Welcome to the trader. You say you are tapping 16 trees. how many taps? Make sure your chimney is as high as possible and try to create a slope behind your fire box area. Kind of like a regular evaporator. this will concentrate the fire on the bottom of the pans more. I wish I could draw on this but if you look on the site you will see other evaporators and builds that will give you ideas. Make sure to keep it fun and have plenty of wood. You will burn a lot it not like heating your house. Do not use a damper in the pipe run it straight. Make sure you have plenty of storage for all that sap and really enjoy the end product, it's the best when you make it yourself.
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