Keep it simple

[ir3333]

This is my third year and my third home built evaporator.I like trying new things and have come to the conclusion
that i want to simplify and make it easy.I have different pans and much equipment after three years, and plan to
sell off everything except what i need.
Here's what i am thinking. One continuous drop flue pan.Sap in left rear, syrup out right front...Done!
Any body using such a set up on about 75 taps?

[Pdiamond]

Do you have some ptcture you could provide for your set-up?

[ir3333]

IMG_3538.jpgIMG_3538.jpg
18 x 60

[ennismaple]

It you only run a flue pan you might have difficulty getting the syrup to density and to caramelize. Without a flat pan you will get extremely light syrup with little maple flavour.

[tcross]

I think Ennismaple is right. and not to mention the headache of trying to clean all that nitre off a flue pan! i think if you did only a flue pan, you may want to think about a finishing set up and only get the sap to just below syrup on the flue setup. I'd also imagine boiling close to syrup on a flue pan to be somewhat dangerous? that's a lot of hot jumping almost syrup in the flue pan.

[ir3333]

this year i will be using a new 48 x 18 drop flue pan at the rear for sap and a 12 x 18 front pan for syrup. (My total is 18 x 60)
I am planning to take off "near syrup" and finish and filter on propane.My first year was with one 22 x 48 divided flat pan and
as stated early syrup was quite light.My second year was 18 x 48 divided pan and 12 x 18 front syrup pan and i blended early
and late batches when i finished.
Maybe the 2 pans make better syrup as you can increase batch size and boil longer in the front pan?
tx guys!

[ir3333]

This will be the first year i am using a drop flue pan.I hope cleaning is not a problem.
As my thread says i'm trying to make everything easier.The past 2 years vinegar and
water made clean up easy.I'm hoping the rear drop flue pan will increase my boil rate
and reduce boiling time. I try new things every year hoping to make it easier and
better syrup.

[Pdiamond]

Will you be running this with a float box? If so, this will be a big advantage for you in maintaining you sap depth in the flue pan. for optimal boiling rate 1.5 inches over the flues is where you should run the sap level at. Keeping. keep the fire stoked and an O s_#t bucket of sap or water handy in case of emergency. You should be able to maintain a pretty good gph boil rate. On your syrup pan you should be able to get really close to syrup right on the arch.

[ir3333]

No float box this year, I use a syphon.A syphon works fine but you have to watch...you can lose the flow and occasionally have to
restart it. I'm going to make a shield for it in each pan.I have added a sight gauge for the flue pan this year too.
If the new 2 pan system works good then next year i will tie the syrup and sap pan together with a stainless line or maybe build a float box.
I'm wondering if i will need to completely drain the rear flue pan because of freezing overnight?
Keep the info coming guys..tx

[ennismaple]

I'm wondering if i will need to completely drain the rear flue pan because of freezing overnight?
.tx

Depends on how cold it gets. Our sugar camp isn't heated so if we get a hard freeze for a few days we'll drain the float boxes and the flue pan to avoid breaking things or having valves full of ice. Some guys will run a small space heater in the fire box to keep the flues from freezing up.

In my opinion - making syrup in your flue pan is asking for trouble. Nitre flakes off the syrup pans frequently when we boil - with a drop flue where does that nitre go? To the bottom where it sits and burns because it's in direct contact with the hottest flames but there's no fresh sap coming in to the drop flues because they are plugged with flakes of nitre.