My plan 2022/23

The weather improved a little bit, so my buddy and I were able to cut a hole in the roof today in the correct place and got a number of other things ready.

My neighbour was kind enough to weld the base stack base to the pan frame this evening. He is not a professional welder like my usual guy, but he did a good job and it is solid and should resist twisting.

Tomorrow we should be able to finish the base stack and stack and roof jack and then basically I will then be ready to boil.

Last year I had five test boils using water with the steam pans and last year’s version of my cinder block evaporator. I am debating have a test boil with this one and the new pan, but for some reason I am a little apprehensive doing it with the new pan.

I look forward tomorrow having a picture of the evaporator with the base stack and the new pan, however temporary the new pan will be there.

It's okay, it only gets better as the years go by and you spend just a little more money. But remember, "it's only a hobby, honey really it'll be fun. Just think of all the syrup we can make."

Gary, I highly recommend you do a test boil with water. You are not only testing the pan, but you will be testing the arch, stack and everything else. Making sure you have no leaks in your connections for your head tank to the float box and that the float box is functioning.

I vote for a test boil too. Better to iron out the kinks with water then with sap.

Sold, I will do a test boil next week when the weather warms up again and I can run my hose to add water to the pan and head tank.

The next two days will be above zero, but tomorrow is work day on the base stack and Thursday we have a ton of rain coming.

Next week will have four days above freezing, it would be nice to boil some of that in the new pan, but I will not go all in on my taps until I see what the weather will be from Feb 20/25.

Today we were above zero, but little sap ran. Tomorrow Saptapapps predicts a better flow. Next week more flow is expected. I am keenly aware that I am now 6 weeks since I tapped my early taps and there is a chance they are starting to close. I really won’t know until I tap my other lines and compare the flows.

I also vote for a test boil with water, and run it for a couple of hours. You have a lot to learn and the test boil will teach you a lot. And make sure you have an "Oh ****" bucket filled and ready. (Just in case). I am not afraid to admit I have needed mine more than once.

Today we got the basestack and stack all hooked up and I placed the new pan on the evaporator. I am happy how it will worked out and it sure looks different from last year’s cinder block evaporator.

https://youtu.be/aOxWVi6rPJk

https://youtu.be/L4oaXi4_D0c

The base stack, with the double wall pipe section and top pipe all went on basically as planned. I am sure glad my buddy, who is okay with being on roofs and has a lot of skill was with me, and we overcame any challenges.

The high temp silicone roof jack worked well. Thanks Pdiamond for recommending it. I am glad I watched you tube videos on how to install it and I had butyl tape for the edges, special roofing clear caulking, and the sheet metal screws for securing it tightly down. The roof jack was a tight fit and my buddy had to work hard to slide it down, in temperatures right around freezing.

The hardest thing was to get the double wall pipe onto the 8” base stack, but we got it.

We are going to have a lot of rain tomorrow, so we will see how good of a job we did.

I do not have a rain cap for the pipe as per the advice of my pan maker, but I did put a 5 gallon pail on it while it sits idle.

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Beautiful job on the videos Gary. Gotta love Canadian Tire.

I put the divided pan in place today. It is always interesting setting it up for the first time and discovering challenges. The clamps that are used to attached the drawoff pipe and float box, actually fit slightly below the base of the pan. It actually slightly raised the front of the pan and did not make it level. I had planned on having ceramic blanket strips under the pan, so I added the strips and that was more than enough for the clamps not to touch and the pan is now level.

I also discovered the back of the float box was a little further away than expected, so the rv hose I had purchased for that task was now a little short.

I also found that the drawoff valve did not extend past the concrete blocks.

I was going to do a test boil today, but especially because, I did not have the proper length feed hose, I will do it next week when the weather warms again. I am ordering a longer hose and a 6” piece of stainless pipe with 3/4” NPT.

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