Northern Ontario 2022

[Swingpure]

I am boiling again today, completing the 70 gallons from yesterday, wearing an N95 mask. Yesterday’s smoke in my lungs was not a fun thing.

I may boil the 24.5 gallons I collected this morning.

My cinder block evaporator is not smoke tight, especially after I removed the ceramic blanket material I was using as gaskets. It is becoming obvious to me that at least mine is not meant for an enclosure if the winds are not right, and if I decide to build a permanent sugar shack, I need to look for a real evaporator, or stick with this one and just build a tall roof overhead.

[Maplesapper]

we boiled on a cinder arch in a Shelter Logic car tent.
My suggestion - worry less about the pan gaskets and figure out a way to at least vent the gases from the arch.
We filled the cinder blocks with sand- that stopped alot of combustion gas.
Also used the gasket, foil, sand combo to ensure the 6" stovepipe would carry away the exhaust gases.
sand, foil, sand is a good season long gasket- and easy to clean-up

[Swingpure]

we boiled on a cinder arch in a Shelter Logic car tent.
My suggestion - worry less about the pan gaskets and figure out a way to at least vent the gases from the arch.
We filled the cinder blocks with sand- that stopped alot of combustion gas.
Also used the gasket, foil, sand combo to ensure the 6" stovepipe would carry away the exhaust gases.
sand, foil, sand is a good season long gasket- and easy to clean-up

Later in the afternoon, the winds changed and the smoke was not as much an issue and places that were leaking before were not as bad. If I keep the cinder block evaporator next year, I will do something different for the door.

I don’t really have any leaks on the walls, it is at the door and along side the pans.