First Weeks Results

[Dan W]

I finished off this morning what I had done in the evaporator up to last night.
Ended up with a little over 1 1/2 gallons. I can only get about 5 gallons/hour out of this Half Pint pan. I can see an upgrade in the future. Still having fun though!!

[maple flats]

If you push it you should be able to get 6 gal. How small do you split your wood? How often do you re fuel the evap? Is the wood REALLY dry? I used to get 6 but to do it I had to fuel every 6 minutes, have the wood right there before opening the door, don't have the door open any longer than absolutely necessary, split the wood so it is no larger than your wrist and give it lots of air. This being said, many of use started on a half pint or similar and grew from there rather quickly. I only used my half pint 1 season, then went to a 2x6 for 3 seasons and then to my current 3x8. I do not plan to go bigger but rather plan to enhance this one with a preheater (started but not ready for thjis season) and then an RO. I do not think I will try a steam away because the numbers look far better to invest in an RO. This being said, if I came across a used steam away at a very tempting price who knows.

[skinny78]

I have been using my half pint for two seasons now. We put a blower on it right away the first year and this year I have moved the reservoir pan to a bracket I made on the back of the arch. I also made a better latch for the door and put a rope gasket in it. I get a pretty steady 9 gallons an hour evaporation.

[Brent]

we got about the same results with our Half Pint as Skinny did when we put the blower on it. When you go shopping I suggest you get a blower with a variable speed control. Start off easy and gradually increase until the amount of smoke and flame that blows out around the doors becomes intolerable, then back off a bit.

The other thing, if you have the factory preheat pan I think it is almost useless the way they deliver it. I does not warm the sap much... never got it too hot to dip a finger in, which is about 110 degrees. Also it drips condensation back into the pan so you gotta boil it off again.

Someone on this forum made a rack to set it overhanging the back of the pan and close to the smoke stack.

Add a bit of shielding to
1) stop it scorching the preheat pan right beside the stack
2) catch as much heat everywhere else as possible.

Good luck.