last boil

[chenango maple]

I have 2'x4' pans front and rear. Question is when I reach the last of my sap for the currrent boil, assuming no more sap for a few days, what do I do with the 20 or so gallons of partial syrup reamaining in the pans? Do you chase it with water and try to take as much near syrup off as possible and finish on the stove and write off the remainder? Seems like I could be wasting alot. The evaporator arch is wood but my finisher is propane and it gets a expensive fast boiling on that. Really appreciate any thoughts.

Thanks

[brookledge]

Leave it. That is what the term "sweetening your pans" is. As long as it won't be along time between boils jjust leave it. if you where to have flues you might need to watch it closer from freezing but you are good to leave it for a few days if you have no sap. If you have any valves or divider you may want to close them after it has cooled down to prevent the sap from mixing all together.
Keith

[chenango maple]

Leave it. That is what the term "sweetening your pans" is. As long as it won't be along time between boils jjust leave it. if you where to have flues you might need to watch it closer from freezing but you are good to leave it for a few days if you have no sap. If you have any valves or divider you may want to close them after it has cooled down to prevent the sap from mixing all together.
Keith

Thanks Keith. You were correct in assuming no flues. Both pans are flat. The back has one divider and the front has three. I was considering a shut between the two. Maybe I will install one. Unfortunatley no shut off gates between the dividers.
Charlie

[Acer]

I was thinking of draining the flue pan if it was going below 30 degrees, and draining the front pan if it was going into the teens. 50% sucrose solution freezes at 18f.

Whaddaya think?


Dean

[brookledge]

Dean
Once the pans are sweetened it takes several days or one extreamly cold night. I have had mine freeze up for a week before and no problems.
You certainly wouldn't want to do that with plain water though
Another thing I do to keep an eye on how solid it is getting; is take a jack knife or something to poke into the ice. Because of the sugar it freezes very flakey and as you dig into it you can easily see how solid it is getting.
If it does start to harden up start a small fire or some will put a light on in the arch
Keith

[maple flats]

In my early year I drew some near syrup off the syrup pan and dumped it into the fill side of the flue pan to keep it from freezing. I now find I need do nothing. I just shut down with enough to not run dry while using up the heat in the bricks etc and I leave it. I have seen some slight ice at 10 degrees but it is rather slushy and does not freeze solid. I do not know how much lower would be safe. If I have several days cold spell I go and light a small fire in the arch but do not boil. This seems to be good for up to 12 hrs at which time I do it again if needed. Remember, i only do this if temp is lower than 10 degrees F.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Try covering the top of the stack out side it lets alot of cold air into the arch.

[KenWP]

Lock up a trouble light inside the arch and the heat of the 100 watt bulb will keep it from freezeing. I used to wire a pig tail inside my cattle waterers and run a light bulb inside them and even in 45 below weather they didn't freeze up on me.

[Chad802]

I use Mr.Heater with the one pound tank. I put it inside the rig close the doors let go until the tank empty. Keeps everything thawed it works for me.

[Russell Lampron]

I just let mine sit there. One year we had a cold spell where the temps were below zero for 3 nights in a row and one day the high temp was -9. The flue pan froze solid with no damage.

[NH Maplemaker]

I do like Keith and Russ, I leave it and just keep an eye on it. If it looks to be getting to hard ! I just fire up just enough to get it warn. As stated earlier it is very seldom that you need to do that!

Jim L.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I would think you would need to be a little more concerned about damages to the flues on a drop flue than a raised flue.

[NH Maplemaker]

Brandon is right on about drop flues! But with flat pans I would think it will haft to get mighty cold to do damage!!

Jim L.