flat pan and or continous flow

[lastwoodsman]

Any advantages of a continous flow 2 x 4 flat pan vs a regular 2 x 4 flat pan ? Then going to a 2 x 2 finishing pan.
Personal preference or anything else one should consider? Any thoughts?

Woodsman

[Bucket Head]

Well, you would get a little gradient going with the continuous pan, but it would'nt be much seeing the pan is still only 2x4. You would still be finishing by the batch method, just the batches would be a little smaller, if I'm following your process correctly. Its just tough to "perfect" syrup finishing on flat pans. It takes a lot of boil time to get close to syrup with the flat pans. Any chance of buying or building a flue pan 2x4? Then you would have some serious evaporation and could finish with the other pan.

Steve

[lastwoodsman]

I have been inquiring about a new 2 x 4 flu pan as the previous owner of the arch had. No Christmas bonus anymore maybe tax return.
I do know a lot of guys out there use flat pans so I was wondering their procedure of a similar operation.
woodsman

[Bucket Head]

Woodsman,

I'm sure some others will share how they have their flat pans set up. Originally our 2.5x6 had two flat pans. Flat, with no channels or partitions- the front is 2.5x2 and the back one is 2.5x4. We always fed the rear with fresh sap and added to the front one from the rear pan. We would do this for hours and eventually we would have a "batch" of 5-6 gal. of either almost syrup or a little over syrup- it depended on how unaccurate our thermometer readings were, lol. Nine times out of ten we would have to finish it in the house. We would pull the front pan when it was "done". It's not the greatest way to do it, but we did it that way for years and it worked. So if the flue pan does'nt show up this year, do the batch method. You'll still have syrup at the end of the day!

Steve

[Gary R]

My opinion would be how many taps determines whats best. small amount of taps batch, large amounts draw off. I have a 2 X 4 1/2 flat pan with two dividers. I can establish gradient and draw of close to syrup (219). Your count is 75 - 100 taps. That should provide you with some long boils. With continuous flow you can concentrate on boiling as much sap as possible and draw of syrup or finish it another day.

[PeddlerLakeSapper]

With a flat pan in the rear your draws from the finish pan will be sporatic. If you use a divided rear pan your draws will be consistant.

The problem with the flat pan is sometimes the newer sap enters the front pan causing you to have to boil longer to get it to finish. While boiling longer the all of the sap in the rear pan is getting more concentrated. When you finally draw from the front pan, you will have another draw real soon.

The dividers will control the fresh sap because it has to go through the channels before it gets to the front pan.

Gallons per hour will not vary on either setup, just you draw times.

As others have said, if you go to a flue pan, then your gallons per hour will increase.

Hope this make sense.

Dave K.

[Goggleeye]

I have 2 2.5 X 3.5 flat pans with dividers and a SS short hose to connect the two pans, which gives serpentine flow from near the stack where the pre-heated sap drips in to the rear pan. I then have a draw valve at the end of the flow pattern on the front. It does take quite a while to get the pans sweetened, but once they are, I can pull in fairly regular intervals. It gets really close to being finished, then I bring in the house and finish on the stove top. I ran 120 taps on this set-up last year, and plan to run double that this year.