pot cover?

[eustis22]

hi...my neighbor kid is running a small tap off his propane burner on his grill and told me today he got a better boil covering his cookpot? I'm using a steam table pan on a turkey fryer (arch next year). Should I be covering that, based on the small size of my flame?

[Kev]

well yes a covered pot boils more than an uncovered one, due to the extra heat held in. but since the point of boiling sap is to get the water out of it.
thats kinda hard to do, when the water condensates and falls back in to the sap. :)

[Ausable]

Lets see now -- If I understand you --- You are boiling maple sap to make maple syrup. Getting rid of water in the form of steam the quickest way you can so maple syrup is left is your goal.....and the little neighbor mush head says to cover the pot ------to what - save some of the precious steam and make the boil last forever.... The Kid is either messing with your head or on pot or both. - Leave the cover off and boil till you have syrup. Was the kid boiling sap or something else --- did his pot have a copper coil hooked to the lid? ----- LOL -- Have fun --- Mike

[John c]

No cover, let that steam out! And as for the kid, explain to him the concept and help him out!

[eustis22]

That's what *I* thought...I think he liked the higher boil rate....anyways, just checking.

[PerryW]

Leave the cover off. Not sure what your depth is, but try running shallower and your boiling rate may increase.

[Ausable]

That's what *I* thought...I think he liked the higher boil rate....anyways, just checking.

Hello again eustis22 -- I guess I sounded sarcastic as I wasn't sure if You were serious or just having some fun - or - how old the neighbor kid is. Hey if the kid has potential - encourage and work with him - could form a lifetime bond with a fellow maple syrup maker. That said - In making Maple Syrup we want to get rid of steam - thus - no cover. The neighbor kid has a point - if just getting a higher temp. is the goal. Like a Pressure cooker - the higher the steam pressure becomes the higher the temperature - up to and until the relief valve lifts ---- but that is not necessary making maple -- keep boiling --- Mike

[happy thoughts]

The only time I could see using a lid is when first starting up to get the sap to boil faster. But once it starts steaming, the lid should be removed.

[eustis22]

he's 15 and yeah, we're bonding better over sugaring...we each like each other's first effortsbetter than ours...he likes my sweetness, I like his mapleness

I think we'll co -collect/boil next year

[Maplebrook]

Here's a story...
A couple of years ago some friends visited when we were making syrup and they went home to try it themselves. A father and son team. (son is 35) A few days later son's wife calls me. "dumb and dumber (her words for her father-in-law and husband) have been holed up in the garage boiling the same pot of sap for 2 days now. They won't listen to me tell them to take the lid off... can you come over and talk some sense into them?"
The next morning I went over. First thing I saw was a pot in the snowbank with the bottom burned out. They had reluctantly agreed to take the lid off, but wouldn't believe her about how fast it would boil. They filled the pot, jacked the heat and went inside for supper. Lucky they didn't burn the garage down!
We all learn from our mistakes and from others!
So, eustis22, it wasn't a silly question after all! others have shared the same theory....