HOW TO MAKE & MARKET MAPLE SYRUP
(Page 7 of 15)
(3) For greatest boiling efficiency, the syrup pan doesn't
sit on top of the arch, it is the top of the arch and the
walls of the evaporator are built up around it. To assure a
proper pan-arch mating, center the pan on the arch and
build a two-inch-high wall of bricks, stone or concrete
around it. Leave spaces in the wall for the pan's inlet and
outlet so that the container can be filled or drained while
in position.
(4) Before you begin construction of the evaporator, mark
out its dimensions on the floor or footing you've built. If
you already have a pan, the length and width of the
container will determine the size of the evaporator (the
pan sits down in the top of this specialized stove so the
outside dimensions of a stone or concrete evaporator built
straight up from the floor will equal the length or width
of the pan plus the desired thickness of the retaining
walls around it).
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(5) The evaporator needn't be very high. Ours measures 3
1/2 feet, which is just ample for a roaring fire under the
pan. Do remember that the cooking pan does fit right down
into the top of the sugar stove and each inside dimension
of the opening in the top of the arch under the
pan should be about four inches less than the
corresponding dimension of the pan itself.
(6) The firepit should occupy only half the space enclosed
by the arch. Fill the remaining area (toward the chimney)
with dirt, rocks or rubble to within three inches of the
bottom of the pan. This makes for more efficient use of
heat.
(7) Line the bottom and the sides of the firepit with
bricks made of fire clay instead of regular concrete. Such
bricks are expensive, but they'll prevent the outer
structure from eventually cracking from the heat.
(8) The front or end of the evaporator opposite the chimney
needs a firedoor large enough to admit sizable logs. If you
aren't fortunate enough to find such a door in a junkyard,
fashion one from a suitable piece of metal and hang it from
rings mounted in the concrete.
(9) If you can find some angle iron, use it to make a frame
about 3/8-inch larger all around than the boiling pan (to
allow for the pan's expansion) and grout the frame into the
top of the stove. The angle iron will protect the concrete
from wear over the years as the pan is inserted and
removed.
(10) Orthodox operations insist that the cooking pan must
sit level. We, however, allow the outlet corner of the flat
container to be just one inch lower than the pan's opposite
corner. This helps the receptacle to drain.
(11) Work slowly and thoughtfully, checking the work with a
level as you proceed. A lot of time and energy can be
wasted tearing down a thoughtless mistake.
(12) Concrete will not cure properly if the temperature
goes below freezing during the first 24 hours after it's
poured. In any case, if at all possible, allow your new
evaporator to "set" two weeks before you use it.
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