So my Wife wanted to help...

[scottdevine]

This is a fairly long post, but very entertaining. Like many of us, I sometimes wish i had a helper outside that could take care of watching the boil when i'm at work, just to keep things going. i boil over an open firepit, so stoking the fire is something that constantly needs attention. My wife happens to be home this week, and offered to watch the fire. This is my second season, and last season, she wanted to help out as well. Our 2nd batch EVER resulted in a hard maple candy that i literally had to chisel out of the pan. Some of you may recall my pleas of help on how to save the batch. Remarkably, that batch has been our best tasting batch, but the heart attack it caused (joking) wasn't worth the pain! So remembering that, i was hesitant to let her help out, but she insisted. This is the start of a 180 gallon batch that i broke down into 70,70 and 40 gallon boils. So when i left for work, i had the first batch down to a 25 gallon pot, that had reduced to about 18 gallons. She took over stoking from there. I got updates through the day saying, "stoked again, all is great" my confidence was beaming all day. Knowing that i would return home to some concentrate, and i could start the 2nd 70 gallon leg of this batch was comforting. I received a text late in the day, "im scared to take it down further, i pulled it off heat, and you can empty it when you get home". Ok, this sounds fine...right? So I get home, and bee line to the shack/fire pit, and look at the result of her tending the fire...I'm shocked...no thermometer, no nothing. It looks like syrup! Keep in mind, this is a massive fire pit, and a 25 gallon pot that she would have concentrated down to 1.5 gallons? I filtered outside, scrubbed the pots, and prepared for tonights 70 gallon 2nd leg. I just brought her concentrate in and HAD to get a hydrometer on it...64 BRIX (cold test). I'm shocked! She ALWAYS gives me a hard time about pulling the concentrate too early and that i use too much propane when finishing...I guess she might be right? So the challenge has been made...tomorrow she will watch the 2nd leg of this batch and see if today was a fluke...dangerous right?
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[Run Forest Run!]

When I saw that roaring fire picture I was almost afraid to read your post! Looks like your wife nailed it today. Care to loan her out north of the border? She did a really great job!

[Ghs57]

That's some fire! I reminds me of the boils we did as kids. Do you get a smokey flavor in the syrup?

There are still some old timers here that don't use hydrometers or thermometers. She may have that same talent. Let's hope so, and that the hammer and chisel will not be needed.

[MISugarDaddy]

I agree with Karen, I was almost afraid to read the post. It was nice to see that it wasn't a disaster for you both. It appears she learned a great deal last season. Good luck with your remaining boils. I have to say that without my wife assisting, I couldn't pull it off, as she is out helping me all the time. We used to get people asking if they could help us, but once they found out that collecting sap was WORK (before we went to tubing), they quickly didn't have time to come and help, which has been a blessing in disguise.
Gary

[scottdevine]

so she was able to repeat herself with the 2nd part of the batch. Today I finished off the 3rd part, which because it was so dark has transformed into its own batch, but that is off topic. she was abkle to duplicate her vuisual and instinct and get the 70 gallons to almost syrup before pulling it off the flame. I, was using a thermometer for the last part of the batch to pull it at 217! hahahaahahahah...what a coward i am!

[scottdevine]

oh and no smokey flavor that i have heard about from tasters or customers this year. that surprises me but i am not hearing it, and we have sold quite a bit and offer samplers before purchase.