Help Needed Soon

[The Maple Men]

So with some advice from this Forum i think i am just about ready.we started with a 20 x 20 shack 42x 12' evaporator with a piggyback unit 800 taps and alot of stuff all over the shack inside and out and this stuff hadn't been touched in 6 yrs untill we open the door in july. as of today we have about 600 taps ready to go. the shack completly cleaned evaportator cleaned and everythin else clean and put back togehter. it was a long tough rd as it seemed that when they were done with it the last time they shut the power off locked the door and never opened it or went in the woods again. and never bother to clean whe they had finished the season. but we got it all ready and looking new. Now my question is i fired the evaporator today for the first time all went gret execpt for steam issue. the flue pan has the piggyback on it so the steam on that end is taken care of the syrup pan has nothing. the shak has no coupla but does have a exhust fan at the oppisit end of the front pan that doesn't seem to get rid of the steam at full boil it is tought to see and after about 25 min. we started to get drips from above.

What do i need to do? what is the correct way? and for this season what would be my quickest cheapest fix?

Thank you All

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If the evaporator is wood fired and puts out a lot of heat on the arch and stack, as the building warms up, the steam will become less until almost non existent. I have a 2x8 in a noninsulated and no ceiling 24x48 building and with an attic venelation fan running yesterday, 2 windows open and a 48" walkthrough door open, it was still around 75 inside and about 28 degrees when I fired up yesterday more, so this takes care of the early steam problem.

[The Maple Men]

nope oil fired i ran it for about 50 min today and it was miserable with the steam i don't think i could tollerate it all season if i did'nt have too

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you have time and permission, add a coupla to the roof or a very large attic vent fan on the other end of the building or find someone who can fab you a hood really quick!

[The Maple Men]

how much bigger then my pan does the hood need to be?

[Sugarmaker]

M MEN,
If you don't get a hood or a cupola the steam will not get any better I would opt for the hood, but its about time and money.
Our front hood sets down on a portion of the front pan about 12 inches short of the front and 6 inches short on left and right. This hood has a 10 inch dia. stack and works well. check our web site for pictures.

Chris

[jtthibodeau]

Would adding an air intake (open door or window) to the opposite end of your shack help get the air flow going better?

[Haynes Forest Products]

If its all about cheap and now: I would get a sheet of corragated roofing from H D and some 10" pipe with a collar Under $100. Cut it long so it goes out over the oil burner. If you need to take 2 of them and screw together and put about 3 cross peices of copper tube or angle from one edge to the other like the string on a bow and just set it on the syrup pans. Run the stack out the hole at the end of the roof. If you get convection going it should keep alot out of the way. You could Y into the other stack. Make it like the old qunsit huts round dome with open side so condensate drips on floor wont be much once it gets hot.

[maple flats]

I agree. Make a hood even if the budget says super cheap. I have even seen one made of firing strips covered with 4 or 6 mil poly. Either go up to a cupola or put a stack or 2 to carry the steam away. Straight up is best but out end is better than nothing. A factory made hood for a16 square foot syrup pan would likely have a 12" or 14" stack. Leave the hood suspended above the pan so you can see and tend it, most of the steam will find it if the stack draw is enough. I saw one on a maple tour I took several years ago on a 4x14 that was all firring strips and plastic sheeting. It did go up to a cupola however. The "hood was slightly larger than the pans so condensation did not fall into the pans again, but rather on the dirt floor. And I might mention that this producer always earned some ribbons at the state fair for his syrup.

[maple flats]

I made my hood in 3 days time in between driving school bus. I had a trim brake which was really to light to work good but I got it done. I bought 3 sheets of 3x8 aluminum sheet (whatever the lightest available was, but heavier than roof flashing) I rough sketched the hood and cut the parts/bent them as needed one day. The next day i irvoted them together. I I also bought enough u channel aluminum for the gutter to drain moisture. I mitered the channel and used aluminum rod to join it using a map gas torch, much like brazing but in aluminum. It was ready to use the 3rd day and i had about $125 plus time. After starting to use it I did add a raising system with pulleys but it was usable without. I likely had a slight advantage in that I worked in sheetmedal for 10 years and before that doing siding and trim which only helped me plan the "how to" make it part.