What is a sap evaporator?
An evaporator can be as simple as a pot on a stove or campfire for backyard maple sugar making, or huge, expensive, and elaborate custom-made equipment for very large producers. It uses heat to boil the sap which removes water from the sap in the form of steam.
How do you evaporate sap?
Pouring cold sap into a boiling pan would kill the boil and slow down the evaporating. So everything you can do to pre-heat the sap saves time in the end. As the sap boils impurities foam up to the surface. Every so often I use a strainer to scoop off the foam.
How does a sap boiling pan work?
Divided pans contain a series of connected channels. Raw sap is continuously being added at the back corner of the pan. This new, raw sap, pushes existing sap further into the system. After you have boiled for a while, you will establish what is called a “density gradient”.
What do you use to boil sap?
Fill a flat pan or large pot (a “lobster” pot is used in this example) ¾ full with sap. Place the pot onto the heat source. Once the sap starts to boil down to ¼ – ½ the depth of the pot, add more sap, but try to maintain the boil.
What temperature does sap boil at?
The sap should be at a boiling temperature around 217°F to 218°F. Transfer the concentrated sap to a smaller boiling pan or pot and complete the finishing process on a controlled heat source such as a gas burner, camp stove or kitchen range.
How long does sap take to boil?
We do the bulk of the boiling outside, and then the last finishing (requires monitoring the temperature) in the house. Boiling 10 gallons of sap down to 1/2 gallon took 3 hours (using 3 pans).
How does a wood fired evaporator work?
Wood fired evaporators are available in two styles. The natural-draft wood fired arch has a cast iron front with a small door at the bottom that allows air to enter beneath the cast iron grates. This air is sucked into the fire by a natural draw created by the exhaust of gases out of the smoke stack.
Can I boil sap in aluminum pan?
Can you boil sap in aluminum pans? Pans made out of aluminum would likely present the same problems. During boiling they might warp out of level, causing high spots that could lead to scorching. If you ran your sap deep that might not be as big an issue though.
How long can sap be stored before boiling?
within 7 days
Storing your sap The sap should be stored at a temperature of 38 degrees F or colder, used within 7 days of collection and boiled prior to use to eliminate any possible bacteria growth. If there is still snow on the ground, you may keep the storage containers outside, located in the shade, and packed with snow.