I have a sweet tooth so I prefer a 50 percent reduction before I make tea… yummy
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You have about a month to get here. We should be sapping until the middle of April.
Tempting but I think I should stay here and finish building something.
Fred
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The back sap pans have channels as well, but smaller operations you plug off one channel then boil it to syrup and take it off in a batch. The larger operations, just have an auto take off, that automatically drains out the syrup, but it does it in a far smaller quantity. Then they usually put it in a finishing pan to get it exactly to syrup.
Usually the smaller batch operations have sweeter syrup, because they aren’t as accurate, and gravity filtration doesn’t get as many of the impurities out of it as the pressurized filtration.
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This fella added a toggle latch to his tongs.
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Thanks Jeff,
This is why I post pictures. You guys have done this so long already, it expands my narrow thinking.
I was going to use this for a log skidding trailer, now I know I better not permanently attach it
A bit more info.
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Thanks Jeff, I registered with the forum
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I learned a lot about woodstoving with this build. To actually be able to see the wood gas being burned while in operation was an eye opener for me.
Putting a window in my evaporator was a great option. I discovered the glass was quickly clouded with smoke upon startup. After the unit warmed up, I scraped the glass with a blade and was able to actually see how clean things were burning and looked like flames coming from my secondary air. It may be old hat for most of you but is new to me. I am a visual learner. If I knew it could handle it, I would put a sight glass at the bottom side of my grate on the outer shell of my gasifier.
Here are the results of my first run this year. Being my second year at making syrup, I made many changes in my build. The result was a much lighter, more transparent syrup. Not too bad for a novice. I damned near dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back last night when I finished this trial batch.
This is more of my freedom. lessening dependence is invigorating. Breaking the stranglehold of the dumbing down of our commercialized society I was caught up in. No way 5 years ago would I have guessed I would be able to make this. If were going to make syrup 5 years ago, I would have purchased a commercial evaporator. The people on DOW expanded my skills and mind. That’s the reason for this particular thread.
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Good morning Mr. Bill.
The syrup looks so good !!.
My big ole cat head biscuit would be horned to be covered with it 
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Thanks Wayne.
Not sure what a cat head biscuit is but I will be making some French Toast and bacon to try it out. 
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Okay, I cured my ignorance on Cat Head biscuits and looked it up. I think I could adapt quite well to southern cooking.
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Bill, could you make a removable cover for the inside glass during startup?
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Great idea!
Yes I could. I have some adjustments to make Monday before startup anyway.
There is a way to make an air curtain with the in comming draft to avoid this. I would have to do research to see how it is actually done but it does work I have seen wood stoves that the glass stays clean and it is all done by getting the incoming air to “wash” the smoke away from the glass.
I am glad to see that the syrupy came out good. Sure does look yummy. I love it on ice cream.
Congrats on a job well done. I also thought the secondary air was the coolest thing the first time I saw a stove running with It like getting fire from thick air (that smoke isn’t thin air) lol
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Yes Dan I think I could’ve brought the beginning of the secondary air to the glass first. What I want to check is to see if by letting it warm up, if it will just go away as the stove runs.
I think they actually make a frame around the glass that dumps the primary air around the frame keeping the smoke off the glass. I will have to get some photos of my uncles stove this summer when it isn’t running. But I think the primary air washes the window and the secondary air is like you have comming out of pipes at the top.
Leave the door cracked while the fire comes up to temp, so that air will mostly enter by the door opening and keep the glass clean. Then once things are rolling along you can close it. We used to do that all the time when starting our woodstove.
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Bah! Just drink it straight up! Tall shot glasses work the best because you can admire color. 
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