New Evaporatorr

[TheNamelessPoet]

So... I've been looking into a new setup.

I'm new to the hobby itself, but I'm thinking long term because after 5 taps and 1 week I've been bitten, and like a rabid dog I want MORE.

I am about to buy a grill because it can be used dual purpose (see wife, thinking about more than me!) in the summers for when we have people over. My question is... how and where would I get a pan, or get a custom one made?

My plan is next year to get a bucket RO and the following year get a pan made for this grill. I have 13 taps atm and can PROBABLY get up to 15 - MAYBE 20 if I maxed out my lot. I can only boil on the weekends mostly but my regular grill (48k BTU is not enough) just isnt strong enough as it took about 2 hours yesterday to boil 2.5 gallons of syrup down to just under 1/2 a gallon.

long term, I would like to tap my father-in-laws trees as well so an RO will for SURE be a must!

Anyway back on point, this Is the one am getting, the dimensions are 34"×17.5". Where do you get a custom pan, or Is there a good pan already that someone can reccomend?https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200217/7c82059c254122c845a5b1ba9487f7a2.jpg

[Sugarmaker]

Check with your local fab shops/ tin knockers. They should be able to make you a pan for a reasonable amount. Use like 20 gage 300 series stainless. and make the sides about 8 inches deep.
Regards,
Chris

[LMP Maple]

I will through my two cents in. It sounds like u are going to expand in the future. I would at least consider a 2x4 or smaller rig. The grill idea will be fun until you really have some sap to move and storing concentrate is not a long term thing. I can tell u I plan on late nights March 1 - April 1. Boil the sap quick. I do 50 buckets with my mini and I boil maybe 3 times a week. It never lines up on the weekends, murphys law. I think u will see most guys that are new start with a turkey fryer and it quickly spirals. Before you know it u will be looking for land or the neighbors will be offering up there trees. Keep your eyes open for a small 2x4 with all the upsizing the prices for used are reasonable. Looks like a nice grill though. Good luck. My wife always says this is the most expensive midlife crisis out there and costs double what a Camaro would have.😄

[TheNamelessPoet]

I will through my two cents in. It sounds like u are going to expand in the future. I would at least consider a 2x4 or smaller rig. The grill idea will be fun until you really have some sap to move and storing concentrate is not a long term thing. I can tell u I plan on late nights March 1 - April 1. Boil the sap quick. I do 50 buckets with my mini and I boil maybe 3 times a week. It never lines up on the weekends, murphys law. I think u will see most guys that are new start with a turkey fryer and it quickly spirals. Before you know it u will be looking for land or the neighbors will be offering up there trees. Keep your eyes open for a small 2x4 with all the upsizing the prices for used are reasonable. Looks like a nice grill though. Good luck. My wife always says this is the most expensive midlife crisis out there and costs double what a Camaro would have.😄you want to hear funny... I drove by a Vette today and thought that would be fun... but I gotta get an RO and some other stuff 1st... so maybe in a couple years.

you might be right but at least I get some sugar out boiling!

[LMP Maple]

Yep, you've been bit. Enjoy the ride!

[blissville maples]

you want to hear funny... I drove by a Vette today and thought that would be fun... but I gotta get an RO and some other stuff 1st... so maybe in a couple years.

you might be right but at least I get some sugar out boiling!
Couple years you'll be buying a 2x8 and a 600 gph ro- haha it's a disease be careful!!

[NoblesvilleIN]

For this year, do you have access to a Coleman style camp stove (2 burner)? I use mine to finish syrup on, but I have also used it to boil. A couple of large pots from the kitchen can get you thru this year with 5 taps. May I suggest for next year that you limit yourself to 10 taps? I find that 10 taps provide us with enough syrup for our use and some to share. It also is manageable for someone with limited time during the week. Plus 1 on getting an RO. I got one this year (RB-5, the smallest one) and it is saving me a tremendous amount of time. Good luck.

[Mboeselager]

I started on a turkey fryer then graduated to a 3 burner propane camp stove with 3 steam pans. I was able to make about 3 to 4 gallons of syrup per year. But I was tired of paying for propane and boiling all night long.

Then I graduated to a starcat arch with a divided pan which I love

My 2 cents....begin thinking about a hobby size arch and pan. You can get for about $1000 which I felt I spent in propane over the years.




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[TheNamelessPoet]

Couple years you'll be buying a 2x8 and a 600 gph ro- haha it's a disease be careful!!I wish! Sell my house and live in my sugar bush in VT or Maine

[TheNamelessPoet]

For this year, do you have access to a Coleman style camp stove (2 burner)? I use mine to finish syrup on, but I have also used it to boil. A couple of large pots from the kitchen can get you thru this year with 5 taps. May I suggest for next year that you limit yourself to 10 taps? I find that 10 taps provide us with enough syrup for our use and some to share. It also is manageable for someone with limited time during the week. Plus 1 on getting an RO. I got one this year (RB-5, the smallest one) and it is saving me a tremendous amount of time. Good luck.I WAS limited to 5, but the fever spread. I've got a new grill on the way now, it's a 3 burner style. I was in "need" of a newer grill anyway.

[TheNamelessPoet]

I started on a turkey fryer then graduated to a 3 burner propane camp stove with 3 steam pans. I was able to make about 3 to 4 gallons of syrup per year. But I was tired of paying for propane and boiling all night long.

Then I graduated to a starcat arch with a divided pan which I love

My 2 cents....begin thinking about a hobby size arch and pan. You can get for about $1000 which I felt I spent in propane over the years.




Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkI actually have ZERO interest in wood fired. I like being able to shut the heat off if i have to go to the bathroom, or boil at night for an hour, stuff like that.

[DRoseum]

That is why I built a small natural gas evaporator. I didnt want to deal with wood and was sick of how expensive propane was. And how slow it was on a grill. I built this to fit a stainless pan I got but it also works for full size steam pans.

I thought A LOT about getting the exact stove you showed but in the end couldnt be happier with what I built instead. It boils awesome and is insulated with firebrick and has a great windscreen. And I dont even notice it on the gas bill.

Link to it here: https://www.sugartree.run/2019/03/custom-hobby-maple-syrup-evaporator.html

Started with 6 taps, then 36, now 55 and growing.

[jdircksen]

That's a nice little stove. I see it says "high pressure" propane. I think the regular grill tanks are "low pressure". I do not know the difference.
Also you are going to burn a lot of propane so be ready for that expense. Like it was said above, convert to NG if possible. All it takes is drilling out the orifice a little bigger.

check out http://www.maplesyruppans.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=58
he makes a 17x34 pan that fits on camp stoves.

[TheNamelessPoet]

That's a nice little stove. I see it says "high pressure" propane. I think the regular grill tanks are "low pressure". I do not know the difference.
Also you are going to burn a lot of propane so be ready for that expense. Like it was said above, convert to NG if possible. All it takes is drilling out the orifice a little bigger.

check out http://www.maplesyruppans.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=58
he makes a 17x34 pan that fits on camp stoves.

That looks PERFECT!

The thing I see that is different is that it must let more propane through, because the BTU's are 210k vs the 48K on my current grill. I bet it goes through WAY more propane, but at least it will boil.. my standard grill barely even gets it to simmer and that's only if I close the lid. I can't WAIT to see what the new one will. I would LOVE to get natural gas (to heat my home also) but its nto available where I live, plus the house came with a 1 year old oil furnace so it would be silly to rip it out.

That pan does look perfect however! Looks like I may have to get an RO AND pan next year!