Wood per Gallon

[murferd]

We think our new setup is working good & also think it's great on wood consumption. We have bottled 100 imp gallons(120 US) & used 3 3/4 cord of wood (26.66 gal/per cord). What is everybody else doing? Definitely think air over was worth it.

[bees1st]

on my 3x8 I always used to be around 25 gallons / cord. right now with my 3x10 it's running 20 gallons/ cord but I'm still playing around with my clearances in the back.

[len]

My hotel pan rig with AOF currently gets ~19.89gal/ cord (4x4x8 @~4,000lb/cord). I arrived at this by recording the weight of wood burned while evaporating sap, and maple syrup produced. I converted my weight burned to cord using 4,000lb/cord figure. Weight of wood burned would give better data value, as this helps average in species variations of wood burned.

[markct]

so i gota ask does that mean you weigh all the wood you burn? seems tedious or are you buying wood by the ton?

[len]

I've weighed the wood to get some data, which is easier given the small form factor of my current rig.

If in the least (for reference), if I had a larger rig, I'd weigh and stack wood in a known dimensional area, and log evaporation rates, wood consumption rates. Then before, and after modifications can be compared to calculate realized gains in efficiency.

When a person states cord of wood, what dimension is used for that cord? What species is it? How dry, and what size is it? These are variables that effect burn rate, and given BTU content. A cord of pine, and a cord of ash will not be the same in BTU content, but a ton of pine, and a ton of ash would be a closer equivalent.

Another issue in comparing cord burned (referenced variables) for maple syrup production realized- what is the sugar content of the sap? Is it preheated? Is there a steam away?

[Farmboy]

I only got 12 gallons to the cord with my 2.5X8. I made 36 gallons so far and i need to finish whats in the evaporator. Next year I need to work on making it more efficient. It didnt help that I was burning mostly 2 year seasoned pine. It goes up like paper.

[HandsomRiver]

I will report ....

[brookledge]

murferd
That is a good rate based on your equipment. The one variable that comes into play for some is thesugar content. If you compare buckets to mainline you will get higher sap content on buckets which will raise you wood ratio
Keith

[JuniperHillSugar]

My flat pan 2x4 we made 31 gallons syrup on 3 cord of mixed softwood from raw 2-2.5% sap. We boiled at a rate of 10 gph with a stack temp of 500°F. Before next year I will certainly design a new preheater system.

[PerryW]

your doing real good. I figure 1 cord of pine slabs gives me 15 US. gallons of syrup.

[Revi]

We got around 10 gallons per cord, but that was some of the crappiest wood around. Lots of basswood and popple. We may add a blower next year if it improves boiling time. We've noticed that different wood makes for very different boiling rates. We just can't bear to use really good wood to boil sap.

[CBOYER]

This year i burn fir slab mixed whit small hardwood limbs (2"max) from clearing trails, and the mix is very efficient, produce very fast heat. will report g/face cord at end of season, it just start here..:D

[3fires]

some of my wood wasn't split so fine, and much of it was still pretty green, but I'm getting roughly 5-6 gallons per face cord, all mixed hardwood.

I think with good split wood, and the minor changes I made to the fuel oil tank evap. I can get 7-8gpfc next year.

I don't make enough to measure in full cords....yet. LOL!

[Randy Brutkoski]

At 10% concentrate i can make 125 gallons with 1 cord .

[3rdgen.maple]

You dont even want to know what my numbers are at this year.

[Dill]

I've filled the shed 3 times. And made 55 gallons.

[len]

LxWxH/128= full cord (4x4x8)

3(full cord)= face cord

[bobbyjake]

Although I have never personnally tracked it, the old timers used to say that it took a cord of 1/2 softwood and 1/2 hardwood - dry, split small and stacked so tight that a squirrel can't travel through the woodpile to make a barrel of syrup. Back then, they weren't using preheaters, steamaways or RO's, and I always assumed they were referring to 30 gallon barrels.

Based on most of your responses, their saying seems a little optimistic.

Looking at the numbers a little..
Ash and Oak give 21-Million to 26-Million BTU's per cord, whereas Pine and Spruce give 16-Million BTU per cord. So a 50/50 cord would be a little shy of 20M BTU or roughly 660K per gallon of syrup in a barrel (obviously all of this doesn't get to the operation due to inefficiencies in the evaporator, but that is the consumption). When you consider that a gallon of #2 fuel oil has 139K BTU's and it takes between three (417K BTU) and four (554K BTU) gallons to make a gallon of syrup, the numbers are reasonably consistant, especially when the improved insulation and lower stack temperatures of an oil evap are considered.

[3rdgen.maple]

LxWxH/128= full cord (4x4x8)

3(full cord)= face cord

2 face cord is equal to a full cord. Atleast around here

[Maplehobbyist]

I was always under the impression that a full cord was 4'x4'x8' and a face cord was 1/3 of that (16"x4'x8') because 16" is the length to which firewood is cut.

[BryanEx]

I was always under the impression that a full cord was 4'x4'x8' and a face cord was 1/3 of that (16"x4'x8') because 16" is the length to which firewood is cut.

That's our local understanding as well but you're on your own when it comes to a rick (sp?) or a "stove cord". :rolleyes:

[markct]

murferd
That is a good rate based on your equipment. The one variable that comes into play for some is thesugar content. If you compare buckets to mainline you will get higher sap content on buckets which will raise you wood ratio
Keith

i have never heard of this belief before! i cant imagine any logical explanation for this other than the fact that bucket trees are more often roadside trees with better crowns than woods trees?

[CBOYER]

sugar content for bucket and gravity is almost the same, Whit High Vac, more water diluted the sugar, gain is on continious supply from taps.

[wiam]

I was always told a face cord was 4' by 8' by whatever length you cut your wood.

William

[BryanEx]

I just asked my wife... 16" x 4' x 8' - and I'm not arguing with her over it. :lol:

[3rdgen.maple]

In NY we have big stoves to heat our homes not thos little things that take 16 inch wood lol. 24" is the norm here so that is why a NY face cord is half a full cord. Its all stupid anyways and a scam. Fire wood should be sold as full cords only.

[Maplehobbyist]

A rick is the same as a face cord.

Never heard of a stove cord. Sounds like what "wiam" is describing. I would imagine the price for a stove cord is quite variable, but if it's not, I'd like my firewood cut 20feet long, thank you very much.

[PerryW]

In NY we have big stoves to heat our homes not thos little things that take 16 inch wood lol. 24" is the norm here so that is why a NY face cord is half a full cord. Its all stupid anyways and a scam. Fire wood should be sold as full cords only.

Those New York cords are only half the size of my cords. Kinda like a New York Minute.

[maple marc]

I got 47 gallons of syrup out of 3.2 cords of hardwood this year.....just about 15 gallons/cord on my 2x4. Next year will have stretched my boiler into a 2x6, and I'm hoping to make the same amount of syrup with a lot less wood. A lot of my heat went up the stack this year with this short boiler. You guys think I'm right on this?

[brookledge]

Here we go again with face cord/ full cord. I can't agree more with 3rd gen. wood should only be sold in full cords that way it is always the same amount. A face cord is not always the same amount of wood which just confuses most.
keith

[buck3m]

I got 47 gallons of syrup out of 3.2 cords of hardwood this year.....just about 15 gallons/cord on my 2x4. Next year will have stretched my boiler into a 2x6, and I'm hoping to make the same amount of syrup with a lot less wood. A lot of my heat went up the stack this year with this short boiler. You guys think I'm right on this?

The 2x6 should be considerably more efficient on wood/gallon.

[Brent]

Just did some math. We got 125 gallons and used only 1.4 full cords. That's 90 gallons per cord. 5 years ago we went through more wood than that with the Half Pint and maybe got 12-15 gallons. All the systems work that made this rig run have really paid back dividens. We've got enough wood for the next two seasons !!!!
No buds or peepers here yet. A few more days maybe.