syrup in pan but not at exit

[maple sapper]

I have a flat bottom finish pan. The pan is propane fired. I have made various changes to the arraingement to put more heat under the pan i.e. skirting and ceramic insulation blankets etc. It always seems that i get syrup in the back end of the pan and not at the draw off end. When I got the green light to draw off, the temp goes up as hight as 221-222. I am sure its got to do with the fact that that end of pan is hotter from being next to the wood fired barrel stove on the end. I tried insulating between the two to make buffer. No difference there. I know some pans have draw offs on each side to prevent this problem. Any ideas on what else I can do to fix this issue? Or will i just have to deal with the issue. I may try drawing off constantly with a small trickle and maybe it will force the denser syrup down to the end.

[KenWP]

This may sound dumb but is it level so the sap flows the right way.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Ken did you really ask that question? Maple sapper just for S(*(*&(& and giggles put something on top of the flu pipe to restrict the heat. Sheet metal, brick anything to cover 1/3 of the flue gas

[PerryW]

If you consistently have this problem, you can try drawing off a little early.

Sometimes I notice that syrup has developed in and area of my syrup pan not at the drawoff (by the look of the bubbles) even though I am still a point or so low in density.

I will start drawing off early and repeatedly check my density with a hydrometer. It will usually climb up and I will get enough high density syrup to offset the low-density syrup at the beginning of the drawoff. If you guess wrong, you can always dump it back in the pan and try again.

[ejmaple]

i have a question kinda along these lines. this is my second year with a divided pan evap, as an example yesterday i boiled 120 gal into already sweatened pans and after repeated drawoff tests i never reached even 50% on the hydrometer. so i don't know if others do this but i have been closing off the flu pan in order to reach close to 66% and chasing it with sap from the flue pan by letting it into the syrup pan slowely.

[PerryW]

i have been closing off the flu pan in order to reach close to 66% and chasing it with sap from the flue pan by letting it into the syrup pan slowly.

ej,

You can certainly do this, but you risk the danger of getting too shallow, or (if you get distracted) forgetting to open the valve before it's too late. You also might try running your pan a little shallower, which will accomplish the same thing.

[Haynes Forest Products]

ejmaple Your not letting the rig do its job. What do you mean by 50% on the hydrometer. Dont draw off till its done and keep feeding the thing sap until its making syrup at the draw off. Your job is to keep the level constant and the fire up to speed and dont draw off early. Think of the rig as a carborator. What would happen if you stopped letting the float do it job. You opend the gas valve till it ran then you shutit off till is sputterd then on with the gas then off then on:confused: :mad: :confused: slow it down and let it work.