questions on small brothers 2x6 pans

[dhbiker1]

I ran the evaporator for the first time last night and noticed a few things. I was about 1" over the raised flues and 1-2" in the syrup pan. I had about 150 gallons of sap and was boiling somewhere around 25 gal/hour. The one thing was that there was never much of a gradient in the front pan. Two hours into it I still hadn't drawn off as the density wasn't even close. I wonder if the sugar % was so low that it was messing things up. Is this the correct setup for the small brothers:

sap enters box in back of flue pan
flows through copper pipe out of box into front of flue pan.
other hole is plugged on the same side as sap enters syrup pan.

I have a sap hydrometer being shipped but something didn't seem right and I know I wasn't boiling rainwater. there was also a lot of sugar sand on the bottom of the syrup pan.

[802maple]

First I would drop the amount of sap that you have in the flue pan to 1/4 to 1/2" over the flues. that is plenty. I also would keep the amount of sap in the front pan closer to a inch. With that much sap you will have a large draw and it will take quite a while to get to syrup and everytime you fire it will mix back with the other syrup in the pan. Also what is your firing routine? Are you firng often or letting your fire go up and down considerably? A 2x6 is one of the hardest evaporators to keep a steady fire due to the size of the firebox. A person that can boil with one of them can boil with anything.

[maplehound]

You will need to boil 8 -10 hours on a 2x6 before you get a draw. Then you should be able to get a draw every 45minutes to and 1 1/2 hours. depending on sugar % and air density as well as many other factors

[dhbiker1]

I was firing about every 7-10 minutes and the firebox was very full. I have vermiculite in the back with fireboard on top that is almost level with the frame. I also had some 6 inch stovepipe with a small fan on the end blowing into the draft. It was burning very well with almost no ashes.

[802maple]

I would recommend not filling the fire box full, more like 2/3rds full. and fire a little more often, when you keep the level of the fire lower it allows for better and hotter combustion especially with your forced air. When I used to sell equipment for all of the companies including Small bros. part of my sale would include coming to boil the first time with beginners. It would take me about 2 to 2 1/2 hours before I would get a draw and then I would get a draw every 30 to 45 minutes after that. If it takes any longer then that you are doing something wrong. Being quite experienced at making syrup, I myself run the front pan about 3/4 of a inch deep and my flues are about an1/8 inch below the level of the sap. Until you get use to the rig I wouldn't do that though. If you can do this you will find that things will go much faster and you will also make lighter syrup.

[Hop Kiln Road]

Think about moving your blower to the other end of the ashbox so it pushes the heat toward the loading doors and the front of the syrup pan and getting a rheostat to control the fan speed. Right now you maybe be blowing your heat down the evaporator. Good Luck.

[Russell Lampron]

The sap should enter the flue pan on the same side you are going to draw off from. This gets the concentrated sap to come in on the opposite side of the pan that you are drawing off from. It takes quite a bit of sap to sweeten the pans the first time that you boil in a season. You are going from 2% sap coming in to the flue pan to 66% finished product. You may not have had enough sap to sweeten the pans yet.

Are you getting a good boil all through the evaporator? I find my evaporator boils better with only about 2 layers of wood in it. Like 802maple said lower the sap level in your flue pan so that it is about a 1/2" over the flues. I would keep the level in your front pan around 1.5" deep until you get used to it. Drop it down to an inch after you have made a few draw offs and get more comfortable with it.

Russ

[brookledge]

I think everyone pretty much summed it up for you. Start yo get comfortable with it and then lower your levels a little but only after you get used to the way it works. It is better to run it alittle slower to start then it is to burn the pans right off the bat. Give your second boil a try and see how that goes now that you have your pans sweetened.
Keith

[325abn]

Dont forget your emergency flood bucket!! :)

[danno]

Ditto all the comments here. My first year with an evap - I was convinced I could not get all the way to syrup without drawing it off and finishing it on a propane stove. It just takes awhile to sweeten the pan on that first boil. Once you make that first draw, the next draws come sooner - promise!

[dhbiker1]

thanks for all the replies. I see what you mean about once the pans are sweetened it will go faster. Just wondering when you shut things down do you have to worry about the level left in the flue pan if it is going to be cold? I assume the syrup pan is concentrated enough where it won't do any damage.
-The pump was still pulling some sap today while the rest isn't really running. Looks like I might fire it up again tomorrow night or friday before a week or so of cold and probably no runs.
-I go to UConn for mechanical engineering and it also appears my grades will be suffering worse than they already are. And its still ski season. Gotta keep moving!:D