Setting up the stainless steel pans was fairly straight forward. The evaporator came with pan gaskets, fittings & valves, and my thermometer. All I needed to do was pick-up some Teflon tape and I was ready to set the pans in place.
I started with the pan gasket. This is basically a high temperature woven fiber gasket with what I am guessing was double sided tape on one side. The gasket material was already cut to length by Bill Mason, so after a quick dry-fit, I simply peeled off the backing material and stuck the gasket to the top of the evaporator.
With the pan gasket in place I placed the stainless steel syrup pan on top of the gasket material and turned my attention to the attaching the draw off valve and my new syrup thermometer.
I put some Teflon tape on the draw off elbow, which I am assuming is stainless, and then install the brass ball valve in place. I then place some Teflon tape on the threads of the thermometer and install it on the fitting provided by Bill Mason to the left of the draw off box.
Below is the draw off valve and syrup thermometer installed in place.
Below is the stem of the thermometer inserted into the last divided bay of the syrup pan.
With all of the fittings installed on the syrup pan I switched over to the preheater pan that sits on top of the syrup pan. No magic here, apply some Teflon tape to the stainless fitting welded to the bottom of edge of the stainless steel pan and attach the brass valve provided. This valve will almost always be open a crack to allow fresh sap into the syrup pan, ideally at the same rate the syrup pan is evaporating sap.
The evaporator set-up below, filled with water and ready for its first test boil with water!
