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Thread: Chimney Cap question

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
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    Westfield, MA
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    Came across this thread after my first boil challenges. Smoke? Oh there was smoke, and lots of back pressure.. Took apart the stack yesterday and the cap was chock-full of gunk, restricting flow. Took it off entirely and will rebuild the stack today sealing all the seams with furnace cement and changing from a 2' length out the back directly to the 45, then three feet pipe, the other 45 and keep the four foot upright with no cap. Hoping for the best. Ordered a new/longer setup yesterday where the upright will be 2, 4-foot sections with a different style cap. Think I'll try a boil without the new cap first but don't really have ladder long enough to get me up there so might just pull out the screen before installing. I have time to think on that one.
    2024 - Starting with the 25 then more late Feb.
    2023 - 25 taps on 11 trees to focus on the process. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast in April
    2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
    2021 - 20 x 30 divided pan on a Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons for family and friends to judge. Dad hooked as well.
    2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer, About 3/4 pint syrup in two weeks - Proof of concept!

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Greenwood, Me
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    Why do you have a cap? It's my understanding a cap will impede the draft
    2024 - New Maine resident, 12X12 sugar shack under construction
    2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
    2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO

  3. #13
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    Jan 2014
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    Pomfret in North East CT
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    40

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    I tried adding a screen at the top of my stack once as a spark arrestor. It sooted up quickly and stopped the boil...
    never again.
    2020 ~New Smokey Lake Dauntless w/flat pan
    Home made coil pre heater
    40 taps on drop lines
    7 on hanging buckets

  4. #14
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    Mar 2020
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    Westfield, MA
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    Quote Originally Posted by woodguyrob View Post
    I tried adding a screen at the top of my stack once as a spark arrestor. It sooted up quickly and stopped the boil...
    never again.
    That was my thought process on the cap - a spark arrestor. Had a couple campfires get out of hand as a kid and have since been extra cautious as a result. But yeah it sooted up and while I did have a "boil" it wasn't rolling. Hoping the removal makes the difference.
    2024 - Starting with the 25 then more late Feb.
    2023 - 25 taps on 11 trees to focus on the process. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast in April
    2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
    2021 - 20 x 30 divided pan on a Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons for family and friends to judge. Dad hooked as well.
    2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer, About 3/4 pint syrup in two weeks - Proof of concept!

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    159

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aaron Stack View Post
    Think I'll try a boil without the new cap first but don't really have ladder long enough to get me up there so might just pull out the screen before installing. I have time to think on that one.
    My plan was to fashion a cap that I can put on and take off with a really long pole. Haven’t gotten to it yet, but that was the idea. Primarily to keep the rain out and keep it from rusting.
    2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
    2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
    2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
    2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
    2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Greenwood, Me
    Posts
    974

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    I throw an old galvy bucket over the top of the chimney between boils.

    I suspect you're going to get rust anyways unless the stack is stainless. Remember, Rust Never Sleeps.
    2024 - New Maine resident, 12X12 sugar shack under construction
    2019 - New 12X12 boiling pavilion
    2018 - New Mason 2X3 Hobby XL and homemade RO

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Westfield, MA
    Posts
    174

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    New chimney is dripping in via FedEx one piece at a time and have sap to boil (though it might be a block of ice in the morning). Had a small hour and a half boil Thursday without the cap and with the blower. Much better results. Hit my ten GPH goal and probably exceeded that so boiling-wise I was pretty happy. Temp got only as high as 450 and the exit run was cherry red with flames out the top and eventually split at the seam (it's one of those snap connection pieces from Depot). McGiever'd three hose clamps to close that seam for now. The new one is 24 gauge solid-piece single wall stainless so expecting better results once it's in place and reconfigured.

    No syrup yet, but the steam smells right and the boiling temp got to 2 degrees over boiling so almost there!
    2024 - Starting with the 25 then more late Feb.
    2023 - 25 taps on 11 trees to focus on the process. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast in April
    2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
    2021 - 20 x 30 divided pan on a Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons for family and friends to judge. Dad hooked as well.
    2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer, About 3/4 pint syrup in two weeks - Proof of concept!

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    Westfield, MA
    Posts
    174

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    What a difference taking off the cap (and using the fan). Boiled off around 60 gallons in 4 hours yesterday and got my first gallon before I ran out of sap in the tote. Looks to be Amber Rich in color using the tester.

    IMG_0684.jpg
    2024 - Starting with the 25 then more late Feb.
    2023 - 25 taps on 11 trees to focus on the process. 9 Gallons and lots of sugar sand. 35 people over for breakfast in April
    2022 - 8 x 14 sugarhouse and a steam bottler. 50 buckets! 9 Gallons syrup and 4 pounds of sugar
    2021 - 20 x 30 divided pan on a Mason arch, 34 taps and 8 gallons for family and friends to judge. Dad hooked as well.
    2020 - 2 taps, 1/2 pint on a turkey fryer, About 3/4 pint syrup in two weeks - Proof of concept!

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