Pan Ratio

[Amber Gold]

I was wondering what's a good rule of thumb for the ratio between the flue and syrup pans. I'd think you'd want the syrup pan to be big enough to ensure syrup is not being made in the flue pan. Also looking to maximize the length of the flue pan to achieve the highest evaporation rate.

Thanks

[maplecrest]

i have a 6x14 the flue is a 6x10 and the front pan is 6x4. oil fired. the front pan is too short. sould be a foot longer. the hotest part of the fire is under the draw off. if a foot longer it would be back towards the stack a little more and not so hot. so figure like 1/3 front than 1/4. like mine is. 1/3 front 2/3 flue', mine should be a 6x5 front 6x9 flue. i remember helping out a neighbor with a small bros 4x14 with a 4x4 front. this was raised flue. had to run real deep. tended to make dark syrup because front pan was short and seemed to fill all the way across with syrup and was hard to draw off. if was a 4x5 with a 4x9 flue would have worked out better and made lighter syrup

[dano2840]

the rig im getting is an 8ft raised flue and a 4 ft syrup pan. looks like im doing good, my dads was a 3x12 with a 3ft syrup pan and his never seemed to produce very good syrup, he would have long draws and syrup in the 2nd divider.

[Haynes Forest Products]

My 3x10 is 7ft flue and 2 18" syrup pans for 3ft of finnish pans and they work well. What I like is I can isolate the rig with stoppers for shutdown or cleaning. I have covers for each syrup pan and can close off from each other and drain and clean as Im boiling.

[dano2840]

i took a G.H. soule 2x4 out of the remains of my neighbors sugar house it was used as a finisher next to their 6x16. the arch needs new tin but thats not too hard, but on every 2x4 ive seen there is eather a sectioned pan(4ft) or a 2ft flue and 2ft syrup would this have problems with making syrup in the flue pan?/
i think im going to go with a drop flue, its going to look pretty dainty next to the 4x12 but i like it because of the $ sign on the door

i was told if the $ is cherry red then you know your making money!

[maple flats]

My rig is 3x8 with a 2' syrup pan and it works good. I have also had a 2x6 with a 3' syrup pan in the past which also worked well. I do like the 3x8 which is 75% flue pan (raised flue)

[Amber Gold]

Thanks for the info. I have a 2.5x6.5 with a tin flue pan. Next year I'm looking to stretch it to either a 2.5x8 or 2.5x10 depending on how much room I have after my first season. My fire box is 3' long and I have a blower with forced draft grates so I think I can throw enough heat to make the 10' work well. So I guess if I go 8' I'll keep my 2.5x2.5 syrup pan, but if I go 10' then I'll go with a 2.5x3' or maybe 2.5x3.5' syrup pan.

I think I've read that with the steam-away they tend to make darker syrup. Is this becuase they end up making syrup in the flue pan? I think it was maplecrest in this thread said that if the syrup pan isn't long enough darker syrup tends to be made. I guess if you drastically increase the evaporation rate of the flue pan, either with a steam-away or max flue pan, this may be the case.