Hello from Indiana

[ericjeeper]

Hello to all. First let me say thanks for allowing me to join such a truly dedicated site.
I am married with three kids 21-18-16 gbg. My son loves to help on the farm. I got into sugaring just mainly to show the kids how it was done.The past few years I have done my syruping outside on a block and tin arch. This year I am going to upgrade to a home made half a 275 gallon oil tank setup. I have a 2x4 pan I welded up a few years ago.
I am a low budget hobbyist.So I am trying to accomplish two things, cheap and productive. LOL
I have plenty of firewood cut, Plus I got a big bundle of poplar 3/4x3/4 +-x 8 feet long. about a ton of it.. It will get a fire going really hot.. Yeah you got to stand and feed it..

I have a lot of questions. Not many syrup producers around here anymore.
Why do some speak of building an airtight arch? Then the next guy adds a blower? Seems to me you need to consume as many btus as possible to get the heat. So might as well use a poor sealing door to begin with. (My plans are barrel stove kit for the door.)
I designed and fabricated my outdoor woodboiler, so the 137.5 gallon arch should not be out of my grasp. I do plan on using a ramp to get the heat up to the pan and an 8 inch flue.
I plan to build a steam hood too as I will now be cooking under my 18x31 carport type woodshed. It certainly will be nice to be in out of the rain that always seems to fall when I get to cooking off. I will be building it out of aluminum brake metal. I am in the window business and have a brake and plenty of coil. I also plan to vent it with 8 inch galv.
I have read to put a trough around the bottom of the hood with a drain on one end to catch the water that runs back down the hood. That will not be difficult to do either.
Ok I will close this simple introduction that has somehow turned into a book.
Any other Hoosier tappers here?

[NH Maplemaker]

Ericjeeper, First let me say welcome!! You have found a great site.There is a lot of information sharing that goes on Here.
The idea of a blower is to put as much oxygen into the firebox as possible to make the fire burn hotter and faster!! The air tight doors are to keep all of this extra fire in the firebox and not blow though the cracks into your face and also into your syrup pan!! If you do search under evaporator you will find a lot of info on blowers and air tight doors. Again welcome!

Jim L.

[Dennis H.]

Welcome to the Trader EricJeeper, Yes you will be able to find the answer to every question you have on making syrup right here in the Trader.

Just like Maplemaker said, that when you are running a forced draft evap you really want and need an airtight front.
On my setup I use a barrel stove door and it is by no means airtight and I also use a leaf blower for forced draft. Once the rig is up and running there may be flames leaking around the door, it doesn't hurt any it is just a waste of good heat that I could be using to boil with.

[Clan Delaney]

Hello to all. First let me say thanks for allowing me to join such a truly dedicated site.

Good. Someday, and that day may never come, we'll call upon you to do a service for us. But until that day - accept this forum as a gift on this Martin Luther King Day.

That was my very best Godfather paraphrasing. Please don't hold it against me.

You're from Indianna, eh? You need to get over to this poll (http://www.mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=5188) and add your vote. There's only one other Hoosier on there! Unless that's you. :)

[dano2840]

well let me say welcome to the trader, you sound like a smart guy who knows his way around metal and fabrication, and can figure things out pretty easy, if you cant find the answer to your question on this site, then you just simply have to ask your question and you will get your answer ( some times you will get a 100 answers) but yes there are plenty of hobbyistslike your self, one thing i might add, your carport/ shed is no longer a carport/shed its a SUGAR HOUSE NOW!!!!!;) It will probably stay like that too,the other thing i wanted to add is that we all started as a hobbyist, i started with one tap on the stove at i think i was 11, i got bigger and bigger every year, now im 16 and am going for 600. once it gets in your blood its hard to get out, (i havent even tried) but youve stumbled on to the best maple site out there!!! welcome to the Trader!

[Sugarmaker]

EJ,
Welcome.
The carport should be a nice upgrade from being outside. and if you can control some of the steam in / under a hood it may keep the condensate from raining on your maple parade also. Have fun and make some good syrup for the friends and family.
I have seen some very nice barrel stoves and drum stoves on here too.


Regards,
Chris

[ericjeeper]

Almost completed. I have it curing in the box truck. I picked up 8 inch galvanized for my exhaust. I am hoping for a natural flow. I will post some pics at a later time.. Right now I am in for dinner in the midst of cutting out my 275 degree arch. It is in half and I am cutting the spare end out to weld back in to create the back wall of the firebox. I should be able to generate all sheet goods needed to build it.. I did scrounge some lightweight 4x4 angle to use on top to hold my pan. Currently 46° here but it is going to plummet soon.