Adding flues worth it?

[ronr]

I have a 22 x 60 stainless flat pan with 7 inch sides I made last year. I was thinking about adding 6 or so 5 to 6 inch deep drop flues about 42” long and was wondering if it would be worth the effort as far as increased evaporation rate? Do you think I would see a significant increase?

Also are my sides tall enough? They worked fine with the flat pan but maybe not so good with the flues. I guess I could add extensions to the existing sides.

[Sugarmaker]

ronr,
Added surface area is always good. :) Go for it!

Chris

[maple ridge tappers]

Why stop at 42"? If you are going through the work of making the flues, make them the full length of your pan. It will make a tremendous difference in your evaporation rate.

[ronr]

I thought I would divide it up into a 42" sap pan and a 18" syrup pan. I have seen commercial models with this layout.

[Bucket Head]

Ronr,

I second what everybody else said! Yes, do it. You'll be pleased with the increase in evaporation.

I built flues for my pan. And for what the factories get for pans these days, I would do it again for more gph. My original flat pan was nine inches high and I built six inch high flues. My keen 20/20 hindsight shows I should have gone higher with the flues and had more of an extension. The three inch difference I had the first time was not enough. I was losing sap in the rigorous boil area. I had to go with plan B and add extensions. Take a look at my photobucket pics. You'll see the original pan, flues, and my extension of the sides.

Extensions would be good. Six inches would work, but the splashing of the boiling sap gets messy after a while. Maybe you could get away with extensions for just the front half? Usually the most rigorous boil area is the first third of the pan.

Good luck!

Steve

[3rdgen.maple]

Great idea. If you have the tools and ability to do it you will be pretty happy with the results. Making a syrup pan and a flue pan is a bonus as well. A few things are going to happen. Your GPH is gonna go way up, by having a separate syrup pan you no longer are a batch boiler, and you are gonna be able to tap more trees. You are right on about having to extend the side as that flue setup will boil so much more aggressive the sap will be splattering all over the place if your sides are too low. Good luck.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Should work good, definitely would need some splash shields above sides as 7" is won't be nearly enough to hold in steam. Might want to design a 1 piece splash shield all around top of pan like the Leader WSE have on them so it deflects any splashing back down into the pan.

[sticbow]

I would also like to add flues to my pan. It is a 2x4 and is 7" deep. It is divided into three sections. I would like to add one flue per divided section and make them between 5 and 7 inches deep. Sound good?????????

[maple flats]

I would also like to add flues to my pan. It is a 2x4 and is 7" deep. It is divided into three sections. I would like to add one flue per divided section and make them between 5 and 7 inches deep. Sound good?????????

You should be able to add 1 in each outer section and 2 in the center. It will make a lot of difference in the evaporation rate.

[sticbow]

That sounds like a good idea. I guess I will have to do some fishing on this sight and see if any of the pan makers here in Wisconsin want to monkey with it. If I try it myself I may end up with no pan!

[metalhead62]

if i took a 2x4 pan made it a cross flow with 4 dividers could i put say 2or 3 1 1/2" copper pipes that drop into the arch area(as drop flues)into the back 2 dividers and then use the front 2 dividers as the syrup pan and what would i use to weld the pipe in ? ie brazing,welding or solder the copper to the stainless steel pan thanks

[metalhead62]

just a bump

[RileySugarbush]

http://web.mac.com/jabushey/iWeb/Riley%20Retreat/Sap%20pan%20construction.html


I used solder.

[metalhead62]

Thanks 4 the info and the pics riely