Hello All,
Weare in the beginning stages of building a new evaporator. Our old one was highly inefficient. We are lining with ceramic blanket and bricks. My question, do you, or how do you keep the ceramic blanket in place?
Thanks in advance
Hello All,
Weare in the beginning stages of building a new evaporator. Our old one was highly inefficient. We are lining with ceramic blanket and bricks. My question, do you, or how do you keep the ceramic blanket in place?
Thanks in advance
The ceramic blanket under my flue pan is press fit in two layers, no attachment necessary. The insulation on the door I welded nuts to the inside of the door and then used small stainless steel machine screws with flat pan washers to hold it on, when they burn out i just replace them. I have pics if you are interested.
Jacob
2023 - 38 Gallons - RO broke, Buckets didn't run, rebuilt vacuum pump mid-season, still made good syrup!
2022 - 52 Gallons - DIY RO, 50% less fuel, no late nights in the shack!
2021 - 48 Gallons - new pans, new arch, lots of new taps and tubing
2020 - 32 Gallons
2019 - 27 Gallons
I put my fire blanket in snug so it basically held itself in place, then layered the bricks. I used zinc coated carriage bolts from the outside with large washers to hold the bricks in place. It was outside and about 10 degrees when i was doing this so using the refractory cement wasn't really an option. I put a washer snug on the brick, followed by a nut, then 2 more washers and another nut. It lasted 2 seasons before the bolts started snapping(Mostly on the back wall of the firebox) I replaced them all with the same set up but stainless steel hardware and it has lasted 4 more seasons without any issues. If i were to do it again i would have set them in place and cemented them in for good. The bolts sticking out are kind of a pain when loading wood and they look kind of crappy from the outside, But it got the job done.
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
WF Mason provides what he calls "Arch Paper" (which I guess is a thin ceramic blanket) to put between bricks and arch. When I asked him your same question, he said a little dab of refractory cement here and there would do it.
GO
2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
2024: 17 taps
All on buckets
Thank you all for the advice and ideas. When we get things together I'll post pictures for you to critique our work.
Happy Holidays