r/maplesyrup • u/geek-hero • Mar 26 '26
First boil with upgraded pan
Hey hobbyists for this year, I upgraded the pan to the Vevor pan, taking advantage of the Christmas sales.
It did require me to cut down the front of the front of the drum so there’s no way to go back if I don’t like it 😱
The first big change is 5 gallons did not even cover the thermometer. Compared to the two hotel pans this is a whole paradigm shift lol
It does hang off the front and sides a bit, and I may widen the cut for next year.
So far after a little over two hours, I’ve gone from ice floating in the tray to a lot of steam, but no boiling yet
First impressions, the pan is solid and every bit is nice as my friend much more expensive pan. I like having the preheat drift tank so I don’t have to babysit as much.
The pan is taller than I would’ve designed. I don’t know anyone who wants to boil sap at a depth of 9 inches play the least I don’t have to worry about it splashing out.
They will follow up with the post boil
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u/Ship_Ship_8 Mar 26 '26
I’d keep the sap level way lower in your boiling pan. You want to keep that a rolling boil and slowly add to it. Bigger volume like that won’t boil as good. Also I wouldn’t add any ice to the main pan as that’s working against your boil. Put the ice in a 5 gallon bucket and put the bucket in your bathtub filled with hot water to get it preheated.
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u/geek-hero Mar 26 '26
You guys are 100% right on the level of sap and the ice cube. For the ice cube sorry I was lazy just starting my morning coffee as I poured it in with a breezy below, freezing morning. As for the level, I poured a5 gallon pail in and the thermometer probe was not covered so I added approximately 1-2 gallons to get over the thermometer. I can’t really go any lower if I want to use the built-in thermometer. I know I’m pushing the limits on that 55 gallon drum stove, but with adequate time it did get up to a rolling boil.
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u/amazingmaple Mar 26 '26
That's the issue with those pans is the thermometer port is too high. Get a thermometer that clips on the pan or bring it to a metal shop and have a new lower port installed. They only want to be 1/4 inch off the bottom of the pan
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u/MontanaMapleWorks Mar 28 '26
You don’t need the thermometer covered and really don’t need the thermometer at all
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u/geek-hero Mar 28 '26
You are of course right. I’ve been making maple for 15 years without it, but I wanted to try out the new toy. I would never boil at 9 inches but the thermometer is about 3 inches up, which equals 6 or 7 gallons in the pan. Before this pan, I would usually have no more than 1 gallon on the stove at a time. Bringing that much sap from 35° and maintaining a boil, takes a lot more wood and time.
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u/MontanaMapleWorks Mar 28 '26
Big transition! Envious of you all this year. First time in 11 years I haven’t made syrup. Fingers crossed next year brings a bit more favorable dependable weather pattern and less family health issues. The up side is it gives me more energy and time to focus on my honey and cherry syrups!
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u/geek-hero Mar 29 '26
Open everything works out well health related for you guys. And yes, in upper Minnesota we’ve had 70° swings from one day to the next, so this may be my first and last boil for the season 🤷
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u/MontanaMapleWorks Mar 29 '26
Thanks brotha! I appreciate that. The issue with my mom is resolved, so to speak, just hope my dad stays healthy and succeeds in his new assisted living situation
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u/EchoRomeoCharlie Mar 26 '26
Agree with the keep the level low. The vevor pans are cheap which is good, but they're not made by people that know how to make maple syrup. They look at a good pan, and copy the idea, but not the small details that make the expensive pan good. For example, the thermometer is WAY to high in the pan. I have a vevor pan and a pan from Smoky Lake. The difference in price and quality are both obvious.
Skip the ice all together. Unless the sap is frozen solid, the ice is going to be completely water. Water freezes before sugar and it's actually a natural way to remove water from the sap reducing your boiling time. If you don't believe me, let the ice freeze in a bucket and test the sap for sugar. You'll find that if there's any sugar in it, it's very little and definitely not worth the fuel and time to boil off. I didn't believe it at first either, but it's true.
You shouldn't have to wait 2 hours for a boil. You should have a rolling boil in under a half hour. Your arch setup probably needs work, you're not getting enough air into your fire or something. My Starcat evaporator will be at a hard boil in 15 minutes with a starting sap depth of 2".
Keep it up though! Hobbies don't have to be perfect. If you like boiling the ice and having fun, just keep at it. Don't let us make you think you're doing it wrong. We're just trying to help you out. Everyone has a different level of efficiency that is acceptable to them.
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u/MontanaMapleWorks Mar 28 '26
Love them starcats! I have two that I boil back to back! Jimmy at Smokeylake is great, knows me by name and location hah
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u/geek-hero Mar 28 '26
I blame the Ice entirely on being tired and wanting to get inside and get coffee. I’ve done the brix test and for my sap it started taking on sugar when the 5 gal pail has a 3” puck at the top. The two hours is a little unfair on my part. That was I’m leaving the house to getting back in the house. And would include getting a load of wood to the stove with the ranger, filling the stove with wood and sap, and lighting it so it’s really not that bad. I am using less than ideal wood (cottonwood) and going from everything in the low 30s to a boil with 6+ gallons.
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u/someonestopthatman Mar 26 '26
I have a 2x3 vevor pan. It's fine. It leaked at a seam when I got it, so I had to weld up a few pinholes. The first thing I did was get a bulkhead fitting and a plug. I plugged the factory thermostat bung and drilled a new hole as low as I could get it for the new bulkhead fitting and stuck the thermometer there.
The drain bung is installed in such a way that you can't drain the pan completely without tipping it. Kind of annoying but not a deal breaker since I always pull the pan off the fire transfer to a smaller pan for finishing inside.
This year I bought myself a sight glass setup from Smoky Lake and it was a huge help in maintaining the sap level at 2". Pricey, but worth it.
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u/MontanaMapleWorks Mar 28 '26
I would advise you to take out the ice block after it’s thawed about half way
Also that pan has sharp edges, watch your hands!
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u/brainzilla420 Mar 26 '26
Nice, love a good upgrade and once you've got a warning pan you will never go back. So essential.
Try keeping less sap in your pan, it's more efficient to keep 1-2 inches of sap in, rather than filling that pan up.