Boiling Outdoors and Evaporator Lid

[Andy VT]

2024 will be year 4 of boiling outside (or anywhere for that matter) for me, and year 2 of having a 2x3 pan instead of hotel pans.
Since the pan is in the elements I very much feel the need to cover the pan when not boiling.
I wrapped a piece of plywood in aluminum foil for 2023 but it didn't take long for the foil to get cut and it had seams anyway, which I taped with aluminum tape but then there's the adhesive....
We go to so much trouble to have a stainless steel, lead-free pan, but what about the lid? I see a lot of plywood lids and other scary materials, but doesn't it seem, unless you don't cover until the sap is totally cold, that you would steam it up and have bad things drip back down into the pan?

Therefore I've been thinking of a stainless steel cover, but the ones I can find are about twice as expensive as my pan!
Any ideas? Sheet aluminum? For all you who cover your pans, especially pans that are not fully cooled at the time of covering, what are you using? I'm thinking of having a local stainless welding guy make a simple flat cover like my simple flat pan but dang it seems like something for a 2x3 that isn't crazy expensive must exist already.... but it seems not in my searches so far.

--The Maple Overthinker

[aamyotte]

If you can't find a cover for less money than your pan you could get another pan and flip it upside down to make a cover. That would also give you a backup pan during the season.

[maple flats]

Back when I had a 2x3 pan, I made an aluminum cover, with a vent stack. The stack was a 6" take off, then about 12" length of aluminum pipe and an aluminum elbow, pointed down as much as possible, I had some SS screen on the open end to keep critters out.. That worked fine. Then on my next 2 evaporators I made hoods, out of aluminum roof flashing, one a 2x6 with a 2x3 syrup pan which had an aluminum lid I made using aluminum roofing flashing, and a hood with an 8" vent pipe, up thru the roof. My next was a 3x8, with a 2x3 syrup pan and a 6x3 raised flue pan, again, I made a lid for the syrup pan, but this time I used SS sheet, much heavier than roofing flashing, and on the flu pan I made a hood out of the same material. The sheets were 3x8' and I used 3 total. I don't recall the thickness but it was the thinnest I could get and again, much heavier than flashing. On my next evaporator, another 3x8, but this time I had it custom made, a 3x3 syrup pan (on which I made a over sized 3x3 cover, using SS I got from my local sheet metal shop, and I used their big brake to bend it, and a 3x5 flue pan with raised flues 10" tall and when I ordered the pans I asked how much for a hood, when they said $1950, I said I'd make my own. But when I got to the factory to get the pans, they asked if I had made the hood yet. I said no, why do you ask? It seems they had a 3x8 hood, a demo unit in 3x8 which had some minor dents on one side. I checked it out, th dents were very minimal. I asked how much, they said $800, it followed me home along with 2 vent stack take offs with 15" SS pipe, and one had a locking heavy damper to control the steam in the flue pan. On all but that last evaporator I made the hoods and covers using my 10'5" aluminum trim brake, those using aluminum roofing flashing bent very well using that brake, the one I made using the 3x8x? sheet aluminum was a challenge on the trim brake, but I managed by making extra support on each fram arch to help keep the frames from spreading, and that worked, but I had to limit long bends from being over 45 degree bends. Those that had to be 90 degrees were all short enough that the trim brake was strong enough. For a drip gutter, I used 1x1x1 channel in heavier aluminum and I used aluminum pop rivets to attach it. I mitered the corners and aluminum welded the corners using aluminum rod and a map gas torch. It worked fine, no leaks, at one corner I even had a 6" spout to run condensate out to drip into a bucket.
You can do anything if you have a drive to do it!

[buckeye gold]

Way back when I boiled outside, I had a pop up tent over my pan. Outside it cooled pretty quick to the point it could be covered. I originally used a piece of masonite, but one day I saw a pallet of lexan polycarbonate on clearance and bought a sheet. It is clear, hard, heat resistant and cleans easily. You wouldn't want it on a hot pan, but warm is ok. This is the same stuff as synthetic bullet proof glass. I have had my sheet on my pan (even indoors) for years and it's held up well. It is expensive, so see if you can find it on sale or a cut sheet.

[DRoseum]

All great suggestions by other posters. I boiled outside for years and covering the pan at the end of the night was only half the issue. Keeping rain, snow, sleet out while boiling was the the other.

I bought a thin gauge sheet of stainless 304 (26 gauge I believe) from onlinemetals.com (pretty reasonable price) and made a lid (cut out corners and used a hand brake to make the bends for the side). On one end, I bent it around a small diameter pipe to create a trough with a lip that came back inside the pans that let me tilt the lid open without it sliding off the pan (and prop it open). The condensate runs down the lid into the trough and out the side when boiling and if you tilt it open slowly the next day.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bf37cr9GyOc/XHNXAZ_adFI/AAAAAAAAp1I/Lp_fldYzYWoRetQb2B3tkqYPEekrQq1aACPcBGAYYCw/s400/20190224_213623.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrFANIq4nwq_98tM4wK7zsfqVmjOxvPoyHM7QMIZ0Pt VI2pdZmpJ40ePz3m4Hd370hWCxHVyRdA7VroQcmdEpt20AAcZU 7s2Qh8NWp_PE8LcZBPm8MYah1IfmdtJkxnUuElRd_WfmDXhb4r OvloUzSA4vMT5afSYJRFERnGd6kauQy9HeDIafBmvlwfla/s944/Screenshot_20231031_073850_Samsung%20Notes.jpg

[maple flats]

On my homemade ones, the only one that was outside, by year 2 I had made a x16x24 sugarhouse.

[30AcreWoods]

I had a 2x3 pan outdoors for years. As explained here, I used a pop-up tent...but I also had a cheap, folding leg stainless steel table that I used to hold beer, testing equipment, etc. while boiling. When I was ready to shut down, I quickly wiped-down the table, folded it up, and set it upside down on my pan. Instant cover, multi-purpose, affordable. When I built the sugar house, the table went inside and is now used in there.

[ccmx1066]

I built this hood with aluminum flashing from the hardware store. I bent it using some clamps and a couple of 2x4s. I had to add some aluminum angle for reinforcement as the flashing is pretty lightweight, but it would do just fine without reinforcement if you were making a flat cover and it's relatively cheap. Works just fine to keep everything covered.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ec4uSa9xHEBFEW3t7

[Andy VT]

All great ideas for cover.
If the consensus is to not fear aluminum for a cover (even though we fear aluminum for evaporator pans), I think I'll go that route.
Lowe's has aluminum flashing up to 20". The Home Depot appears to have it up to 24". So close!
Anyone know of the existence of aluminum flashing over 24"?
Probably not, but it sure would be cool to have a one-piece cover!
But, 2 pieces can work.
My pan is exactly 24" wide.

Almost time to start setting up!

[DRoseum]

$67 for 304 stainless cut to 26.5 x 38.5. (A little over $100 including shipping)
https://www.onlinemetals.com/en/buy/stainless-steel/0-018-stainless-sheet-304-annealed-2b/pid/6823

Or, If you want wider flashing...
304 stainless flashing up to 36 inch:
https://www.metalroofingscrews.com/products/stainless-steel-flashing-rolls-bright-finish-26-gauge-10-ft-long

Aluminum:
https://www.metalroofingscrews.com/products/mill-finish-aluminum-flashing-rolls-24-gauge-10-ft-long?variant=35018326409370

(All Nearly twice as thick as the home depot products)

Stainless isn't much more than aluminum.

Generally you want to avoid dissimilar metals from being in contact with each other (galvanic corrosion).

Not sure what experience was from those with aluminum hoods in contact with stainless pans. Was there staining/corrosion of either?

[ebliese]

If you wanted to go the route of a ready made lid, check out Smoky Lake. But you may have seen it already. https://www.smokylakemaple.com/product/lid-24-x-36/

[Vtmbz]

i found a stainless steel countertop that i made into a hood for my old 2x4. I will give it to you to get it out of the yard. Im in Lowell vt. It has a 8” circle in the center for a stack. Not fancy.

[ProBoot]

Is this for storage or for covering while boiling?

for just covering contact an HVAC company and ask them if they can bend you up a sheet of tin slightly larger then your pan with a peak in the middle(like a house roof) and ensure it fits over the outside lip of your pan.

If you get any condensation inside the lid it will roll down the "peaks" and over the sides of the pan and not into the pan.

[Andy VT]

Vtmbz, wow, thank you! I would like to take you up on that. Would sometime this Saturday the 20th work?
Look for a PM from me.
Thanks!
Andy


i found a stainless steel countertop that i made into a hood for my old 2x4. I will give it to you to get it out of the yard. Im in Lowell vt. It has a 8” circle in the center for a stack. Not fancy.

[Andy VT]

Well, thanks to Vtmbz we've got our lid!
Was great to see your sugarhouse, too, Don!
We'll be using it as a cover between boils, not as a steam hood, so I might take the curve out of it so it sits flat, and cover that 8" hole with one of my hotel pans.
Like you said, we're making food! Stainless steel it is!
I really was not getting comfortable with the idea of aluminum or other material... though I would have done it one season if I had to...