How to shut down?

[wvsugarshak]

Looks like the season is going to end very quickly this year. This is my first season boiling with a flue pan and a syrup pan. What I need to know is how do I stop? What do I put in the pan when I run out of sap to get the syrup that is left in the pan that is not quite finished out? Do I use water to push it through?

[Russell Lampron]

You have a few options to choose from.

First you can fill your feed tank with water and run it into the evaporator just like you would if it were sap.

Second you could drain and save what is in the flue pan, fill it with water and add what was drained from the flue pan to the front as you boil.

Third you could call it a season, drain everything and finish what is in the front pan in the house.

And forth what I do is choice number one then when I am done I drain what is left in the front pan into 5 gallons jugs, top them off with concentrate from the flue pan and sell it to Bascom's as commercial syrup when I go to their open house. It usually gets me enough money to buy most of my boiling supplies for the next season.

[Haynes Forest Products]

When I shut down its shut down and get out of town. So as Russel said the 2nd choice is what I do. When the last drop drains from the head tank I keep a close eye on things and when the flue pan is hitting critical low stage I shut down plug of the flue pan. I drain the dregs from the flue into the syrup pans and fill flue with water and keep cooking till done. Drain it to the finisher and clean up the pans. Water and sap are not like oil and water you cant shove sap thru the evaporator with water.....nope wont work.

[brookledge]

You need to decide if the syrup you are making on your last day is desireable and you can sell it then it is worth boiling it all down one way or another like Russ described. But if you are making commercial syrup and you don't have a market for it then dump it.
For me commercial is worth good money. I see that you are in West Virginia(I think) so for you there may not be a buyer that would buy commercial grade syrup.
Keith

[Haynes Forest Products]

You can always use it as bear bait