Syrup depth

[jbutton]

What does everyone use to measure depth in your pan. I have a sl hybrid pan and I see they are selling a sight glass can be connected from the float box or the draw off. Tia

[littleTapper]

I looked at the prices of sight glasses, spit out my milk violently, and just made my own with some fittings and clear tubing. Before I fire up I fill the pan to the depth I want to keep and have two zip ties on the sight I set as high and low limit of where I want to run. Then it's simply making sure I'm in between those all day. Granted, I'm just a hobby producer. No float box, just a feed pan and this setup works fine for me. Rig runs nice and steady and I get consistent draws as long as I have enough to boil to draw

[jbutton]

Do you have a picture of that setup

[ennismaple]

We run 1" over the flues in the back and 2" deep in the syrup pan. The float in our syrup pan takes a while to react given the size of the pan so the extra depth keeps us from scorching it.

[jbutton]

Ok so how do you measure that. My flues are drop flue

[ennismaple]

Ok so how do you measure that. My flues are drop flue

Not sure on drop flues. Ours are raised so it's easy. We fill the pan cold until the tape measure shows 1" above the flues, adjust the float box so it's just closed and we're done. We put a black sharpie line on the sight tube so we can see at a glance where we are relative to where we started. When the feed tank is full the pan will run a little deeper due to the pressure on the float box. The opposite happens when its almost empty so you need to adjust the float a bit throughout the day.

[littleTapper]

Do you have a picture of that setup

Here's a pic I could find...

sight.jpg

[DrTimPerkins]

Just take care with small fittings/site tubes. Niter can build-up in the pipe before the tube and plug them, causing erroneous level readings (scorched pans anyone?). If you go this route, switch out the elbow right before the glass for a tee with a drain so you can open it every now and then to get rid of the sludge.

[littleTapper]

Just take care with small fittings/site tubes. Niter can build-up in the pipe before the tube and plug them, causing erroneous level readings (scorched pans anyone?). If you go this route, switch out the elbow right before the glass for a tee with a drain so you can open it every now and then to get rid of the sludge.

Good tip, thanks! I feed sap in right near the sight so i get next to no niter in mine (and do wash the pan a few times/season). But, I have to be careful where it runs in or it can affect the reading.

[mol1jb]

On our raised flue I just keep an eye on the float box intake tube (float side). I know that when sap is at the bottom of the intake tube it is 1/2 in over the flues. So I keep it about 1/4 inch above the bottom of the intake tube for around 3/4 in in the flue pan. As long as I see sap over the bottom of the float intake tube I know I am good.