turkey fryer experience

[jordy95]

any body with exp on turkey cooker with how hard to boil and try to conserve on gas.i will post a pic some day with my set up thanks jordy95.

[wcproctor]

any body with exp on turkey cooker with how hard to boil and try to conserve on gas.i will post a pic some day with my set up thanks jordy95.

Just Boil and Boil and Boil

[On the ledge]

This will be my second and last year on a turkey fryer, I don't worry about how much propane I use. I enjoy being outside and make enough for myself with a little extra to give to family and a few friends . There are lot's of other hobbies that are a lot more expensive. So just have fun doing it!!

[jordy95]

I guess what I am asking is if I turn the heat down when it starts to boil, enough to keep it boilng but not on full blast will it matter as far as gallons per hour go vrs on the amount of propane used: for example if I leave it up on high I get 2 gallons per hour and 2 hours of propane use from a tank or if I leave it lower (still boiling) I may get 1 gallon per hour but 8 hours use out of a tank. What makes more sense and value for the money invested...anyone done the comparison?

[JohnsSugarShack]

I used propane quit a bit when I first started. Then went to the half pint which I sold in 06. Last year I made 2 1/2 gal on a dual cast iron burner which I bought from Cabela's, I believe I paid $60 for the stove. I could get about 13 hours out of a 20lb bottle of propane and boil as hard as I wanted. If I used the turkey fryer that I have I could only get 3-4 hours out of a bottle and not evaporate no wheres near as much sap and if I tried to turn the burner down the evaporation decreased dramatically.

[MartinP]

Replace the turkey fryer pan with a steam table pan and you will use the same amount of propane but increase your surface area and evaporation rate.
I used four steam pans and homemade pipe burners last year and wnet through about 60 bucks of propane for every 24hr of boiling.

[vtsnowedin]

I never did the math. Knew it was bad and didn't really want to know how bad. The noise is what turns me off on the propane burners. Maybe because the sound reminds me of money blowing away? Sixty bucks will buy a lot of wood.

[PerryW]

I would suggest running at full throttle. It is a slow enough process anyway.

One thing you can try to to NOT operate with the turkey frier FULL of sap. Evaporators run more efficiently (and make better syrup) when they are run shallow. Most evaporators run around 1 inch deep .

[briduhunt]

My last year with 2 turkey fryers I ran the units full boar. I did make the mistake of running the sap to deep but then again I just fired the units up and every 1/2 hour I added more. That year I spent $210 in LP and made 5 gal of syrup. The price of the $210 in LP made me want to switch to wood and also the fact that I wanted to make more. As I said I ran two turkey fryers and I had a spare tank that I was always filling one at least once a day.
You are right there are more expensive hobbys but this hobby is an adiction. Each and every year we always want to make more.
No matter how you boil it down making maple syrup is all that matters.

[jordy95]

it just seemed to burn more gas, and not evaporate much more sap.

[325abn]

Use some sort of flat pan, run it low and hot. Build up "walls" around the fryer base and pan so ALL of the heat and flame is hitting the pan. When I first started I used a turkey fryer but modified it and at one point I had three of the burners rigged up. Have fun

[jordy95]

thanks to all

[Ewetopia]

i agree, spearding the heat out over the bottom of the pan it is better for the boil. and don't heat a large column of sap, it takes too muck energy.

[Loun]

what about for finishing? would the turkey fryer be a good choice for that part? I was just about to order one lol. If not what is recommended for finishing after getting somewhat close with the wood fired evap? I expect maybe 5-7gals of syrup

[KenWP]

Works great to finish. You usually only have to bring the syrup up a degree or so which dosn't take long.

[stoweski]

And when finishing with the turkey fryer is it also commonplace to keep the syrup level at 1" or can it be higher? Will keeping the syrup at a higher level, say 6", turn it darker because of the longer boiling time?

This is my first year. I plan on using my newly acquired 1/2 pint to boil and then transfer the syrup to the turkey fryer. I also have a coffee urn that I was thinking of using to keep the syrup hot until I bottle it, this way I can filter it one more time out of the turkey fryer before bottling.

[KenWP]

You just dump in a gallon or more of syrup and boil it down to finished and filter it and your away. Pour it into the canner and get it to 180-190 degrees and bottle it before it gets cold and you don't have to reheat it as much either.