To Chase or not to chase

[sweetwoodmaple]

I've heard of people using water to chase out most of the syrup from their evaporators instead of drawing off sweet and burning a ton of propane to finish.

I spend hours and hours finishing my sweet and have not tried the water thing.

Any opinions here?

Brian

[howden86]

I have used water to push out sap out of the evapator but this year I might try my finishing pan to see which one I like

[brookledge]

Another thing you can do instead of chasing sap with water is drain flue pan completely and fill with water. Leave the valve or plug closed from flue pan to syrup pan. Pour sap into syrup pan as you boil it down. When you chase it with water you get a little dilution into the sap especially if your pans foam up. I've done it both ways. Usually when I drain the flue pan and finish it in the syrup pan I begin to clean the flue pan while the syrup is finishing in the syrup pan.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Keith,

That is a great idea, never thought about it. :oops:

[mapleman3]

may do that myself this season... might be this weekend 8O hope not

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[sweetwoodmaple]

Thanks, everyone.

This whole issues is why (for the short term, anyway) I'm adding an additional small oil fired evaporator instead of going with a larger single unit.

I can use them in parallel during the season, then use the oil fired one to take the sweet down from both evaporators to almost syrup at the end of the season.

If I need a large evaproator in the future, I'll sell the complete wood fired 2 x 6, but only the pans from the oil 2 x 6, and replace them with a single flat pan to make an oil fired finisher.

Brian