steam away pan questions

I searched around a bit but figured I'd ask.

1. I have a phaneuf 2x6 drop flue. with 2x4 flue pan will the steam away be compatable with it.

2. Do I need a hood with the steam away. if not will it make it less efficient.

3. my 2x6 without any alterations to it can boil on average 30-35 gph hiting 40 gph when the earth is spinning just perfectly...what kind on increase in GPH can I expect from a steam away.

4. Does the steam away tend to produce a lighter syrup both in color and flavor?

Just looking for options some time down the road other than an RO or a bigger evap, as I grow.

Steamaways can be made to fit any flue pan. They are all custom built per order. I boil for my neighbor now, he added a Steamaway last year on a 4x14 small brothers set of pans 8' flue pan. We added about 75% to our thru put. Leader says 65% I think in there catalog. The nicest part was the hot condensation water it puts out. We ran a 1 1/2" pipe at least half full the whole time we where boiling.

A steamaway can be ordered to fit any flue pan. I think a steamaway might work without a hood because it in effect is a hood arrangement with steam tubes in it, but it seems like a poor idea. Access inside the flue pan would be far more complicated I think. Why would you want one without a hood? A steamaway will increase your rate from 50-75% without any more fuel, just the power to run a blower. #4. NO!
While a steamaway is a great piece of equipment, an RO will give you far more bang for your buck. In your size at best a steamaway will add 20-30 gph and the same money for a RO will give you over 200 maybe over 300 gph increase. Look at Waterguy sap units and maybe others too in a good price.
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Yes a steamaway will work with your fluepan but unless you happen to find one that will fit it will have to be special made.

A hood is optional. Its main benefit is to get the steam out of the sugarhouse.

They claim a 75% increase in evaporation with a steamaway. At 30 gph without steamaway you are looking at a possible 50 gph with.

A steamaway might have a small influence on syrup grade but the larger factors there are cleanliness and a cold sap season.

With a steam away the best that you can expect is a 75% gain in efficiency. On some steam away/evaporator configurations the syrup will tend to be lighter and on others it will tend to be darker. A steam hood is a must have with or without a steam away. The evaporator will work without it but it is nice to get the steam out of the sugar house.

You will get the biggest bang for your buck with an RO machine. When I concentrate into the upper teens I can draw off as much syrup in an hour with my 2x6 as the guy up the road does with his 4x14 with a steam away.

thanks for the input guys I am OK for now but in a few years I hope to be up around 500-600 taps or so, slowly adding taps each year until I exhaust my property and my neighbor's property.

But just looking around a bit to see what some options are. I think once I get up to 350+ taps on vac. I will start to have some have some long boils and have to split that much more wood. Which I am planning 330-350 for 2012 and close to 400 for the 2013 season. So I am guessing 2012 will be my last year for just a stock evap.

Red be a man lol I will be around 800 this year with about 200 of that on vac and It isnt enough. I am still running mine stock. Yeah maybe Im stupid but last year I was bored all season with same amount just no vac. But to answer your question yes you could run the steamaway without a hood. It would be kind of a waste however to not put a hood on it after spending the amount of money on the steamaway because the effeceincy of it would not be up to par. If your like me and like the traditional steam filled sugarhouse then just run the pipe back into the sugarhouse lol. I personally have no desire for an RO. None whatsoever. Just something about them takes away from the satisfaction of making syrup for me. Like catching a big old fat wall hanger salmon that has no fight in him and all you do is reel him in.