[Syrupmakers] sorghum and Frost

[Ken Christison]

Hey Keith,

It sounds like a great day except for the end product.  Be sure to
save the scorched syrup to be used as a rust remover.  I'm sure
you can find something rusty to try it out;-)

Keep us posted on the construction of a pan.

Take care.

Ken


> [Original Message]
> From: Keith Kinney <kkinney at herculesengines.com>
> To: <syrupmakers at syrupmakers.net>
> Date: 11/5/2006 11:16:58 PM
> Subject: Re: [Syrupmakers] sorghum  and Frost
>
> Well yesterday, Saturday, was a beautiful day.  We finished up the 
> last minute things like scrubbing out the pan and washing the 
> skimmers etc.  Starting Grinding cane about 10:15.  We had about 1/2 
> a pickup load of cane.  We ran have a Golden No. 27 mill and run it 
> with a 12 HP Hercules hit and miss engine.  The mill and engine 
> worked wonderfully.  The pan on the other had was a problem.  We had 
> picked it up at an auction a few years ago and had not ever used 
> it.  It has 2"X9" wooden sides with a copper bottom.  The copper is 
> bent up on the sides about 3".  It leaked like a sieve at the 
> corners.  So we ripped up an old sheet and stuffed it between the 
> edges of the wood and the copper bottom and finally got the leaks 
> slowed to a drip.   We only had about 3" of juice in the pan.  We had 
> a roaring wood fire going and had it boiling with in 1/2 an hour or 
> so.  But with the weight of the juice it caused the center of the 
> bottom of the pan to bow down.  After the juice got shallower it 
> caused the edges of the copper bottom to be exposed.  This caused hot 
> spots and that's when our troubles really began.  We ended up with 
> about 3 gallons of very thick, scorched sorghum.
> While we didn't get any usable syrup, we had a great time trying.  O 
> well, there is always next year.   Time to come up with a new pan design.
> Pictures in a few days.
> Keith