Block Evaporator

[valleyman]

I'm in the process of building an evaporator out of block. Seems like it will be the best way for me for now. I'm going to make it 3 or 4 courses high. I've got 4- 12x21 rest. pans I was going to use until I came across someone on Ebay who makes SS 24x636 pans with a pre heat pan. All for 285.00 plus about 25 bucks to ship. The quality looks great.
Any thoughts about which set up you'd go with. Since I have the 4 pans I'm leaning towards that direction for this coming season. I just wont mortar the blocks and firebrick in place in case I want to revise the size for the "real" syrup pans the following season.
I'm figuring I will have aprox 30-35 taps

Thanks

[TapME]

mines not quite what your looking for but should help you plan yours. Good luck and any questions just ask. Look at my pics

[sticky mess]

I boiled on a 24 x 36 pan once, it worked fine for me. I had it on a homemade stove. It boiled 6 gallons an hour with not all that great of wood.
I also made a coil to go on the stack, this brought the temp of the sap up hot enough so you could not keep your finger under it. Have fun doing it!

[Gary R]

Valleyman,

This can be addicting:) I think I'd look at how many taps you could go to.

If 30- 35 is all you can tap, then I'd go with the new pan. You could also look around for a used one that you might find cheaper. After a year or so you could then look at building an effecient arch for that pan.

If you can get more taps, you will be tapping them in the future;) I'd go with the steam table pans since you have them. Then when your ready, find an even bigger pan with a good arch. Good luck and search the threads . There are lots on the different ways of boiling.

[StewieSugar]

I have a single 19" by 51" flat pan (roughly 2x4), and it works well. However, I boil in small batches, which means I drain my pan every day. To do so, I have to physically lift my pan off the arch, put it down on blocks, tip it sideways, and drain the syrup into a turkey fryer for finishing. The pan is heavy and dangerous with sap/syrup slopping around. I'm in the process of splitting my pan into two pieces such that they're smaller/lighter.

The 12x21 pans are a bit small, but I think you'll find the MUCH easier (and safer) to deal with than one large pan - particularly when dealing with small batches.

Also, if you ever feel the urge to expand, you can do with RileySugarBush did or KenWP is doing now by adding drop tubes to your restaurant pans - which will help speed up the evap rate. If you really want to expand, then you'll eventually want a flue pan setup that offers continuous flow.

Anyway, my opinion is to save the $300 and use what you've got for at least a season or two. In the meantime, save up the cash for a 2x4 or 2x6 unit with a real flue pan (that's what I'm doing...).

Good luck.

[Ahnohta]

If you decide to have a pan built, have a 3/4" pipe nipple put in lower corner to empty, rather then pour over the edge of pan. We had a 1/2" on first one, but on second pan we had built we put in 3/4". We wanted the syrup/sap to STAY HOT and get thru the filter as fast as possible.


Do LOOK AHEAD a few years on what you plan to expand to. You dont have to look way out, but planning a bit ahead, you can skip a few steps to the addiiction of watching tree sap boil faster and save a few dollars in the skipped steps.

We started w/ a block arch, and quickly moved from restraunt pans to a 18" x 60" pan on the block arch.

Then went to a 24" x 60" pan on a 265 gal. oil barrel, block lined. A 265 gal oil barrel is 27" wide, if you line upper rim w/ angle iron in, you can go to a 24" wide pan. A 24" pan is more universal to match other arches if you upgrade in future.

From here looking 5 years out oops 4 1/2 yrs out when we retire, we are looking to go to a professional type arch and continuous flow.

We started w/ a few taps and are expanding each year. de jevu

[KenWP]

You got me beat as I can't find the resturant pans in Canada with out paying 85 bucks a peice for them. Thats why I use SS sinks. They work well for me so far and are small enough for me to pour off when I have a batch done. With the drop tubes on two of them and one left in front to finish I should do okay this coming spring. If not will just try again with a different design.

[Gary R]

Most guys that use the steam table pans, continually ladle from the back to the front. At the end of the boil they would pour the pan in the back to the front and fill the pan with water to keep the fire right and not burn the pan.

Most of my boils end up as a batch. A drain is a must. After draining what I can, I lift the back of my pan, prop it up a couple inches and every thing comes out. I leave it in this position to clean it also. No need to move the pan off the arch.

[Fred Henderson]

Many years ago they used a siphon between a two or three pan setup. You should look into it. Might just save a lot of lading.

[3rdgen.maple]

If you are interested you can go to the Sugaring Journals section and open the thread auction relic and you will see a post where I described to KenW on how to build a siphon.

[RileySugarbush]

I think for siphons to work well they need to connect non boiling boxes outside the pans so the siphon doesn't get broken by the vapor bubbles.

[3rdgen.maple]

That is true but if you solder a bigger cup on the bottom it helps alot. It will hold back alot of the bubbles but they still are not fail proof. I will take my float box anyday but if I was runnig a flat pan setup like some of these guys I would ditch the ladle and run siphons.

[valleyman]

3rdGen Maple,

I checked back to the journal about how to make siphons. I assume I do, but do I solder the "caps" on both ends of the siphons. And What diam copper tubing for the siphons? Something like 3/4 and 1" for the caps?
Thanks
Valleyman

[3rdgen.maple]

My old factory made ones sitting on the shelf were 1 inch copper and the caps I removed and put the largest caps on I could find. I think they are 2 inch caps. Any cap larger than the pipe will work but I think the bigger the better as it holds back the boil from entering the siphon and helps keep them stable. Solder the caps on both ends to one side of the pipe and leave a gap on the bottom for the sap to enter and exit. Just keep an eye on them as once in awhile they will lose suction, but they are alot easier to use than dipping sap from pan to pan. I probably should sell mine but they look neat sitting on the shelf.

[maplesyrupstove]

Why don't the sap burn under the caps or why don't the pan burn. Darrell

[vermaple]

The horse shoes with the caps are in the boxes where the sap is not boiling hard.

[3rdgen.maple]

Maplesyrupstove good question. As already said they were originally intended to sit in a box on the outside of the pans where they are unaffected by the heat. I have seen and used for many seasons in the past these siphons directly in the pans and have never had a burning problem. I can think of three reasons why. Note that I said think. 1 they are not solidly in contact with the bottom meaning that they are not caked on the pan like niter so there is some room for sap. 2 I always put them in the corners of the pan where it sits on top of the arch rail so there is no direct boil coming off the bottom of the pan just the roll of the sap in that area and 3 I think the sap has time to cool to some degree as it makes the transition from pan to pan cooling the area a little. I have been wrong before but I never have experienced that problem nor my dad or grandfather.