Customizing a drop flue

[Bradenfish]

Has anyone ever added lengths of flat steel under their drop flue pan so you can run it shallower than the syrup pans? I am concerned that the flue pan to syrup pan connection wouldn't line up properly. Any thoughts? Thanks!!

[maplecrest]

was talked about when i started boiling consentrate to keep more sap in the front pans. the thought was to add 3/8 or 1/2 inch flat bar stock between the arch rails and the bottom of the flue pan. being a leader the rubber hose between the pans would have made the difference in hooking them togather. idea was to get more sap in front pans when drawing off.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Do you have a float valve between the two pans? Isnt that the idea less liquid in the finish pans so it moves in quick, consentrate and then out ASAP?

[dschultz]

Haynes,On a drop flue there's only one float for the whole pan.Not like a raised flue where you got 2 floats.
That's one reason why I don't like dropflues

[Bradenfish]

I'm trying to do exactly as maplecrest put it. I want to be able to run my syrup pans deeper than my flue pan.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have a drop flue and run 1.5 to 2 inches in both pans and don't see any decrease in evaporation and it is sure a ton easier to control the syrup pan as you don't see the sudden spikes in temperature as when you are running it at a low level.

[Bradenfish]

Last year was my first with my evaporator so i was trying to get it all figured out. I started at 2'' and wasn't getting very good gph. I went to 1.25''-1.5'' and gained 10 gph. Maybe with your inferno arch it doesn't make as much difference. Mine is just a standard arch.

[3rdgen.maple]

Haynes I have been trying to figure that one out myself. Why is it that you want more in the finishing pan? I know My drop flue pan was made to sit 3/4 of an inch higher than the syrup pan and I wonder why. The quicker the concentrate gets out of that finishing pan the better. I run the sap in the flue pan high enough to just cover the flues. and it puts about an inch in the finishing pan. I know I am pushing it but I am comfortable doing it and it boils like mad. When I run it higher it of course takes a little longer to get to syrup. Personally I love a drop because of the fact there is only one float box to mess up not 2. I also think there is less resistance in draft as the gases only travel straight through the flues and not have to go up into them and then down at the back and then up the stack. Then again maybe that is a good thing as it holds the heat in there a little longer. Darn it they are both great.
Sorry back to your questions. What is the connection like from the flue pan to the syrup pan? Experiment by getting some wood shims under it and see if you can make the connection without putting stress on the connectors or the pans. If you really want it setup that way you can get someone to make a new connector also.