Tapped in Westfield

[Tithis]

Well partially at least. Yesterday I went around and put in 14 taps of my 21 taps, with the cold weather predicted next week I figured I'll put the rest in once the next freeze is done.

Between 4pm yesterday and 1pm today I got around 15 gallons.

Sugar level is looking good too, about 2.2%. Should do a small boil on Sunday.

[Tithis]

Finishing off my first batch now.

First boil started off a little rough, but smoothed out later. The inside of my cinder arch has some ice and snow in it that needed to be evaporated off before the fire could get going well. Full blaze I was able to get the front and middle pan to boil consistently, in the rear pan I never got it to do more than simmer. I resorted to using the rear pan as a sap preheater so I could at least use it to increase efficiency.

Speaking of which the new setup seems much more efficient. The air coming out of the top of the stack was cool enough for me to hold my hand above it, last year the air was so hot it could catch things on fire and practically roared.


Wondering if adding another section of stack might create some more draft to pull the heat back enough to get the rear pan boiling.

[SeanD]

That seems a little too cool. How much stack do you have? Your stack should be double the length of your pans as a minimum. Make sure you have enough air going in. If the inside of your arch is black with soot, the fire is probably starved for air.

If you add stack, screw the sections together with sheet metal screws and provide the stack with support. A stiff wind wreaks havoc on a tall stack balanced on a block arch.

Good luck!

Sean

[SeanD]

Actually, now that I think about it, you should be able to get three pans ripping pretty easily. Do you have the typical 1'x2' steam pans?

If so, open up your firebox further back. That is, start your slope/fill further back so the front two pans are right above the fire. Hobby evaporators are almost one big firebox. That's what you will aim for if you only have 3' in length of pans. You really don't need to ramp up until you go beyond that.

Sean

[eustis22]

"If the inside of your arch is black with soot, the fire is probably starved for air."

Really? I have a lot of soot.,,,and my front two pans do the boiling as well....I use the third for the preheater. Should I open my front door wider to let more air in? I have a 2 X 3 homemade evaporator with a six foot 8" stack....should I add 2 more feet?

I tapped a week ago in Haverhill and my buckets overflow...:) first boil is tomorrow.

I've hesitated to post because everyone has thousands of taps and ROs and vacuum and I'm just a backyard operator

[ejmaple]

we all have humble beginings, don't hesite to ask whatever maple related

[SeanD]

Hey Eustis22,

Posting when you tap and how things are going helps other sugar makers in your area. It doesn't matter if you have 2 taps or 2,000 taps. Running is running and it helps people decide when to tap or see how their areas does compared to others.

As for the soot, it's just my experience. I used a block arch for years and what I found was after a crazy-good boil, I noticed the fire box was clean as a whistle. Other times it seemed like I just couldn't get the fire to roar. Afterward the whole inside of the arch would be black. The modifications that always helped related to getting air in and out quickly - better/clear grate, bigger air opening under the grates, less of a slope in the arch, taller stack, etc. Assuming the wood is dry, air is the biggest factor in a boil.

Even in my 2x6 I noticed this. When I first bricked it, I brought the bottom up really close to the bottom of the back pan. It boiled like crap. Sure enough, black soot was built up where it was tight. I dropped the bricks down a little more and started the ramp further back. Now I get a better boil back there and there isn't any soot - or very little. So, I concluded a hotter fire needed more air getting under it and soot was building up where the fire/heat was cooling off and stagnating.

I wouldn't leave the door open, but try to get more air under it if you think it needs the air. The pan getting the cold sap won't boil as hard as the first two, but if it's just a couple of feet from the front of the firebox it should still do okay with a big enough fire. Those steam pans sit right down in the box and should do well.

Good luck,
Sean

[eustis22]

ok..I should say that I am using an old wheel hub as my "grate". I'm wondering if it's too high. It's full of holes which I figured would convey the draft from the door...I should say my boil rate is maybe 5 GPH, based on how often I add sap. I'd like a little higher but what should I expect from 12 X 24 steam pans?

I'll mull replacing my grate after my first boil tomorrow...or moving the slope of the arch further back towards the flue

6918 6919

Thank you for the advice....I'm sure I'll have more questions after tomorrow

[SeanD]

The firebox actually looks pretty good from your picture. I think your problem is the rim. Get that thing back on the Festiva before your wife finds out she's on three wheels! That thing is a riot!

Seriously, what's probably happening is the the ash is filling the rim and air can't get up and over the top and under the fire, so you end up with a slow burning lower temp fire like a wood stove. You're aiming for a roaring fire that has to be fed every 6 minutes.

The simplest, cheapest and most successful grate I used was U-channel resting on top of bricks on the end. The U shape makes it strong enough to withstand the heat and the holes provide plenty of air. It cuts easily with a Sawzall. Set those an inch apart at least 4" high or on top of fire bricks turned on edge.

Does air get into the bottom of the firebox below the door? It's hard to see in the picture. If not, you'll want to cut that open to air comes in below the fire.

If I find a picture of what I did, I'll post it. Good luck!

Sean

[SeanD]

Here are a couple of pictures of the U-channel set up on bricks. The front is off the arch. The last picture is taken through the opening below the door during the boil. The U-channel never sagged and plenty of air got in. I had very little ash.

694369446945

Sean