Niter

[peterjd89]

Any one else having a problem with an unusually large amount of niter build up or how to avoid it? Seems like I run 500 gallons of sap and I got a **** down and clean the syrup compartment

[DrTimPerkins]

Any one else having a problem with an unusually large amount of niter build up or how to avoid it? Seems like I run 500 gallons of sap and I got a **** down and clean the syrup compartment

Assuming you are running a divided pan and continuous flow setup, are you switching sides periodically (every hour or so)?

[peterjd89]

I have that and I am not doing that just switch flow ?

[DrTimPerkins]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand your answer.

When you are boiling, are you changing the side you are drawing off from periodically (reversing flow), so that the spot you were drawing off becomes the side where sap is coming in (from the backpan-sap pan if you have one), and the side where sap was coming in becomes the drawoff?

[peterjd89]

Could it be I'm putting to much air to it and getting it to got in certain areas?

[peterjd89]

No I have not done that but I can

[peterjd89]

DR Tim Perkings now if I do that what will happen to the almost syrup?I'VE never reversed flow of because I don't quit understand how the syrup will go back to the other side

[n8hutch]

Draw off the almost syrup (I usually draw until the temp drops down to say 2°above boiling point of water). Then dump that syrup in the channel that you will be drawing off next (opposite side of syrup pan). This should reestablish the gradient rather quickly. About 15min for me.

[DrTimPerkins]

Yes, as Nate describes. Draw some near syrup off from the current drawoff side and dump it into the new drawoff partition. Then switch the incoming sap side to the former drawoff side and maybe add a little sap to that (formerly syrup drawoff) partition. A new gradient will form...it'll take a little while before you drawoff again and the first draw might be larger than normal. The niter on the side that was your drawoff side previously (now your sap inlet side) will be dissolved by the new incoming sap, and niter will start to form in the NEW drawoff location.

Basically you're just chasing the niter from one side of the pan to the other by "reversing" the flow direction of the sap.

Do this about every 60-90 min (depending on the size of your pan and the niter formation rate). Next time you fire up, switch sides again to start.

All this is assuming you have reversible style (usually U.S.) pans and not cross-flow (usually Canadian) pans.

[peterjd89]

I'll give that a try thanks a lot guys

[peterjd89]

I have a reverse flow set up just figured that out

[BAP]

My uncle always said that lots of niter = a good Syrup year.