To hot?

[toquin]

Can my arch get to hot after 6-8 hrs of boiling? It is a 12 foot insulated block arch ,AUF, there is sand under both pans . Block stack with 8" clay liner. Boils front to back on syrup pan in the morning but around 2:00 pm we lose about half the boil. Do you think the sand has any thing to do with it?

[Pibster]

Never too hot in my opinion. Maybe your grate is getting plugged up with ashes later in the day. This would cut down on your draft.

[toquin]

Grate is cleaned 3-4 times daily.

[eustis22]

how do you clean your grate while firing????

[toquin]

firing every 8-12 min. right before you add the next load take a steel garden rake and rake the coals hard with the teeth. I have a 8" drop under the grates. WHY do I lose my boil!!!

[michiganphil]

Do you brush the bottom of the pan off before each boil? Maybe a build up of ash is insulating the pan?