Syrup Pan size

[sweetwoodmaple]

As I scout for a new evaporator in the coming years, I have always wondered the advantages/disadvantages to a larger syrup pan.

I.E. my evaporator has a 2 x 2 syrup pan. Some evaporator's I've seen may have a 2 x 3 for instance. The variation mainly occurs in the larger evaporators.

Any ideas here?

[brookledge]

With a drop flue style you have to be carefull on the length of the flues you don't want a long flue pan so that you are hitting the flues. With a raised flue that is not an isssue. Basicly you want the flue pan to be where the flame travels up the slope of the arch an force it through the flues. Usually the syrup pan is about half the length of the flue pan. Like on a 10' arch with a raised flue you might want to go with a 7' flue pan and 3' syrup but if it was drop flue would be better with a 6' flue and 4' syrup. Remember that the majority of the boiling happens in the flue pan and you want to still have enough flat syrup pan to have more control near the end. If someone is using an R.O. probably would be better with a larger syrup pan. The last thing you want is syrup in the flu pan.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you have an inferno arch, you don't need to cut your wood nearly as long as the syrup pan, so you could get away with a larger flue pan. If I were rich, I would go to a 3x12 with a 9' flue pan.

Don't need it now, but would be nice. :lol: :lol: :lol: I am getting my evap more efficient all the time, and I would like to get able to push 60 gph with it next year! :D

[sweetwoodmaple]

My flue pan has the fronts of the flues cut at a 45 deg angle. I think this gets the best of both worlds for me since my front pan is only 2' long.

At some point, you need to have a min length of syrup pan to avoid high density syrup from being in the flue pan.

Brian