Turkey Fryer and Big Stainless Pot GPH Rates?

[sr73087]

So my season has begun and I am looking to possibly do my first boil tomorrow. I have roughly 9-10 gallons of sap from the last few days. How many gallons per hour do turkey fryers normally do? The pot is like a 5 gallon stainless pot with an aluminum base.

[325abn]

I suggest blocking in around the frier frame and moving the burner up. I used heavy hardware cloth to mount the burner on. In the end I had three turkey frier burners with a square pan. Lots of fun for sure!

[optionguru]

You'll probably get around 1 gph unless you enclose around the base of the fryer and pot if possible. You lose a lot of heat fighting the cool air and wind.

[sr73087]

this is the one I have. Do you think the windscreen should do the job or should I get something metal to make a box around the pot? Maybe like a piece of metal roofing or something similar.

http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-...3099635&sr=1-1

[optionguru]

I started with the same exact thing and my first boil couldn't figure out why nothing was happening. The wind was taking away all the heat, I tried a tin foil surround but that was a huge pain in the #$%. I finally gave up and built an oil tank evaporator. Others have used turkey fryers but used a steam table pan set on concrete blocks. Like the rest of us you'll get addicted and start the upgrade process. Good luck and feel free to ask lots of questions, there are a ton of great people and resources on here.

[OCHTO]

I used 2 turkey fryer burners with stainless steel pots that I kept half full of hot sap off the stove. I could boil about 25 to 30 gallons of sap to near syrup a day but that was from 7am to 10 pm. I did 240 gallons that way. Used a tank of propane every day and a half. I put a sheet metal skirt around the burners. That helped a lot. I have a fuel oil tank arch this year.

[SmellsLikeSyrupNH]

Last season I did the same thing as OCHTO...ran 2 or 3 fryers at a time, LOTS of propane, but I did 375 gallons in them. It can be done.....I put a plywood wall around mine to stop the wind. It helped, but still wasn't ideal....

[pip1972]

I used 2 turkey fryer burners with stainless steel pots that I kept half full of hot sap off the stove. I could boil about 25 to 30 gallons of sap to near syrup a day but that was from 7am to 10 pm. I did 240 gallons that way. Used a tank of propane every day and a half. I put a sheet metal skirt around the burners. That helped a lot. I have a fuel oil tank arch this year.

Hi OCHTO, I am relatively new to this form and my first year tapping. I have heard of others using Turkey Fryers and I have noticed that most turkey fryers use burners that are rated around 38K to 50K BTUs. Would it be beneficial to use a burner with 100K? Would using sheet pans or a pot be better? Quicker?

Thanks

Phil

[OCHTO]

Phil, I don't know how many BTUs my burners are but I didn't even have them on high to get a nice boil. Pot or sheet pan shouldn't matter just keep enough sap in it so it doesn't burn around the edges. I kept about 3 to 4 inches in my pots. Keeping the wind off the burners gave the biggest improvement in efficiency. I had it backed up to my deck door so I could watch TV and about every 15 min. check the pans. At night I covered my pots with tin foil and put them in a dog cage to keep the roaming coon out of them. The next morning I just restarted where I left off. Deck got sticky and wife got mad at me for tracking the stick onto her kitchen floor. Wasn't bad boiling all that sap though. Friends stopped over for a look see and a taste. Good luck!

[Lou]

Is bad to stop the boiling process and start again the next day?
I have 30 gallons of sap in my first 2 days and I have a 26 qt turkey fryer and fire pit.
Slightly nervous...