My new sap cooker

[Jim Foster]

My first attempt at a decent cooker. The pan is mild steel, polished. 2'x5'x6". Holds 40 gallons or so. The oven is a simple cinder block type with sand down the blocks sealing off air gaps. The inside is lined with steel barn roofing to extend the life of it. Started cooking the 40 gallons at 3:30 or 4:00 and stopped just short of syrup at 10:00. Had a roaring fire the whole time. Cold spell just hit and now I wait. Will cook the syrup tonite and filter and bottle. Box Elder.

Jim

[crzypete]

You should get even better evaporation rates than that. Do you have a ramp? Also better to cook with not so much sap in the pan and add it as you go. I keep about 1" in the bottom. Standard rule of thumb is 1 gallon of evaporation per hour per square foot of pan- you should be getting close to 10GPH. A blower would likely increase that.

Good luck!

Pete

[ecolbeck]

Also a door to your firebox would increase efficiency as well

[Jim Foster]

there is a door on it, just all the way open for a hotter fire.

Jim

[Jim Foster]

I put some cinder blocks that the fire sat on to start. And as it filled with embers I knocked down the cinder blocks. The flames were covering the bottom of the pan really good. Never thought about just putting an inch of sap in...… I'll definitely try that next time! I filled it to within half an inch of the rim and let it boil. Thanks!

Jim