Well I finally got to put it to the test, made a gallon of syrup. As it is I get about 7 GPH out of it, but if i tend the fire proper and had a few more firebricks I could easily get 10-12.
Thanks to everyone her who offered tips and provided pics and details of their setups.
I feed from the left to the right and could possibly finish it in the far right pan.
Once it gets fired up no smoke comes up between pans and the sap doesn't burn on the sides of the pans, but the scummy foam will if you don't keep it skimmed off.
Once the rear pans are empty I can fill them with water or just put this steel plate over the hole to keep soot from getting in the sap and maintain the draft.
If I tend the fire well all three pans will boil, but I'm no Olympian of the maple syrup world. I can barely keep up with two boiling.
The steel plate is big enough to cover the hole for all three pans, helps keep the rain and snow out, and it can be used in the off season for other purposes as well.
More pics of the firebox and such here: http://www.mapletrader.com/community...ad.php?t=10147 and at my photobucket page, link below.