Steam Tray Budget Evaporators - New Size Double Pans

[Conococheague]

I use 4 of the doubles that are 8" deep and I love them. I have a very large pan that I bent and welded up myself but the stainless sheet that I used is closer to .063" thick and it takes a tad longer to get it going and with the stainless but around the top I added as a handle it is heavy. I love them all. I was a little disheartened on one of my boils when I noticed the sides warping during the boil. However, once I was done and the pans cooled they returned to their original, perfect shape. I had two then I bought two more last year when I thought they were discontinuing that size. I use them all. I don't need any more but I'm glad to see that they are still available. Mine are Volraith and I bought mine on Amazon. Don't remember what I paid.

[Axle54]

Good to hear that u had sucess with double pans. But you say you run 4 of them. Thats 8 foot long. Or 4x4 depending how u have it setup.
Any input on your setup is appreciated sounds interesting.

[Conococheague]

I'm having a hard time finding the Vollrath double pans (roughly 2' x 2' x 8"). My old sources either say discontinued or don't list them at all. I'm pretty sure the model number was 92082. I have 4 of them - some of them are showing their age and use and I was thinking of buying a couple more as spares or for a new arch I'm considering designing. If anyone has purchased these recently, could you share your source? Thanks.

Conocheague

[Openwater]

I need some advice from anyone that boils in steam pans. I just built an evaporator out of a file cabinet which I have yet to use. I have 2 used full size 4" steam pans and a new 6" deep pan and 1 small 1/3 size pan. The top of the evaporator is only about 12" wide, but I can fit the 2 normal sized pans end-to-end and the 1/3-sized pan over the opening. I was planning on using the 1/3 sized as a prewarmer in the back and the 2 normal sized pans for boiling. What would be the best way to fill/load the 2 boiling pans? Should I just transfer sap from the prewarmer pan to the other 2 big pans individually, or would it be better to transfer sap to 1 big pan and then the next big pan, essentially using 1 as a boiling pan and the other as a finisher. I can post some pictures later if it would help.
Thanks
Evap.jpgsteam pan evap.jpg

[Gord]

I found this place. I wanted to add a warming pan to my evaporator. Good prices, but expensive shipping. Warming pan works great though!

https://www.hotelrestaurantsupply.co...team+table+pan

[Pdiamond]

Openwater,
How I have seen it done is how you have it set up. Using the smaller pan as the warmer other two for boiling. I would hope you are using a ladle when you discuss transferring sap from one pan to the other.

[DRoseum]

Since your small pan fits in the main arch and not over the other pans, it might be boiling more than just warming. If that's the case it might be worth using it in the front as a finishing pan.

[Openwater]

I assumed the back of the arch where the smaller pan is would be the "coolest", but not sure yet. I guess it all depends how fast the two big pans boil-off. I'm planning on keeping a pretty constant drip/flow into the warming pan from the bucket on the "shelf" which I figured would keep it from boiling too hard.
So, do you recommend maintaining both big pans with the same concentration of syurp? Or transfering/ladling sequentially from warmer to pan1 to pan2? I'm still planning on finishing in a pot on a stovetop.

[Gord]

Attachment 21878Attachment 21877

Openwater, That's a really nice looking set up!!

[berkshires]

I assumed the back of the arch where the smaller pan is would be the "coolest", but not sure yet. I guess it all depends how fast the two big pans boil-off. I'm planning on keeping a pretty constant drip/flow into the warming pan from the bucket on the "shelf" which I figured would keep it from boiling too hard.
So, do you recommend maintaining both big pans with the same concentration of syurp? Or transfering/ladling sequentially from warmer to pan1 to pan2? I'm still planning on finishing in a pot on a stovetop.

I think you won't know for sure which end is the hottest until you run it. A lot of times the very front is actually the coolest, because the middle of the fire is a few inches back, and the hot gasses are being pulled back from there.

Forget about a warming pan. If you can maintain a boil in all your pans you will boil off more gallons per hour than you would having a small pan doing nothing but warming things up. Then you want to ladle in sequence from the pan where the sap enters to the next pan, and from that pan to the next pan. Here's what I'd do if I were you:

[-][------][------]

Where the small pan is on the front, and the two big pans are on the back. Then you'll trickle into the back pan, which, with its large size should retain a boil. Then you'll ladle from back to middle, and from middle to front. Your front will be the syrup pan.

So the flow would look something like this:

[-] <-- [------] <-- [------] <--- trickle in from tank.

Does that make sense?

GO