Boiling

[Small time]

I have a new half pint and I cannot seem to get a good rolling boiling going. It boils but not madly. I have tried when fueling the fire with my slabwood and pallet wood to stack it criss cross and also feeding the firing by placing the wood inside vertically so as not to smother the fire.
I have tried having an inch of sap in the pans and then less than a 1/2" and theerre is no difference. When I look into the firebox the coals are right up to the bottom of the pan and the flames are shooting directly back to the smoke stack. Do I need a damper on my stack to let the fire come in contact with the pans more?

[Guest]

Did you firebrick the half-pint? and did you add "optional" the firewall as per the directions? How is your chimney?

[WF MASON]

I tell customers to burn short wood ,12-18'' and build a brick wall back from the front about 24''- 3'' down from the bottom of the pan, to make the fire box shorter and make the fire go up onto the pan and over the wall before escaping.

[mapleman3]

and also the smaller in diameter wood you put in that the better... it's not the coals your aiming for but the flames and intense heat...I would split all my wood down to no more than 2" in diameter, so it burns hot and fast!!!and fire often, don't keep the firing door open long, have the wood right there ready to go in, open throw it in and close, the longer it's open the more it kills the boil.

[MaineMapleDave]

To add a bit, I would suggest adding a damper when you get a chance. With the half pint, I have had the flames shooting out the pipe so much that they are not really helping the sap boil. If you can keep some of that hard-earned heat UNDER the pan for a bit more, it'll help. I usually choke the damper down just a hair, and I can tell by the sound and steam that the boiling is increasing.

Assuming you have one of the newer arches, you should probably be getting enough air through the damper to help your combustion. I have an older-style arch, and actually keep the door ajar a bit to get more air into the firebox. So, if you have an older style arch you might want to try that. Also, if you have an older-style arch put in some sort of grate to allow the spent coals to fall down underneath the actively-burning wood. I use a fireplace grate I got at the local hardware store, and it seems to help.

I noticed in your post also that you mention that the coals are packed up to near the bottom of the pan, so it may be that there are too many coals and not enough space for wood and air. The coals are not helping your combustion. Clean the coals out after each boiling--I use a galvanized metal trash can and metal shovel and keep the can OUTSIDE away from anything combustible. Some of those coals will keep going for some time.

Good luck!!

[mapleman3]

I agree with dave, I too made a grate and went as far as sloping it up towards the flue(old style barrel arch) and I put a cleanout door in the back with a blower in the front. always had a good full boil.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

The manufacture recommends you only keep the firebox about 1/2 to 2/3 full because you get better combustion and lot more flames.

What I have found out over the years is when the wood is against the bottom of the pan on anything, all the wood underneath the top layer is burning up for nothing and the top layer has so much wood underneath it, it can't get enough air to combust properly and put off as much heat as it could. You want those big flames, so fire it every 5 to 10 minutes with small pieces of wood and cross the wood or lay it so it can get a lot of air flow thru it for combustion.

I do agree about the damper, don't know but for no more than they cost, it would be worth a try. I started out with a 2x3 stainless pan on cinderblock arch years ago and even with 8 to 10 feet of stack, I had flames shooting out the top which was a waste but I was young and didn't know any better and probably didn't have the money to buy a damper. :D :D

[Small time]

I do have the unit firebricked and added the wall in the back as the instructions stated. The grate that came with it doesn't allow the coals to drop down to the bottom, this is why I have some many hot coals and not alot of room for wood. I think I am going to find a different grate and try that. Thanks for all the responses.

[WF MASON]

If your looking for a quick grate , you can go to a welding shop , (with your drawing ) and have them make up a grate using 1''x1''x1/4''angle , so it looks like a small ladder , the outside angles have the flange out so it fits down in to the grate hole in your arch. I use a 3/4'' space , but you can go bigger then the grate space you have now , depending on what that is. Tell the welder, you'd like the grate to set flat after its welded.

[Fred Henderson]

An old cast iron steam or hot water radiator will make for a quick grate and will last a long time with no welding involved.