Just a quick postlude to this thread. I successfully boiled on this rig until last year, when I bought a Mason 2x3. However toward the end it was pretty problematic, mostly due to the fact that the inside was uninsulated. This meant that the whole stove warped so badly that the front door didn't close properly, and eventually the pans didn't fit on top any more. But it got me through about five years! And made 13 gallons of delicious syrup. So very happy with it.

GO