What Time Do You Typically Start Boiling?

[Hawk's Hill]

Hi Gang,

Just out of interest, what time of the day/night do you typically start to boil? Also, how many hours do you boil for (on average)?

Happy boiling!
randy

[Bruce L]

Hi Randy,totally depends on the sap,if there's enough sap by 8:00 in the morning,that's when I start,and I boil until the tanks are dry,even if it means pulling an allnighter.(Love to see a few of them again),makes for a profitable season.

[michiganfarmer2]

when the sap is running hard, my dad will start about 5 am. My wife will boil for a few hours, around noon, and I boil from the time I get home from work till 10 pm-ish.

during the weekends, dad wil start abuot 5 then Ill take over around 7 and Ill boill all day

[morningstarfarm]

we usually boil in the evnings..after all the horses are rode and chores done..start around 6-7pm and finish around 11ish

[Sugarmaker]

The real job gets in the way. So we gather in the afternoon and try to start boiling by 5:00 -5:30 pm, usually done by 10 -11.
If I have lots of sap and its Friday night I might get some rest and finish in the morning.
SM

[Russell Lampron]

I usually start the RO at 11am and then start to boil around 6pm. If I have 700 or so gallons to start with I am usually done in about 2 hours.

[Farmboy]

I collect right when I get home from school at 2:30. So I dont start boiling till around 3:00 to 3:30. This year with only 120 taps so far with a few more buckets to hang I will only be boiling a few times a week for a few hours.

[sapman]

Last year I recirced the RO a lot, so boiling didn't start til at least 10pm, often later. Upside was it didn't take over 4-5 hours to do what started out as 1300-1500 gal. +, usually.

[Brian Ryther]

I like to begin boiling around 2pm. I boil for about 2 hours and can be home for dinner every night.

[Rhino]

We like to get rolling at first light if we have sap left from the previous day, and try to shut down around 10 pm if we can't finish all the sap before that time. Have to get some sleep to recharge for the next day. Last year we were always done cooking before night fall. Hope this season is better!

[3rdgen.maple]

When the head tank is full. And boil as long as it takes to get sap processed. Boiled for 27 hours straight once and will do it again if I have to.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

usually fire in rig at 6PM, only boil at night. The only time I boiled during the day was when I bought 300gal(300/34=8.8hrs plus what I gathered approx. 200gal. That was a 6PM to 4AM bed for a few hours back up boiling at 10AM to 2PM. I dont want to do that again.

[BobU]

If we have the sap for it, I love to start boiling about 4:00 AM, get to listen to the owls and see the sun rise. That way, by the time some helpers show up they can start bottling. On these early start days, I'm more than happy to turn over the evaporator reins to the next "Happy Sapper" at about dark.
I'm excited just typing about it. :D

[adk1]

No having actually done it yet, I am definatly a morning person. I think I am like BobU, I would like the morning sunrise. (Note#1,256, install windows in garage:) )

[maple flats]

If we have sap, my wife starts about 8:30-9:00 AM, I go check lines and collect. Then I haul and fill head tank again. I help boil then until I have to go drive school bus and my wife boils until I return after collecting again. Then I boil and my wife goes home. I usually quit about 10-11 to resume the next day.

[maple marc]

Tomorrow will be sort of a typical day for me, after an average to small run and collection today (150 gallons): I'll fire up at 9am and finish at about 6pm. As we move into the best part of the season next week, I'll start earlier and finish later. I hope to have some 300 gallon runs. At my shack it as much a social event as anything, and I want to be boiling during cocktail hour! I'm planning to expand my evaporator next year, to handle more sap in the same number of hours.

[mogihillfarm]

On my days off I plan my boils so I am busy when the wife gets home from work. Gets me out of horse chores. Hope she doesn't read this

[markcasper]

It usually ends up anytime from 10pm-2AM before I start boiling. I like to get the tanks completely empty at night and at the same time shut off the pumps if its going to freeze up. I usually start the RO after the 2nd load, recirculate a bit, and let that run while I finish gathering and then start cooking after that. During sap runs all night and or huge runs, then all the balls are on the table.

[cpmaple]

I gather in the early am and then fire up the evaporator around 10ish and boil till the tanks are empty. Somedays thats 10pm or alot later almost morning.On weekends i start at 5 in the morning because i have the kids that go gather all the sap. Happy tapping and make great syrup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cpmaple

[Dill]

I would love to start at noon,but usually 6 or 7 pm after work and dinner. Finish up around 11 or 12.

[adk1]

Dill, you and I are on the same page. I dont get home until 5:30 or so, so when I do have a good run (will all be on tubing) I will simply check my storage tank. If its 1/2 full (125gal tank) I will boil it that night. I cant wait!

[Haynes Forest Products]

Crank it up after the first days pick up if we drained all the tanks. We boil all day long. We dont like to store sap longer than 1/2 day. When things are running we dont have time to fiddle around its one on the evap one on the sap hauler and someone walking lines and improving the systems.

[mike z]

On an average day, I get the evaporator going around 7:00am, get the kids off to school and my wife takes over the evaporator as I go to work. I try and get home around noon and take over things. She comes back out when I gather sap at 3 or 4:00. I may boil till 6:00 or midnight depending on the amount of sap. The operation varies some, depending on sap runs and if I can get off from work.

[delta757and767pilot]

CP maple how in the world are you going to handle 600 taps on a 2x6 with flat pans?

[heus]

Last season I remember one night (morning) that I boiled after school (I'm a teacher) until 3am. Coyotes were howling like crazy not far from the sugarhouse. Moon was bright, owl was hooting, and I had to get up at 530 to go to school. I love long weekend boils.

[Big_Eddy]

Hmmm - last year I was behind a bit so I booked Friday off work and started at 4:00pm on Thursday evening. Boiled until 6:00am Friday, started a new batch at 6:30 and boiled till about midnight- took that batch off, filled the pan again and got things ripping, slept till about 6:00am, got up and boiled again until about 11:00pm Sat and took that batch off, filled it up and started again. You get the idea. Finished up about 3am Sunday evening.

Monday was not my most productive day at work :lol:

[Tweegs]

I gather every night but we only boil on Sat, Sun, and Wed.
Boil days will see the fire lit before dawn.

Wednesdays are usually long days. I’ll put my wife on the rig when she gets home from work so I can go collect. Sat and Sun we can break it up a bit.