Water Jacketed Canner Question

[Dan W]

For those of you that have water jacketed canners, I have some questions. I have a local guy that does commercial stainless cabinets, serving lines, etc. I have a 15" square x10" deep finishing pan that I would like to convert to a water jacketed pan. I am trying to draw up some plans to incorporate this with an outer pan. How much space do you have between the sides and the bottom of the inner and outer pans? I have come up with some pretty comprehensive drawings but need to add some exact dimensionsb for him to give me an estimate. 120 volt heaters with a settable temp can be had for $160-$180 plus the cost of the pans. Has anybody ever looked into using wax melters for cannning? They are water jacketed, stainless, and heat to at least 200 degrees at half or better than the maple sites. Anyway, I need to give this guy some good drawings to get an accurate estimate. All input is appreciated. Thanks!!

[Haynes Forest Products]

Dan Before you get all involved in trying to build one look at a few other possibilities. Look on Ebay at item no 140370242597 its a water jacketed coffee maker that can bottle 2 at a time and still have hot water for cleaning. Its 3 phase but I believe the heaters are able to work on 220. The guy has been trying to get $350.00 for the last 3 months so give him a call and offer 250 and use the rest to fix it up. I have and use a similar unit and like the capacity and you can use the filters to get nice clean syrup:) Plus the guy is in PA

[Dan W]

Thanks for the tip HFP, but I don't have 220v availaible at the sugar house so I can't use it.

[Jim Schumacher]

I have a big water jacketed coffee maker and like using it. BUT, it has some major downfalls. 1) It has a 27 gallon water jacket, it is a waste to heat that whole thing up. 2) It draws 47.5 amps, had to plug it into my welder outlet in the garage. Range and drying outlet wouldn't hold it. A lot of sugar houses don't have the power to power this thing. (A home with only 100 amp service will struggle if any other appliance kicks on, dryer, water heater, range, ect.) I used the coffee maker to inspire my new electric water jacketed bottler. Please see the attached pics. This is why it is great:
1) It plugs into 110
2) It only draws 14 amps
3) It only has a 3 gallon water jacket
4) It has a 5 gallon syrup capacity
5) It has a filter tray that fits onto the top of the unit for flat filters
6) It, like most coffee makers, has a positive drain
7) It will heat the jacket and a full tank of syrup from 60 degrees to 180 degrees in 66 minutes..

[brookledge]

The only thing that will help you is if you are using it as you boil. Putting hot syrup in will keep the temp up some then you only have to use electricity to maintain the temp
Keith

[Haynes Forest Products]

But I wouldnt simmer it all day long just to bottle at the end of the day. I think/believe that its a matter of time AND temperature that can effect taste and color so simmering all day long at 120 degrees will thicken and change the color and taste.....BUT that is my opinion.

[Jim Schumacher]

In most cases, the syrup is finished and hot filtered right before bottling anyway right? So the electrical supply is there mainly to maintain. I have, however, used it to heat some dense syrup just before thining and bottling. I feel one hour is an exceptable amount of time to wait. Keep in mind that this is without a pre-heated water jacket. It is no doubt quicker then my big coffee maker. Bigger heating elements are available to fit the same port in these bottlers too. The one I tested is a 1450 watt. A bigger element requires a slightly bigger cord too, no big deal I guess.

[kirkhedding]

Jim,
Your tank looks nice. I've been thinking of building one myself. I was wondering. Is the space between the two tanks sealed? Why did you put the thermometer so high? And the last question. What type and where is the heating element?

[maplecrest]

as the years have gone by i have tryed gas canners, water jacket trying to use water from steamaway and preheater. but the best way to jug in the sugar house. is to run a loop in the flue pan. put your canning tank, coffe maker what have you on a stand or wall behind evap. i used 3/4 copper in the past.from the tank thru the copper tube looped the length of the flue pan out to a 1/2 inch valve to fill jugs.the boiling water in the flue pan heats the copper tube and syrup inside it. simple and works great. my new one is s.s. was custom built into the flue pan by lapierre. they thought i was nuts when i first asked them to build it.but not now. all quick coupled to take out and clean.turned out nice

[ennismaple]

Jim,
Your tank looks nice. I've been thinking of building one myself. I was wondering. Is the space between the two tanks sealed? Why did you put the thermometer so high? And the last question. What type and where is the heating element?

Our old heater was open between the inner and outer walls so it lost heat and took longer to warm up. Our new heater is sealed and therefore more efficient.

[Jim Schumacher]

Kirkhedding, this is a proto-type I made about a month ago. There are improvements coming. It is built out of 22ga annealed 316 stainless. There is some distortion in a few places, nothing bad, but I want it perfect if I ever try selling them. I never even polished the welds on this one. I had special heat-sinks and jigs machined to build them more efficiently with less distortion for the next ones. The jacket is sealed to the liner except in two of the corners where I have small holes to vent if anyone ever tried to plug the water jacket fill port. The thermometer is tapped into the water jacket, I wanted it about mid height since there is a 13 degree difference in temp between the top and bottom of the jacket while it is heating. On this unit I bought the element and thermostat from Tempco Electric. The thermostat didn't work. Currently a different company is building me a fixed 185 degree thermostat just for this purpose. The electronics are inside of a cover in the back of the unit.(see Pic) I also have some high-temp rubber feet coming that will be attached to studs in all four corners.

[SapZilla]

Here is a question... How did you seal a passage from the inner tank thru the water then thru the outer jacket without mixing the water with the syrup. seems to hard to do without robot welders. It does look beautiful, but any mixing would thin the syrup.

[Jim Schumacher]

Zilla, I realize the importance of sealing the water jacket separate from the syrup compartment. Thanks for checking it out.
Jim

[cshaw]

I also have a water jacketed coffee urn that we are converting to
electric. Purchased a heating element that is 5500 watt and trying to
find a thermostat that goes to at least 185-190 degree, 240 volt.
What did you put on your canner for a heating element and where did you
locate the thermostat ?