Sap level

[caseyssugarshack93]

Im just wondering what should my sap level be 1/2 1 inch or what above the flues ?


Thanks nate

[Dave Y]

Casey
1 inch is safe. However with a raised flue the lower the sap level the faster it will evaporate. You can experment but be careful!

[Russell Lampron]

Make sure that you have enough sap in the pan to completely cover the hole where the sap goes out to the front pan. That way there will be a good flow if you need it in a hurry.

[caseyssugarshack93]

alright thanks that would be about a inch and i have a drop flue.

[HHM-07]

casey

It will depend on the size of your rig the smaller the more you will haveto run in your flue pan in order to to have a quick replacement when you draw off, you want some presure to inable fast replacement or you are living on the edge. I have a 2x4 and run about 3 " in the back pan , works for me

Good luck Dick

[maplecrest]

i have always liked boiling on drop flue. i always boiled very low until i got the steamaway. just about covering the back flues.that was with a 4 foot wide pan. with the 6 foot i have now, i run the fill side of the front pan over the intake pipe.with the 4 foot i ran it 1/2 way up the intake pipe. but things like good dry hard wood, a blower, sweet sap will make a difference as to how deep you will boil. no boiling day is the same.at the beginning of the season i run the float shallower. but as the season goes on and the sap changes i can tell by the way the pan boils that i have to drop the lever on the float to let more sap in.by about april the lever is touching the float, all it will take. the same holds true with r/o sap in the beginning of the season.early sap boils easier.

[Jim Brown]

We run about 1 1/4 inches of cold sap on the top of our flues .we boil with a raised flue. As the thing heats up and the ro and steamaway start dumping 10% stuff in to the flue pan we are now down to 3/4 of an inch of cover. Some one on here noted that when boiling sap with a raised or drop flue ,running 800-1000 degress in the stack base you are only about 10 seconds from a disaster at any given time!! They are CORRECT!
Casseysugarshack93 don't take your eyes off the thing. and we are talking from experience!
just our two cents

Jim

[Russell Lampron]

With a drop flue you control the level in the front pan with the float for the flue pan. If you aren't experienced with it it is always better to run it a little deep. Start with 1.5" to 2" in the front pan and go down from there as you get the hang of things. I wouldn't go lower than an inch even then. My evaporator is a raised flue and I keep the flues covered and that is about it. I never run my front pan lower than an inch. "Things" happen too fast if I do.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I run 1.5 to 2 inches and don't really see any noticeable difference than 1". But I am burning it so hard, it has to boil. I had rather be safe than sorry even if I am giving up 2 or 3 gph which I can't see, but I am not checking it that close. Do what works best for you and don't take this as any offense as it is only meant to help you. With your age and lack of experience on an evaporator, start out at 1.5 to 2 inches and then you can adjust from there as you gain experience over time. Last thing you want to do is to warp the pans or scorch 3 gallon of syrup and a scorched pan takes plenty of time to clean up.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Dito on the 1.5-2" level with all the things happening you will run the fill tank empty and panic and then look in the flue pan and really freak so runer deep and have fun. I can tell you from experiance that I have seen every producer in the area get sidetracked and screw up and its funny to ask HEY WHY IS THE TANK OUTSIDE OVERFLOWING or HOW COME YOU CANT SEE SAP IN THE SIGHT TUBE. And my favorite is WHY ARE THE AIR BUBBLES IN YOUR SYRUP PAN SO BIG AND SHINEY.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I boiled plenty in the past at 3/4 to 1 inch levels and I don't plan on going back to them. Evaporator is easier to control at higher levels and less headache.

[caseyssugarshack93]

So what do u think the best is 1 inch ? or inch and a half?

Last year i ran my evap way to high and never made syrup till all the sap was gone and it was so drak by then. i ran my evap where the dividor where it lest the sap into the other side right up to that top of that so it was about 3 to 4 inches high and i never made syrup so i think a inch would be good or a little higher than a inch like a inch and a half ?

i just want to havea good boil and make syrup..


nate

[maplecrest]

ok after reading your boiling experence of last year. what does that tell you. do not flood the pans. start off with seeing if your rig is level. i keep a four foot level on the wall and check the arch often. it will move around. that will tell you how much you can boil also. might need a little deeper to draw on one side and a little shallow for the other. start with 1 inch in the front pan. see how much sap is in the flue pan [drop flue] if flues are covered good to go. if you see metal fill til flues are covered. that might mean 2 inches in the front pan. that is a little deep.if you start shallow and just before your first draw let more sap in by adjusting the float. that will prevent you having problems with not having enough sap to push the syrup around the front pan. i always keep two pails of hot sap next to me when the first draw comes off for the reason not enough to push around or making syrup so fast that it can not come around and out the valve. at that point i start with my scoop and scoop hot sap behind the syrup to push it along. never pour hot sap on the syrup it will go to the bottom and burn.i use the scoop to try to flow the hot sap under the syrup deluting it enough not to burn and come around. if it gets real hot in the corner before the draw off box were it tends to burn and run solder.scoop sap from the far other side of the front pan and slowly pour it in the corner to cool the syrup making the 360 degree rotation to go out of the pan. [cross flow pans do not have this problem they draw off on the cooler part of the front of the rig]

[caseyssugarshack93]

Thanks,Maplecrest

[HHM-07]

casey

Do you have valve , gate or floatbox between your back and front pan, sounds like you may be running the same level in both pans. with small rigs you must isolate the pans from each other, ihave a 2x4 and run 3 inches in back and one section in the front the other section in front where i draw is 1- 1.5 inches
Dick

[802maple]

With a drop flue you can add a 1/4 flat steel along the top of the rail under the flue pan which will allow you to run a little shallower in the flue and still keep a deeper depth in the syrup pan. Due to the alignment of the connections between the front and back pans you can't go much further. The rubber connecting pipe will usually allow that much though.

[dano2840]

my dad has a raised flue and leader told him to run 2 inches above the flues in the flue pan and 3/4 - 1 in the syrup pan depending on preference

[Parker]

I think a lot of it is knowing your rig- if I tried to run 3/4" in the syrup pan I would not have a syrup pan very long,,I HAVE to run 2" deep in the syrup pan (wavey),, it is 5' wide-3/4" would not be enough to push the syrup out-bring the cool sap along behind it during a large draw,(I think part of that is that I genrally have uneven heat-rig gets hotter-colder-use an autodrw and tend to draw large "bacthes" rather than continuious),I like to run the sap 1" over the top of the flues (raised flue),,,BUT,,,you really have to pay attention to the sight glass,,,sometimes in the middel of a boil for no apparent reason the level in the flue pan will drop, and drop, and drop,,,,I have been told it is impossible,,but,,my preheater will vaporlock and no, to very littel, sap will be comming into the float box,,,gotta hold down the float and "burp" the line from the preheater to the float box,,,hot steam and sap will then puke out sorradicaly till regular flow returns,,,
When I am boiling I am always looking at 5 things,,the sight tube for the fluepan, the level of the almost syrup near the drawoff, the temp on the autodraw, the bubbels, and how much sap is in the headtank
When the sap in the headtank gets low I really have to wacth the sap level in the flue pan as the level tends to drop then also
If you dont REALLY pay attention to the levels in the rig (even at 3AM and you started boiling at 2PM) your asking for troubel,,,,,

[802maple]

Hey Parker,
Now it has all come back to me why I started using continous or cross flow pans. I do remember having to do all that.

You are right in what you say about getting use to your rig and paying attention. I like to boil with my flues showing, but I don't recommend that to the nervous type and ones that don't pay attention as disaster is lurking around the corner. Some equipment companys have the transfer pipe near or above the flues so you can't do that. I personally like a pan that the transfer is below the top of the flue hence it has to be raised flue.

[Jeff E]

I have to tell you guys that reading about evaporator use rather than tubing and collection efforts gets a guy excited for whats just around the corner!!!