Yes, your canned yams will work. In fact, you would not even need to broil, smush into double layer clean/sanitized pantyhose and into secondary. Add some pectic enzyme, 1/2-1 tsp per gallon. Or just add yams to carboy and ditch the fancy straing apparatus.
Some unsolicited suggestions, sorry:
I would consider backsweetening with pumpkin pie spiced caramel syrup, like Torani or such that you doctor up, or make your own. I do it all fall for my coffee syrup-homemade!!. Consider the use of whole spices as you heat the syrup to extract flavor, that way you need not worry about little spice flecks everywhere. Perhaps toss some cinnamon sticks in pint jar, cover with puregrain....in a few weeks you have cinnamon extract. Or a caramelized sugar simple syrup done at home (tricky bugger for me, but getting better). Can send recipe if you PM me....unless you want me to post?