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Thread: smokey lake hybrid pro pan question

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    Canaan Valley, WV
    Posts
    220

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    Yeah, my first year with one, and found quickly it takes hundred of gallons before you draw anything off! Also when you shut down for the night, you lose your gradient because there is no shut-off between the sections in the pan. So unless you figure out a way to plug the holes in the dividers while still boiling you are gonna get mixing. Smoky lake told me they have had other requests about fixing that problem with some sort of shutoff. You can get consistent draws after a day or so though if you get it dialed in. (just small trickle long draws) The flue pan will start to get more and more concentrated after a few days though. I started cleaning the pan after each sap run since I have been lucky enough to have a few days down time between sap runs when it freezes back up. The first time I ran it for almost 2 weeks without cleaning and niter build up was so excessive and color of syrup was way too dark for the time in the season. I found a piece of 5/16 tubing worked great for siphoning the concentrate sap out of the flues before cleaning.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Lenawee county, Michigan
    Posts
    55

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    I have the Smoky Lake 2x5 hybrid pan. When I shut down I will draw off some sweet to re sweeten the finish section of the pan. But I also have a piece of ss metal that I place over the hole between the flue section and the front to keep the sugar in the front. I will remove it as my temperature starts to come back up on my next boil. This really helps my gradient.
    2013 25 taps 2.5 gallons
    2014 60 taps 9.5 gallons
    2015 12 x 16 sugar shack 200 taps 1500' 5/16 lines gravity. Home made arch, 2 x 3 pan and 18" x 24" steam pan.
    2016 2 x 5 Smokey Lake hybrid pan. Custom steam hood and float box. Number of taps yet to be determined.
    2017 Made 27 gallons. Added 60 taps on 3/16 lines.
    2018 Adding more 3/16 lines. Made 55 gallons
    2019 Added 4 totes for sap storage. Big shack upgrades.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Louisville, Kentucky
    Posts
    215

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    I use a food grade silicon stopper from https://www.widgetco.com
    I made a handle for it, and use it block the hole between sap and syrup pan
    Dave Barker
    2014 30 taps, steam tray pans
    2015 ~100 taps, in conjunction with University of Louisville
    2x5 Smoky Lake hybrid pan
    2022 150 taps

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Halton Region
    Posts
    47

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    When the pan is sweetened and I shut down I also get mixing of gradient but, 5 minutes after firing up it all settles back into the appropriate area of the pan. I also run at a depth of 2” in the pan and have never had an issue with pulling off syrup from 7 down to 6.

    To reiterate, I finish on a stove top. If you’re looking to pull finished syrup off of your SMH pan I don’t think it’s the right pan for that approach.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Ogdensburg, NY
    Posts
    113

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    I have a Leader HalfPint - first year was last season and I thought the same as you. Then I realized that the pan had over 4 gal. of sap to start and in order to get syrup that 4 gal was going to have to get (average) to about to 2-3 gal of syrup before the first draw. That is about 100 gal of boiling with my 3.4 sap. That's in a 24X32 continuous flow pan. Once I started drawing, and it was finished syrup, I would get the expected syrup based on the sap I ran through. The draws seem to be 1/2 to 3/4 gal syrup with a long boiling periods in between. Seems that the whole last channel in the pan gets to near syrup before the draw. Anyways, I like the system and get along very well with it. I drain into a 5 gal pail every 3 or 4 boils (that's about 200 gal. of sap) and clean the pan. Put that draining back in the pan to start the next boil. My syrup is mostly light. When done for the season, I drain the pan and finish on propane. I do take my drawn syrup to the house and bring to a boil on propane, check density, filter it and bottle it.
    Thinking of going with a Smokey Lake Full Pint Flue Pan to shorten my time in the sugar house.
    Last edited by phil-t; 03-18-2019 at 05:10 PM.
    2016 - helped at afriend with a small operation, 300+ taps. = hooked
    2017 - 20 taps @ home, 1 gal @ home on propane, then hauled to friends operation
    Bought a whole shack locally, with a Leader 1/2 Pint, moved it home
    2018 - 50 taps, 9 on 3/16 gravity and 41 pails -14 gallons of good sweet stuff
    2019 - 27 taps, 17 on 3/16 gravity and 10 on pails - 12-3/4 gallons of good sweet stuff (most fun I've had with this hobby)

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Erin, wisconsin
    Posts
    114

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    Thanks for all the comments. Boiled yesterday and all was good. Other than I didn’t get the thermometer dialed in exactly... I’ll have to work on that after the season again. It took about 140 gallons before it was ready to draw off but I pulled 3+ gallons off yesterday. Be patient and have confidence was the lesson learned.
    2014 - 15 taps
    2015 - 20 taps
    2016 - 25 taps
    2017 - 60 taps - added sugar shack and first evaporator
    2018 - 70 taps on Bags
    2019 - 90 taps - new 2x4 corsair with hybrid pro pan from Smokey Lake

  7. #17
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Cheshire, CT
    Posts
    385

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    140 gallons before my first draw is where I'm at. I also have a 2x4 hybrid. It can be frustrating after the initial boiling for hours without a draw. I've been using this for over 5 seasons and love my setup. I finish in a separate pan so getting close to syrup is my goal . I also draw off a 1-2 gallons of sweet when I shut down and incorporate it back into the pan when I start my next boil.

    41.457 x -72.907 148 elevation
    2x4 wood fired evaporator with the "Hercules Blower"
    hybrid pan and backflip preheater by Smoky Lake
    103 taps. 44 on gravity
    All sugar Maples
    7" filter press
    10 x 12 sugar shack
    two very helpful kids
    a wife that thinks I'm nuts

    https://youtu.be/7MiY8qzBKk8
    https://www.wunderground.com/persona...d?ID=KCTCHESH7

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