Can't get syrup pan to boil

[Randy’s]

Looking for any ideas as to get syrup pan to keep constant boil. I have a C D L hobbey evaporator 18” 60”,can get great boil in back pan but very hard to boil in front,tried every combo of stack cap ,door, ash door opening. I thought about adding a damper to stack but dealer advised against it. Any advise out there.

[Big_Eddy]

Looking for any ideas as to get syrup pan to keep constant boil. I have a C D L hobbey evaporator 18” 60”,can get great boil in back pan but very hard to boil in front,tried every combo of stack cap ,door, ash door opening. I thought about adding a damper to stack but dealer advised against it. Any advise out there.

Do a search. This is a typical issue and has been discussed by others. Some users made improvements. Can't recall what they were but I recall something about a filler plate going st the front and not the back.

[maple flats]

Describe how the arch is set up, is the wood dry, is the wood split at wrist size, how often do you add wood, is the arch insulated, brick or ceramic insulation or other, when you add wood, how long is the door open and when you add wood, how close to the bottom of the pan is the top of the wood? How have you tried the air vent or door, (how far open)? How high is your stack? What size stack are you using? Do you have elbows in the stack?

[Haynes Forest Products]

Is your fire sitting in a bed of coals or ash or is it up on grate so you get good natural air from below? To much air coming bin can blow the flames away from the fron to the arch/pan.

[buckeye gold]

I have a small hobby pan as well and experienced the same thing when I put a new Smokey Lake Hybrid drop flue on it. The old arch was a half pint and I always had more boil in the back of channels than the front. I tried everything and only got minor improvement. So three years ago I enlisted a welder friend and we tore the arch apart and added 8 inches to the front of it, put some new grates in that had a wider gap and built a new AOF manifold. The result is I have hot fire under the full pan all the time. That sucker boils all over well and it boosted my boils rate by small amount to. I still have a hard time making syrup in my front section, but I have come to the conclusion that small pans just do not maintain gradients well. It doesn't bother me as I have become accustomed to finishing on propane and like the control. I have not seen a CDL, but looking through pictures of many small arches I think manufacturers try to save on materials and make their arches too small. If they would simply add a few inches to the firebox they would have a much better product, but I know that would cut into profits. I am convinced if you have your flue pan/sections so close to your finishing area with no way to control flow your going to struggle with the syrup sections working well. Any builders listening.....I would like to see a small pan without a hole as a pass through to the front, but a small valved pipe or a float system, like bigger rigs. You could then restrict flow and finish on the evaporator, but it would probably triple the number of burnt pans, as it would require diligence to run. I may get brave enough to get my fabricator friend to help me do that to mine, but I am afraid it may end in disaster. He isn't really set up to do that kind of work.

[wnybassman]

How long have you had this rig? Have you gotten to the point of fully sweetening it? Every year I have a similar problem with my 18x60 raised flue when I first start up. I first noticed it when I did a water test when I first got the evaporator. With raw sap or water that front syrup pan just had an extremely hard time boiling, and would remain that way until the sugar content got much closer to syrup (after running 125 to 150 gallons into it). Once the syrup pan was very sweet I don't have a problem the rest of the season. I was concerned at first because I could not figure out why it did it, but having the rig several years now I have just learned to accept how it works, knowing it will work great eventually.

[Randy’s]

Thanks for the info,this is second season for the rig. Finally got a good boil on the last 100 gallons so I do believe you are correct about the sweet

[Russell Lampron]

How long have you had this rig? Have you gotten to the point of fully sweetening it? Every year I have a similar problem with my 18x60 raised flue when I first start up. I first noticed it when I did a water test when I first got the evaporator. With raw sap or water that front syrup pan just had an extremely hard time boiling, and would remain that way until the sugar content got much closer to syrup (after running 125 to 150 gallons into it). Once the syrup pan was very sweet I don't have a problem the rest of the season. I was concerned at first because I could not figure out why it did it, but having the rig several years now I have just learned to accept how it works, knowing it will work great eventually.

The same thing happens on my 2x6. When I boiled water I noticed that the front pan didn't boil very hard but when I boil sap it boils good once the pan is sweet.

[EBG18T]

How long/gallons did it take to sweeten your pans?


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[Russell Lampron]

How long/gallons did it take to sweeten your pans?

It usually takes 200 gallons to draw off syrup with my 2x6.

[wnybassman]

How long/gallons did it take to sweeten your pans?


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It took about 150 gallons for me this year with 1.5% sap

[EBG18T]

It took about 150 gallons for me this year with 1.5% sap

At that point your pans flowed a lot better?


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[wnybassman]

At that point your pans flowed a lot better?


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Flowed? It was at this point I was able to start drawing off syrup. The front pan started boiling good well before that though. That happens when there starts to be distinct syrup color occurring.

[billyinvt]

I always keep a supply of shorter length wood to be able to load horizontal right in in front tighter to the door. Having good fire up under the front pan is important on these smaller pans.

[EBG18T]

Flowed? It was at this point I was able to start drawing off syrup. The front pan started boiling good well before that though. That happens when there starts to be distinct syrup color occurring.


Bad chose of words on my part. I’m breaking in a new set of pans tomorrow and concerned that I may have just enough sap to sweeten them, but maybe not enough to draw.


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[wnybassman]

Bad chose of words on my part. I’m breaking in a new set of pans tomorrow and concerned that I may have just enough sap to sweeten them, but maybe not enough to draw.


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In a typical year I don't draw anything on the first boil. One year I am not sure I drew anything on the second boil either. Just shut her down and you'll be that much closer the next time!

[EBG18T]

In a typical year I don't draw anything on the first boil. One year I am not sure I drew anything on the second boil either. Just shut her down and you'll be that much closer the next time!

Ill plan on not drawing tomorrow, then it will a bit till we boil again. Been such a slow start to our season.

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