Ebay Flat Pans

[western mainer]

I would look at the used pans from Bascom there may be one you can use. https://www.bascommaple.com/category...aporator_pans/

[DrTimPerkins]

If you purchase used soldered pans anywhere, check to ensure that they are of lead-free construction. Lead-check swabs are available at most hardware stores. Welded pans shouldn't be a problem.

[heus]

Say no to Chinese junk maple equipment.

[chickenplucker]

If your just getting started, a pan is a pan. The ebay ones likely will be just fine, I boil on a 55 gallon drum that had rusty holes in it when I converted it to begin with and use a 2x2 flat pan that was a $70 craigslist special. Its bottoms not even, its way to deep, the barrel arch is not square, and every year I rivet more patches on rust holes to hold it together, but at the end of the day it still makes syrup.
Just make sure though that as was said before there's no lead or other contaminants in whatever pan you decide on.

But, as the others have said, if you avoid those cheap pans and go with something from an actual maple shop it will make you happier as you boil on it and will provide a better overall experience. ie, cursing that the bottom is half an inch lower than the edges messing your boil up.
And in the long run it likely will save you money as its one future upgrade you will be avoiding.
Or if you decide to sell it it will hold a higher resale value.


Regarding flat pans, you can finish on them but you have to really really keep an eye on it as you can easily under/over do it on syrup density, and over time the level rises to the point its harder to keep a good boil, and at the end you have to dump the whole pan which is not ideal/safe/nor controlled as if your doing draws. Unless you end up with a drain on it, which could lead to burning if your draining over heat as the level in the pan drops.

Regarding time and what to expect, this varies a ton with trees, the weather, etc. First year I'd gather maybe 30 gallons off 12 taps in a week. On the 2x2 starting around 2PM or 1PM things would wrap up at 3 to 4AM Sat/Sun after tending fire all day out in the driveway.
Few years down the road, only taping my largest 14 maples now which are big trees. They can easily on a good day fill the 45 gallons my quad can carry, and at the end of the week the 275 gallon holding tank is full. This lead to building a small osmosis machine to run while I'm off doing other things to half the amount of sap to boil, and adding a harbor freight blower to the barrel arch. With the above, the little evaporator now manages to finish things up in about 2/3rds time while collecting more sap and making more syrup.

I will say though after about 4 years of the above, I'm just ready to get my sugarhouse finished and move to an actual 2x4 divided pan with less stress and hassle of dealing with osmosis and freezing in the driveway on long boils. There are many different ways to have fun in the hobby, but fun is the key word unless your trying to produce as a business. My advice would be to not stress on keeping up with taps if you over gather, do what you can with what you have/get, and just enjoy it. If you feel your done boiling for the day and sap is still left over just call it a night and wrap up what you have vs burning your self out.

[Tuckeradams2012]

If you purchase used soldered pans anywhere, check to ensure that they are of lead-free construction. Lead-check swabs are available at most hardware stores. Welded pans shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks for the tip DrTimPerkins!

[Tuckeradams2012]

Great advice ChickenPlucker. Which blower did you get at Harbor Freight? I think that might be a good addition to the oil drum rig.

[chickenplucker]

Its the Central Machinery 3 speed floor blower. Attached it by duct taping a cardboard reducer from the blower to a pipe which ran into the barrel bung. Was a huge improvement, much faster starts from cold to boiling and greater fire control.

[For_the_kids]

I agree with everything that everyone has said regarding american made pans, however I'm in the same boat as the original poster and last year I went with a 2x4 ebay pan because I had spent real money on an amish pan that I returned after it leaked in 5 spots and was warped so bad that one corner sat off the floor by 1". In short time for season I ordered an ebay pan, from china. It arrived in perfect condition and came with a take off valve and thermometer. I paid far less for the pan and was quite happy. Really the only negative I have about it is that the top edge is rolled in and not out. I'm sure this is becasue it saves them space when shipping, but it does cause some steam to condense under the lip and roll back into the pan. Just my 2 cents.

[DrTimPerkins]

...the only negative I have about it is that the top edge is rolled in and not out.

Food equipment manufacturing standards typically require the edges be turned out and fully cleanable and drainable OR be turned in and fully welded closed.

This is ONE reason why U.S.A./Canadian/European Union equipment costs more. They adhere to hygienic food equipment manufacturing standards.

https://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/m...afety-program/

[ir3333]

not mentioned but the pan thickness is extremely important.I have used 24 and 26 gauge pans
and an inch of sap will boil almost immediately just on coals.16 or 18 gauge pans would never
boil at all on coals. Never go thicker than 22 gauge.