Damper in a half pint?

[Farmboy]

I have a half pint. I started boiling today. Should I put a damper on it. I had fire in the bottom ot the stack. I have really good draft. I think it was sucking the fire up the stack. This is the first and only year using this evaporator. After this season is over I have one of my dads friends selling me his 3X8 raised flue.

[KenWP]

If you think to much heats going up the stack then damper it. Woods not all that cheap to beable to waste it. And it cuts down fireing times.
After your done with that evaporator box it up and send it here. I will gladly dispose of it for free.

[johnallin]

Farmboy, I boiled for two years on a half pint and had a blast. At times I could see a cherry red "plume" coming out of the top of the stack it would burn so hot.

If bricked up right, your half pint should have a "wall". If my memory is correct, it's about 10" away from the back of the evaporator and directs the heat up to the back of the pan. Instructions say to leave about a 6" space between the top of this wall and the bottom of your pan.


I ended up with a couple of bricks on top of the wall with about 3" between them. For me anyway, that gave me a better boil in the back and kept more heat in the box.

[Eric Schoembs]

I have been running a homemade 2x6 flat pan rig for the past 2 seasons and have had good luck running a damper on the 8" stove pipe leaving the evaporator. I run a small blower which helps keep then temps up and the boil rapid throughout the pan. I monitor the stack temp with a magnetic thermometer and adjust the damper as needed to maintain a consistent stack temp even after firing. I have no idea how accurate the external thermometer is however the stack starts to glow around 650 -700 and with the damper I can easily maintain 600 which with my rig equals a rapid boil.

I think I spent about $10 for the damper and $12 for the thermometer.


Eric

Schoembs

[Ausable]

Hi - Sounds like Eric has it figured out. One of the jobs in my past life was a Boiler Operator in Electric Generating Plants - firing with both coal and crude oil. Your blower - which aids in combustion of fuel - is equivilant to a Forced Draft Fan and the stack damper is in place of an Induced Draft Fan. To much blower air and to little damper will tend to put the arch under pressure and fill the sugar shack up with smoke and going the other way and the fire will be up the stack and not down in the arch where it should be. ... I'm still trying to figure out my new evaporator and arch my Son and Grandson made for me and now I'm starting to think BOILER-- naw - guess I'd better keep it simple ----for now anyway.... Good Luck -- Mike

[Treetapper]

I have a full width damper 30" x 6" directly under the rear of the sap pan rather than in the stack. It is controlled from the business end of the arch. You can hear (the fire) and see the difference it makes in the boil rate. And it really makes a difference in firing times and amount of wood you use. My arch is homemade but the theory I think would apply to just about any rig.