dish and hang it under the stack. Run a ss bulkhead fitting in the bottom and pipe it to the gutter. Jeff

[Haynes Forest Products]

I see some manufactures do whats called the Chinese hat on the inside its just a cone that hangs from brackets or chains it has a drain in the cone tip that comes out the side of the hood. the steam will go around it.

[johnallin]

With a steam hood; you're now all set up for a pre-heater. As lots of pre-heaters have pans to catch the condensate, from the cold sap running through the piping, that same pan will catch what's coming down your stack. You will also be amazed at the increase in gph due to 180 degree sap entering your flue pan.

[Woodsrover]

17846
Here is a picture

That's exactly what I was thinking about but couldn't find stainless donuts that large. Where did you get that one?

[Woodsrover]

With a steam hood; you're now all set up for a pre-heater. As lots of pre-heaters have pans to catch the condensate, from the cold sap running through the piping, that same pan will catch what's coming down your stack. You will also be amazed at the increase in gph due to 180 degree sap entering your flue pan.

I ordered a pre-heater with my pan set but it looks so complicated and hard to clean I didn't install it. Does it really make that big of a difference? Maybe I should reconsider.....

[Sunnyacres]

I built them for my hood. I didn’t like the upside down Chinese hat.

[Woodsrover]

I built them for my hood. I didn’t like the upside down Chinese hat.

So....You have stainless pipe and a pipe bender, ol' buddy, new best friend? Haha.

Actually, I'm in the auto business and am friendly with a local muffler shop. I bet I can get him to bend me something up.

BTW, I like the rounded steam hood! Makes good sense.

[Sunnyacres]

I’m also in auto business he probably won’t be able to bend a smooth 180 in stainless. But you can order them I used 2.5 pipe welded two of them together and cut in half. I needed two since I have two eight in stacks.

[Woodsrover]

I’m also in auto business he probably won’t be able to bend a smooth 180 in stainless. But you can order them I used 2.5 pipe welded two of them together and cut in half. I needed two since I have two eight in stacks.

Neat. I'll give him a call. Thanks.

[Woodsrover]

Figured out my solution. 12" pie pan hung from the hood, stainless tubing run out to the trough on the edge. It collects a lot of water!

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