Why would I make the grates with v down so they fill with ash, wouldnt it make more sense to have them v up so the ash falls down through for removal underneath?
Why would I make the grates with v down so they fill with ash, wouldnt it make more sense to have them v up so the ash falls down through for removal underneath?
And does the evaporator run hottest closest to the stack? Is that why the deepest flue pan goes there? I might have guessed it would be hotter closer to the door where the fire is and the draft air comes in. Almost seems like the pans should be reversed, flue by the door, flat finishing pan near the stack?
It seems the hottest area is near the back of the firebox. Not by the door and not by the stack. You get nice radiant heat for the flat pan above the fire. Conductive heat transfer in the flues further back. The grates should not go all the way back, only the first 20 inches or so.Originally Posted by striker3636
Also, if the flues were up front, you would be banging them with wood when you load it.
John
2x8 Smokylake drop flue with AOF/ AUF
180 taps on sacks
75 on 3/16 tubing with shurflo
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
The ash insulates the steel so they don't warp. If they are the other way, the vees fill up and block the slots in some areas, then the coals in that area don't get burned up and you end up with an uneven fire. I've tried both ways. Pointy side down work much better
John
2x8 Smokylake drop flue with AOF/ AUF
180 taps on sacks
75 on 3/16 tubing with shurflo
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Nice!! How good of a deal did you get on those pans?
Paid $1000 back in the middle of the summer, pans, arch, about 120 aluminum buckets, about half each of 2 and 3 gallons, covers, spiles, and a bunch of odds and ends like skimmers, thermometers, and a bunch of pre-filters, plus a couple of collection barrels. Seemed like a great deal to me since usually just the pails here are around $5 used without covers.
I would also make the grates 20" max, front back. Then make a brick wall to push the heat up to the flues, ideally with a slight slope rearward, the wall should end about 4" from the last flue and then be about 6" lower to give a chamber for under the stack. This wall can be a big U shape from front to back and fill the inside of the U with vermiculite, capped with iether bricks or a thin layer of cement to hold it in place. The stack should be at least 8' tall but if you need more that is ok, just no less. No damper in the stack. I also think that small draft door will need a blower, or make the draft door the full width of the fill door. Boiling sap fast reguires lots of heat. Then use good dry wood, split no bigger that a wrist size.
Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.
An extra piece of tin between stack and back pan will help prevent sugar from burning on back pan above the fluid level in the pan.
William
950 taps
3 X 12 Thor pans on a Brian Arch
CDL 600 expandable
That's a good idea, I have some heat shield I can use.
At this point, a good possibility would be to cover the back 10 or 12 inches of grate with bricks. Stack them right up to within an inch of your flues, and face the side towards teh fire and the top with firebrick splits.
That would get you where you want to be, with a reasonable sized firebox, and good grate and the flue gasses going up through your drop flues.
John
2x8 Smokylake drop flue with AOF/ AUF
180 taps on sacks
75 on 3/16 tubing with shurflo
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
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