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All Things Evaporators

Many producers refer to boiling as the art of making maple syrup. Boiling on a modern evaporator is a process requiring about 45 minutes to move from the inlet at the start to the draw-off at the finish. Bringing 2% sap through a float at the back of the machine and moving the sap forward through a series of channels until it reaches 66 Brix at the opposite end may sound quite simple; however, properly boiling syrup is a very complex scientific process based on physics, chemistry and microbiology.

Date:
January 4, 2021

Ask Proctor

Q1: I’m considering switching from a flat pan to a larger pan with continuous flow, and keep hearing about the gradient. What is a gradient and why is it important? Q2: After a warm spell that made the sap stop running, a hard freeze made it start again so I collected and boiled. The syrup had an off-flavor. Why?

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 1, 2016

Boiling Clean With Air

I have been using the bubbler now for six years. I have found that the bubbler allows me to boil as hard as I want without using any defoamer. Pumping natural clean air into the pans is better than adding defoamer of any kind to make a good tasting and pure product.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 1, 2010

Chemical Composition of Scale in Maple Syrup Evaporators

The goal of this work was to investigate the chemical composition of the scale that is deposited on maple evaporator surfaces during sap processing. Knowing the chemical composition of scale produced in modern equipment and how it compares to previously published values for loose sugar sand may aid in understanding how best to remove these unwanted deposits.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
December 1, 2012

Energy Efficiency in the Sugarhouse

Boiling syrup is energy intensive, but there are ways for sugarmakers to calcuate and improve their energy use.

Publication:
Farming, the Journal of Northeast Agriculture
Date:
May 1, 2014

High Pressure Boiler Selection for the Production of Maple Products

Maple producers contemplating the use of high pressure steam should carefully plant their steam system with the assistance of qualified persons. Proper boiler selection to meet the system requirements is an important step in the success of any steam system.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
February 1, 2002

How to Choose an Evaporator

When choosing an evaporator, it’s important to find the right size, fuel type, and tools to maximize efficiency.

Publication:
Farming, the Journal of Northeast Agriculture
Date:
April 1, 2015

Improving Evaporator Efficiency

I have two forced air, wood fired evaporators and both have usually failed to boil in the front pan or within four inches of either side. I solved that spending under $50. Now the front pans boil and boiling occurs all the way to the sides, even above the side rail. What I did was relatively simple and nearly anyone should be able to accomplish it.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 1, 2004

Industry Review Air Injection Technology and Its Use in the Production of Maple Syrup

In recent years, some maple equipment manufacturers have sold air injection (AI) technology equipment for the production of maple syrup. For purposes of the recent industry review conducted by the International Maple Syrup Institute, air injection technology is defined as the forced introduction of air through a series of perforated pipes submerged in boiling sap in the front and/or back pan of a maple syrup evaporator.

Publication:
Maple Syrup Digest
Date:
June 1, 2009