Help with ideas for an evaporator

[malaclemys]

I have a stainless table top that is 72" long, 30" wide and 8 " deep that I want to convert into an evaporating system. I'm a total newbie to making maple syrup, have limited funds -of course- and plan to run 40 -50 taps with the goal of making 3- 5 gallons of syrup. I have extra stainless to make partitions, gradients, and subdivisions. How would you convert the table top to best suit my needs? Any help from the wise old sages would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,

[whalems]

Pictures would help. you could build a simple block arch and set the "pan" on it. you will need some type of drain on it as well.

[ADKMAPLE]

I admire your willingness to make your own evap. I have no desire to even attempt it. Once I ahve the funds, I will buy a small professional evap, might take longer though!

[malaclemys]

I have built a block arch and set up a flu to draw air out the back. I am going to weld a 1/2" coupling with a drain valve at one end. I also have to weld over the current drain hole in the center of the pan. How would you modify the interior of the pan?? I am currently thinking about having a divider that establishes 2 pans, one large pan with no partitions to boil sap and the second as a finishing pan with 3 baffles to set up a gradient that leads to my drain valve. Thanks

[malaclemys]

Here are some quick and dirty plans that I have in the attached file. System A is just a unidirectional and system B can be reversed. The arrows identify ports that allow the movement of sap/syrup. Which would you choose? Does this seem to make sense? What might I be missing.

[malaclemys]

Here are some quick and dirty plans that I have in the attached file. System A is just a unidirectional and system B can be reversed. The arrows identify ports that allow the movement of sap/syrup. Which would you choose? Does this seem to make sense? What might I be missing.

[Dennis H.]

I personnally wouldn't want the oulet out the front of the evap. It would get in the way of firing the evap.

On the second one how were you going to block off ports depending on which way you want the syrup to flow. It looks like you are trying to make a pan that you can reverse the flow to keep the sugar sand to a minimum.

[Thiems sugarshack]

I would have four channels in the front and then divide the sap pan in half the smaller channels in the syrup pan will make it easier to draw syrup just my two cents

[malaclemys]

Thanks for all this great advice.

What are the advantages of dividing the sap pan in half ? Should there be ports between the two halves??

Thanks

[3rdgen.maple]

Okay you asked and I shall deliver you my thoughts. First make the back pan a complete seperate pan from the front and plumb them together(reason-at some point in a short amount of time and several times during the season you are going to have to pull that front syrup pan and clean the niter out of it or you will scortch it. It would be alot easier lifting it off and and while i think of it put a valve in the plumbing between the 2).

Second run a divider right down the middle of that back pan(reason-1 it willl help you get a better gradient in the pan as it pushes sap towards the front pan reason-2 raw sap entering the pan will not kill the boil in the whole pan or rather it will keep the rest of the pan boiling hard.

Third depending on which side you are feeding it from have the raw sap entrance up front in one section near the syrup pan. ( reason- sap will flow as it gets denser from the front to the back around the divider and back to the front in second divider out to the syrup pan)

Fourth run your dividers in the opposite direction that you have them pictured. (Reason- this will put the almost ready to be drawn off syrup in the front running the width of the pan right over the fire instead of being off to one side)

Fifth have your drawoff valve on the same side as your raw sap input side. ( Reason- that is the side that you just pushed all your syrup to)

Six put a thermometer port right over the drawoff valve or next to it. Thermometers are pricy but if monies are not available now when they are you are gonna love it.

Seventh have fun building it.

Eight boil baby boil.

And just for the record reverse flowing in a small setup is just about worthless. Just not enough sap being pushed through them to make any difference.