Will this evaporator work well?

[rob1640]

This will be my first year making syrup. I'm looking for an evaporator and found this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v666/rob870/CLASS4.jpg

How well would an evaporator with four pans like this work? All the other evaporators that I see have one large pan instead of four small pans. Any information will be great.

Rob

[Clan Delaney]

Looks like a homemade rig, but still looks like it'll make syrup just fine. It'll just be in batches. I've only ever made batch syrup, but never on something that looked that nice! You'l likely want to add sap to the rear pans, and ladle progressively forward toward your front pan, which will hold your finished syrup.

And I'll bet that if you wanted to in the future, you could have divided pans made to sit on that same arch. If it's a standard size, you could just buy a pre-made one.

Is it wood fired?

[peacemaker]

being as that is i wouldnt add to the back i would ad to the front and work it back and then pull off and finish this why you are sreaming off the sap in the front where its the hottest just make the ramp about a inch from the bottom of them pans

[rob1640]

It is wood fired. It is made out of half an oil tank.

Would it be necessary to start with all the pans full because the sides of the pans are exposed the the fire?

Rob

[ennismaple]

You'll always get the best boil the lower you can keep your sap level. You might even be able to rig up 3 siphons between the pans so they'll always be at the same level. All you'd need to do is ladel off finished syrup at the front and add new sap to the back.

[RileySugarbush]

I agree with Clan that this will work well. I had four pans on a block arch for years. My hottest pan was the first or second from the back, so I always added raw sap there and finished on the front. With the hot sides it is better to keep them as full as you can without the sap jumping out too much. The extra surface of sap exposed to the hot sides actually helps the rate more than the depth hurts it. You are going to get some burning as sap slashes up on the sides. Don't fret. These rigs make delicious syrup, maybe a little darker but very flavorful. I miss it.

Do make sure the area behind the firebox is up tight against the pans as suggested. I'm not sure about the siphons. I've heard they don't work consistently because they get air in them after a while. Just ladle. Gives you something to do.

I eventually added tube type flues to some of my pans that really helped the productivity.

[gator330]

If you don't buy it I will!!!!

I bet you can make some darn good syrup on that. You'll have to spend some time watching those pans but it would work great!!! Not to mention durying the off season it would be great to host a party or two. Just add a keg/tap and you'll have it all!!!!

[Jazzman]

Is that from Atkinsons? It's simular to an evaporater I made a few years ago, it worked great for me. Where in Barrie are you?

Fred

[HHM-07]

I would hook all the pans together and put a drawoff valve in the very front pan and fire it up , bet it would work just fine


Dick

[Brent]

Rob

There are quite a few folks working with rigs like this and they obviously work pretty well. The question becomes how much sap, how many taps are you going to have to feed this. Consider on the low side how many gallons you will need to get started, an in or so in every pan, and you've got to keep that level all night, every night or you'll run dry and scorch the pans. ( learning when to stop feeding the fire before you run out of sap is a VERY important skill.) Then on the other side of the equation, will it boil enough to keep up with the sap you collect. Boiling enough is all about surface area of the evaporator, and why pans with flues are the standard, and pans with deep flues work best. You'll get more syrup per cord wood with a pan with flues.

Someone with more experience here might give a better number but I think this set up would be good for 25 to 50 taps.

For comparison the Leader Half Pint model has about 1250 square inches on the bottom of the flat pan and Leader recommend it for
15 to 50 taps. From my experience with one you'll have a few late nights at 50 taps.
http://www.leaderevaporator.com/items.php?13

[Justin Turco]

Just my opinion and a little bit from experience. But I really believe the sap/syrup will burn along the edge because of the pans being recessed. It won't be bad throughout the day while your adding sap to it and keeping it nice and "thin" but as it thickens and the sugar content starts to come up toward the end of the day and the depth of each pan starts to get REAL shallow, it will be a problem I believe.

The arch itself is really slick.

And as someone said, if you could ramp the inside and the sides with firebrick it would be as efficient as a flat pan can be.

I'd like to see it with one big flat pan on top.

Those are some nice pans though I must say. I'd of liked one of those for my barrell stove back in the day.

[RileySugarbush]

From my experience, four steam table pans with a blower under the grate and about half full should evaporate about 8 to 10 gallons an hour. Similar to a half pint with a blower. Maybe a little better. With flue tubes added to the two back pans I got up to 15 gallons per hour.

The pans will get some burning above the sap level. If you are going to finish a batch, keep ladling forward until you run out of sap. Lift and empty the back pan into the third and replace it with a piece of sheet metal. Repeat when 3 runs low. Then mix the last two and cook until done! Lift and pour. I used to throw a sheet of metal over the embers when lifting pans to keep the heat off my hands.

Those last two pans will get quite a bit of burnt syrup on them. It filters out fine. Scrape them out before the next batch, or if you want to start all shiny use muriatic acid (carefully) and rinse well. I only did that between seasons.

[rob1640]

Is that from Atkinsons? It's simular to an evaporater I made a few years ago, it worked great for me. Where in Barrie are you?

Fred

It is from Atkinsons. How did you run your evaporator?

I'm just west of Barrie in Clearview.

Rob

[Jazzman]

I had 3 pans on mine that I picked up at a used resturant equipment place in TO. On my first version the pans where set in the evaporater just like the unit you are looking at. I would drip sap into the last pan and laddle it toward the front. I kept the level at about 2". I got tired of laddling so the next year I raised the back 2 pans and joined them together with a peice of pipe and added another pipe on the middle pan to drip into the front pan. (syrup pan) I was able to get 7-8 gallons a hour. I will post pics (when my daughter shows me how.) I only had about 30 taps at the time.

Fred

http://s661.photobucket.com/albums/uu338/jazzman_photos/Maple%20Syrup/

[SeanD]

I used the ladle over method on a combo of flat and steam pans on a block arch. John's batch approach was my model, but to avoid the blast of heat to the face and arms that pulling the pans offered, I flooded the pans with water and snow. I filled it higher than the scorch line to give the burnt sugar a hot soak to soften it up. Between firings, I'd give them a scrape with my ladle or spatula. I won't get it spotless by any means, but you'll get some of the big bits off. If you want a spotless cleaning, use the muriatic, but as mentioned, be VERY careful.

Sean

[Haynes Forest Products]

I think you should put angle iron divider between each pan and then put a piano hinge on the pans and when you want to move the sap farward you just tip each pan starting with syrup pan first. I think a little sheet metal pour spout on each pan so you dont lose any to the dividers. I smell a patent application.

[RileySugarbush]

For all the years I cooked on my block arch/ steam table pans outdoors, it never occurred to me that I didn't need to cook in batches. I would always go through the finishing procedure I described at the end of often very long days.

Now that I have learned for all the wise guys (meant in a totally good way) on this forum, I realize I could have shut down and covered the pans for a day or two. It would have saved many hours and lot's of cleanup work every season. Also, I could have boiled for a couple of hours mid week instead of saving up for marathon sessions on the weekends.

[ontario guy]

i have one of these units for sale at the moment. They do work great for the small producer. The most taps i have done on this is 80. i switched to a 2 by 5 flat pan to make it easier since you don't have to worry as much about the pans running dry.(and we have 3 small kids so not as much time in the shack) Going to bed is your worst fear with the steam pans since the front ones will go down by 3/4 with a good bed of coals.

I found i didn't gain much in evaporation rate from the steam pans to my flat pan. but it is convenient, i can put 30 gallons of sap in my flat pan and stoak it full of hardwood before work and don't worry about it, then when i get home 20 gallons are gone... bonus.

The 4 seprate pans are great for under 100 taps because when you are finishing or when the sap is not running much you just take out a pan or fill it with water and you can keep doing this till you only have one pan with syrup and you can finish small batches... something you cannot so with a flat pan.

I hope this helps. I too miss those this setup.. probably because i had to spend more time in the shack... where we all really want to be anyway.

Mark

[rob1640]

Thanks for all the great information.

It sounds like this evaporator will work well and make good syrup, but will require more work to operate.

This evaporator is also available with a 2x4 flat pan instead of the 4 individual pans. Would the 2x4 flat pan model be a better investment? The cost is only about $200 more.

I'm sure which ever I choose I will need to upgrade in a few years, I can see that this may be addictive. My plan was to start with 25 taps this year but I have already gone to 50, by the time we're tapping it will probably be 100!

Rob

[Brent]

If the 2 x 4 pan has a couple of dividers to set up a flow I think it's an no brainer to go that way. You'll reduce the clean up time at the scorch lines in a 4 pan system and it will take a lot less input from the ladelling from pan to pan. Also I think the resale market for the 2 x 4 rig to sell will be a lot larger if you do upgrade as you indicate.

[RileySugarbush]

I agree with Brent. The flat pan ( if it has dividers) will be easier to use and clean. It may have a slightly slower evaporation rate but the ease of operation and cleanup will make up for that.

[3rdgen.maple]

Flat pan. I think you will be much happier. Especially if the pan sits on top of the arch not in it. $200 well spent.