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Thread: Pan Location

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Location
    WI
    Posts
    10

    Default Pan Location

    I am building a new arch for my 2x3 flat pan. I am planning on making the arch 5 feet long to accommodate the pan and two stainless pots that I use for warming the sap.

    Would it be better to have the pan at the front of the arch directly over the firebox or should I put the warming pots at the front and the pan back towards the stack?

    Either way will be a big upgrade over what I have been using, just looking for the most efficiency.

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Wakefield,New Hampshire
    Posts
    504

    Default

    The best place for your existing pan would be right over the firebox. Does your pan have a draw off valve and thermo? Also might be worth looking into picking up a similarly sized pan for the back part of your arch instead of round pots or preheating sap. It may be hard to keep the heat in there with all the open space. Flat pans have a lot more surface area which will increase your efficiency over round pots.
    6th season solo sugar maker in a young sugar bush of mostly red maples
    320 taps
    2x6 self built arch, Flat pans w/ dividers
    New 12x16 sugar house
    CDL hobby 250 RO

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Tioga county, Pennsylvania
    Posts
    14

    Default

    Another option is to look into full size steam table tray pans. They are almost 24 inches wide and wouldn't lose the heat from the arch. I have 1 that sits directly on top of my pay with a gate valve on it so I can adjust a trickle into the main pan. The deeper ones will hold 6 gallons and they are cheap. 24 gauge stainless steel so they heat fairly fast especially near the stack.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
    Location
    WI
    Posts
    10

    Default

    Thanks for the advice.

    I do not have a draw off valve. I typically do batch cooking of around 3-5 gallons at a time. I have a large stainless container that sits above my pan with a valve that I control to keep the pan filled with sap. I have previously been using one of the pots to preheat sap to refill this container. I figured with the two pots I could alternate which one I refill with to help preheat the sap to a higher temperature. I already have the pots and container with the valve so will probably continue to use them. I am going to weld a plate across where the pots will sit, if I ever expand to a bigger pan I can cut this out and have the arch already made. To keep the heat in I could cut holes in a piece of insulation board on top of the plate to set the pots into.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    French River Ontario
    Posts
    167

    Default

    Definitely put the flat pan at the front over the fire box. I just built a homade arch to fit a 2x3 flat pan and it boils anywhere from 8 to 11 imperial gallons per hour depending on the auf and aof setup and how much I pay attention to firing. I have a pre heater tube around the stack which goes into a half size steam pan between the flat pan and the stack then flows into the flat pan at around 100* f.
    Works great
    2019 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 44 taps 13 Liters syrup
    2020 - Barrel evaporator 2 steam pans 51 taps 21 Liters syrup
    2021- New homemade 2x3 evaporator and flat pan 80 drop tubes to buckets
    2022- (•,•)1350L naturally ROd sap 44L syrup
    2023- "\_(°•°)_/" 1100L sap 30L syrup not accurate due to natural RO
    2024 { ';' }

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
    Posts
    1,345

    Default

    Do the larger pans typically sit on top of the edge of a cinder block arch as opposed to the steam pans that typically sit down into the arch?

    I was thinking of getting a pan like this for year two of making syrup. I suspect it would sit on top of the cinder blocks.

    03BB1AAE-A011-46F0-AC86-204112BC61E2.jpg

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Nashville, MI
    Posts
    939

    Default

    Yes it would sit on top. If you look at some pictures of evaporators you will also see there is a thin insulated material that the pan rests on. It is called rail gasket. A good way might be to mount some one inch L channel on the edge for the gasket and pan to sit on.
    2004 - 2012 2x3 flat pan 25 to 60 taps
    2012 2x3 new divided pan w/draw off 55 taps
    2018 - didn't boil surgery - bought new evaporator
    2019 new SML 2x4 raised flue high output evap. 65 taps
    made 17 gal. syrup
    2020 - only put out 53 taps - made 16.25 ga.l syrup
    2021 - Didn't work out
    2022 - 25 taps on bags / 8 taps on 3/16's line - late start

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