First timer - Advice needed

[Rick_Seebeck]

I am building my first evaporator and have 17 taps. I have a barrel stove with bricks, fire grate, and a wall to direct flue heat toward the pan. I plan on cutting an 8 inch wide slot in the top of the barrel so my pan will sit in the slot. My pan is an old water heater tank cut in half with a valve on end.

Any advice on whether or not it will work?

[SapSuckers]

Welcome, I am sure it will not be long and you will be just like the rest of us and get bitten by the maple bug, and I am sure you will be looking for more taps and a bigger unit in no time.

Just some real simple advice to get started is to be creative, you never know what you will find that can be useful, and also never forget that you are making a food product with intent to consume it. Always keep that inmind while collecting, storing and boiling sap.

I would pick-up the book Backyard sugaring. It gives plenty of info for the newcomer. Also, this site is full of tons of tried and proven information in its archives. The internet also has unlimited info.

Good luck and enjoy, just remember i warned you about that maple bug!

[Fred Henderson]

Is or was that water heater tank glass lined. Most of them have been since the mid 50's.

[tapper]

Rick,

Welcome to the trader. There are links in many of the member signatures to site with pictures. You can look at the many different evaporators the guys on here have and get lots of ideas from them.
No matter what you use for a pan you want to expose as much surface area as possible of the bottom of you pan to the fire.