Is their anything I could do better (tricks of the trade)

[bearair]

We have a maple pro 2X6 with a flue pan. The book says we should be able to process around 30 gallons per hour. We have seen only around 20 gallon average the last two years. We only used seasoned oak and ash. The boil would almost jump out of the pan in the front but in the back (last foot) I would only get steam and no boil. I'm running the pan about 1.5" to 2" above the flues. Any suggestions..

[Cuseman1000]

Try some pine. I use Norway spruce and with no preheater I can keep a hard boil in the front. Burns hot but fast. Also try using a blower I was amazed at the difference it makes.

[RileySugarbush]

A small blower is the first thing I would try.

[maple flats]

Try the blower, with high pressure air over and under the fire (AOF). Next, do not have the pans so deep, you will boil faster with 1/2-3/4" over the flues. Some real brave (or is it risk taking) producers run at just 1/4" over the flues. It will boil faster but be sure to keep on top of problems with flow as soon as they happen. That is why I do the 1/2-3/4". You still need to be alert but you have a little more wiggle room.
Next, how dry is your wood? It must be very well seasoned and must be split small. Then add to the fire often and get the door closed as fast as possible. Before I had AOF I fueled avery 7 minutes, now with AOF I fuel every 12. My wood is 2 yrs old (after splitting and stacking) and I have mine split to about wrist size. Another thing that is said to help is criss cross the wood as you fuel, I don't because it seems to take longer. The main thing is to give the fire as much air as it will take.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Sounds like you have too much air space between the firebrick and the flues. One inch or less is what you want.

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

You may want to check the length of the flue pipe. Should be 2X the length of the evaporator. Maybe you aren't getting the draw you should.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I would use more Pine, Cedar and Hemlock with the Oak a little fast and furious will help

[bearair]

I have copied all your responses and am putting them in my notes for next year. I'll get started on the wood next week, unfortunately the wood available to me is poplar, ash, oak and maple.
As for the space between the bottom of the pan and the arch I have it about a 1/2". I was wondering though, How much space should I have at the back of the pan for the smoke to escape? For the last boil this year I tried to push some sand up into the flues and give the smoke only about 2" of space to escape. It seemed to help.
As for running the pan shallow I find that when I do drop the level down to around 3/4" the back of the gets exposed as the boil rushes away...and this scares me. The pan is perfectly level.

[CBOYER]

Mix of 40% soft and 60% hard is the best. Poplar could be your softwood, every pieces not bigger than 2 - 2 1/2" diameter. Flue pipe lenght 2x is ok, 3x is better.

[Dill]

A blower will really help you. Than a hood and preheater.

[Potters3]

I would check the space from brick to flues, get a stack thermometer, you want 800 to 900 stack temp, if less either
to much space between flue and brick

could also play with adding a row of loss brick behind flues to would heat back a little, leave loss so you can move around to find what works

not enough draft, go higher with stack

fire more often(5-7 min) with less wood (3-4 wrist size pieces), and only fill fire box to 5/8 to 3/4 full mark to leave room for fire to burn.