Homemade barrel #3 this year.

[snakes14009]

So I have two boils under my belt and have learned a lot along the way. First is sap depth control in the pan can be a little frustrating. My first boil 2 weeks ago I measured the depth in the pan with a SS ruler. What a pain in the rear. I wanted to make something that I could monitor the depth from 10ft away from evaporator. So I took the idea from a post on here about using a cork and made a depth indicator... I was boiling at about an inch the whole second boil yesterday with out an issue. And from what I have read about cork it is fairly impervious to liquids. I had 19 gallons of sap and we reduced it down to 2.5 gallons in about 2.5 hours. It made some very light amber syrup. And man does it taste good on pancakes.

[to100]

Looks good. Did you make your pan, boils fast.

[snakes14009]

Yep everything is homemade. I think it is boiling so well because it very well insulated. Every inch in the fire box is either covered by brick or mineral wool insulation. So far I am happy with it I wish I could have it inside a building but other than that it's doing well. 1 gallon and 3qts made so far.

[maple flats]

That is 6.6 gph evaporation, pretty good.

[RC Maple]

I like the shape of your evaporator. Its like mine...gets the ends of the pan up and out of the firebox so there's not scorching on the ends. How big is the pan?19591

[snakes14009]

My pan is 23.5"x 31.5" x 8" tall. I can not complain about it yet. I have thought about including a few improvements to preheat the sap better, but all in time. It has been an interesting learning curve to this point as well as a time crunch. Like the title of the post indicates started building evaporator #1 at the end of December and that includes the pans for all three. I am glad I built the other two first learned a lot along the way. And it was basically practice for my welding skills. But it really crunched time especially when I started tapping trees 10 before my evaporator was complete.. Thank goodness for cold weather.

[Sugarmaker]

Good looking rig! Nice job on the fab work! 6 gph is a good rate!
Regards,
Chris

[snakes14009]

Thank you. Unfortunately I am already thinking about my next rig to build. I am honestly thinking about a copper flat pan but if I can talk my wife into a 2x4 raised flue arch I might go that way...but for now is boil with the small rig and have fun.

[Skeller001]

Thank you. Unfortunately I am already thinking about my next rig to build. I am honestly thinking about a copper flat pan but if I can talk my wife into a 2x4 raised flue arch I might go that way...but for now is boil with the small rig and have fun.

Lol... I am thinking about building a barrel similar to yours with a bought pan for next year. Never welded before so buying the pan will be how I have to go.

[snakes14009]

A barrel is a great stepping stone. Especially if you do not have the fabrication equipment. You can buy a barrel kit for $50-60 and it is screw together, and your boiling. I won't ever build another one for myself because it is difficult to insulate and hard to load wood right up to the bottom of the pan. But it is a lot of fun either way.

[RC Maple]

The barrel stove was the right place to start for me. I was just starting and worrying about all the expense I was going to have getting to something to use for an evaporator. I came home from my first maple equipment auction with this barrel rig. I used it the first year just like it was - 24X30 pan with the pan ends inside the barrel. I took mine to a fab shop down the road and had them add a foot to the length bring the sides up and make the pan. I've been boiling on this 2x3 pan ever since.

[snakes14009]

It seems like most people either start with a barrel or Turkey fryer. I just skipped the Turkey fryer all together. I will go bigger once I have a permanent place to setup an evaporator. Right now it works and it is fun. I still wish I could boil more and run more taps but that might because when my father quit sryuping when I was 10-12 he had a 2x6 copper evaporator with 285 taps. Man I wish he still had that evaporator...

[snakes14009]

Well boil number 4 is done started with 56-58 gallons reduced to just 2.5gal in 6.5 hours...I can not complain on a homemade rig. This boil I added a second bathroom fan it made a nice difference and I tightened up th gap from the pan to the firebox baffle..if my math is right I was doing a little over 8 gallons an hour...next week we should have another boil.