Really, how often to add wood?

[stimyg]

I'm just getting started with my first real wood fired evaporator (smoky lake Dauntless). First test boil will be tomorrow.

I've read in many places that you want to cut your wood to wrist size - fine - and add the wood every 8 minutes or so - not so fine.

I don't need to be reaching maximum GPH boil at all times. My Dauntless is plenty big for the amount of sap I'll have, probably overkill. But I want the thing to boil and I want the sap to evaporate, and yet I'd love to be able to do the million other things I need to do on a given day without adding wood to the fire every 8 minutes.

So - obviously I'll be able to try this myself shortly. But, just so I can ballpark this, and get your opinions:

Every 8 minutes? Really?

(I have a mix of softwood and hardwood, mostly soft. Like 90% soft. I know that matters, and I know that there are a lot if variables, but big picture I just want to know if this 8 minutes thing is a perfect ideal that isn't strictly necessary, or if something like it is.)

[phil-t]

If you want syrup, you will need to tend your fire - 8 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes - you will take longer to get to syrup is all. Wood is not the only thing that needs constant attention in an evaporatopr. Still won't have time to tend other things. It's not a wood stove for heat, it's a "race car" and needs attention, a lot of it. Besides, once you start, you will want to get the highest evaporation rate you can, at least that's the way I am. Get your sap boiled and then go off and do your other things, You'll be more efficient, in the end.

[Russell Lampron]

The 8 minutes isn't cast in stone. When I'm burning mostly softwood I fire every 5 minutes and increase that time with hardwood. It all depends on when the stack temperature starts to drop. My arch is air tight and has air over and under the fire meaning that the wood disappears fast. If your not using a blower on yours your wood will last longer between fireings.

Like phil-t said an evaporator needs constant attention. The first time that you have a boil over or scorch your pan you'll know what we mean.

[ecolbeck]

I think it depends on what your goals are and what kind of pan you have. I know people who fill up the pan and throw wood in the arch once in a while when they get the chance. They make syrup slowly and in batches. They have open pans with no dividers.

If you have a divided pan, and you want to take advantage of it to make syrup continuously, then you need to fire very consistently to maintain a gradient.

[bigschuss]

If you're not in a big hurry to make syrup you can get away with throwing wood in your evaporator less frequently, but you will lose your boil, then you'll have to get it back again. If you have a pre-heater feeding your pan your depth in that pan will get all out of whack as you lose the boil but sap keeps on entering. As the others have said, it is much more efficient to do it, and do it right.

Every spring I save all of my yard chores for boiling time. I am lucky that my evaporator is about 30 yards from my home. I can easily keep my evaporator fed while I prune apple trees, tend a burn pile, do some small repairs to the house, work in the barn, etc. Yes, I have to stop and walk back to the sugar house every 10 minutes or so. But I get a ton of work done. I also log probably 3 or 4 miles of walking during the course of the day.

[buckeye gold]

I agree with Phil-t, run the evaporator at peak efficiency and then go work. You can easily turn a 4 hour boil into 6-8 hrs if you don't tend your fire and you'll have a whole pan batch boil. I have a moto I learned after a couple scorched pans......BAD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU WALK AWAY FROM AN EVAPORATOR

At least set your float to run at 21/2 -3 inches in your pan and give yourself some margin, if your walking away. Maybe yoda's advice is good for sugaring to when he said, "Do. Or do not. There is no try- "That is why you fail.”

[Sugarmaker]

Stay there fire every 8 minutes and make the syrup. Its not the time to be off doing other things, unless the pans are full and you just have some kindling in there to keep it warm. After that it really is about your comfort zone of the time you have to make the sap you have into the syrup you want. Dont want much much syrup dont boil much sap very long. Most of us want to get the syrup made rather quickly to maintain the class of syrup. But some dont and added boiling time can give you darker syrup color, which could be desired.
I am not sure how big your evaporator is? They boil at different rates. From gallons per hour to gallons per minute. You'll get the hang of it. Just try not to burn the pans right away. No fun there.
As my friend Jim has noted many times, "Your only 10 seconds away from disaster at any time, when running one of these!"
Keep boiling.
Regards,
Chris

[Dave Puhl]

With my 2x6 I use a timer 7-8 minutes. I run an inch or so deep in the sugar pan and like was said don't walk away when you are boiling

[wnybassman]

I fire every 5 to 8 minutes depending on wood. If I went 15 minutes I wouldn't even have a hot coal left in the firebox.

Not sure I have ever heard of anybody wanting to slow down the process. lol

[GramaCindy]

I wish there was a LIKE button for this Phil-t