Maple syrup

[Peeps]

Wife collected 110 gallons today with more buckets left for me to empty tomorrow when I get up there. Looks like we will be cooking tomorrow and I’ll have to spend the night to finish cooking Tuesday. Darn, spending time at the cabin

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Wife collected 110 gallons today with more buckets left for me to empty tomorrow when I get up there. Looks like we will be cooking tomorrow and I’ll have to spend the night to finish cooking Tuesday. Darn, spending time at the cabin

Sounds great Peeps. I've got 90 buckets that are all 3/4 full....and frozen solid. I should have collected Friday when it was sunny and mild. I didn't. And now I am going to pay for it. Collecting, storing, and boiling 90 blocks of ice is such a pain in the arse!

 

[Bill Loser]

Cooked down 170 gallons total between last weekend and this weekend. Finished off 5 1/2 gallons of syrup today. Some of the best color I've ever gotten. I think it's because of the 3 pan setup i have now.
Hopefully get a good run this week with the forecast.
Bad news is the 4 wheeler quit yesterday, that makes.getting sap a ton harder.

 

[Peeps]

Weather looks great here for sap flow starting tomorrow through the rest of the week. The extended forecast for the following week predicts highs in the 50s and lows just above or around freezing. Might do my last collection next weekend and then pull my taps.

 

[bjseiler]

Long day yesterday. Started at 7 and finished at 11 pm. Simple barrel evaporator with two pans in it. 20 gallons of sap and only about 40 ounces of syrup at the end. It is fun to do with the kids but dang that's a lot of time.

 

[Peeps]

Long day yesterday. Started at 7 and finished at 11 pm. Simple barrel evaporator with two pans in it. 20 gallons of sap and only about 40 ounces of syrup at the end. It is fun to do with the kids but dang that's a lot of time.

That’s a pretty inefficient evaporator. Might want to consider a different set up. This is what I built. Cinder blocks, couple bricks, 2 pieces of rebar to hold the pans up so I can lift them off, 1 steel plate for a door, and 3 buffet pans. All in all not that expensive but it is pretty efficient.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Long day yesterday. Started at 7 and finished at 11 pm. Simple barrel evaporator with two pans in it. 20 gallons of sap and only about 40 ounces of syrup at the end. It is fun to do with the kids but dang that's a lot of time.

Same thoughts as Peeps. Is that 16 hours of continuous boiling? If so, something is off. I used to boil outside on something almost exactly like Peep's rig in a single 20x20" pan and could do 40 gallons or so in a 12 hour day.

 

[bjseiler]

Next round I’m going to try and get the fire hotter. The pan by the pipe was definitely going better than the front pan.

 

[cavey]

We throw a few hot dogs or kielbasa in the pan and cook them up while we boil and eat lunch in the shack. Luxury!

That right there is the best part of cooking off old school! That and the cold beers!

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Next round I’m going to try and get the fire hotter. The pan by the pipe was definitely going better than the front pan.

That's a nice rig.

Few things....you could try adding some fire brick to the bottom of your barrel to bring the wood up so the flames are higher and lick the bottom of your pans. Definitely keep a nice hot fire...fire the stove every 7 to 10 minutes with wrist sized wood. Also, you only want to keep about 1 and 1/2" (maybe 2") in your pans. Higher than that reduces evaporation rates quite a bit.

Good luck! Nice to see you getting the kids involved.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

That right there is the best part of cooking off old school! That and the cold beers!

You know it.

One of my buddies who boils introduced me to a new adult beverage in the sugar house last year...a 50/50 shot of Fire Ball whiskey and warm syrup fresh off the evaporator. Goes down real nice.

 

[Bill Loser]

Next round I’m going to try and get the fire hotter. The pan by the pipe was definitely going better than the front pan.

That's a nice rig.

Few things....you could try adding some fire brick to the bottom of your barrel to bring the wood up so the flames are higher and lick the bottom of your pans. Definitely keep a nice hot fire...fire the stove every 7 to 10 minutes with wrist sized wood. Also, you only want to keep about 1 and 1/2" (maybe 2") in your pans. Higher than that reduces evaporation rates quite a bit.

Good luck! Nice to see you getting the kids involved.

All of that and if possible add a preheater. It can be as simple as a coil of copper tube around the chimney. Once you get it dialed in for flow rates you can continously add without losing boil.
I cooked on a setup lile that for 2 years. That was the biggest issue i found with it.
I added a 3rd pan this year and doubled my output. I can cook around 80 gallons in a 8 to 10 hr day. Plus it seems to keep my syrup lighter.

 

[Peeps]

If you want an easy warmer use a turkey fryer. I add to my pans from the turkey fryer.

 

[Bill Loser]

Next round I’m going to try and get the fire hotter. The pan by the pipe was definitely going better than the front pan.

Bj, after reading again what you should try is a baffle wall . I suspect the draft is sucking the flame and heat right to the back of the stove. Build up a wall about half way or a little more of the inside height and about 3/4 of the way back towards your chimney. That will force the heat and flames up instead of back. I made mine out of metal and welded it in but im sure you could just use bricks also. Be sure to build it up all the way back to the chimney though.
It seems dumb but it works.
Hope that helps.

 

[bjseiler]

Lots of good recommendations. I was definitely doing some things wrong. I had the pans almost full the whole time. I will try to rework the fire a bit differently next run. Thanks so much!

 

[Bill Loser]

That's a nice rig.

Few things....you could try adding some fire brick to the bottom of your barrel to bring the wood up so the flames are higher and lick the bottom of your pans. Definitely keep a nice hot fire...fire the stove every 7 to 10 minutes with wrist sized wood. Also, you only want to keep about 1 and 1/2" (maybe 2") in your pans. Higher than that reduces evaporation rates quite a bit.

Good luck! Nice to see you getting the kids involved.

I've never heard this before.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I've never heard this before.

Which part Bill?

 

[Bill Loser]

Sorry, the 1 1/2" to 2" in the pan for higher evaporation.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

2" seems like a good level to me. Anything lower you run the risk of burning.

 

[Bill Loser]

My pans are 10 inches deep and i always keep at a minimum 6 in them to keep from scorching the sides.