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Thread: Backyarders with Divided Pans

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
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    Default Backyarders with Divided Pans

    Just wondering for those with smaller operations using a divided pan, do you draw off a tad early and finish it later, or do draw off finished syrup?

    If you are drawing off finished syrup do you filter it right away as it draws off?

    I guess it really depends on the evaporator, but if you were to boil 60 gallons of sap, which should produce 1.5 gallons of syrup, would you draw off like 4 times a boil, or more like 10?

    Thanks

    (It almost sounds easier to get it close and finish it later and then filter everything at once on the vacuum filter)
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

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

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    I used to filter as i drew off finished syrup(Usually a little over brix) with cone filters into a stainless container. It was a pain because sometimes the draws were an hour or 2 apart and the filters would cool too much to filter the next draw. Now that i have a filter press i just draw the finished syrup into the container and reheat/adjust brix once its nearly full and run it through my press all at once. I found it is easier if cooked a little over , to test the brix at 60Degrees and add a little distilled water if needed. Compared to bringing the whole pot to a boil from room temperature just to cook it down just 1 or two brix to the right density.
    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
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Bridgewater NH
    Posts
    176

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by NhShaun View Post
    I found it is easier if cooked a little over , to test the brix at 60Degrees and add a little distilled water if needed. Compared to bringing the whole pot to a boil from room temperature just to cook it down just 1 or two brix to the right density.
    I found this method to be significantly easier also. I just used permeate to adjust. Saved many hours of finishing
    Mike

    12 x 16 Sugar house
    18”x72” CDL drop flue
    Homemade 4 post RO
    125 taps on vacuum (Guzzler)
    Smoky Lake 7” filter press

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
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    Default

    Thank you both of you for your responses. Interesting in making it over Brix.

    I have a vacuum filter and would I not have to reheat it to 200+ degrees to go through my filters?

    Thanks
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Merrill, Wisconsin
    Posts
    69

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    This is our second year on a divided pan. Last year we pulled off tad early and had to boil it more to finish. This year my dad did most of the boiling and as the season went on he started testing the draws with the hydrometer and tried drawing when it was at right density but it seemed to be a tad over when I tested it to bottle, it was a lot easier to add distilled water than to have to heat up 5 gals to a boil. We filter off evaporator but only with a prefilter and a sap filter just to try and catch the big stuff our main filtering is when we bottle. We will dip the filter in the sap pre warmer to reclaim some of the syrup that would be lost in the filter. On a 2x4 divided pan you will need to have more than 100 gallons boiled into the pan before you will have it sweetend to the point of regular draws.

    Bryan

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
    Posts
    905

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    I've only been using a divided pan for a couple of years, but what I do is draw off right around finished syrup, and filter later. Sometimes I go a little over, sometimes a little under. It's not worth worrying about it since I plan to heat it up either way.

    I will say that drawing it off heavy can be problematic, since the heavier it is the more likey to foam up and burn.
    Most draws it might not be a problem, but I've had huge draws sometimes, where the temperature starts to spike. If I started those draws already heavy if be in big trouble. I'm sure this is due to still learning my pan, but just a word to the wise, since you are also new to a divided pan.

    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

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
    Posts
    1,346

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bgreisch View Post
    On a 2x4 divided pan you will need to have more than 100 gallons boiled into the pan before you will have it sweetend to the point of regular draws.

    Bryan
    This is something I will have to learn. It will be different from my five restaurant pans, where I got some syrup every boil.
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2021
    Location
    Parry Sound Area, Ontario
    Posts
    1,346

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by berkshires View Post
    I've only been using a divided pan for a couple of years, but what I do is draw off right around finished syrup, and filter later. Sometimes I go a little over, sometimes a little under. It's not worth worrying about it since I plan to heat it up either way.

    I will say that drawing it off heavy can be problematic, since the heavier it is the more likey to foam up and burn.
    Most draws it might not be a problem, but I've had huge draws sometimes, where the temperature starts to spike. If I started those draws already heavy if be in big trouble. I'm sure this is due to still learning my pan, but just a word to the wise, since you are also new to a divided pan.

    GO
    Thanks, appreciate that.

    I am already excited about next season.
    2022 - 5 pan block arch - 109 taps, 73 on 3/16 lines, 36 on drops into 5 gallon pails.
    930 gallons boiled, 109 L (28.8 gals) of delicious syrup made.
    DYI Vacuum Filter
    2023 - 170 taps, mostly on lines, 1153 gallons boiled, 130 L (34.34 gals) of delicious syrup made, on a 2x4 divided pan and base stack, 8” pipe, on a block arch that boiled at a rate of 13 gallons per hour.

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