Evaporator pan advice for block arch

[jimmol]

...Also you might put a sheet of metal on the inlet side of your arch as a damper; if we don't have a great draft up the flue, smoke will billow out the inlet side. You can adjust the position of the metal sheet to make sure that air only goes in, and no smoke comes out. I always try to find a lower cost alternative to buying new equipment. John

Thanks for the metal "front Door" idea. I was using several bricks that I would adjust to stop the smoke wisps and for some reason I put a piece of sheet metal on the stack side - maybe to try to keep the heat in? I really do want to move to a divided flat pan, however.
Thanks for the suggestion.

[jimmol]

Have you looked at any of the used pans Bascom has? www.bascommaple.com Many other larger dealers offer good used pans too. SS.

First I am tied to a limited size by the block arch I currently have - I wanted one that would allow me to use it with minimal adjustment. I did look at Bascom and tried to find other places which had used pans, but in the end the new ones I was looking at was the same price or less than the used ones.
Thanks.

[jimmol]

Do you have enough trees to tap to make going to a bigger pan worth while? 12 taps would probably not be enough unless you boil once a week.

I was trying to find a process so I could boil faster and with my current set up and what is available I had to go slightly bigger, by about 200 sq in. I want to spend less time boiling. The RO system I build cut the time greatly, but after getting off work, I am getting tired of staying up late to finish boiling the 2 day supply.
So I am going with an 18" by 34" divided pan from Silver Creek. I comes with a warming pan, which some say is pretty useless, a draw off valve and warming tank valve. I added a thermometer port and thermometer as I hope to get as close as possible to finish as I am able. I am modifying my block arch - ever try to get apart frozen concrete blocks? - and upgrading it. Next summer my boy hopes to build an arch with will put the warming tank behind the pan. Until then, it is what it is.
Thanks to you and all who chimed in. I will have some questions about my block arch mods in the next post.

[CaptT820]

I boil on a block arch with 4 hotel style pans right now but would like to upgrade to a larger 2x4 divided pan. I'd like to eventually go up to a non-block real arch in the future, so any ideas on really good quality 2x4 pans for my operation? We take in around 400-500 gallons of sap per year right now for reference although we RO'd it last year down to about 150-200 gallons to boil.
I'm just looking for a solution to simplfy the boiling process from having to concentrate the sap in the hotel pans. Our syrup tastes great, but is always dark due to the long boiling process.

Thanks

[TheMapleNews]

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Good luck with your season...

[jimmol]

There are many brands of pans that are really good in different ways at many different price ranges with various options as in thermometer ports. CDL, Bascom, Leader, Smoky Lake, Badgerland, Silver Creek and Vermont Evaporator to name a few. Finishes range from "brushed"(I forgot the correct name) finish to mirror finished stainless steel. There are threads that talk about which might be better. The higher priced ones seem to be thinner, better quality stainless steel and have a continuous weld all along the dividers.
For me, cost was important, so I choose a Silver Creek pan, which uses a good quality steel but it appears that they, as well as Vermont Evaporator, spot weld the dividers in place. It came with a copy/brass draw off valve instead of stainless steel. While it would be fun to get a new polished pan, I cannot justify the extra money. Then I think, "I am spending 450 for a pan, only 900 more for a Mason evaporator. Have fun researching.
My advice as a novice: What is most important to you? Finish, craftsmanship, type of welding, type of stainless, accessories included, cost? Start with what is important and go from there.

[CaptT820]

I think I have made a decision on a Smoky Lake 2x4 divided pan, as the price is where I'd like to be at $590. If others had to choose between adding a float box or adding a feed pan, which way would you guys go and why? I think I'd want to add both, but it adds $445 to the cost to have both. Thx

[ecolbeck]

If the choice is between one or the other, the float box is a far superior choice. A float box will automatically keep the sap level stable which makes forming and keeping a gradient easier. A warming pan has only modest thermodynamic value and must be constantly monitored to ensure stable sap levels in the pan.

[jimmol]

I have decided to add a float (after reading comments above) to my simple system as I will be adding firewood, monitoring temp, drawing off sample, checking sample, drawing off to the filter, adding sap to the warming pan, so I figured I would eliminate one step. Zack at Silver Creek made one to fit my pan and added an extra valve so I can remove it when it will be a hard freeze.
The hard part is the block arch. Four inch wide blocks leave no room for a normal floats drop down beneath the pan, so he designed on with a half inch drop - a little less than the gasket height beneath the pan.
I had to send back the thermometer and order a bottom mount - again, no room for a back mount.
Glad I left this thread open.

[jimmol]

Boiling on the Silver Creek divided pan update:
In the last week the trees produced 54 gallons of sap, 2.8%, which were reduced to 27.5 gallons of ave 6.8% by my homemade RO.
I started the sweetening process with 11.5 gal of RO which brought the pan up to 38%. I could have waited a day or two more, but wanted to learn how to run the new setup. I love the float pan.
4 days later I boiled the remaining and had syrup ready to draw, but I drew off a bit too much so I have a cup at 65%. Fine for me to use in the weeks to come. The remainder of the pan starts at 60% and goes down from there. The next boil should start producing a bit more syrup.
My 15 taps average 10 gallons per day on my vacuums.
One contributor wondered if the few taps I have would warrant the larger pan. Perhaps. I don't want to boil everyday. Ice blocks in gallon jugs can keep the sap below 40 and I store the concentrate in 5 gallons buckets in the fridge. But after 27 gallons of concentrate and a only cup of almost syrup I wondered if I should have gotten the 18 by 24 instead of the 34" long. But a shorter pan would mean longer boils to remove the same amount of water, I believe. So the pan is sweetened so I look forward to starting to draw off on a regular basis.
At lease I know that it will take about 55 gallons of sap to sweeten the pan.