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Thread: How much wood will I need

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Southern Ohio
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    Here in Hillbilly land it's a full cord/bush cord 4x4x8 or face cord or rick 4x2x8

  2. #12
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    Dec 2002
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    Rock Creek, NC
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wmmaple View Post
    Lol. Yes a bush cord is 4'x4'x8'. Sorry still a common term in my neck of the woods. Thanks for the clarity, I hope to do 20 to 30 gallons at 2% so I should have enough dry wood ready this year. It shows how much an R.O cuts down on the cutting and splitting for sure. Thanks again.
    So now I know what a bush cord is. I have been around firewood my whole life and never heard that term before. When I boiled raw sap I didn't have a blower and it took about 1 "bush" cord of wood to make 10 gallons of syrup with my 2x6.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  3. #13
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    Mar 2014
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    Ogdensburg, NY
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    Quote Originally Posted by Russell Lampron View Post
    So now I know what a bush cord is. I have been around firewood my whole life and never heard that term before. When I boiled raw sap I didn't have a blower and it took about 1 "bush" cord of wood to make 10 gallons of syrup with my 2x6.
    And what was the sugar content of the raw sap?
    I've run 3.7- 3.9 for the two years I've been at it. Using a Leader half-pint, I made 15 gal of syrup last season and used ~ 1 "bush cord" of decent hardwood with some pine and hemlock (lumber peices left over from my garage build) and a little exotic hardwood (peices of kiln dried) from a cabinet maker that is near by. My experience last year was that the hardwood far outperformed the other stuff.
    2016 - helped at afriend with a small operation, 300+ taps. = hooked
    2017 - 20 taps @ home, 1 gal @ home on propane, then hauled to friends operation
    Bought a whole shack locally, with a Leader 1/2 Pint, moved it home
    2018 - 50 taps, 9 on 3/16 gravity and 41 pails -14 gallons of good sweet stuff
    2019 - 27 taps, 17 on 3/16 gravity and 10 on pails - 12-3/4 gallons of good sweet stuff (most fun I've had with this hobby)

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
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    Plymouth WI
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    142

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    [QUOTE=Russell When I boiled raw sap I didn't have a blower and it took about 1 "bush" cord of wood to make 10 gallons of syrup with my 2x6.[/QUOTE]
    Without knowing how long ago you were cooking on a 2x6 with no RO or evaporator enhancements, however using average cost of $150 for a Bush cord, it cost ~ $15 in fuel alone to make a gallon of syrup. Fast forward to current equipment producing 100 gal of syrup per bush cord and fuel cost drops to ~$1.50/gal. An investment in new equipment equals saving on making less firewood, labor, trips to the woods, chain sharpening etc....
    Congrats on your improvements! H3axed in the same direction!
    2x6 Smokey Lake raised flue w/AUF
    16x30 Sugar Shack
    7" SL SS filter press
    Smokey Lake water jacketed finish pan & bottler
    350 RO
    517 taps and I seem to keep finding more!

  5. #15
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    Dec 2002
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    Rock Creek, NC
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    Quote Originally Posted by phil-t View Post
    And what was the sugar content of the raw sap?
    I've run 3.7- 3.9 for the two years I've been at it. Using a Leader half-pint, I made 15 gal of syrup last season and used ~ 1 "bush cord" of decent hardwood with some pine and hemlock (lumber peices left over from my garage build) and a little exotic hardwood (peices of kiln dried) from a cabinet maker that is near by. My experience last year was that the hardwood far outperformed the other stuff.
    My raw sap was around 2% depending on the time of the season.

    Quote Originally Posted by 1arch View Post
    Without knowing how long ago you were cooking on a 2x6 with no RO or evaporator enhancements, however using average cost of $150 for a Bush cord, it cost ~ $15 in fuel alone to make a gallon of syrup. Fast forward to current equipment producing 100 gal of syrup per bush cord and fuel cost drops to ~$1.50/gal. An investment in new equipment equals saving on making less firewood, labor, trips to the woods, chain sharpening etc....
    Congrats on your improvements! H3axed in the same direction!
    I did this from 2001 to 2004. In 2005 I got the RO and vacuum. I don't remember when I got the blower but it was probably around 2007 or 2008. I built a bubbler in 2013 and got my air tight AUF/AOF arch last season. I concentrate to 14% and draw off 8 gallons of syrup per hour.

    I never sat down and figured how much the free wood that I cut on my own land cost but I do spend a lot on gas, diesel fuel and chainsaw maintenance. Then there's the man hours to do it all. That free "bush cord" actually is far from free but still less expensive than buying wood.
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

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