2x8 concerns

[islandviewpeter]

I am thinking about purchasing a 2x8 unit to allow me to grow to 400 taps and have reasonable boiling times. Have read some concerns regarding the additional length making it hard to get a good boil throughout the flue pan compared to a 2x6. Interested in some comments on this. Thanks.


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[lpakiz]

I can't say this for all pans, but I have a Smoky Lake 8 foot drop flue X 2 feet wide, and it boils the full length as hard as we want, to the point of throwing sap over the gutters in the hood. There is a 2 foot syrup pan ahead of this, so it is not hard to contact the drop flues with wood. We get about 100 GPH, start of fire to walk away.

[islandviewpeter]

Are you running forced air with this?


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[lpakiz]

Peter, yes. See my signature?

[islandviewpeter]

Oh yeah. Now I found it. I like the idea of the efficient arch but not sure I have the cash.


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[lpakiz]

While I am VERY happy with the boil rate, we did burn a lot of wood. The wood was what I call "heavy edgings" as in sawmill waste, but not like the edgings we used to get when edging 1 and 2 inch boards. This is edgings from pallet cants, which ranges from 1 X 1 to 3 X 4 s. We switched to slabs and eventually to 10 year old furnace wood, split into 2 X 3s, and cord volume used seems to be much less. I suspect the edgings are too fine and are more air gaps and less solid wood.

[islandviewpeter]

100 gallons would take me 33 hours at my present boil rate.


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[JAMIE]

2 x 8 is a great size . I happen to have a leader inferno c/w max pans for sale with ALL the bells and whisles.I live in Desbarats ont not to far from you.Used only one season.

[islandviewpeter]

Thanks Jamie. I was in contact with you about the unit. It's a little pricey for me. Liked the look of it in the pictures. Do you still have your totes?


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[Father & Son]

I have a 2 x 8 Dallaire and the flue pan boils hard enough to splash sap right out. Boils 50-55 gallons per hour if you fire every 8-10 minutes.

Jim

[islandviewpeter]

Looked at your pictures. Nice setup.
You are still using a standard fire box? I assume you have hoods and some sort of preheater.



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[jrmaple]

I have a 2x8, no issues with boil a lack of a boil throughout the flue pan, the only place you might ever see a slower boil is where the float box enters into the flue pan where raw sap is coming in; I have a 2x5 drop flue pan and two cross flow 18"x2' front pans. I get about 40-47 gph depending on how often I am firing it and how good the wood is. I wouldn't recommend doing anymore than 475 to 500 taps on a 2x8 though, it gets really time consuming boiling 8 hours a day. Good luck.

[Father & Son]

Yes, standard firebox, and the firebox is 4 inches shorter than the new Maple Pro that CDL is making. My arch is 28" tall and the Maple Pro is 32" tall. I have a hood and preheater from Smoky Lake and the sap entering the flue pan is between 180 and 195 degrees.

Jim