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Thread: Drop Flue with Muffin Pans?!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Nashua NH
    Posts
    19

    Default Drop Flue with Muffin Pans?!

    Hey everyone,

    I am a long time reader here with a backyard operation in Nashua NH. I had 35 buckets and a evaporator with a 2 by 2 pan and 2 by 4 flat pan. I have been trying to figure out how to increase my evaporation rate. I have wanted to try drop flues in by upper pan but the task is beyond me. I have zippo welding skills. All my metal work was done with a hacksaw thus far.

    A week ago, I had an idea. King size muffin pans are like ready made drop flues! They muffin pan has six "wells" for muffins. Each well in a king size pan is 3.25 inches deep and 3.5 in diameter. The overall pans are 14 by 9 so I could fit four into my 2 by 4 evaporator pan.

    The question is how to connect the muffin pans to the evaporator pan. I plan to cut a hole in the evaporator pan large enough to just fit the muffin pan so the lip of the muffin pan rests on the bottom of the evaporator pan. But then what? How can I make the connection water tight? I found some high temp food grade sealant, which I can compress between the two pans. But will that work? If not, are there any other options??

    As you would guess, I do not want to take the hacksaw to my pan until I know I can seal up the hole I cut. Any and all advice would be appreciate.
    Urban Mapler

    2014 upgraded to an antique leader 2 by 8 drop flue pan! Yikes, I need more sap.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    hopkinton nh
    Posts
    1,116

    Default

    thats a really good idea...now you got me thinking! you could solder it but i dont know if it would melt or not. you could also put drop tubes in your pan. rileysugarbush did this and has some pics of one. all it really is is you cut holes in your pan and get copper tubes and solder them in and put caps on the bottom. usually they are about 6" long and an inch in diameter. that tripples your boil rate in that pan to. hope this helps and makes sence.

    spencer
    Spencer Carney
    350 taps
    phaneuf 2x4 with hybrid pan
    2-350 gal, 5-55 gal drums, and a cage tank

    only 16 yr old at school making syrup!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carney...3279081?ref=hl

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Eden Prairie, MN
    Posts
    1,636

    Default

    What are your muffin pans made of? That will be one of the things to figure how you seal them up to the bottom of a pan. I like your creative thinking!

    If you want to look at the drop tubes, many have had good success with them. I sure did. They are pretty easy to do and only involve a little soldering.
    John
    2x8 Smokylake drop flue with AOF/ AUF
    180 taps on sacks
    75 on 3/16 tubing with shurflo
    Eden Prairie, Minnesota

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    hopkinton nh
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    how much would that increase your boil rate? if i did my math right it would be about a 2 gph increase? it dosent sem like it would be worth it if i did do my math right... about 1 gph per 1 sq. ft. right?

    spencer
    Spencer Carney
    350 taps
    phaneuf 2x4 with hybrid pan
    2-350 gal, 5-55 gal drums, and a cage tank

    only 16 yr old at school making syrup!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carney...3279081?ref=hl

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Glennie, Michigan
    Posts
    1,266

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    Hey Urban - Something very important that You did not mention. Do either one of the two pans you now have - have deviders in them? 2'x6' is a good overall surface area for boiling - divided pans that are interconnected would be an easier build then adding muffin pans for a drop flue effect. Drop flues in the sap pan would be a plus but so would devided pans with the channels interconnected for a flow thru setup --- just a thought ---Mike---

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    hopkinton nh
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    Default

    do dividers up your boil rate or just make it a continous boild instead of batch boiling?

    spencer
    Spencer Carney
    350 taps
    phaneuf 2x4 with hybrid pan
    2-350 gal, 5-55 gal drums, and a cage tank

    only 16 yr old at school making syrup!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carney...3279081?ref=hl

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Bethany, Connecticut
    Posts
    177

    Default

    It makes you draw off less but more frequent. It also reduces boil kill when cold sap is added.
    Lapierre 24"x 60" all ss w/ AUF; Hommade hoods and preheater
    CDL 250gph Reverse Osmosis
    10'x20' shack
    SDS (Sap Delivery System)
    Lifted Duramax (Sap hauler)
    About 350 taps on vacuum
    www.joesshackmaplesyrup.com
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmWWq...ilepage#t=148s

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    hopkinton nh
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    Default

    thats what i thought. i would put dividers in your pan but i dont think the muffin pan flue idea is worth the work. just my .02.

    spencer
    Spencer Carney
    350 taps
    phaneuf 2x4 with hybrid pan
    2-350 gal, 5-55 gal drums, and a cage tank

    only 16 yr old at school making syrup!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carney...3279081?ref=hl

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Glennie, Michigan
    Posts
    1,266

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    Spencer and Jec --- I see You both have 2'x5' evaporators and so do I. Mine is divided and homemade with a fuel oil tank arch. Sap Pan is 2'x2' has one divider (2 channels 12"x24") and the Syrup Pan is 2'x3' has two dividers (3 channels 8"x36") and all interconnected. Add sap in the first sap channel and draw off at the last syrup channel and yes it is more efficient then the batch method as you probably know. This year I have to figure my gph boil off rate so I make more sense - lol ---Mike---

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    129

    Default

    Would you use the muffin pans as a raised flue or a drop flue ? what would work better you guys have me thinking.

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