Search:

I know this is an old thread but I'll add a picture of the one I built. 18X30 pan.
I get between 7 and 9 gph and use about 5 gallons of fuel per gallon of syrup.
This is my fifth year boiling on...

I made a mild steel pan. It didn't work. It would always leech rust into the sap while boiling. Don't waste your time and money, go with stainless.

Here are two documents that may help you OU

Good... http://wyndmoor.arserrc.gov/Page/1952/750.pdf
Better... http://wyndmoor.arserrc.gov/Page/1963/1860.pdf

I put taps in on January 12th last year and I'll be tapping to take advantage of the early season again this year. I'm only making syrup for personal consumption and when I have way more than I need...

The past couple days have turned sap flow around to the better. I figured this would be my last weekend of boiling, but the forecast is looking good next week. I may have to move some old taps...

I boil everything including lids. Some say not to boil lids because it ruins the seal, but I have never had a problem with lids sealing after boiling. It's just another step in ensuring that the...

I do the same as you. No filters, just gravity. I've never had a niter or mold problem re-heating to 180 and filling sterilized jars. I am meticulous about sterilization... The jars and lids come out...

Is your concern sugar sand forming in your finished syrup after you reheat?

If you only reheat to 180 any sugar sand if at all will be minimal and I wouldn't be concerned.

I always boil the jars, and heat pack. I've had jelly mold without boiling the jars first and I refuse to lose a hard days work for 30 minutes of boiling water.

Could you use melted wax to seal...

It's amazing how much sap flow can differ within a small area(CT). It's been a poor week for me so far. From 25 taps I collected 10 gallons Tuesday, 5 gallons Wednesday, and 3 gallons today. I had...

You could try to put a cork bottle stopper in the hole (you can find them in various sizes at most hardware stores) and then tap cork for a 5/16ths spout.
I wouldn't tap the tree a second time.

The batch I burnt reminded me of roasted marshmallows.

I test boiled for the second time tonight. This time I used an aluminum pan a co-worker made for me. Everything worked great this time. I was a bit more comfortable in the burner / fire box...

Nice! Now I know I'm not crazy... or at least not alone :)

My pan sits about a foot lower. Pretty much right where your barrel is cut. My test burn was around 6 gph with a mild steel pan. If your...

I hear ya... Thanks for the input!

This project started not because I needed more syrup but because making 3 to 4 gallons of syrup in a turkey fryer is time consuming and expensive and more time...

Thanks for the search terms... That brought up exactly the literature I needed when I started this project and couldn't find using conventional search terms. If anyone is interested here is some good...

The first test boil went very well tonight. The 5 gallons of water went from 50 degrees to a full boil in 2 minutes and was boiling HARD. I definitely think I need to back the burner nozzle down a...

Better Yet...

2nd generation maple producer
2,000 gravity taps for 2012-2013
1,500 gravity taps for 2011
1,000 gravity taps for 2010
3X10 darveau evaporator w/drop flu pan wood fired custom...

I was test firing it to determine the best place for the baffle as I wasn't sure what the flame pattern would be. I intend to fully line it with blanket but I can't find any locally that is...

It's not too heavy, more awkward to pick up because of it's size. I want to keep it light for portability / storage. I thought about wheels, but more importantly I need to add leveling bolts. I don't...

After boiling on the turkey fryer for 4 years, I've decided to try and improve my methods. It will be an oil fired 55 gallon drum with a pan size of 18X29 (mild steel). The picture is of a test...