wood usage formula?

[steve J]

Is there a rough way to figure out how much wood I will use to produce a gallon of syrup on a 2x4 evaporator with a blower? I been using a 2z3 with no blower and basicly I can produce about 10 gallons of syrup out of one cord of wood or 1/10 cord per gallon. I am going to be adding double my taps but have no idea how much wood the new evaporator will consume. I have read here that a blower will result in less wood used and also faster evaporation but I hate to run out of wood next spring.

[adk1]

Man, there is a table in the NA Maple Producers book that I am reading that gives you general guidelines per wood type.i.e. pine vs oak etc..cant remember though

[maple flats]

The basic formula for a 2x6 or bigger with flues pan and syrup pan is 25 gal syrup/full cord dry wood. This must be good wood and everything must be right to get this.
With my 2x6 and 3x8 I got between 21-23 gal/cord. Now I added over fire combustion air and get just under 30 gal/cord. As you can see, the burning efficiency is a big variable in the formula. To be sure you have enough I suggest you figure 20 gal/cord. And after the next season calculate your actual. Using that formula and planning a banner season will leave you with some wood to start the next season.

[Randy Brutkoski]

If everything goes right with the USDA, the force 5 that I am getting will do around 200 gallons per cord, depending on type of wood of course. That is going to save the back bigtime. I think my stock pile of wood will last at least a couple of seasons. But the price tag is very high.

[ADKMAPLE]

since I have more pine and hemlock than I know what to do with, and I burn hardwood in my house, I am definatly only burning pine/hemlock in the evap

[red maples]

If you were using only hard wood I would guess you could get 21 gallons per cord but using pulp wood your only going to get 12-16 gallons per cord.

[maple flats]

That might be close if it is all soft wood, might even get slightly less, but use what you have. I use a mix of approx 70-80% hard and the rest soft because I have a sawmill and the slab gets used too, both hard and soft. What gets cut down for the evaporator is about 95% hard, some thinning is soft but most is left to rot where it falls.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If everything goes right with the USDA, the force 5 that I am getting will do around 200 gallons per cord, depending on type of wood of course. That is going to save the back bigtime. I think my stock pile of wood will last at least a couple of seasons. But the price tag is very high.

Randy,

I would imagine you are boiling condensate and not raw sap. Don't think they will ever make an evaporator that will do 100 to 1 on raw sap unless the evap rate was really low.

[Randy Brutkoski]

That figure for gallons is I believe for 18% perm. Hopefully I will know next season.

[brookledge]

Steve
I would use the same ratio you where getting or bump it up a little to 15 to 1. For estimating wood you want to be sure you have enough. The other thing I'd recommend is taking your tap count(you said you were going to double) and with out vac. I"d use .25 to .30 gallons of syrup per tap on a great season.
Tap count X .25= gal of syrup. divided by 10 to 15= the amount of cords you will need
Keith

[whalems]

In Michigan When they refer to a cord they mean face cord. (4'x8'x18") For your formula for wood usage is this for a full cord (4'x4'x8') or a "Michigan" cord?:lol:

[Brokermike]

in Vermont it is technically illegal to sell wood by anything other than a full cord!

[ADKMAPLE]

NY as well

[brookledge]

To me the word face cord is just a way to confuse and rip off the customer.
Like Whalems said a face cord is 4X8X18" Well if you sell them 16" it adds up to alot over time that you are getting paid for. Unless you are going to have different prices per face cord depeding on the length.
Keith

[steve J]

what you are referring to as a face cord I believe most of us in vermont would call that a run and there are 3 runs to a cord

[whalems]

Yep 3 face cord makes a full cord. So in the wood usage formula everyone is talking about a full cord correct?

[Brokermike]

yep full cords

[brookledge]

So if you have 3 face cord at 18" or 20" long you would still call it a full cord. Doesn't make sense to me. I understand alot of wood gets cut at 16" which would work out to a full cord but there are some who cut and sell other lengths like 24"
Keith

[steve J]

A 3 run cord is based on 16 inches if someone is cutting 24" logs then it be a 2 run cord bottom line is a cord is 4ft high 4 ft wide and 8ft long cut it anyway you want

[Brokermike]

that is why wood should only be sold by a full cord 4x4x8

[red maples]

down here
i have seen 1/4 cords, 1/3 cord, 1/2 cords and full cordsfor sale . I never heard of a face cord until I started on here. and it is generally not always 4x4x8 because thats hard to do if your cutting the logs 19" 20" or what ever. I cut mine 20-21" for my wood stove. so its usually and easier calculate to 128 cubic Feet to accomadate for the off size length.

[farmall h]

Isn't firewood calculated by the lb. by the seller and converted to a cord per weight? Somebody selling truck loads of firewood doesn't stack it before he puts it in the truck! My only experience with a "face cord" was when I was logging and selling 8ft cedar to mills. Firewood? If you cut your wood @ 24" you have to have two rows 4ft high and 8ft long.;)

[red maples]

yes but I think that is more so at mills when your buying /selling by the pound right. the cord would then be just an estimate because wood varies in weight by species, how long it has been aged, and how dry it is. Especially if you have a good mix Oak, beech, very heavy, hard maple a little lighter, soft maple pretty light, and pine and stuff very light. I will ask the guy I used to get wood from before I started doing my own