New Pan and propane question

[Mboeselager]

I've been producing maple syrup for the past 3 years using 3 steam pans and a camp chef 3 burner propane stove. This year I just got my beautiful 2x3 continuous flow pan from Smokey Lake Maple and have a question for you experts. 1 tap about 20 trees and product about 3 gallons of syrup per year.

I plan on still using my 3 burner propane camp stove to put this 2x3 pan on. Due to the size the pan will only cover up 2 burners.
1. I'm nervous that this won't produce an even boil across the entire pan. Is that going to be an issue??
2. Would i need to use fire bricks to attempt to capture the heat better around the camp stove? any advice?

Any suggestions or experience from anyone using a like setup would be appreciated. Hope to use wood some year, but I live in the city where that would be tough.



Mike

[SDdave]

Mike,

You've asked some good questions, hopefully I can shed some light on it for you. Sometimes you have to use propane if you don't have wood. I live on the prairie so I use propane.

1. Yes
I've found that turkey fryers or like your camp stove, the burner has an effective range of 11" diameter. So if everything is centered than you would have a great deal of dead space. The sap will get piping hot in these areas, but you will not be using your pan as a continuous flow then, rather batch boiling.


2. Good start. Vast amounts of heat are lost out the sides, anything to retain the heat will only help. But please use ***caution***. I have said this in every response to someone that uses propane, so here is your on PSA. Excess heat will make any propane hose soft, pliable, and they will burst. I've had a near disaster.

Burners.jpg

On mine I used turkey fryers, each one 11" on center. I run a 2x4 SL continuous flow. Hope that helps a little.

SDdave